Recommend somewhere sunny and hot for a family of 5, preferably all inclusive, for October half term week, please

[Olihan]

Trying to find somewhere to go during half term. DH has decided he needs sun so we are fruitlessly bumbling around the internet.

Ideally we want:

All inclusive
Plenty to keep the dcs (aged 6, 5 and 3) occupied
Close-ish to a beach
2 bedrooms
Has to be hot and sunny!

Oh and preferably under £2k all in.

Where have you all been that you'd recommend?

You're going to really really struggle with that budget for AI in half term tbh. Is that including flights? If so then I'd have to say it can't be done. Thomas Cook, for example, would do you a week in Turkey selfcatering for that. You could squeeze into one room in Majorca or Benidorm possibly. The cheapest AI they seem to have is £2.5k for one room in Turkey.

To give you an idea - we went half board to a lovely hotel in Tenerife at Easter, 2 connecting rooms, and it cost around £4.5k including flights. October half term would be similar.

Would you go SC?

I had a great time in Tunisia when my twins were around 4 or 5. We spent most of the tie on the beach, but also spent a couple of days on a coach tour, which I had never done before, but which was great. Saw the Roman arena (over restored in my view, but made it easier for the kids to imagine being gladiators), which the boys adored, rode camels in the desert, dawn over the salt lakes at Chott el-jerid, visited the troglodyte community where Star Wars was filmed, took a train journey through the red mountains where the English Patient was filmed and ran around the fort where Monty Python's life of Brian was filmed, leaning out of the window of that "he's not the Son of God, he's a very naughty boy.." scene. I was nervous about taking a coach, but it was way less stressful than driving/ map-reading..

Lanzarote also has amazing black sand beaches and volcanoes to visit, as well as Cesar Manriques extraordinary house and art collection.

Your youngest is probably a bit young for Kenya, but otherwise I would recommend a beach holiday there and spending a couple of days on Safari.

For pure beach, Dahab in Egypt has much more charm thanSharm El-Sheikh, amazing snorkelling and Mark Warner runs all inclusive packages with really good kids clubs.

Have fun.

Bear in mind that some countries require you to have vaccinations, and you may have to show the certificates. Even if not required by law, many are recommended, or need to begin a course of anti Malaria tablets. Children especially are at risk, so don't take any chances with this.Some courses of vaccinations have to begin well in advance of your trip eg Egypt, Kenya.
Some resorts shut down from the end of September, so shops and restaurants outside your hotel may be closed.
With young children I would suggest the Canary Islands - Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria.

I'm going to Egypt, Sharm el Sheike the week before half term. Staying at the Aqua Blu resort which is AI. Its cost £1200 for 2 of us.

A friend of mine went in the summer holidays for 2 weeks and there was 4 of them and it cost 2.5k. So maybe you could get a week for 2k for 5 of you.

I could have got it cheaper through smaller internet type firms but wanted the security of going with First Choice as DH isn't coming.

And you don't need vaccinations or malaria tablets for Sharm.