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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

October Half Term-Caribbean or Canaries?

23 replies

TheHouseofMirth · 09/08/2012 22:03

We want a really fantastic beach holiday for DH & I, DSs who are 7 and 3.5 and MIL with guaranteed blue skies.

With an inset day at the beginning of half term and a cheeky day off we should be able to go for 9-10 nights.

I've always wanted to go to the Caribbean and never wanted to visit the Canaries but as I've never been to either I thought it best to seek advice. Is the Caribbean too far for 10 days? Wasted on small boys?

Where shall we go?

OP posts:

dinkystinky · 09/08/2012 22:08

Hi THOM - I've never been to the Caribbean but do like the Canaries, especially Lanzarote over the non-touristy side of the island. Great restaurants, nice locals beaches, fab scenery, gorgeous sculptures and Cesar Manrique architecture. We've been twice, staying near Punta Mujeres, and love it there.
October half term is good weather - was bit dodgy the time we went in February but was still a lovely relaxing holiday. There are some lovely villas around there.

4forkssake · 09/08/2012 22:19

Never been to the Canaries but have been to the Caribbean quite a few times. Took DS1 to Barbados for 10 days when he was 23 months & then for 7 days when he was 40 months. Wouldn't hurry back for 7 days again (mainly as we now also have DS2) but 10 days was good. Can definitely recommend Barbados. Lovely weather (& hurricane season all but over by then), child friendly, lovely restaurants, small island so transfer times decent, drive on same side as road if you want to hire a car, lovely beaches & not too hot. Also, depending on who you fly with, there are several daily flights from London (some airlines only fly to certain Caribbean countries a couple of times a week)

I'd definitely say go for Caribbean, the boys would love it!

TeamGBIWI · 09/08/2012 22:21

We went to Barbados for October half term on several occasions, when the boys were aged from 7 upwards. Yes, they may suffer from the jet lag, but it doesn't take that long to recover. If you can go for 10 days, then even better.

We went to Turtle Beach Hotel several times, and it was really great.

Original poster

TheHouseofMirth · 10/08/2012 09:36

BIWI did it rain much whilst you were there? October looks like the rainiest month but I'm not sure what that means in reality.

OP posts:

4forkssake · 10/08/2012 10:42

When it says rain it tends just to be showers which are a welcome break sometimes! There are usually showers every day but short bursts. Having said that, I was there in April/May last year & it did nothing but rain for the first week & wasn't much better for the 2nd (& typically it was when it was gorgeous here!). The weather had been pretty rubbish for months prior to that, so much so the locals had never known weather like it. So you can never tell. Wouldn't let it stop me from going.

TeamGBIWI · 10/08/2012 10:48

When it rains it tends to be short, sharp bursts of (a lot) of rain - then the clouds go and the sun comes out again. Out of around 5 or 6 visits, we only ever lost one day to rain.

It's still hot, and our DC used to just stay in the pool anyway!

Original poster

TheHouseofMirth · 10/08/2012 17:01

OK then, on to my next question, what's the shopping like? MIL is coming with us and there is a limit to how long she'll sit on a beach!

OP posts:

TeamGBIWI · 10/08/2012 17:03

Sorry - I don't really 'do' shopping, never mind on holiday! Give me a pool and a book any time along with a gallon of gin.

Bridgetown has some lovely jewellery shops I do remember!

StrawberrytallCAKE · 10/08/2012 17:13

I have to say I went to Tobago two years ago in October half term and it rained daily, sometimes the whole day. May is a better time for the Caribbean and Barbados is my favourite island, Crystal Cove is the sister hotel to Turtle Beach and is also a great place to stay (and slightly cheaper I think). We may have had freak weather but will never go at that time of year again.

I don't think it is wasted on small boys at all, the snorkelling where we stayed was good just off the shore and the experience of meeting new people, trying new food and hopefully having a wander around the island is priceless.

Ooh just read poster above who said may was terrible weather...I guess that just proves it's a variable you can't do much about. On reflection (to be said a la Lord Sugar) definitely go to the Caribbean.

StrawberrytallCAKE · 10/08/2012 17:17

Antigua is also beautiful and has lots of diamond shops

TeamGBIWI · 10/08/2012 18:34

April to November is the official rainy season, so you will get variable weather in any of those months - it's a risk that you take! But as I said, we only had one really poor day in about 6 different weeks, going in October.

TeamGBIWI · 10/08/2012 18:35

... and as we're off to Barbados tomorrow, I'm keeping my fingers very fervently crossed that there is no rain over the next two weeks!!!

SoupDragon · 10/08/2012 18:40

Caribbean.

SoupDragon · 10/08/2012 18:41

I've just got back from Antigua. [wistful]

TeamGBIWI · 10/08/2012 18:54

Was it lovely, Soupy? I did a project* on Antigua when I was at school, and it's somewhere I've always wanted to go.

*aka cutting out pictures from holiday brochures and pretending I'd done masses of research

SoupDragon · 10/08/2012 19:03

Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. As I'm sure many Caribbean islands are. I've wanted to go there since Duran Duran shot their Rio video there [old gimmer]. I have a timeshare on an all inclusive resort and go there every other year.
No, it's horrible.

TeamGBIWI · 10/08/2012 19:08

I'm glad it was horrible.

SoupDragon · 10/08/2012 19:11

TeamGBIWI · 10/08/2012 19:22

One of my best, recent, presents was Duran Duran's Greatest Hits CD! also an old gimmer

4forkssake · 10/08/2012 20:17

OP, the shopping isn't fantastic but it depends on whether she likes to shop or window shop. In holetown on the west coast (where most of the west coast restaurants etc are) there's a relatively new shopping centre called Limegrove (wasn't fully finished when we were last there in may 2011 but think its done now). Those shops are pretty high end but worth a nosy (there's a website if you search Limegrove Barbados). Other than that it's your standard jewellery & touristy shops. There's so much sight seeing to do in barbados though so I'm sure she'd be kept busy. It's only a tiny island too so doesn't take long to drive around. Also, if there's a few of you, could be worth looking at a villa if you were to go. We booked a villa last year & so much cheaper than hotels with the option if eating in if we felt like it.
Teamgb - very - have lovely hol. Currently planning hol there next may time & trying to work out where to stay this time (our 4th visit)

Original poster

TheHouseofMirth · 10/08/2012 20:30

StrawberryTallcake did the rain ruin your holiday? What do you do in a place like that when it's raining?

OP posts:

StrawberrytallCAKE · 10/08/2012 20:57

Well we drank beer and played cards, dd was 10 months so I didn't have too much of the beer but she was still napping lots so i rested. We did have a couple of good days and I guess it didn't ruin our holiday but when I've visited before it's been constant sunshine bar the odd 30 minute thunderstorm. I did find the Mosquitos more of a problem because of the rain though as I don't normally get bitten but my legs were covered in bites (dd didn't have one on her).

I think if others have had great weather in October I would probably go for it and definitely pick Barbados or Antigua over Tobago, is there anywhere you were specifically thinking of going?

midori1999 · 10/08/2012 22:15

I would go to the Carribean anyday. (Having never been to the Canaries, but been to the Carribean a lot).

Mexico is quite good if you want to do things off the beach/outside of the resort. It's more developed than most of the Carribean and has 'proper' shops. I have only stayed in the Riviera Maya, but the beaches are fab and if you stayed somehwere like Playacar (lots of hotels and a residential area inside a gated complex) then Playa Del Carmen is within walking distance and has lots of shops. Most of the hotels have great kids facilities/clubs too.

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