The best Family holiday you have been on & where you stayed?

[MorningCoffee]

Looking for our summer 2013 holiday, What is the best Family friendly holiday you have been on & the nicest hotel/apartment you have stayed in?

Palm beach hotel, Ibiza, Thompsons.

Kids club, nice pool, sun loungers in the trees in the shade - Heaven.
Gate straight onto the beach so you can swim in the sea without having to walk miles wet and salty - absolute heaven.

unfortunately it's right in the edge of town and I like nice bars to wander round without bus or taxi to worry about.

Superb if you do want to go all inclusive, hotel food was very good.

Another recommendation from me for further afield would be Bandos Island in the Maldives. They have great kids facilities and the beach is so safe. We had such a great time as a family, that when my dh was posted away with the military, and I was made redundant a week later, ds and I went alone together for 3 blissful weeks.....

Triplets its the European Health Insurance Card that greeneggs is talking about it. I know you want to go to the USA, but as long as you travel to countries covered by the EHIC could you not go to Europe?

Here's the link: EHIC

Sardinia was my favourite holiday ever. We went with our then 2 year old and had a little apartment in a gorgeous complex lent to us by DH's uncle. The place was called San Teodoro and I've never seen beaches like it outside the Caribbean! This was closely followed by the Amalfi coast which is just stunning. We stayed here www.locandamonache.com/ which is the most beautiful hotel I have ever been too.

We went to Finnish Lapland last year which was pretty fab. Our summer holiday to Crete staying at the Sensatori Resort was good too.

Though we live pretty close to Camp Bestival we camped and had so much fun, I was exhausted by Monday.

Went to Bedruthan Steps when ds was a baby, we really enjoyed it.

Corsica - absolutely loved it. We stayed inbetween bonifacio and porto vechio. Kids loved it too as the beaches were calm and they could go out quite far, still being within their depth. Fabulous holiday. that we can't afford to go this year...

We have had 2 great holidays at Thomson Sensatori - both Tenerife and Crete. We loved Tenerife although very difficult to get about with a pram or a pushchair. And no beach. Crete had a beach, but it was really rather dirty and we all came back with skin infections

sailorsgal are you me?

We went to the Crete Sensatori and Camp Bestival last summer too. Also enjoyed both.

We actually went to the Sensatori resort in early summer and enjoyed it so much we went back again a couple of months later. Sadly, wasn't quite as good the second time as it was far busier. The free kids club and evening entertainment for children was very well done and really made a difference.

Sands hotel just outside Newquay is gorgeous. We went there on a last minute job when the Dc's were 4 & 2 and it was perfect. Adult dinners with baby listening, spacious rooms, a lovely pool, right opposite great beaches. A perfect combination of sophistication and family friendly.

Since then it's been camping in France - best site we went too was La Garangeoire in the Vendee region, with keycamp. A lovely friendly site with just the right amount of things to do and a fab pool.
Also liked Seqoia Park which is a bit further south near La Rochelle. A bigger site so a bit noiser of an evening but good for older kids and lots to do nearby.

This year we're venturing off to Morocco on a family holiday to Marrakech with Explore holidays. I did a couple of trips with them when I was a child free singleton and can't wait to take the DC's who are now 8 and 10 to do something more adventurous!

Keycamp holidays in France - bags of fun with the kids, lots of stuff to see and do and in a safe environment.

marking my place - will have a think of our best places later... Great thread!

winefairy You have wine in your name, you must be my twin.

I'm getting lots of idea from this thread. I really fancy Sardinia for a family holiday.

Going to Marrakech this spring but child free.

Want to go to the Maldives and chill. No chance tho.

Praia da Rocha on the Algarve is a lovely family friendly resort, the beach is beautiful and Hotel da Rocha is at the top of the steps down to the beach.

I also recommend Turkey, Olu Deniz, Ovacik and Hisaronou are lovely resorts, the Belcekiz beach hotel in olu deniz is fab.

All these ideas sound wonderful but too pricey for us.
Im looking for holiday for 2 adults and 4 kids 17, 13, 10 and 8.
I have max budget of £1,800 and can only do August.. would like to do spain or france. Any ideas please

Lady look on Owners Direct and see what is available. You can often find some absolute bargains form people who own a place and let it out when they are not using it rather than "proper" holiday lets. If you are not too fussy and don't mind somehting a bit shabby round the edges then you will find something in budget.

...and email the owner direct if going for more than a week. We've done this, in August, and got 20% off before.

sailorsgal Now you are frightening me!! Was meant to be going to Marrakech with friends this March but just had to back out. Childcare issues.

Going to Iceland in May and Copenhagen in June and Camp Bestival in July. I expect to see you in all three!

Azanzi Hotel Zanzibar after safari in Tanzania. Costa Smerelda on Sardinia. Finnish Lapland. Saint Lucia (Jalousie complex before it became a timeshare). New York. And New York again. And any other time I can get there. Aegina just off Athens. Cairo (but not right now). Sorrento.

I really fancy Santorini next. Pity my 4 kids are so expensive now they are big. I love love travelling - it even makes up for my fear of flying!

Ooh, Iceland's amazing but the food is horribly expensive. Take snacks!

Ah.Zanzibar. Oh yes, but not with children. Our hotel was raided by bandits, one couple seriously injured. Happens a lot and is hushed up.

But the closest I've been to heaven.

I really, really want to go to Santorini but just dh and me. When flying to Crete the captain mentioned we were flying over it I just wanted to parachute out.

I adore Santorini. It's not a place I'd take children too scary!

Dahab, South Sinai area of Egypt - stayed Iberotel Dahabeya - stunning beach/views, so far my best in the world & I've been lucky & travelled :)

• lovely laid back (old hippy trail) town a short walk away, best dive & snorkelling sites right on your doorstep, loads of history nearby & the hotel staff loved kids & the kids loved them even & were encouraged to run around & enjoy themselves so that us parents could relax & they generally just had a ball eating free ice cream & serving themselves drinks & hanging out in the well equipped pool or snorkelling with tons of beautiful fish in the very shallow safe waters of the hotel beach, generally a very different, much more chilled, hassle free atmosphere compared to other parts of Egypt.

We also loved Mellieha Bay - Malta - Small island so easy to get around by bus or a lot of it is walkable - lots to do & see, & again great safe shallow water beach, good food & Popeyes World was fantastic for little ones & a beautiful place just to chill out while the kids go mental playing with Jack Sparrow et al in the fantastic, colourful, loads of fun & water guns splash pool - our Hotel wasn't the best, hotel was good, pools staff etc, but the food & restaurant staff let it down but the Rui hotel nearby was apparently great & we ate there a couple of times & found it much better than where we stayed

Avoid like the plague - Cape Verde - Rui Garopa in Santa Maria - Holiday from hell