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Holidays

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

Original poster

Looking for a dream beach holiday in mid-winter. Where do we go?

29 replies

CoteDAzur · 09/03/2008 21:15

DH & I would like to go somewhere we we can park on the beach and watch DD (2.6) play in the sand while we sizzle under the sun.

I'd appreciate any ideas. The nearer the better, with the exception of North Africa (Morocco etc).

OP posts:
fingerwoman · 09/03/2008 21:25

what kind of budget do you have?
If it were me (and I am tight lol) I would just go and see what I could get on a last minute cheap deal

orangina · 09/03/2008 21:34

Canary Islands hot enough for you? (I haven't been btw...). Egypt? We went to the Red Sea with dd when she was about 13 months, and had a lovely time. It was about May-ish I think, v hot. Would imagine you don't want to be on a v long flight, which cuts out the caribbean....

luvaduck · 09/03/2008 21:38

zanzibar - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
or
malaysia - perhentian islands

Original poster
CoteDAzur · 09/03/2008 21:49

We're OK for money (we haven't had a holiday in ages) and DH has lots of frequent flier miles & hotel points we can use.

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Original poster
CoteDAzur · 09/03/2008 21:58

DH doesn't want to go to Egypt, Morocco, or any other North African country. He thinks we will be kidnapped

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MNersanonymous · 09/03/2008 22:16

Dubai?
Or Tenerife - Abama is a stunning hotel and totally not typical Tenerife.

luvaduck · 09/03/2008 23:10

seriously zanzibar is so lush - you can stay in great hotels quite cheaply, not much time difference. amazing beaches, stone town is stunning and really interesting.
and its in east africa. you can go quite developed and the top end hotels have everything.

orangina · 10/03/2008 09:37

You will need the jabs and malaria pills for zanzibar though (but I agree, it is totally dreamy....)

Original poster
CoteDAzur · 10/03/2008 12:01

Tenerife would be great but weather not really hot these days, apparently. Cloudy with 22C temperatures today.

Zanzibar looks stunning. What kind of jabs are we going to need? Will they be OK for a 2.5 year old?

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MNersanonymous · 10/03/2008 12:03

What about Carlisle Bay or Jumby Bay on Antigua - the flight is around 7 or 8 hours so not so bad.

Original poster
CoteDAzur · 10/03/2008 12:22

The Caribbean would be great but maybe a bit too ambitious with our 2.5 yr old. Not only the flight, but the jet lag will probably be quite unpleasant for her.

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MNersanonymous · 10/03/2008 14:25

I just had the same dilemma recently. Ds is a similar age. We probably will give it a go next Winter as I think he will be old enough by then but are off to Dubai this time.
What about Oman or Abu dhabi if Dubai is a bit too touristy and built up now?

Original poster
CoteDAzur · 10/03/2008 17:16

How far away is Dubai? (I should probably be able to find this out myself )

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Waswondering · 10/03/2008 17:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
CoteDAzur · 10/03/2008 17:32

8 hours travel. 3 hours time difference. Not bad at all!

Any suggestions for hotels?

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Original poster
CoteDAzur · 10/03/2008 17:35

waswondering - how did you deal with jet lag? For the little one, I mean.

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MNersanonymous · 10/03/2008 18:04

Cote - what kind of budget do you have and what do you enjoy doing??
(I'm a travel writer and one of my specialisms is family friendly luxury hotels so should be able to give you some ideas)

Blu · 10/03/2008 18:11

Mauritius?

Yes, the flight is long, but will be over-night on the way so toddler will sleep. Time difference is only 4 hours - we did the flight with DS at 8m, 3y and 6y - has been fine.

S Africa - has long flight, but again flights are generally o/night - and only has 1 hour time difference.

Original poster
CoteDAzur · 10/03/2008 18:51

Blu - I thought about Mauritius, and looked at flights. But it takes three different flights and 20 hours to get from here to there

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MABS · 10/03/2008 18:55

been to dubai,abu dhabi and oman many times - ask away!! flt from here usually 7 hrs out and closer to 6 back to uk.

MNersanonymous · 10/03/2008 19:03

Blu - Are your initials SW?!? I know someone who has ds's that age who just went....sorry to out you!

Blu · 10/03/2008 19:05

No - my initials are not SW

Cote - sorry - you're not in the UK are you? Where are you? Makes thinking of where you could get to easier!

Air France go to Mauritius from Paris - damn sight cheaper than BA from London, too!

MNersanonymous · 10/03/2008 19:11

Phew in a way that's good as you'd know who I was too by definition if it had been SW!

Original poster
CoteDAzur · 10/03/2008 19:31

MNers - For this holiday, all we want to do is to sizzle under the sun while watching DD splash about on the beach. DH has been working very hard so probably will park himself on the beach. I would like to have a gym to spend some time in, and, (if at all possible), a yoga class. It would be good if hotel had a pool as well as a private beach, so DD can swim about even if the sea is not calm.

We will not be leaving DD with a kids' club all day, so such an organization is not necessary.

I abhor all-singing all-dancing evening 'entertainment' a la Club Med, by the way, and would much prefer less noise at night.

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Original poster
CoteDAzur · 10/03/2008 19:33

We are in the South of France and will be flying out of Nice.

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