Where to go for a winter sun holiday with toddler?

[echo]

Help! I'm trying to plan a January winter sun holiday. What are others experiences of taking their little ones away? I've been thinking about places like Morocco, but I've not found the place yet.

I'm looking for a place that can offer lots of rest and relaxation, perhaps an experience of a different culture and keep my 1.5 year old very happy.

Any ideas?

[lorraineliyanage]

Essaouira in Morocco is fantastic - beachy and relaxing, less hectic than Marrakech. Also look into Turkey, it's the most family-friendly place you will ever go to, they absolutely adore children there. We went to an area called Datca near Dalaman, quite a long transfer from the airport, but absolutely beautiful. We booked through Anatolian Sky - call them and they can recommend the child-friendly hotels to you.

[Mellors]

We had a lovely trip to the Algarve, Portugal last March with our then 2 year old and 6 month old. Its a nice quick flight, they love kids over there, only an quick drive from the airport, and we got a 2 bed villa and flights for c. ?500. It was the end of March and the weather was a pleasant 23 degrees or so every day. I'm thinking of going back again this year.

[lorraineliyanage]

where did you stay, mellors? portugal is on my to-visit list...

[Mellors]

Villamoura. Its a bit "golf resort" but we just took the Rough Guide and headed off inland/down to the coast for some "real" Portugal during the days and stayed in in the evening.

It weas just sop easy and I was desperate for some sun by then. I love the sardines, and the little custard tart things and the piri piri chicken. Slurp!

We were endlessly stopped by old ladies amazed by the Phil & Teds & congatulating us on having two children (and asking if we were having more lol). Lovely.

[Townleygreen]

Two bad suggestions here IMHO.

My advice:

The Algarve may be OK in March (maybe you were lucky, it can be wet then), but I wouldn't go there in January.

Turkey is also no good then.

I think you might be best to try Sharm el Sheik in Egypt - you'll have sun, plus the Red Sea is very pleasant then.

Or the Canaries.

I am not sure about temps in Essaouira in Morocco then either. Lovely place, I agree, but will it be warm? Just not sure.

[lorraineliyanage]

thanks mellors, will put it on my to-visit list once it gets a bit warmer there. mmm those little custard tarts... i think they are called Natas?? they sell them in dulwich vilage at Shepherd's!

[quickbrownfox]

Pasteis de nata (literally cream cakes) - they're the best thing in the universe (I was raised on them!) Luckily with our proximity to Stockwell, these gorgeous little tarts are just about everywhere around ED nowadays. "Pastel de nata' is the only bit of Portuguese vocab my husband bothered to learn.

It seems anywhere around the Med, you tend to find locals with a genuine love of little ones.

For guaranteed sun, I've heard good things from friends about Egyptian all inclusives.

[lorraineliyanage]

Stockwell has some great Portuguese restaurants, I think Camberwell has a couple too. Which ones do you go to?

Sorry to hijack the thread with talk of natas!

[Fuschia]

Egyptian all inclusives are great, though the flight is 51/2h.. and in january the days are very short(sun falls behind the mountains in Sharm at about 3pm) and TBH the pool safety isn't good (no lifeguards) and I am not sure children's clubs are up to much. So depends how much you wnat to run around after a toddler..

but we've had two fantastic holidays there (November each time) and I have been there diving many times in jan.

[Fuschia]

Canaries aren't bad in March, weather wise.

[melbourne groover]

We were just looking into this and basically Lanzarote looked like the most likely candidate. The temps are supposed to be between 17 and 22 so not boiling but warmer than here. Swimmable in a heated pool I would guess but not really sunbathing.

We couldn't find much else around that isn't long haul....

[quickbrownfox]

lorraineliyanage Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Stockwell has some great Portuguese restaurants, I

> think Camberwell has a couple too. Which ones do

> you go to?

> Sorry to hijack the thread with talk of natas!

yes, sorry to go on about food! We don't tend to eat out Portuguese as we can cook the things we like at home (although maybe we should expand our horizons - any suggestions? There's one in Crystal Palace we tried a while back, but it was soooo salty), but I can't (have never tried) to make the natas. You can get them at ED deli, the new coffee shop by the library and Blue Mountain (and of course nandos). I've not been blown away by any of them - but - they're still yum. Need to make sure they're fresh and the pastry is crispy.

[lorraineliyanage]

oh i had no idea tea amore does them, i'm passing there in a bit so will pop in amd buy some

[Townleygreen]

Lanzarote at 17-22 could well be warm enough for sunbathing! Wife and I spent a week in Los Gigantes in Jan when temp was 20 - it was fine for sunbathing so long as you were fairly sheltered and the sun was shining on you, which it was most of the time when we were there.

[singletwinmum]

Melborne groover, i've just booked to go to lanzarote in jan with my 18 month old twins. Out of interest what hotels have you been looking at?

[Fuschia]

Canaries can be windy though, and not all pools are heated, neware. Good scuba diving!

[melbourne groover]

We were looking at villa's as the prices are really reasonable for a 3 bed with properly (i.e not just solar) heated pool.

[curlykaren]

any ideas what the weather/hotels/all inclusives would be like in cyprus at the time of year in question (jan) have been trawling through all inclusive deals and having looked at so many options my mind now boggles.

Townley Green...the cliff face over looking the beach in los gigantes collapsed and killed two people, beach currently shut. Not a great way to spend your hols...nasty!

Quickbrownfox, pastel would be pastry, bolo is cake in portuguese. Na pura on nunhead lane also sell them. Yuuummmmy x

[quickbrownfox]

yes, bolo is cake too. I guess I'm using 'cake' in the broad sense of the word (they use 'pastel' for things like cod fish cakes as well as sweet tarty things). Thanks for the na pura suggestion - I'm going to give them a go.

[tallgirl]

We went to Cuba in January with a 23 month and 4 year old. The weather was perfect (25 oC)and we went to an all inclusive 3 star resort with a choice of bars and restaurants. It meant that there was buffet hot food whenever the children were hungry. The flight which we dreaded was no problem at all, and we hired a car for a couple of days. We had 11 days on the beach and 3 in Havanna.

[melbourne groover]

What was the resort like in Cuba and who did you book through? Did you get out and about? The idea sounds heavenly....

[SteveT]

Leave the child with grand parents and the saved cash could be spent by going further south.

[curlykaren]

steve t, I like the thinking, won't work this time though as granny is paying for the holiday I think she would quite like to come :))

quickbrownfox...falas portuguese? Eu presciso alguem para fala comigo x

[Townleygreen]

CurlyKaren,

Again, Cyprus is no good in january... too likely to be rainy/cloudy then.

As I say, Canaries or Eqypt are both good possibilities then. Or Gambia? That's certain to be hot, and is same time zone as us.

Los Gigantes beach... yes that WAS interesting. We didn't touch it, stayed around the hotel pools...lovely. It is a lovely peaceful sort of place.