Beach holiday recommendations?

Now that the kids are off our hands - well, sort of - Mrs Stickman and I were thinking about a beach holiday this summer.

Went about 20 years ago with the kids to Rhodes and Crete and really enjoyed it, but some mates of ours who went to Crete fairly recently reckoned the Greek Islands are suffering from the economic crisis in that country. They said that a lot of the tavernas were closed and that the whole place was a bit grubby.

Anyone been to Greece lately, or have any other suggestions or recommendations for a beach holiday, preferably somewhere sunny and not too commercialised or too pricey?

WEnt to Dubai a couple of years ago and loved it - very hot in the Summer but the luxury was off the chart, its their low season so prices were very reasonable. Best holiday we've had by some way

Menorca. Really beautiful and much less developed than Majorca. It really does look like this. Had a good family holiday here for not much money.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g658911-d565623-Reviews-Paradise_Club_Spa_ApartHotel-Cala_n_Bosch_Minorca_Balearic_Islands.html

I've wanted to go to Croatia for a while, but have never quite made it yet. Worth looking into I've heard it's very nice.

Sardinia or Corisca.

This was when it was busy in Sardinia last time we went!

Dozens of beautiful secluded beaches, nice people and fantastic food.

Do NOT go to Phuket, unless you like Tom Yam Borscht.

HTH

Majorca is pretty cheap and only a two hour flight

Magaluf has a nice beach and a selection of drinking venues... Some even do food

Going to Aqaba in Jordan this year -three of days touring to the dead sea and petra and 5 days on the beach.

For greece try Kardymili in the Peloponese, mainland greece. (actualy there are a lot of places in the peloponese that are worth going to) off the beaten track, great tavernas, lots of repeat tourists which keeps their head above water. Also not as pricy as the islands and easy to get to - a couple of hours outside of kalamata airport and abut 5 hour drive from Athens.

Going to Aqaba in Jordan this year -three of days touring to the dead sea and petra and 5 days on the beach.

 

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We are looking into do this at October 1/2 term. Have you planned it yourself or are you going on a package deal?

We are looking into do this at October 1/2 term. Have you planned it yourself or are you going on a package deal?

Planned ourselves - BA flight into Amman although easyjet now fly the route. Pick up a hire car and drive around - friends of our have said there are no worries on that score. Dead Sea and Petra are both on our bucket lists. We did consider a little longer in Amman and the Wadi Rum but I want to go diving so need to get to the beach.

Southbound or Avon beach at Highcliffe just down the cliff from Lallana's gaff. Free seaweed

Planned ourselves - BA flight into Amman although easyjet now fly the route. Pick up a hire car and drive around - friends of our have said there are no worries on that score. Dead Sea and Petra are both on our bucket lists. We did consider a little longer in Amman and the Wadi Rum but I want to go diving so need to get to the beach.

I'd be very interested in hearing about this once you get back if you don't mind.

Cyprus is pretty Greek and has suffered less. Had a great time in Paphos last year.

North east coast of Corfu, around Agia Stephanos, very relaxing.

Do a bush and beach break in Tazania, fly into Dar el Salam then do a safari for a few days then hit up either Zanzibar or Pemba (my fav) for awesome sea and beachfront.

I'd be very interested in hearing about this once you get back if you don't mind.

No problem.

Went to Kenya to Mombasa and did a Safari, epic holiday

Thanks for the very interesting suggestions guys. We shall give them - well, most of them - serious consideration!

Can anyone recommend a resort/location in Sardinia.

Can anyone recommend a resort/location in Sardinia.

Where on the island are you looking? I've stayed in San Teodoro & La Cinta before. Rented a villa both times, flying into Olbia.

Just fancied Sardinia really, open to suggestions as to where on the island really? Quiet family villa holiday location would be ideal. :-)

Can't recommend Barcelona enough.

Best bit is it that it is an amazing city, and has a really nice beach.

Great food, great wine, beautiful architecture, fantastic transport links, and an easy hop across (usually pretty cheap flights too).

Just fancied Sardinia really, open to suggestions as to where on the island really? Quiet family villa holiday location would be ideal. :-)

San Teodoro is perfect for families, mine were all young uns.

The nearest beach is La Cinta, that's the one I posted the pic of. Within 10min drive are some of the best beaches I've ever used. Some in wildlife reserves so they charge a few € to park but you can come and go all day with the same ticket. Because they are on reserves there is no building by the beaches, in fact, the building regs mean they can't build too close to the beach anyway.

The whole island is great for a relaxed beach holiday if I'm honest.

It's typically Italian and can be very busy in August but my eldest is nagging us to go back.

San Teodoro is perfect for families, mine were all young uns.

 

The nearest beach is La Cinta, that's the one I posted the pic of. Within 10min drive are some of the best beaches I've ever used. Some in wildlife reserves so they charge a few € to park but you can come and go all day with the same ticket. Because they are on reserves there is no building by the beaches, in fact, the building regs mean they can't build too close to the beach anyway.

 

The whole island is great for a relaxed beach holiday if I'm honest.

 

It's typically Italian and can be very busy in August but my eldest is nagging us to go back.

That photo of the Sardinian beach you posted reminded me very much of a beach at Pefkos in Rhodes that we stayed near in 1991. A couple of years ago I looked it up again online and there were buildings all around it! Such a shame that the Greeks don't appear to have the same building regs as the Sardinians

Goa or Koh Chang

Love Israel (Caesarea) and Turkey (away from main resorts)

Went to Kefalos in Kos in June and it was lovely. Beautiful location, lovely island a very cheap. Also went to Jesolo in Spetember which had a lovely beach, good selection of bars and restaurants and is only 45 minutes from Venice which is incredible. Much more expensive though as Italy generally is.

Do a bush and beach break in Tazania, fly into Dar el Salam then do a safari for a few days then hit up either Zanzibar or Pemba (my fav) for awesome sea and beachfront.

Did a 7 day safari in Tanzania 4 years ago, was incredible. A week in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater was something else. There is nothing that comes close to see wildlife in its natural environment, did a week in Kenya beach resort after which was a bit of a disappointment to be honest.

I also fancied something different and booked a week in Lido Di Jesolo - looks a nice beach area

I also fancied something different and booked a week in Lido Di Jesolo - looks a nice beach area

When are you going? The beach is really nice. Most hotels have a private area with free deck chairs and sun loungers. You can get to Venice cheaply, bus goes down to the port area regularly and a return ticket including the water taxi for €18. Venice is amazing but not cheap!

Bulgaria, cheap. Clean, great weather, good beer and food

Israel is a great place for beach holidays.

Great beaches all along the Mediterranean coast. Tel-Aviv has the combo of great beach life, and a big brash city, while places like Herzliya and Netanya are smaller but with good beaches, bars and restaurants.

Eilat on the Red Sea has a great selection of fantastic resort-style hotels but it's better for off-season hols as it can get searingly hot in the summer.

Away from the beaches on the Med, you can easily get to Jerusalem, Massadah, or any of the many other amazing historical places in Israel.

From Eilat, you can go into Jordan and Petra, or also into the Negev Desert.

Went to Cuba couple of years ago. Mixed feelings on this.

We went with the idea of staying in a nice five-star all-inclusive resort close enough to Havana to get their under our own steam.

Trouble is, there is no joined-up public transport system in Cuba so the only way to get to Havana was to take the organised trip from the resort.

The danger, therefore, is that you could be stranded in your resort for two weeks. Fair enough, the resort we went to was fantastic and had everything you would want if you are happy to spend two weeks loafing on a beach.

Havana is a strange place.

Travel guides will extol the virtues of its faded grandeur and ts World Heritage Site status, but in truth, it's a bit of a crumbling craphole, which desperately needs money pumping into it.