All around me friends and family are either on holiday, coming back or planning their summer holiday. And now from a girl who was brought up on self catering to wanting 5 star all inclusive luxury it’s now more than ever that I want to be able to explore the culture of my holiday destination without feeling tied to a hotel. Like many, I want the freedom of self catering but the luxury element of all inclusive – mainly for the free drinks all day as that is the biggest financial consumer when in the holiday sun. So how can you have a good all round indulgent holiday whilst still being able to seek out local cultural attractions, the best beaches and of course the best restaurants? Well here are some simple tips which I have acquired over the years to allow myself to really enjoy my holiday without feeling forced into the entertainment on offer.
Lets takes my recent holiday to Las Palmas, Gran Canaries. We went to a 5 star all inclusive hotel with a good location, good food selection and additional hotel facilities. Whilst this was all great, we had the hotel entertainment to avoid as it simply wasn’t our style of fun. So after the first night of settling in we spoke to the staff of reception, got talking to other customers and went for a walk. We found out local bus times and where they went, where was good to eat, dance and enjoy the local culture. Although we are tourists, we completely avoid attractions which have tourists there in masses, this can be restaurants, beaches and excursions offered by our holiday company this is due to wanting a peaceful holiday and to have stories different to everyone else, why would you want to have the same memories, photo graphs and reviews?
As we take a few holidays a year, we will always check online reviews and social media for tips (if any) of little hidden treasures in our chosen country. Once in resort we will speak to the locals – a tip that always works is to try and learn some basics of their language it just shows you have an interest and appreciation for their culture which is will make them more likely to talk to you and share the secrets of their town. Not only can you ask people where they go, you can also have a look out for events displayed in their town usually on small boards.
Now here is why all inclusive appeals to us so much and why we advise all friends and family to go for this option. Aside from the security of knowing you will always have food and drink, being all inclusive opens the doors to allowing you to have the additional money to go on your own trips without having the worry of budgeting daily – after-all it is a holiday, you should be relaxing not concerning yourself with financial issues. You are also able to have full use of the hotel’s facilities which can range from wellness centers, the gym, tennis courts, afternoon tea and child care.
By doing our research before and whilst on holiday (usually by the pool with a cocktail in hand) we can just come and go as we please and not have to worry about what the time is, how much money we have and how to get to and from the hotel. The above tips worked particularly well in Gran Canaries as we ended up finding camels, turtles – who seemed quite happy to see us, where the surfers hang out and some of the best restaurants on the island which we see as quite an achievement.
After looking online the selection of all inclusive holidays from Thomson Lakes & Mountains seem to be quite flexible and give you detailed information before you book. So before you organise your next holiday, be sure to look into the all inclusive options out there it just gives you that added security and allows you to fully relax whilst on holiday with friends, family and loved ones.
