winter sun..

[SteveJ]

Cleo - do you ever read before you type?

[philrose]

How about Gambia? Hot and sunny, cheap and only five hours away....

[devindazzle]

Cape verde?  Temps in the late 20s with little chance of rainfall, flight time 6hrs from London.

As you say Sharm was all lit up like blackpool, is that something you want to avoid?  As I would imagine Tenerife or other Canary Islands would be quite a similar affair.

[Scunner]

What's the problem? Elderly people in large numbers are a pain in the a**e on holiday!! they have taken over the pavements in Benidorm with their scooters. In Harrogate you can get nowhere fast in the town centre, stuck forever behind gangs of old gits  travelling at two or three metres per hour!

[Jacqui Harvey]

I think a lot of elderly Brits head out to sunny places in the Winter for one reason, it is cheaper than being in the U.K.  We spoke to quite a few of the older tourists in Malta who spent the Winter there as it was cheaper than paying heating  bills in the U.K.  The 85 year old man and his wife (on the bus tour) had spent the Winter in Malta for the last 25 years  They had also been staying in the same place every year.  There is no doubt Maderia is a lovely Island with such mild temperatures.  The big bonus too is everyone seems to speak English.

I have a friend in Florida and when the U.S. Winter arrives she tells me so do all the "Snowbirds"  which is what the elderly visitors from the colder parts of the U.S. are know as in Florida.  It seems all around the world O.A.P's are looking for some heat for the Winter. 

[SteveJ]

Keith - you're going to get it from Mrs PatraAsp!

[echogirl1]

Its really all according to what you are looking for Bernie, I have been to all the Canary Islands.  Tenerife does have everything, the South of the island is livelier, the North is more Spanish and greener, most of any action takes place in the hotels.  Theres no proper beaches on Tenerife, the sand is black or imported, bearing in mind the island is volcanic.  The reason I mentioned Fuerteventura is because Ive been back to the resort of Caleta de la Fueste (also known by several other names) its only 15 mins. from the airport, very flat to enjoy long walks.  There are quite a lot of nice bars and entertainment in the evening, not 18-30 age group but a good mix of ages. There is a very nice sandy beach that becomes quite deserted as you leave the resort, camels lay about on the sand, small cuddly creatures live on the rocks and come up to the tourists to be fed fruit and nuts.  I do feel that the resort has something for everyone and the weather is usually around 23-30 degrees.

[Stuart T]

Cleo - what a load of sanctimonious claptrap. Jacqui expressed only what the rest of us look for on a holiday - i.e. somewhere that suits US.

I don't want to holiday in a place with hundreds of kids, swimming pools with long, plastic slides and an opportunity to join "The Groovy Gang".

It does not mean that kids shouldn't have somewhere to enjoy their holiday.

Neither do I want to join the Tinsel and Turkey brigade in any one of the UK - based hotels specialising in holidays for the elderly.

Do you randomly stick a pin and go where it takes you?

You choose what suits you.

Costa Geriatrica doesn't appeal to all of us - the elderly also choose somewhere to suit them e.g. Madeira in the winter or Eastbourne in the summer  (or indeed, Harrogate to live).

How would you choose your holiday?

[stoop]

I agree Stuart.


We went to Phi Phi Island one winter ( only for a couple of days) and I was totally peed off with the number of 18-20 year old females walking about in skimpy bikinis.

Never again!

In all seriousness we did feel well out of place with an island full of backpackers young enough to be our grandkids.

[Toky]

Los Cristianos, Torviscas, Fanabe, are all lovely areas in South Tenerife. Great choice of hotels, reataurants and bars, beautiful coastal walks, and some good shopping areas too. These ticks all my boxes slikmrs.