Spain - Canary Islands - Gran Canaria Discussion Forum

Discussions regarding holidays in Gran Canaria.
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hi .. we stayed in player last july .. with 4 children (all boys) aged 14 ,12 ,11 and 8 .. we all had a great time .. loads to do for the kids day and night ... wont be dissapointed .. feel free to get back to me for more info ...

Edit - Please do not use coloured fonts in the main forums as per T&C's. Thanks, luci - HT Mod
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9 of us are going on our first every girly holiday. staying in the las faluas apartments in play del ingles. anybody stayed in there. would love to hear what they are like. roll on july.
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I Hope it isnt to bad me and 2 of the lads have just booked the same place today :? we will see when July 14 rolls round if it is bad am sure we can liven the place up :wink:
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You can find lots of english restaurants in Playa del Ingles. But I highly recommend you to try some local restaurants in Gran Canaria too! :) There are not so many (that I know of) in PdI, but there are many great in Puerto de Mogan. Also try to visit some of the other canarian villages on the island and eat in a small canarian restaurant. It's really great! :)
Just a tip from me... ;)
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Yellow rose (Gran chaperal)commercial centre, food is gorgeous. pizzas, pastas, steaks,etc. The kids can eat half price too, don't forget when ordering to say its for the kids that way you don't pay full. (We got told this tip from one of the waiters, after we had eaten there for about a week!)BBB.
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How long do you stay in your hotel or apartment, as long as its clean and tidy and a nice clean bed thats all you need, i'm sure you'll love the resort, we did, 12 of us went, all ladies and had a great time. Enjoy your hols.
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This is my holiday review. Partly for my own reflection, but also so that I can share my experiences of other people thinking of going over for the first time - like I was a month back!

I spent a week at Santa Barbara, Playa Del Ingles with my girlfriend, girlfriends sister and a 4-year-old lad. Reflective thoughts were that I was sad to be leaving, and wished that I'd of booked for another week - but such is life!

We were pleasantly suprised by the standard of the accomodation, the bungalows are spacious, clean and cleaned daily. It is easy to pick little faults, the grass at the front could have done with a trim. The patio area was very good for an evening beer or a bit of sunbathing. I think loungers cost 12 euro's but we made do with the ones around the pool. The pool was cold, and not an enjoyable experience. The rep told me that they were cool all year round, but walking round the pools at other hotels, few people dared brave the pools! That said, the pools were in good condition, and cleaned daily.

The reception was helpful, bar/resturant was cheap and the standard of food was good value for money and we had breakfast there on two occasions. Speaking to other people there, they too were satisfied. The bungalows are generally secure, but we spoke to one couple who were broken into, and they did not have their windows shut properly, so make sure. Hiring a safe is a good idea, only for piece of mind. The couple broken into had no belongings taken - the thieves turned down an attractive camcorder and other electricals and were looking for money and passports!

There are resurants everywhere. I suggest that you take your time deciding where you are going to go, because you can be easily persuaded by their waiters trying to get you in. Have a good look at the prices before sitting down, and don't order a drink until you've decided to eat. Benny Hill's was our favourate and we ate here on the last 3 evenings of our holiday. Very impressed with the standard of food, the hospitality, particularly towards our 4-year lad who enjoyed the experience. They took the time to learn our names, and with Kareoke and live sport, you could have a good night there should you choose. On the walk from Santa Barbara, you turn left at the entrance gates, turn right at the top of the road, and turn left at the roundabout. I was actually sad to be leaving Benny Hills on the last night, and tipped accordingly! It is 1 minute from the Yumbo Centre. In my opinion, their best dishes are the lasagne and the banana split desert.

The beach was very clean, and safe for children to play in. For those that don't enjoy the Swimming Pool experience, then the sea is warm once you decide to immerse yourself fully. There are topless bathers on the beach, not just in the designated nudist areas. Being a 23 year old lad, after the initial shock, I quite enjoyed the view of the young attractive ladies, but not of the more mature variety. If you are planning on gawping, put on your sunglasses!!! The dunes that separate the resorts of Playa Del Ingles and Maspalomas are definately worth a look, just be careful not to get caught in a sandstorm! The promenade is littered with bars with well positioned seating areas, just be prepared for the hard sell from waiters and also from African males trying to sell cheap necklaces and watches that turn your arm green. The umbrella hat is a funny one though, buy that if your'e brave enough to wear it back in the UK! Beach is 15-20 minutes walk, easily walked though if you want to get a taxi, it was never more than 2-3 euros, and we always tipped up to 4 - Still cheaper than home!

We were there 10-17th March. It didn't rain at all and the temperature varied from 21-29 centigrade. The breeze is slight, but quite refreshing. Before we got there were were told that the weather had been pretty crap, and that would have seriously affected my enjoyment of the holiday.

We went on two excursions with Thomson. Firstly to Sioux City on a friday night. It is cowboy and indian themed, and although it cost 40 quid, there was transport, barbeque, good entertainment and a free bar thrown in. It makes for a good night out - make sure you do this and you will still get out in time for a bit of clubbing if you so wish. The second trip was to Palmitos Park with a stop at Maspalomas market. Be prepared to haggle on prices, it generally works, but after going round a few stall, it got a bit samey. However, you are only there for an hour. Palmitos park offers a good day out for the family, but is similar to zoos in the UK. Depends on what you want.

Ok, now onto the commercial centres. We were situated closest to the Yumbo, and thus spent our evenings in and around. The Kasbah is generally acknowleged as the place to go if you want to pull. I can't comment first hand apart from I went there during the day and it had potential. The Irish centre was suggested by our rep as good for families, but was just outside our walking range for a night out, and were put off to some extent by the size, or lack of!

No matter how you look at it, the Yumbo is a gay centre. If you are homophobic, don't go there. I am more open minded than that, and in the early evenings, there is nothing to suggest that it is unsuitable for families. We went to Ricky's Cabaret bar - always people standing on the fringes waiting to nab a seat - awlays a good sign that it's popular. It is a drag bar, with live shows and kareoke included. Good for families. Our favorite bar was Toby's Bar. It is welsh themed, but Chanelle (who does the kareoke)is from Liverpool, and Jamie (who serves the drinks) is from Stockport! Jon who owns the bar is Welsh, and there is a Drag act on some of the evenings - Trixi Lix who is pretty funny. Jamie is your perfect host, always on top of things and my glass was always well topped. Chanelle has a different look every night, and is sharp and witty. An excellent place for families. We went out a couple of evenings for a few drinks with them after the bar closed, and they are genuinely decent people.

About 2am the gay bars on the higher levels open, I went there for a couple of beers with my girlfriends sister, and this is not the place for families, but who in their right mind would want to keep their kids out that late at night??? For the gays, there a couple of decent clubs with free entry which are open til 6am. Overall, an excellent holiday - next year we plan to return for two weeks, which will involve hiring a car and getting out of the resort on occasions to experience real Gran Canaria, not just the tourist aspect of it!
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hi folks

came back from pdi on the 7th of march we were there during the festival of the sardine that runs from the 24th of feb until the 6th of march they certainly know how to celebrate in pdi i have never come across so many gala's and processions in the space of a week. the celebrations were fine and the parades great to watch!!! BUT we were there for our wedding anniversary and found ourselves in the middle of a gay/ drag festival that was great to watch but unfortunately we were booked in to the neptuno hotel that backs on to the yumbo centre and was stuffed full of gay couples who were fine but not the company i expected when i booked the holiday. if i had known i would have booked elswhere as the hotel is a focus point for the revellers going to the festival. the lane next to our room at the north end of the hotel was used as a drinking den for the party goe'rs all night with noise worse than any i have heard on holiday i would not have put my mother in law in that room the noise was that bad. the drinkers were still there a 6am. so my advice is if you are going to pdi and you know there's a festival on stay away from the commercial centres and the roads around them otherwise give up sleeping for a week or two no harm to the transvestites that were in pdi but to meet a man with a frock and high heels when i was going for a paper at nine in the morning was not my idea of heaven or happy holidays. i am also disappointed that thomsons did not warn me that the hotel they sent me to was a homosexuals paradise. as i have discovered since returning from holiday that the hotel neptuno gets plenty of publicity in the gay websites :oops: :evil:
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hello there everyone. i am going out to playa del ingles on the 23rd of april for one week and am staying at the santa fe bungalows. because i booked it at such short notice(2 days ago) nobody else was able to get the time off work so im gonna be billy no mates. But i thought what the hell, a week off in sunny south london or sunny gran canaria. if anyone is out there the same time as me and would fancy meeting for a booze get in touch. ladies welcome also :D
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pdi
me and 10 of my mates are going to pdi on the 18th of july for 2 weeks, just wondered if anyone can give us some idea of what it is like and the best places to go for dance and trance?
If you are travelling out around the same time get in touch! :D
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EDIT: Sorry, but this forum is for holiday discussion only.
David HT Mod
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Im going then for 2 weeks. go on ask jeeves and you can find out all info. Ive gained lots of info of that.
Question, do you call yourself fozzy because of the band fozzy(chris jericho) or something else? Im a big fozzy fan.
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Hey i was there last year and to be honest i didn't really notice if there was a big danceor trance scene its more a mixture of all different types of music and most of the night i spent in the Irish centre which is a mixture of disco bars basically. As far as i can remember theres is two nightclubs i am near positive one is called fiddlers and is quite big it would be more dancy and then theres the point which is smaller but gets good round three in the mornin. theres also the gay nighclub can't remember the name of it and sure what the music is like we were only in five minutes. Hope this helps and have a ball!!
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PDI
Hey hey,

I am off to PDI In just over 2 weeks! Its me and my boyfriends first holiday together! Does anyone know of good places to go?? We will want to eat out most nights but dont want to spend fortune, Any ideas?

Also our taste in music can differ sometime is there anywhere good that plays a mixture?

Thanks :lol:
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Go to Yumbo center and Kasbah center. There you'll find all kinds of bars, cafes, restaurants, discos and whatever... :)
I would especially recommend La Belle showbar on the ground floor of Yumbo. THey have great shows every night!

Have fun! :)
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Go to the circle, over the road to the Kasbah (I think, correct me if Im wrong, its been 4 years!)

Youll find loads of bars there, go down the steps and youll see Legends, Hollywood Boulevard, complete with giant oscars, Titanic, and Cream up at the top.

But the Kasbah is pretty cool as well, and another centre, the one with Wembley's bar.....Ill edit if I remember!!
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sunset boulevard is a really good bar-serves nice food too! have a agood time :)
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There is also a irish centre we love it here. We spent most of our time in these bars. Especially Flannigans. It is near the Buenaventura hotel, you will see the big A lit up at night.

Also La Belle in the Yumbo centre is brilliant like Nidofu stated.
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