sounds great, glad you enjoyed it, hoping to get back to benidorm early next year

Hi Nicky, glad you had a great holiday. Benidorm never disappoints. Any chance that you got in the shamrock bar?

Glad you had a great time.

How long did it take to go to Valencia? How did you get there? questions, questions, questions.

We are due to go on the 3rd Jan for two weeks and would like to go.

Hi, Got back on Saturday, Had a brilliant 3 weeks , Our Apartment was right overlooking the Beach, so i went to bed and woke up looking at the beach and prom watching all the going ons, i.e people walking on the beach and along the prom, the Beach cleaner ( i think he must work all night as he was still cleaning it at 6.30am!! The time went far too quick!! Could have done with at least another week, The weather for the first week was not too good, and it was very quite for Christmas, but the weather picked up and it got busier from the 27th. Spent Christmas Day on the little beach down the old town, my son went in the sea, and we had a picnic, it was lovely!! The other highlight was The Three Kings Parade it was fantastic, and all different costumes to last year. well worth going early and standing to get on the front row. next year we are all taking helmets, as at the end the parade which is where we were standing, the Kings throw all the sweets which are left and its like being in an hailstorm!! they do actually hurt you, one of my relatives thought they had broken her glasses. my son had a great big bagfull of them. we then all went and had pieces of Three Kings Cake and hot chocolate, which is really yummy!!

Roll on Dec 16th when we will be returning to do it all again!!!
Lizzie

Hi Lizzy.
Welcome back, glad you had a good time, just like me.

I was at the three kings parade and I got a boiled sweet thrown at my face...and yes, they do hurt.
I captured all the parade on video, and will be hosting it in the next few days when I have sorted it out.
The cake is called "Rosca de Reyes" and it is like a huge doughnut with glazed cherries on the top and has a gold paper crown in the middle...it tastes a bit like a hot-cross bun...I will be featuring this in my video
I hope they removed all the animals, before the fireworks went off....I didn`t like the young tiger cub being paraded on the lead like a dog...it was very frightened, but, I have a "thing" about tigers .
All the other animals seemed ok with it all, to a certain point, .... like they have done it before...the turkeys were eating bits of food up that people had dropped as they went along the street.... that was funny

Now, I need to go back

besos xxx
sanJi

Hi Lizzie, did you get to Bar Chigago/The Flying Handbag to see my dad?
Glad you had a good time, it's gone so quickly, my turn next.........

Sue

Hi everyone,

Can you please tell me where all the bars are located that you mentioned. I have only been to benidorm once before so I don't know it very well. I will be going back on 1st December for a long weekend this year but I thought all (or most of) the bars would be closed.

If anyone can point me in the direction of all the nightlife I would really appreciate it

Hi, Sanji glad you had a great time, look forward to your videos, I also did loads of taping but wouldnt have a clue how to put them on here!!

Sue, I didn't get to go in your Dads bar, as me and my sister wouldn't have liked to go in on our own, and my Husband and Brother-In-Law were never with us when we were by it. my Brother -In -Law took my son in to play pool and have a flutter on the gee-gees, so did my sons Great Uncle in fact every time he went out with him thats where they had been, I had a bad experience in the bar on the corner called Los Arcas, i only went in to use the loos so had a cup of tea and ended up either losing or having my purse stolen i could have done with Sanji to translate for me!! i didn't report it as i was told if i did'nt take a translator with me to the Police they would just shoo me away Just out of curiosity could you ask your Dad if he as heard of any other incidents happening in there?

Thanks Lizzie.

Hi Lizzie, sorry to hear about your bad experience. I have emailed a copy of your post to my dad so we'll wait and see if he knows about any other incidents.

Sue

i didn't report it as i was told if i did'nt take a translator with me to the Police they would just shoo me away

That is utter nonsense whoever told you that Lizzie

Here is a copy of the post I made in the Costal Del Sol forum last October, having read it in black and white whilst in Torremolinos.....and obviously because I had been to Torremolinos, I posted in that forum, but it is National and applies everywhere in Spain.
I can`t vouch for the service having never had to use it, but I did read it in a reputable paper.!!!

Reporting a crime.....
Many people are put off reporting a crime because of the language barrier and not understanding the police system in Spain.
Where an eventual Insurance claim is involved, the Insurance company will want to know if the crime was reported and will require the reference number.
Whilst there is a very good translation service in SOME police stations, they are usually volunteers and may not be there when you need them.

The National Police now have a service where crimes can be reported by telephone in English...once the report has been made you can simply go to ANY National Police station to sign it and get the required reference number for any Insurance purposes.

This service is obtained by telephoning 902 102 112

Make a note of this number and take it with you on holiday to Spain

Myvot.
You need to be staying in the Levante part ( new town)...this is where all the English bars and nightlife is situated, and all the bars mentions are within a relatively small circumferance.
I can`t tell you the streets, coz I am hopeless at remembering them, and I personally don`t go in nightclubs anymore sorry, but I think this map of the levante area will help you, and maybe other members who do go to these bars/clubs.
http://www.benidorm-spotlight.com/maps/benidorm.htm
Click on the Levante part of the map....and Benidorm is a 12 month resort, some bars may take a break for a couple of weeks after the summer season, but only a few.

Besos xxx
SanJi

Sorry to hear of your lost/stolen purse Lizzie. I had a similar experience with my wallet on my last visit. I asked the Man on the reception of Hotel Regente (were i was staying), about availability of a translator at Benidorm Police Station. He told me to go down there early in the morning, (I went at 8.30am), as there is a lady English translator there just in the mornings to assist. Sure enough there was, and very helpful she was too. She filled in a crime report for me, I then had to pop across to a shop across the road to have it photocopied (about 20 cents I think), then return with it to have it stamped, and that was it. I was there for about 30 mins, but believe it can sometimes be a good deal longer, depending on the day. Its always busier the day after the market, as a lot of pickpocketing can happen on those days. But whatever day, the best advice is to get there early!

Taggy and others....
Get your wallet/purse fitted with a chain and a clip.
I posted about this in here somewhere it`s the best advice I can give you....and it does`nt just apply to Benidorm.

Besos xxx
sanJi

What, as well as the one I get taken for walkies with Sanji?? Fair point though and I am suitably chastised

Hi Everyone, Thanks for tips,

It was actually someone who lives in Beni who told me not to bother going to the Police, and by the time i found out where the Police Station was it was to late to report it, i asked a Policeman for directions but he did'nt understand me!! Plus there was only about 80 euros in it, so it woul'dnt have been worth claiming, luckily I had changed 100 pounds just before i went in the bar, and had put that in a separate place in my handbag. I wanted to report it though for it to go on the records, as I felt i should have reported it in case this was not an isolated case, (Can't tell you on here the full story)

Sanji, I have seen a picture of your chain/clip, and told everyone who was with me (16 at one time) about it and to be very careful with thier purses and wallets, so its ironic it was me it happened to!!! I have also noted the number to take with me next time, just in case.

Lizzie.

Hi Lizzie, you must have been there about the same time as me, i was there for just over 3 weeks and flew back to Bristol on Saturday. Wasn't christmas day a cracker! we went down to the beach as well, but just at the Rincon De Loix end not Mal pas in the old town which is where i think you said you were. I think the bit i enjoyed most was phoning my brother and parents form the beach on christmas day wearing shorts and a vest whilst it was zero degrees at home, Splendid !! Are you going back before next December?

Hi Adrian, Yes Christmas Day was a Cracker!! we were on the beach at Rincon from about 11am till 12.30pm as our friend who lives in Beni always invites us for a drink by Mcdonalds as its his Birthday, you may have seen quite a lot of people drinking Bucks Fizz by there.

We only go to Beni at Christmas time, and usually go somewhere else in May, when it is not too hot!! Are you going again?

Lizzie.

Hi Lizzie, when you say at the Rincon or byMcDonolds, you weren't one of the people on the beach wearing the christmas hats with the large silver box (something the council store parasols in i think), laid out like a table with cava and cake were you?

Yes we'll be there again next christmas and probably a couple of times before hand.
Adrian

Hi Adrian, No i dont think that was us, we did have hats on, just to have our photos taken,and if i remember correctly, the drinks were on one of the benches in front of Romas, the bar, that does the afternoon dances, on the other corner to Mcdonalds. We are a motley looking crew!!
ages ranging from 9 to 87, one push along wheelchair and one motorised scooter, it took us ages to get down to the old town along the prom as there were loads walking up and down it, but we managed it without any mishaps!!

Lizzie.

Hi Lizzie, the people i was talking about were a little further along and some of them were wearing the full red & white christmas dress. Just wondered because we went over and joined them for a while and i remember that some lived there in Benidorm and Albir and some were there on holiday for the Christmas, they invited us back same time this year, thought it would be ironic if i'd actually spoken to you there and didn't know it!, but obviously not, although i have just seen a wheel chair in the photo.

Adrain