hello mavi252 - welcome to the forums
whilst you are waiting for some replies, why not check out our review section for this hotel HERE

kath

1 place you could go would be the monkey park (click on below link to give you reviews and photos on it) its not that far from your hotel (as in prob about 10 euros
in taxi according to reviews on this place) think the kids would lve the experience (and the adults as well)

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187479-d593037-Reviews-Tenerife_Zoo_Monkey_Park-Tenerife_Canary_Islands.html

Your hotel also has fantastic reviews if you wanna read them - its rated 6th out of 57 hotels so thats pretty good
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g562820-d234399-Reviews-La_Siesta_Hotel-Playa_de_las_Americas_Tenerife_Canary_Islands.html

If you want a beautiful meal (they do spanish as well as lots of other foods) try Mama Rosas which is in walking distance of your hotel (prob 5 min walk) the food is divine - it constantly gets recommended on forums or when your in the resort. I always go when i visit tenerife and ive never had anything other than divine food. Just ask someone where it is and they'll instantly point you in the right direction.

Hope you enjoy tenerife and all it has to offer.

i would pack a long sleeved top - weather in Jan is hitty missy, ive been before and its been around 25 degrees yet when i was there end of Jan 3 years ago it was really cold (however not to English standard of cold lol) and we spent the week in long sleeved tops- didnt stop us having an ace time though

just been trying to do some research on the internet.

Is the safari park in the North of the island worth going to?
If so is it better to book a trip or hire a car and go ourselves?

I can't think of the safari park in the North of the island but there is the one called Loro Parque which is very good for a day out. You can visit the web site here and get some idea of the attractions of the park. You can get organised trips done by the tour operators but if possible travelling by car is best as you can make your own timetable and if you use the times given for the shows you can still have part of the day left to see other places on the island or not as it is your choice and not the reps timetable you are keeping. The cost is €30 adult €19 for children it may seem expensive but then it is possible for you to see shows by Sea Lions, Killer Whales, Dolphins and the Parrots. I'm sure the kids will enjoy them.

Mavi, do you mean the Jungle Park

Hi there

We usually visit Tenerife 2 or 3 times per year and can assure you that there is plenty to do for the children. A couple of excursions worth noting are the Loro Parque (FANTASTIC DAY OUT!!) in the north of the island and also the many boat trips which guarantee you to see pilot whales and usually dolphins - in their natural habitat. You can book these excursions at the many booking offices around resort and will guarantee to save you up to 50% of what the tour operators will charge you. On your arrival into Tenerife airport you will also find people giving out excursion leaflets for a company called Direct Excursions. We have used these many times and they are very reasonably priced (if not the cheapest), they are also very reliable. Another day out worth mentioning is Siam Park, which is a new themed water park (with heated water) that was due to open late 2007. However, when we were in tenerife last month we heard rumours that the opening could be delayed until early 2008.
As for your hotel - I have friends who have stayed there and had a great time as it is in an excellent flat location with loads of shops, bars and restaurants nearby. It is also only a short walk away from a lovely beach.
In terms of the weather in January I can agree with an earlier comment. We have only been once in January and the weather was good. Sunny most days, with passing cloud and temperatures in the low to mid 70's, however i have family who have been in January and have had (warm) rain.
I hope you enjoy Tenerife as we do and feel free to ask any more questions.

Thanks everybody for your help and advice!

It seesm like we are going to have a fantastic time. I take it that all of the trips and excersions mentioned above will be open in January?

I am also really interested about the Siam Park (that was mentioned in a reply) does anybody know if it is open yet?

Thanks again.

Oh are there any clothes shops in the area for both adults and kids? I was thinking of packing light tops but if it got too hot I may be able to shop for a tshirt!!!!!

The Siam Park may open sometime in the future who knows???????????????????

In the absense of Siam Park opening, and it really looks like it wont be open anytime soon, there is another water park in the south of the island. It's called the Augua Park. It should be a good day out for the kids, but it will depend on what weather you get when you are here. You really need the sun to go there.

I agree with previous comments on the Loro Parque(parrot park). It is quite an experience as an ecological park / zoo. If you don't fancy the trip to the north however, there is a similar park in south called Parque Aguiles (Eagle park). In my opinion, it's not as good as the Loro Parque, but it is a sizable place, and provides a lot of attractions and things to do for the kids. It is out of town but the park provide free buses to get you there.

Hello again

With reference to your question about excursions being available in January, I can confirm that as Tenerife is a year round resort ALL of these trips will be available. The only ones that might be affected are the boat trips if the sea gets a bit choppy. We once visited Loro Parque on 2nd January and found it perfect as it wasnt too hot, unlike our last 2 visits there in the middle of August, when we were sweating buckets. You also mention clothes shops. I can guarantee you that your hotel is only located about 5 minutes walk from excellent shopping centres - in the Parque Santiago and Mare Nostrum Resort areas.
As you are new to Tenerife just one word of caution. If anybody offers you a scratchcard and says you've won a prize just remember nobody gives you anything for nothing. It's TIMESHARE touts trying to get you to a hard sell presentation. Usually a polite "no thank you" is sufficient.

Hi mavi252
You've chosen a lovely hotel in a fantastic spot - close to all the best bars and shops and a choice of nice beaches.

Excursions I would recommend are:
Loro Parque up in the north of the island - you must allow a full day for this if you've never been before - it would be a shame to go all that way and not see all the attractions in the park CLICK HERE It's my favourite day out of everywhere I have ever been
If you don't fancy the long coach trip up to Loro Parque in the north you could try the Las Aguilas Jungle Park CLICK HERE. Kids will also love the Aquapark CLICK HERE, just a short taxi ride from your hotel.
Mount Teide - in January it will probably have snow on top and atmospheric conditions should be clearer than in the summer, so you should be able to see all the other Canary Islands from the summit - don't forget to look out for San Borondon
La Gomera - if you look over the sea from Playa de las Americas, you'll see another island - most local tour agents will do a day trip over there - it's very different to Tenerife, green and humid and quiet, and a nice break from the hustle and bustle of PDLA.
Another nice trip is one of the various dolphin/whale spotting boats, but I suspect the sea may be a bit choppy in January

As for the weather, I would definitely take some good sweaters/cardies to wear in the evening - it can get really chilly once the sun goes down.

hey everybody

Thanks for all your helpfull information. I am starting to really look foward to my holiday now!

Anybody know of any typical spanish tapas bars that could have live spanish music??

Thankyou again this forum has been fantastic!

If you want typical Canarian tapas bars with Canarian music you need to venture away from the tourist resorts and see the real Tenerife, try Vilafor and places like that. Get a map from your hotel and spend a day exploring some of the Island. There are some wonderful places that are not that far to drive from the main resorts but people very rarely see this side of Tenerife. Hope you have a wonderful time.

Jackie,
We'd love to find these little tapas bars but unfortunately we won't be driving as we like to have wine with our meals and don't like driving abroad!!!!
Are there no typical tapas bars that we can get to without a car?
We go a week this Sunday.
Pat

Pat, there are plenty of restaurants that do Tapas but you won't get a typical Canarian Tapas bar with live Spanish music in the tourist resorts