I think it's a just a case of shopping around. If I was to book for this year there are still family rooms but it would cost me at least £1500 more.

I have to admit I was beginning to think that I might as well forget it for now as I couldn't find anything at the right price and had initially ignored the Larespark as going by the adult base price I though it would be too expensive. However when you price it up with the discounts it can be surprising (in a good way!!)

Pam

i also think the prices for next year for packages and flight only at the moment are very high but only been looking at turkey, ive priced the package up we are going to in oct 07 for oct 08 and its actually double, flights that are available for next summer are also a good £80-£100 more pp than we have paid for this summer, i wont be booking anything yet, going to keep an eye on them

Ive been having a look around over the weekend . And again prices seem very high . The price i paid this year was bad enough £3700 for the 5 of us to belcekiz beach in Olu but everything im looking at is now over 4K. Ive looked at Aegean dream resort (top of my list) a couple of places in cyprus nearly 5K and a couple of A/Is in the algarve (again way over £4K. i may as well go to the dominican republic . can get something there for £4500 but reviews are hit n miss . other than that its back to Egypt in the summer which would come at an acceptable cost. But i have to say nothing is jumping out at me yet other than the ADR . If anyone has any suggestions please feel free We want a decent A/I . that im certain of but £4000 really needs to be my top budget.

Hi Lyn , Chris pointed me in the direction of Hemera Hotel in Side (I expect you have looked at this!)

Portland: 19 August, 4 adults, 1child in 2 rooms, 2 wks £3380!

Do you have any idea when essex schools go back in Sept 2008. Website says 1 Sept, (thought this was a bit early) and school wasn't very helpful!

Thanks.

Lesley that probably sounds about right but dont forget west hatch normally have 2 inset days for the monday and Tuesday which essex wouldnt count. Monday is normally no school then Tuesday is for year 7 and year 12 then the rest normally go back on wednesday.what day is the 1st. if it helps i know they break up wed 23rd july.

Yes i had forgotton about the Hemera that was another on my short list last year. thanks will have a look . If you think of any more let me Know.

lyn

Thats a good price . couldnt believe how much cheaper it was to go the last 2 weeks of the holidays. A date slightly earlier than that would be ideal but no doubt the T/Ops have already realized thats a bit too close for comfort and presumably thats why its much cheaper then. . im quite inexperienced at summer holiday prices as we always used to go end may and take them out of school for an extra week . just assumed the prices were sky high through the whole of the 6 weeks .

so Ive just leant something .

I only noticed it Lyn as I was checking it for my favourite dates of last 2 weeks July and it seemed expensive, so I tried the last two weeks in Aug and it was 350 pounds cheaper.

I seem to remember reading on here or trip ad that the prices for the hotels on the Med coast of Side, Belek etc drop a little bit towards the end of August as the Germans prefer the begining, so i guess they want to fill the hotels. It looks nice the weblink is up on a post in the Turkey forum asking about AI's. Arum looks good too but it's only HB so might not be good for you.

Prices seem to drop an 18th/19th Aug in many brochures/sites

Yes the hemera is somewhere I have considered many times . I think what has always put me off in the past is the amount of "europeans" in that part of Turkey . Whilst i have nothing against them I dont like to feel outnumbered . I will check out the reviews again but i know they will be good . Still fancy the ADR though but Im going to draw up a short list and wait a bit this year. I lost out last year when I booked early. Lets see how long I last . I also really need to see how well we cope with the heat in July . Not long to wait now . I could do with a holiday

Think we all need a holiday - All this research is hard work

Hi Lyn

I know what you mean about prices for the decent hotels being high, infact we looked at Mexico and margarita which were coming in at the same price.

That's why I'm so pleased with our deal for the Larespark. In Lara so not far from Side, two adults and two kids for £2985 leaving 10th August, which seems like a bargain to me.

You say you want a decent all inclusive- they market this as an ultra all inclusive, a la carte restaurants, mini bar in room etc etc. Take a look at their website:

http://www.laresparkhotel.com

looks lovely!! As I say not many reviews yet and it may be the wrong area for you, but could be worth a look

Pam

lyn, why dont you try booking direct with ADR, thats what we did and it saves quite a bit ? it might be too early for flights tho just now but you could always get a price from them anyway, they also do transfers.

does look lovely pam . had a quick price up for the 5 of us and once again its £4500.

I have to admit though that when staying in turkey we do prefer to stay in or within walking distance of shops, bars etc. bartering in shops and chatting to the Turks for us is part of what we love about Turkey and wouldnt be the same without it. we like to have dinner then go of for a wander and soak up the atmsophere.

I have emailed ADR for prices caits but im pretty sure i did last year and for us it worked out cheaper on the portland package.

so far its between the Hemera and ADR.

i agree with what you say lyn the lara area is too isolated for me, i like to have a wander about too, ive just priced up letoonia for next year and got a really good price was surprised as it came out the same as what i paid for in oct for a week and this was 2 weeks, great place but again you need either a taxi into town or catch their free water taxi

I'd pretty much made up my mind, it was going to be the Petra Mare in Crete (all-inclusive), good reviews, good price (free child place for 15 year old), right on the beach with mini-waterpark, full First Choice "Butlins in the sun" package - just what the kids have demanded...
But I was browsing around earlier and got a good price for the Fiesta Don Toni in Ibiza (half board, all-inclusive upgrade on arrival), again good reviews, good price, free child place, right on the beach etc... The only problem is, we are already going to Ibiza this summer and I don't want to end up with no options left for excursions etc if we go again a year later.
I was actually getting quite excited about the Crete one even though I've not booked it yet, but now I've seen the Ibiza one I'm really torn (and I'm a Spain person at heart, never been anywhere in Greece)
Ah well, back to the drawing board for another day or so - will discuss with the kids again tomorrow.

Think we all need a holiday - All this research is hard work

I know what you mean

Karen . who gave you the good price for letoonia . Another place ive always liked the look of but like you say its just the isolation that would bother me . Funny when we go to Egypt im happy to stay behind the hotel gates for the duration but not in Turkey

Im open to suggestions for other countries as well and I may look into the dominican republic a little more so if anyone has any more recommendations that would be great . im not going to restrict myself to Turkey

lyn

Cyber . If I were you Id stick with your original instincts . you could always go for the ibiza one the following year.

Hi Lyn

Don't want to put you off the Dominican, but just remember that in the summer holidays it is hurricane season. Christmas or Easter is a much safer time for the DR, Cuba and the caribbean coast of mexico. Getting stuck in a Wilma type situation doesn't bear thinking about.

Other places to look at for the summer are Margarita which is virtually free from the risk of Hurricanes or the Pacific coast of mexico, which is low risk.

Margarita can come in quite cheaply, Mexico is a bit more expensive but I think on the whole the hotels are perhaps of a better standard.

It's not easy is it? I must have spent hours on the computer trying to find somewhere that would be good for the children as much as anything, since if they are bored and fed up, then we will be as well!!

Pam

Thanks Pam . will take a look at Margerita . where exactly is it Have had a look at mexico and it really is busting the budget by around £2000 for the 5 of us . I just cant justify it If we still want our holiday at easter.
did think the weather might be a problem with the DR ,will probably go as soon as the children break up middle July and dont particularly fancy big downpours every afternoon or worse still yes hurricanes.

Margarita is off the coast of Venezuela- First Choice are the only ones doing it at the minute. Quite a range of hotels, even some in their Sunstart brochure at a 3 star that look quite reasonable. Again though being long haul it may come in over budget.

Pam

lyn the price i got was with eclipse but it was over whit not the main summer hols, taking ellie out of school for a week , the price i got was around 1850 for the 3 of us for 2 weeks which i thought was a brilliant price for letoonia