Hi again Lyn

Margarita holidays have been around for quite some time I think. I'm sure I remember friends of the girls going a good five years ago. We considered it for the Angel Falls trip which looks amazing. There is quite a bit of information on Margarita on HT and I think if you do a search there is a dedicated Margarita website.

Not sure about the relative hurricane risk N to S on the DR, but I'm sure someone on the caribbean forum could help.

Good luck getting it sorted and with your French Trip!!

Pam

Went back online this morning, fired up the printer and got the decent quote from Eclipse, then set off to the First Choice travel agents (Eclipse/First Choice = same company anyway), handed over the printout and after a bit of umming and ahhhing and the assistant consulting with the shop manager, I got them to match the price (but unfortunately not beat it...) I could have booked it online but I like sitting in a travel agents and being made to feel important because I'm actually buying something instead of just browsing
So, this is what I got: For 3 of us - 14 nights all-inclusive at the Petra Mare, Ierapetra, Crete, departing 29 July (school holidays). Free child place for daughter who'll be 15 Pre-booked seats, flight meals and coach transfers. Afternoon flight out, evening flight coming home. Large room with sea view. All for £2303.51, compared to the First Choice "shop" price of £2510.80. Oh, and a low deposit too
Never done Greece before, so it's all very exciting. Bought an AA Pocket Guide to Crete from the cheap bookshop on the way home.

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

The Ibiza one will probably be off my list the following year, as their child prices go up to age 15, and daughter will be 16 then, however the one we're doing in Ibiza this summer does child price up to 16 and if it's as good as all the reviews say we may well want to go back there after a couple of years anyway. So, original instincts won the day!
The only thing I'm not happy about is departing on 29 July, a couple of weeks earlier than I would have liked, went to Lanzarote the same week a couple of years ago, had to rush about getting everything ready to go away two days after school finished and still had 4½ weeks of kids off school when we got back; but next summer my son wants to make sure he's home in time for A-Level results day (usually mid-August), so a July departure was the only option - ah well, how we suffer...

So now all the brochures can go in the cupboard under the stairs (for future reference) and I can get on with looking forward to this year's holiday

Excellent news Cyber that was a very enjoyable read . one I hope to follow

Good luck with your choices Lyn - you've gone from Turkey to the Caribbean in just a couple of days I've often looked at Mexico myself but I'm not sure about the long flight and the hurricane season puts me off too.
Margarita sounds lovely though - I remember one of those holiday programmes a few years ago and Jerry Hall was there with her daughters (and Mick, when he could be bothered...) it seemed a very exclusive place for the wealthy, so you could be sharing the beach with millionaires.

god you lot!!!

you started me off now looking at holidays for 2008

can't make up my mind though so many nice places to go, not too happy about Thomson flight times though, all seem a little too late, reasonable prices

Do they try and flog night flights first?

You,ve put me off now cyber I dont want to share a beach with millionaires. I want to be surrounded by like minded people that do their shopping in Primark and new look and who dont mind children sat next to them arguing with their parents

oh dear that is very bad news

Don't worry, think that may have been Mustique.

That seems a good deal for next year Cyber - have you seen how much it would cost for the Petra Mare this year

I will probably be booking Lykia in the next few days - unless I think of anything else. I had better stop looking as it gets too confusing

Hi All
(Can only get on the puter at work as hubby is installing wireless at home so now nothing works )

Sounds like a great deal for Crete, Cyber. I went there in 2005 (Louis Creta Princess) which was also a child friendly AI and we had a great time. I agree with Lyn, as your Ibiza this year, you can keep a return visit in the bag for another time. You might love Greece & fancy Corfu or Rhodes the year after.

Margarita looks lovely, the pictures of the beaches & hotels are superb & since someone has mentioned it on here I have been checking 2008 prices. Trouble is I know nothing about it and am not sure about Jabs, rainfall in July etc. Don't know if I'm ready to book yet as I keep changing my mind and once it's booked your kind of committed. LOL.

Happy searching, Doe

OK Chris . Is it all over to the caribbean forum then . there is a margerita topic running so lets wake them all up over there .

p.s actually thinking about it Id better have a good read up first and give the impression im a frequent traveller to the caribbean

lyn

ps. good luck with the lykia booking Lesley . let us know how you get on

ps again . the weather looks good chris http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=95159

All booked for next year to Lykia

Phew, I can have a rest now!

think that may have been Mustique

Could have been Mustique... I remember the report saying something about growing bananas. Anyway, sounds very exotic - one for the future when my teens have grown up and gone although I quite fancy Cape Verde in the future too, and it's not such a long flight.

starry - we sailed past Lykia World on a boat trip from Olu Deniz last year, it's a huge complex, looks really nice. Spoke to a family who'd been there on our coach back to the airport and they said they'd had a fantstic time

Excellent news on your booking Lesley . Oh dear im lagging way behind this year Im going to have to leave booking to later in the year anyway and hope that eldest son has managed to get an apprenticeship and is able to take the time off :D. so probably wont be able to book before September . That leaves plenty of time for faffing around and research until I probably go back to Turkey again . Even looking at the Paraiso de albufeira in the Algarve now. What am I like .

lyn

Hi

Has anyone had any luck with the Thomson website? I picked up their brochure for next year today but still can't get the website to do any searches, keeps telling me the session has expired! Portland is ok so wondered what was up with the Thomson one. Unless its just my laptop playing up

Hi,

I've been pricing up holidays on the Thomson site fine - tempted to book, but seems so early! Just had a look and the price has dropped £40 overnight.

I often have trouble with the Thomas Cook website however, where it just keeps trying to search and produces no results! frustrating.

Cejay

Thomson is working fine for me marie

Hi

Thanks for letting me know the Thomson site was working ok. Had to adjust some settings on my laptop and now the site seems to be working ok!!!!

So thats me here for a few hours then, more searching to do. Keep deciding we can't afford to go next year, then five minutes later I think stuff it, lets go, kids are getting older and we've only got maybe another 3 years and the oldest won't want to come with us anymore!

I've booked! June 13th, 10 days in Zante with Thomson. Came out at £608 B&B. We knew where we wanted to go and when etc so no more research for me this year However, I need to book some flights to New Zealand so that's my next mini project!

booked for Aruba AI in June next year through eclipse £3500 for 2 adults 14yr old and 12yr old. Kuoni also do the same hotel their price was....just over £7000 nearly fell off the chair ! first time in carribean excited already. off to sharm in 4 weeks not long now.

Well 12 weeks to this years holiday and have spent the last 2 weeks agonising (enjoying really)over next years choice. Will be a bit different next year as my mother is coming along with me and the girls
We have decided on Sharm as youngest is an Egyptology maestro and we will get a visit into Cairo, anyhow we have decided to try the Holiday Village which will be a new experince for us. Going for the swim up rooms. Booking with first choice as they will match the internet price and get us on the Thomson flight from Cardiff (eclipse can't for some reason)
Excited - just wish they would hurry up and open it
Lally