We tend to stick to the same pattern, although that has changed over the years as the kids have grown up & flown the nest. When SC its a game of cards and a pre dinner drink on the balcony, a stroll to look for a nice restaurant, then depending on how we feel either move on to a few bars, or stay in the restaurant. When AI its usually a pre dinner drink, evening meal, then we mostly watch the hotel entertainment & have a couple of drinks & a chat. I do find that when we're in a country of high humidity we're in bed much earlier than we'd be in one of the European countries. I have found however that if we holiday on our own, it is different to when we go as a group.

we have meal at hotel or out if we choose. then stroll along prom or shops, drink if needed. back to hotel see what entertainment is like, if not have coffee/tea go to room have drinks on balcony and snacks ,read ,chat chill out, shower watch tv ,relax. phew! discuss the next days plans.xphx

I think if you are in an apartment of villa going out for your meal can be the whole evening. Finding a nice restaurant ordering eating, chatting, nice bottle of wine etc can take three hours.

AI is a bit different we tend to go to the restaurant as soon as it opens at 7.30pm (buffet food seems to be at it's best then) and the meal can be all over by 9ish, we would be much more likely to leave the complex and find a bar to have coffee/drinks in and a wander round whatever is in the area, a harbour, the shops, try and go where the locals go. Then come back to the hotel for a nightcap. Might watch the hotel entertainment 2 or 3 nights out of 14 at most, unless we heard it was absolutely brill.

Having watched Mr Lykia World and some flying monks last year I kind of lost the will to watch anymore.

doepsmc wrote:

Having watched Mr Lykia World and some flying monks last year I kind of lost the will to watch anymore.

After the last few years of cheesey all-inc hotel entertainment, it was lovely to go SC this Easter and go out every night, a different restaurant each evening and then a drink or three in a small tour of bars, looking round to find which ones had the best atmosphere, returning to our favourite ones several times over the holiday. I usually managed a glass or four of sangria in the apartment while waiting for the girls to get ready too!
All-inc might be a cheaper holiday overall but I think we've been there, done that now!

I have found however that if we holiday on our own, it is different to when we go as a group.

I agree Helen. I think when you're in a group you have to have some sort of a plan and also compromise. However, I do agree with your sil that we are too rigid in our plans and should 'go with the flow' more I can't imagine myself not knowing what we're going to do in the evening, at least by lunchtime of that day. However, we do tend to do the same thing night after night, mainly consisting of drink - admittedly not on the level of a session When hubby and I holiday alone, we tend to do more walking/browsing the shops in the evening and usually have a few more earlier nights.

As we'll be in the Dominican Republic this year, we'll hopefully get in to the nearest resort (Bayahibe) on at least one occasion for an evening stroll (and drink) hopefully.

Reading my post back, you'd think we're a bunch of alcoholics

We have a drink on the balcony then a wander around, maybe look in a few shops or a stroll along the beach. We go sc so we choose somewhere to eat and spend an hour or so in the restaurant. Another stroll and a drink somewhere then we go back to the apartment about 11 as our girls are only young.

Once the little ones are sleeping we will sit on the balcony for a couple of drinks. No late nights for me any more! We are always up early though. I remember the days when I would stay out half the night but once I got married and had children things changed, at least I feel more rested on my holidays now

Going to the same place every year, we sort of have a routine, albeit a very relaxed one.

Each night, we all go out for a lovely, leisurely family meal, which can take a few hours.
We then have a bit of a stroll to walk some of it off, "mooching" in the shops as we go.

Then we wander to various friends bars to catch up, or if we are meeting family or friends from the UK,
we go to wherever we have arranged to see them.
Sometimes we'll go to watch some live entertainment.

Our sons normally go off later on to do their own thing with their friends who have by then usually finished work.

A few hours are spent chatting and drinking, and on the way home we'll call in to one of our friends bars for a night cap.
Then it's back to the apartment for a cuppa and chat on the balcony before bed.

Bliss.

Again, our routines change depending on board basis and if in a group or not.

Usually, we go SC so after a day around the pool/beach its a sleep for daughter for a couple of hours then normally head out around 7.00pm ish for a meal. Depending on the time we might have a wander around the shops then back to the apts to see what entertainment is going on and for the kids' disco which daughter insists on being present for. We get back to the room around 10.30pm ish and after daughter is asleep we sit on the balcony for a couple of drinks and some peace. The routine will change if I cant get my daughter to have an afternoon nap though so its an early dinner or a take away and then bed for her by 8.00pm but still sit on the balcony for a drink.

When we did AI (before we had our daughter), mostly we were hotel based and just wandered out if there was nothing of interest going on.

We are quite boring really but with a young daughter now, she needs to take priorty and I wont keep her up too late because it doesnt matter what time she goes to bed, she is always up by 6.30am. Im not one of those that will keep her up just because I want to drink all night (and at the same time, im not judging anyone that does that) but im happy to sit on the balcony and enjoy the peace with a glass or two of something cool.

Sarah

We tend not to really make any plans and just go with the flow.

If we feel like going out for a meal then we do so, sometimes it can be just a stroll to a bar and then back again to our accommodation. It also depends on what we have done in the day and how tired we are

Me and my girlfriend never plan evenings on holiday in advance but they usually follow the same pattern. We always choose to go self catering because one of the most important parts of our holiday is trying a different restaurant each night. Our evenings normally consist of me being ready well before my girlfriend, meaning I've no alternative but to go to the hotel bar for a nice cold beer until shes ready. Or two or three beers usually.

We then spend the first couple of hours in a lovely restaurant and follow this with drinks in various bars around the resort. Depending on our mood sometimes quiet bars, sometimes livelier disco style places, following up with a club. A night or two we'll skip the bars and do the shops instead. Not my choice but I have to keep her happy!

Have you ever sat down for a 'quick' drink with friends you have met on holiday before going out for a nice meal and enjoyed the moment so much, you have justed stayed there all evening and the meal has been forgotten - you end up 'happy' but very hungry? We probably do that at least once each holiday.

If a hotel has good entertainment, it may be worthwhile coming back to after your stroll.

I don't like staying in hotels with just a pianist in the evening as it is too quiet for us.

Sometimes people have said to us "we love going into the local bars - come and join us" and when we do, we have been disappointed to see just that one couple sat up at the bar all night - we want atmosphere when we are away.
We love it when there is a Fiesta, a concert, a party, a celebration and especially a local wedding. The locals are happy to let us join in. Think we celebrate more on holiday than we do at home!!!!!

I bet you won't be having too many quiet nights, Shirley and Helen!!!

Not normally Suzie - but we are getting older This year we're off to the Dom Rep & its not normally the heat that hits us but the humidity. All of us are early risers on holidays so we do have a few earlyish (12 o'clock) nights. When we go short haul, we always say before we go that the 1st night will be an early one as we normally have early flights & have not slept the night before. However on our last couple of trips the 1st night has been the latest My daughter & her hubby always tell us that we plan too much & should go with the flow!!

Get ready for dinner, go down and see whats on offer for going half board, before this though we buy local cheap bottle of red, few glasses on balcony, then after dinner go and walk into centre of fuengi and sample many of the different bars, or we may venture further if not eating at hotel we may pay and eat at one of our fave restaurants, go up to mijas, this year we are going benalmadena marina, or upto marbella for dinner,...... love venturing out, but where we stay we are pretty much spoilt for choice..we cram so much into our 2 weeks its ridiculus... this year we are there for malaga feria its gunna be amazing, funfairs, top lined entertainments lined up(last year pussycat doll played live):( we are heading up a couple of nights its gunna be buzzing. anthonio banderas was wandering around last year with melanie.....

Going for a lovely evening meal is one of the best bits of my holiday - no cooking and especially no washing up. Trying new foods and wines and choosing small out of the way bars and restaurants is half the fun. Sometimes we enjoy a drink during the afternoon and that day we have an early bed! But that's part of holidays, too. That lovely feeling of time doesn't matter and not having to do anything we don't want too.

We tend to watch some of the hotel entertainment most evenings, although we do stroll round the surrounding areas and have a look in the local shops. As we go all inclusive we do eat at the hotel every evening.

Looking forward to it this year as the kids are older so we won't have the rush of getting showered, dressed and tea out the way in time for the kids disco at 8 or 8.30! Sometimes you can end up feeling as rushed as you do at home! No, this year its chilled out meal times for us!

a few drinks on balcony, read of the paper , then shower get changed go down for evening meal if we like what we see then we stay if not eat out . Always have a drink in the bar beofre leaving hotel , have a stroll arou8nd the area , window shopping ,have a drink in one or two bars along the way , and like last year we would always end up in the same bar to finish the night off . we also like to people watch .

we have a stroll round resort to decide where we want to eat then off to a few bars and a leisurely stroll back to the hotel, depends on the kids as to how long we stay out but they are 16 and 12 so not too early usually, then back to room for a nightcap on the balcony

Great question ! for the last 7 years, we have always gone stayed in various private apartments in europe and just gone out for a meal, then back tot he apartment, as our daughter was only little, now she's 8 , for the first time we went all inclusive to jamaica and as the hotel was a little isolated, we stayed around the hotel every night, but met some really great people, so me and hubby took it in turns to stay out chatting and having a laugh with our new holiday friends while the other took her up to the room, so we all had some good nights out !

Depends what we are doing the next day...if we are diving then we can't really go on the lash.
Generally, we have something to eat then go for a walk..usually this might incorporate a couple of bars. Again it depends if its just us or we are in a group. Also, since the kids have got older, we don't have to sit through the cheesy kids entertainment and then even cheesier pheonix nights entertainment for the adults after! I have never been up on that....
At least once on holiday..usually on the day we can't dive coz we have to have a day clear before flying..we tend to drink our body weight in beer/vodka...

In Gozo/Malta during the feast season, we take in the feasts..they are amazing...if in Egypt..we wander the streets trying to avoid the hassle of being pressured to buy tat...

no set pattern....