39 posts categorized "Beach Resorts"
01/31/2012
09/30/2011
Escape to Mauritius for a sunny February half term
 |
|||
|
|||
 |
09/02/2011
October sunshine in Cyprus, complete with kids programmes
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
08/25/2011
The heat is on and the Majorcan sunshine set to stay
What a month August has been. We might be nearing the end of the summer but things are still in full swing here and we’re having a great time.
The Majorcan summer was temporarily on pause after a few unexpected showers back in July but the last few weeks have been glorious and it’s due to stay like this for the next few weeks. Perfect for those of you who are interested in catching up on your reading, taking in the rays and generally chilling by the pool.
We have had some absolutely cracking times in all the kids clubs the last month.
In TheZone the fun never ends, whether is whizzing around on speedboats, sailing around the bay, grabbing your pocket money and hitting the market in town or heading out in the evening for some, in my view, world-class pizza.
The little ones in the crèche have been absolute troopers, even though we have been slap bang in the middle of a heat wave, they have still summoned the energy, on a daily basis to come storming into the crèche in the morning, grab a tennis racket, and head up to the tennis court and give the Scallys a run for their money. Plenty of painting, gallons of glue and glitter and a stupendous amount of sandcastles and swimming.
The Scallywags have been keeping up their mischievous reputation here in the hotel and we’ve been up to all sorts. Treasure hunts, snorkelling, sailing and some fantastic play writing. A special mention goes to the Scallys last week for putting on a brilliant version of Rapunzel. I was particularly impressed by the set design. Top notch! With only a few more weeks left before school there is still so much to do and discover.
With August being the time when all of Spain comes on holiday the hotel really has livened up, which is perfect for those of you who like a good atmosphere in the evening. For those of you who are keen to get out and about, the weeks go by and we are still discovering plenty of fantastic restaurants in the area, whether you’re interested in fresh fish, big steaks or just a bit of Tapas. There is so much choice. To really end your evening on a high, if it’s a clear night, I definitely recommend getting a private water taxi to bring you back from town to the hotel beach at the end of the evening, which we’d be more than happy to organise for you.
The summer is not over until we say it is, and we’ve plenty more up our sleeves here at the Formentor.
All the best
The Powder Byrne Formentor Team
08/05/2011
NEW Complimentary pb Crèche at Puente Romano, Marbella
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
07/26/2011
Day trips and sunset dinners pb style in Mallorca
In the words of the Sugarbabes ‘Here come the girls’
This week there seems to be a distinct lack of lads in resort. Tennis Tom and myself have been outnumbered as the ladies take over the clubs. Nevertheless they all seem to get stuck into whatever activity we throw at them, however daring and scary it may be. We had a few Lara Crofts on our hands.
For those of you who are travelling for the first time with Powder Byrne, a couple of days a week we try to get out of the resort with the kids. This week the energy levels were high and we hit up the waterpark in Alcudia and Marineland which is just south of Palma. The waterpark was absolutely awesome. It wasn’t that busy which meant there was no hassle with queues which maximised our time trying to break the speed barrier on the flumes. I have no idea how, but TheZone still had enough energy to hit the town with us to try out pamboli (refer to previous blog) and a bit of late night shopping. A long, busy and fun day had by all.
A little bit of an earlier start for our trip to Marineland. We try to be out of the hotel by half 9 as it is a bit of a drive and you don’t want to miss the dolphin show. They also have a fantastic exotic birds show as well as plenty of fish tanks full of colourful fish and coral, just watch out for those sharks! Also keep you’re eyes peeled as you may unexpectedly bump into some furry little friends who have come all the way from the South Pole. They can swim but they are not a fish, they have wings but they can’t fly, they like to dance and they LOVE fresh fish. I’ll let you guess which animal that might be.
In amongst all of this we still managed to find plenty of time to build some epic sandcastles (on top of me), give windsurfing a bash, bust out the sea kayaks, get stuck into some fantastic painting and decorating of the Scallywag room, dominate the tennis courts and much more.
I will finish this with a recipe for a lovely night out for all the family in Puerto Pollenca. Check the sea is not too choppy, hop aboard a water taxi early evening and head round the bay to the Hotel Illa D’or for a drink and to watch the sun go down. It’s about an 8 minute stroll along the water front from there into the centre of town.
Just on the harbour is a fantastic seafood restaurant called La Llonja, I’ll book you a table on the large terrace looking out to sea. A lovely place with a great atmosphere where I personally recommend the tuna steak (rare) and the white/dark chocolate mousse for dessert.
All the best
The Powder Byrne Formentor Team
07/25/2011
NEW for October Half Term - Puente Romano, Marbella
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
07/21/2011
Watersports and thespians at the Formentor in Mallorca
Two words that you thought would never pop up in the same sentence. We’ve had an awesome week in the Formentor, with all 3 clubs in full swing it’s been go go go.
The wind picked up which meant it was time to go sailing. TheZone lifted anchor, swabbed the decks and set sail for the Caribbean (unfortunately they ended up sticking to the Formentor bay). There is a fantastic selection of boats down on the beach which you can either take out yourselves, or hire one of the guys on the beach to be your skipper. If you fancy something a little bigger, give me a shout as there are plenty of boats for hire from the port.
The Scallywags busted out their snorkels, hopped aboard the pedalos and sea kayaks, it was time to pay Nemo, Dory and the gang a visit. Just off the beach there is a small island which is home to plenty of exciting wildlife. It was all documented, processed and we are almost certain that we have made some new, rather exciting discoveries for mankind.
I have recently become aware that the whole island is more like a warren than a solid mass of rock and earth. Hiding under the glassy surface are enough caves to keep your average diver more than happy for weeks on end. Perfect for those of you who are keen to throw on a wetsuit and tank. There are a couple of diving schools/clubs in Puerto Pollenca who will happily come and pick you up from the beach and take you off for either a morning or a full days scuba diving. Something I would definitely recommend.
Onto the thespians.
Children these days.
They really do love the spotlight.
The Scally show unexpectedly took up rather a large part of our week. That’s all they talked about! Various ideas were thrown onto the table and we finally came to the decision that we would take Robin Hood, add a little bit of modern architecture and finish it with a bit of ‘a day in the life of a bunny rabbit’. A slightly odd combination you may be thinking, nevertheless the Scallys knocked it out of the park. We built dens, castles, sets, costumes, we sung songs and we wrote a script that I honestly think could make it to the Globe. Emotions were high, we had tears, we had laughter, we had improvised monologues and we had octopods (still no idea what they are). Something for everyone! All in all a great success and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into a new production with our next bunch of Scallywags.
Right, I’m off to the beach. Looking forward to seeing you down there.
The Formentor Powder Byrne Team
07/19/2011
The sun is shining and the kids are smiling in Penha Longa, Portugal
Well another fantastic week at Penha Longa has come and gone, and what a week it was. Our first guests arrived in beautiful sunshine with a light breeze with not a cloud in the sky.
It's been a roller coaster week for the kids, with lots of smiley, happy faces at the end of the day.
TheZone have been surfing, mountain biking and horse riding amongst many other activities, while the Scallywags took a trip to find Nemo at Lisbon aquarium, played lots of tennis with the devilishly handsome tennis pro and not to forget the trip to the beach.
But parents do not fret, while the children having been having a great time it has been an opportunity for the grown ups to get some well earned rest and relaxation, in the spa or just around the pool. It must be said I have never seen so many laid back and relaxed parents!! So if the beautiful surroundings of Sintra or the lovely weather aren’t enough for you we have plenty more to offer and we look forward to seeing you all here soon.
The Penha Longa Powder Byrne Team
07/04/2011
July is here and the fun continues in Mallorca
The PB crèche has been in the spotlight this week with our experienced crèche staff Tali and Kat up to all sorts of mischief with some rather cheeky young chappies. The amount of fantastic artwork being churned out would have made the likes of the great Picasso proud. In a haze of glitter there’s all sorts going on from painting, hand prints, hat designing and modelling amongst plenty of other improvised modern artworks.
It’s not very often you get the chance to work on your sandcastle building skills just outside your backdoor. After a little nap it's down to the beach with plenty of fortresses, moats and burying of feet, not to mention water fights and expeditions with mummy and daddy out on the pedalos. Come and see how many fish you can spot!
Whilst all of these shenanigans take place why not take the opportunity to get out of the hotel and head down the west coast. It is fairly cheap and very easy to rent a car here. They will bring it straight to the hotel in the morning and from then on, the world’s your oyster. About 1hr 20 drive from the hotel you will arrive at the famous town Deja. Many famous artists over the ages have spent a lot of time here and left their mark on the beautiful town hidden in mountains. One worthwhile trip.
If you are interested in heading out for dinner I would definitely have to recommend the Hotel Spa Son Brul. Located just out of Pollenca it is about a 25min drive and I am more than happy to take you over there. It’s slightly off the beaten track in the hills which means it’s not heaving with British holidaymakers searching for somewhere with a sea view. Sitting out on the terrace with a glass of champagne watching the sun go down followed by fantastic food is something I recommend to all parents looking for a night off.
Until next time …
The Powder Byrne Formentor Team
