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The pretty town dubbed 'Bali of Europe' - with flights from £30 and £2.50 cocktails

The pretty town dubbed 'Bali of Europe' - with flights from £30 and £2.50 cocktails

Daily Mail​25-06-2025
With its beaches lined with palm trees, crystal-clear water and cheap prices, it's no surprise that Bali is a dream holiday destination for many.
But the cost of long-haul flights means that a holiday in the Indonesian paradise can come at a hefty price.
Luckily, there's a cheaper alternative that's much closer to the UK.
According to travel influencer Travel with Rafa, Tarifa in southern Spain offers a similar vibe to the Indonesian island.
In a video posted to YouTube, Rafaela says: 'It feels like a tropical paradise in the middle of the Mediterranean. It feels like the Bali of Europe!'
Tarifa sits just nine miles across the shore from Morocco so it's no surprise that temperatures average 25 degrees in August.
The town is located on Spain's Costa de la Luz or Coast of Light, so beaches are its top attractions.
Tarifa's best-rated beach is Playa de Bolonia, which one reviewer describes as 'spectacular'.
Writing on Tripadvisor, 'Inaki Rubi' says: 'Huge, clean, spectacular. The sunset blows your mind.'
Playa de los Lances is the town's next best-rated beach and has been praised for its 'crystal clear water'.
A reviewer writes on Tripadvisor: 'Super nice beach with very fine and great opportunities to take a break. You can watch the kite surfers walking. Great lifestyle.'
And while you can sunbathe on Tarifa's beaches, the town's Atlantic waves attract surfers, kite surfers and wind surfers.
Beginners can sign up at one of Tarifa's multilingual kitesurfing schools to learn the ropes while experienced kitesurfers can check out the waves at Playa de Valdevaqueros.
After hitting the waves, Brits can visit one of the town's many beach bars which serve cocktails for just €3/£2.50 at happy hour.
When it comes to eating out, seafood is the main event on many restaurant menus with swordfish a popular choice.
If you fancy ticking another continent off your bucket list, the ferry to Tangier in Morocco takes around one hour.
How to get to Tarifa
Britons can reach Tarifa by flying directly to Gibraltar. EasyJet offers flights from Manchester and London while BA flies from London.
The flight takes just under three hours from London and tourists will then have a one-hour drive to Tarifa once in Gibraltar.
The town is also easily reached from Malaga Airport, which is generally cheaper to fly to from the UK.
Direct flights to Malaga are available from Nottingham, London, Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle and more, with offers available for just £30.
Once in Malaga, it will take tourists just over two hours to reach Tarifa.
If Tarifa doesn't appeal, why not take a look at the Italian city that's been named one of the world's best places to visit in 2025?
Genoa has one of the world's largest medieval town centres. Within its depths, tourists will discover a labyrinth of caruggi (alleyways) packed with historic monuments.
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I paid £4,000 for a holiday to Turkey - but was left disgusted by the 'bed' my child had to sleep on
I paid £4,000 for a holiday to Turkey - but was left disgusted by the 'bed' my child had to sleep on

Daily Mail​

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

I paid £4,000 for a holiday to Turkey - but was left disgusted by the 'bed' my child had to sleep on

A British mother has been left furious after shelling out thousands for a room at a luxury Turkish hotel that reportedly only provided a sofa-bed for her child to sleep on. Harley, who goes by @harleyjxo on TikTok, travelled with her partner and their two children to Antalya, Turkey, in July, where they'd booked a stay at Hotel Turan Prince. The all-inclusive resort, also known as Club Turan Prince World, boasts five-star accommodation, a family-friendly atmosphere, multiple restaurants and a wide range of activities and entertainment. In a clip on TikTok, the mother explains: 'Imagine paying £4000 for a holiday for a family of four, for them to expect an 11-year-old child to sleep on a CHAIR.' She demonstrated how the small, square-shaped brown chair transforms into a bed by pulling out a padded seat from its base and extending it to form a longer sofa. Urging holidaymakers to steer clear of the hotel, the content creator adds in a follow-up comment: 'Is that a joke? And to be told there's nothing that they can do about it!! a CHAIR!!! wtf!! 'There's so much wrong with this hotel and I've not even been here 24 hours yet! Mad DO NOT BOOK. Was another family in reception who's child was CRYING cos there poor back from sleeping last night.' The clip, which has since been viewed over 800K times, has prompted 400 viewers to share their opinion - though not everyone sided with the mother. The mother demonstrated how the small, square-shaped brown chair transforms into a bed by pulling out a padded seat from its base and extending it to form a longer sofa One person wrote, 'That's a perfect bed for a child,' while another quizzed, 'So why didn't you get a room with actual bed for your child.' A third said: 'Imagine spending 4 grand on a room and not checking the photos to see what the beds look like first.' A fourth added, 'Im sorry is this not a normal place for a kid to sleep in?' while a fifth commented, 'It's looking cheap but as a KID this would have been super exciting.' However, other viewers came to the mother's defense, as one wrote: 'This is what puts me off Turkey! Would love to go but the accommodation for families is shocking!!' Another wrote: 'Had this a few times recently and we're paying £7/8k for a week. It's disgusting tbh. Why can't they have a bed!' A third said: 'The reviews on trip advisor say it all…. Do NOT eat the food!!' to which the mother responded: 'The food is awful too!' The Daily Mail has reached out to Hotel Turan Prince for further comment. It comes after a family's dream holiday was ruined after they were left stranded due to a booking blunder. The clip, which has since been viewed over 800K times, has prompted 400 viewers to share their opinion - though not everyone sided with the mother Darren Tanser shared his nightmare experience on TikTok, @darrentanser, after he paid £6,000 for trip to Turkey. He raged: 'LoveHolidays are an absolute joke, I recommend none of you ever book with them at all. 'I spent 425 minutes throughout yesterday, which is seven hours, on the phone to LoveHolidays on and off, they never called me back once for any issue, I had to continuously call them.' The family had arrived at the hotel at 5am, only to be told their booking 'hadn't been secured'.

A ‘super shoulder' season holiday will save you 60pc – but there's a catch
A ‘super shoulder' season holiday will save you 60pc – but there's a catch

Telegraph

time2 hours ago

  • Telegraph

A ‘super shoulder' season holiday will save you 60pc – but there's a catch

British holidaymakers are taking a gamble on the Mediterranean in November, as tour operators and airlines extend their seasonal offerings into late autumn. According to the European Travel Commission, nine per cent of European travellers have shifted their travel months this year due to the rise of extreme weather events, including heatwaves and wildfires. Travel companies are responding to this demand. Tui now offers year-round holidays to Antalya in Turkey. EasyJet has extended its services to destinations such as Dubrovnik into November, while Ryanair continues to offer twice-weekly flights throughout the winter. Wyndham Hotels has expanded its Greek operations from March–October to February–November. In Sicily, Verdura Resort last year extended its traditional closing date from October 31 to November 10, and has pushed it further to November 15 this year. Ludo Bennett-Jones, founder of tour operator Love to Explore, told The Telegraph: 'We are receiving an increasing number of enquiries for European travel later in the season. With increasing awareness of local concerns around crowds and over-tourism, clients are looking to visit outside of peak travel season.' Tour operator Red Savannah says that autumn travel (September to November) now accounts for almost a third of its Greece bookings, up from 10 per cent in 2022. Luxury tour operator Scott Dunn reports that searches for Italy and Cyprus from mid-October to the end of November jumped by 45 and 46 per cent respectively, year on year. The savings can be considerable. For example, advertised by Tui: a family suite at Iberostar Selection Playa de Palma departing on August 23 costs £1,610 per person, while the same suite on November 9 costs £649, a 60 per cent saving. There are other perks, too. Fewer guests mean more personalised service at hotels, and depending on how far south you go, the sun can set an hour or two later than in Britain. But key questions remain: will the weather be good? And will the restaurants and bars actually be open when you arrive? We asked our destination experts to give their honest take on visiting their turf in November. Greece 'I've always been mystified by the lack of winter tourism' As someone who once owned a house in the all-year-round Briton magnet of Andalucía, I've always been mystified by the lack of winter tourism in Greece. Granted, up north near Ioannina or Grevena it gets pretty nippy later in the year, while the glitzy, celebrity-loved resort of Arachova and Boris Johnson's dad's hideout in the Pelion both boast thriving ski scenes. Head further south to islands like Rhodes, Lesvos, or my home island of Crete, however, and, on the coast at least, the weather in November is nearly as good as Andalucía, only without the crowds. Water temperatures start to drop in mid-October, but in the more southerly climes the sun generally shines from cerulean skies until December. Evenings can be chilly, so bring a jumper if you want to sit out with locals in seafront kafenions, sipping the 'raki nouveau' brewed in copper stills from leftover fruits of the grape harvest, made during this season. Unlike many smaller islands, Crete, Rhodes, and Lesvos all have universities and sizeable populations, so tavernas and shops stay open, in the main towns at least, while touristy resorts like Malia in Crete or Faliraki in Rhodes are blissfully deserted. Heidi Fuller-Love Croatia 'I'd recommend packing waterproofs and wellies' Lying in Croatia's southernmost corner, Dubrovnik enjoys a mild autumn, with average daytime temperatures between 12C and 17C in November. You could be comfortable in a T-shirt at midday, but a jumper and jacket will be needed in the evening. Sea temperatures hover around 17C, so hardy swimmers might manage a dip, though sailing can be tricky due to occasional gusty winds and heavy rain, and most things on the islands will be closed. Waterproofs and wellies are definitely recommended. On the plus side, several top hotels, including the Excelsior, the Dubrovnik Palace and Villa Dubrovnik, offer lavish spas with sea-view indoor pools, jacuzzis, saunas and indulgent beauty treatments, perfect for escaping inclement weather. While touristy restaurants in the old town may have shut, the better-loved spots frequented by locals remain open, as do rustic agrotourism restaurants in rural Konavle, where you might even get involved in the olive harvest. From November 1, tickets for walking Dubrovnik's city walls drop dramatically, last year from €35 to €15. Another standout Croatian destination is upmarket Rovinj in Istria, which will be somewhat more autumnal, but where hotels such as the Grand Hotel Park, Hotel Lone, and Hotel Adriatic remain open through winter, offering spa treatments, gourmet dining and tours of the rural interior for truffle hunting and wine tasting. The easiest way to get there is by flying to Zagreb or Venice. Jane Foster Turkey 'Plenty of flights, warm seas, and optimum hiking conditions' With many seaside resorts enjoying November highs of over 20C, one of Britain's most dismal months is a great time to visit Turkey's stunningly beautiful Turquoise Coast. Daytime temperatures in the region's biggest resort, Antalya, average 16C throughout the month, with seven hours of sunshine per day and, importantly, average sea temperatures a welcoming 21C. Rainfall can be quite high, around 180mm, but it usually falls on only eight days. Weather conditions in other resorts such as Kaş, Fethiye and Bodrum are similarly appealing. In picturesque Kaş, around half of tourist-related businesses close for winter at the end of October, but at least one dive school remains open, along with the ferry to the nearby Greek island of Meis. According to more than one local, all the best bars and restaurants stay open. Fethiye and Bodrum experience a similar proportion of closures, while Antalya's lively old town remains unaffected by November. Sunny days and warm seas, quieter streets, open bars and restaurants, and weather at the optimum temperature for hiking and exploring the region's ancient sites make it an ideal time to visit. The gateway airports of Bodrum, Dalaman, and Antalya remain well served by direct flights from the UK with SunExpress, EasyJet, and Pegasus. Packages are great value as well. For example, a seven-night all-inclusive in Antalya with Tui costs just £377 per person, including flights. 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Giorgia Meloni rejects ‘unpatriotic' claim Italians are deserting beaches
Giorgia Meloni rejects ‘unpatriotic' claim Italians are deserting beaches

Times

time2 hours ago

  • Times

Giorgia Meloni rejects ‘unpatriotic' claim Italians are deserting beaches

As Italian politics ground to its customary mid-August halt this week and ministers vanished to the beach, the prime minister Giorgia Meloni was reported to be heading for Greece — yet evidently still ready for a row with the opposition. The topic was holidays, as Meloni angrily accused her opposition rival, Elly Schlein, of making unpatriotic allegations about Italians deserting the country's beaches because they are broke after three years of her premiership. The row began when Schlein, the leader of Italy's centre-left Democratic Party, seized on reports that the number of tourists renting umbrellas and sunbeds at Italian beach clubs have dropped by up to 30 per cent this year. 'Empty beaches are a postcard from the Meloni government — millions of Italians are not taking holidays because they can't afford it,' said Schlein. Images of happy holidaymakers on Italy's state TV channels were propaganda put out by Meloni-appointed managers to conceal the reality of a fading economy, she added. Meloni shot back with her own statistics showing that the overall number of Italians taking holidays in Italy in July was not down, but up by 1.8 per cent year-on-year. She accused Schlein of an unpatriotic attempt to sully the reputation of tourism in Italy in the eyes of the world. 'I consider it shameful that certain opposition figures spread fake news, damaging the image and the interests of Italy just to attack the government,' she posted. 'Who truly loves our nation should not discredit it before the world for political gain. We will work to make [Italy] stronger, more attractive and more proud of itself every day,' she added. Antonio Misiani, a senator with the Democratic Party, likened Meloni's attack to that of a North Korean politician, while the former prime minister Matteo Renzi pointed out Meloni was a fine one to talk about patriotism since she was reported to be sunbathing somewhere in Greece, rather than on an Italian beach. Support for Schlein came from Massimo Casanova, a former MEP with the right-wing League party and a beach club owner, who said empty beaches were due Italy's middle class running out of cash. 'The government should be helping Italians, not starving them,' he said. Meloni's claim that overall tourism numbers are up has been borne out in Rome, where 644,000 visitors are expected to arrive over the mid-August weekend, up 5.5 percent on last year, despite temperatures edging towards 40C. However, hotel owners say holidaymakers may be taking shorter trips this year, and the rosy statistics may have been inflated by thousands of previously unregistered B&Bs publishing their figures for the first time. Other reasons why beach clubs have fewer customers have little to do with the economy. Outrage has grown this month regarding price increases by the clubs, which are allowed to fence off wide swathes of sand and charge people to sit on it. Anger has focused on a club in Mondello, near Palermo in Sicily, that installed turnstiles at the entrance to the beach, despite the law permitting visitors to enter free of charge if they stay close to the water's edge and do not occupy one of the sunbeds set up by the club. • Europe's secret (and more affordable) beach clubs Experts have said that the traditional Italian habit of cramming into beach clubs in August is also changing as people avoid the growing heat and take breaks either side of summer. Beach clubs became part of Italian summer culture during the country's post-war boom years, but Gen Z Italians appear to be less inclined to pay to lie in rows under tightly packed umbrellas. As the Sardinian newspaper La Nuova Sardegna reported on Wednesday, 'The sea will always be there but habits are starting to change, just as the water does when the wind switches direction.'

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