Businessman and Apprentice winner Tim Campbell, 46, and his wife Jasmine, 50, a consultant at PwC, live in east London. They flew to Malaga for a three-day Jet2CityBreak.
Holidays for me are all about switching off and unwinding, so normally we go all-inclusive to a luxurious resort. I imagined Malaga to be hectic, with people handing out flyers for parties. Kayla and her friends love clubbing in European cities, but we’re a bit past all that!
Still, I try to travel without preconceived ideas, not doing much research beforehand so I can immerse myself in a place by talking to the local people. Our Jet2CityBreak included our flights, a useful 22kg checked luggage and three nights in a centrally located hotel. So far, so good. Stretched out on the plane seat I’d upgraded to, with extra legroom, chatting to the friendly Jet2 crew, I kept an open mind.
This TV star and his family needed a break – but while he and his wife wanted some R&R, their daughter was more in the party-till-you-drop zone. What if they were to swap destinations?
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We’d arranged transfers via Jet2CityBreaks, and it was so easy being met by our driver at the airport. “It’s chilly,” he joked: it was 19C! Our hotel – the Vincci Larios Diez Malaga – kindly greeted us with a free drink and lots of advice from the concierge about what to do.
We started each day with a hearty breakfast on the hotel terrace, with beautiful blue skies and views over the cathedral. Then we’d explore, Jas keeping an eye out for Antonio Banderas, who has a place in Malaga. We visited the Museum of Malaga, a great introduction as it lays out the city’s history. And the cathedral, Picasso Museum and amphitheatre were all within walking distance of our hotel.
I was surprised by how grown-up Malaga is. There’s all this culture juxtaposed with smart shopping streets – high street names and independent boutiques. Jas valiantly did her bit to support local businesses.
No rain in Spain
Jasmine soaks up the sun on a surprisingly relaxing holiday
City slickers
Tim and Jasmine were really in their element
in “grown-up” Malaga
Not being on an all-inclusive, we went out in the evenings, wandering along cobbled streets, looking at menus, popping our heads into restaurants and trying a little Spanish. It’s polite to try the local language, although everyone spoke brilliant English.
The range of cuisine was amazing. We took a cab to El Tintero, where waiters emerge from the kitchen balancing plates and shout out what’s on them. If you fancy one, you put your hand up, like food bingo. And I ate one of the best steaks of my life at Pampa Grill.
The wine was great too. We found some good reds, including a lovely rioja, and, in the steakhouse, a beautiful rosé. And – the sign of a truly good wine – there were no headaches next morning.
On our way home, the driver went twice around a roundabout at the airport, asking if we really wanted to leave. No! Culture, great restaurants, lovely wines and 19C in December. Thank you Kayla for choosing Malaga.
Nothing beats a Jet2CityBreak.
Book yours at jet2holidays.com
Kayla Johnson-Campbell, 22, is a tech consultant from London. Her favourite travel companion Eboni Aymer-Jeffrey, also 22, is a teacher from Leeds. They went away for a four-day break with Indulgent Escapes by Jet2holidays, to the Gloria Serenity Resort in Belek, Turkey.
When choosing a holiday, Eboni and I look for good music, good people and good nights out. It’s why Malaga, with its amazing nightlife, is top of our list. Still, when Dad said we were going to Turkey on an Indulgent Escape, I thought: “Indulgent – perfect.”
And it was: from the moment Jet2holidays checked us in with our unusually generous 25kg baggage allowance and we sped through security with our priority lane pass at London Stansted. Then there was the lovely breakfast we’d pre-ordered for the plane, the £10 voucher each to spend onboard and the return private transfers. Being met by a driver in a beautiful Mercedes at Antalya airport was pure luxury.
When we arrived at the resort our in-resort Customer Helper was waiting and surprised us with a complimentary cocktail each. Normally on holiday I’m a planner so I’d been worried about how lazing around would suit me. But within five minutes at the resort I was truly relaxed.
There was so much to do at the hotel – a bowling alley, spa and hair salon, golf, bars and pools. We swam and then relaxed, sipping cocktails in the 20C sunshine. I even read half a book, which I never manage on holiday.
There was a nightclub but we couldn’t be bothered putting on our heels. So after dinner at our favourite resort restaurant – Kül A La Carte, where we loved the flatbreads stuffed with spinach and feta – we hung out in the bars. The staff were so attentive, telling us to ignore the cocktail menus and order whatever we fancied. One even converted Eboni, a rum girl like me, to gin.
From the hotel we could see the dramatic Taurus Mountains. We booked a safari to explore the mountains and it was awe-inspiring. We visited a tiny, remote mosque and a town where a lady cooking for her family made us Turkish tea.
On another day trip, we saw Antalya’s old town with its cobbled streets and traditional market. We had lunch by the marina, then got carried away in the shops. It was so lovely – being welcomed inside and offered tea – and the jewellery was amazing. I bought a gold anklet for me and jumpers for my dad and brother, to rub in how cold it was at home.
Eboni and I will definitely return to Turkey; the friendly people made the holiday. I still want to go to Malaga – but it’s got competition now.
Nothing compares to an
Indulgent Escape. Book yours at jet2holidays.com
We got carried away in the shops – being welcomed inside and offered tea was so lovely
Waiters emerge, balancing plates. If you fancy one, you put your hand up – it’s like food bingo
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Night and day
Break buddies
Kayla and Eboni sampled local cocktails and even went off-menu
Tim and
Jasmine
Kayla and Eboni
