Girl Up North: A Girls Holiday with a Difference - without spending a fortune?
A Girls Holiday with a Difference - without spending a fortune?
My best friend got engaged at the beginning of the month so obviously talk of a hen party (or two) has begun and a girls holiday is always an option but none of us would have a big budget to spend on going abroad because we have boring commitments like mortgages etc. The budget destination which spring to mind when I think about a girls holiday are probably either Magaluf or Benidorm; both are well known Spanish party resorts which thousands of Brits flock to every year. But as we all know the world is a big place and there are places out there which are just as fun and lively but are just a little bit different and they still don't break the bank.
Turtle Spotting - Zante is famous for Loggerhead Sea Turtles and you can take a boat trip to see them in their natural environment; something I've always wanted to do!
Day Trip to a Neighbouring Island - Kefalonia and Olympia are both quite close to Zante so they're ideal destinations for a boat trip. I can vouch for Kefalonia and say that it's a beautiful island; we went a couple of years ago, it's very quiet and very Greek!
Greek Night - There are obviously hundreds of different bars in Laganas but I definitely recommend finding somewhere which does a proper authentic Greek night because they are so much fun! There's food, drinking, dancing and plate smashing - what's not to love?!
Hire a car - The perfect way to explore the whole island of Zante, we always hire cars no matter where we go and I always imagined driving on the other side of the road to be really hard but after the initial ten minutes or so it's an absolute breeze and the roads in Greece are generally a lot quieter which makes it easier. (Age restrictions might apply, most hire companies usually have a lower age limit and don't forget your driving licence if you plan to do this!).
Exploring the caves - Usually visited via boat, the Blue Caves are a natural beauty, some boat trips take you right inside the caves where you can get out and have a dip in the crystal clear blue water.
A place like Laganas would be brilliant if you're looking to do other things rather than party every single night (although you'd be forgiven if you set aside a couple of nights to do that, I know I would!). Aside from bars and clubs there's so much to do no matter what you're into and the good news is that it doesn't cost a fortune for you to visit. Flights from Manchester in July plus a weeks self catering accommodation comes out at less than £250 per person which in my opinion is a great price especially for July when the weather is pretty much guaranteed to be good.
Side note: I'm thinking of making holiday deals a regular feature on Girl Up North, maybe a round up of some cheap holiday deals leaving from northern airports, I would really enjoy writing posts like that and I hope you'll enjoy them too!
Where would you recommend for a girls holiday?