Hotel and Theme Park

Earlier this year, my mum and dad decided that we would be going to Benidorm for a week at the beginning of the summer holidays. My sister, Tara and I were so excited for the holiday that we immediately started counting down the days even though it was April and we wouldn’t be going until the end of June/start of July. The months leading up to the holiday was a whirlwind of planning what we were taking and what we were going to do while we were there. Finally the day came and we were getting up at 3 am so we could get ready and catch the 6 o’clock plane from Edinburgh airport to Alicante airport.

I remember bouncing in my seat in excitement while we were landing and letting out a squeal of happiness when we were safely on the ground and free to leave exit the plane. The first thing I felt when I departed the plane was the complete relaxation that the searing sun on my face brought to me. All too soon we were sitting in an overcrowded bus that would take us all to our different hotels. Our hotel was one of the first few stops as we were relatively close to the beach.

On first look, the hotel (which I cannot for the life of me remember the name of) looked pretty standard. It wasn’t horrible looking however it didn’t look like the Ritz. However, once I got inside I was taken aback by how classy the reception area was. I couldn’t help but wonder if our room would be just as classy and lovely as the reception area. My answer to that particular question was no. The room was nice enough considering we wouldn’t be spending much time in there but I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the size of our room.

The thing I enjoyed the most about our room was surprisingly the bathroom, the lighting in there was absolute perfection for getting ready in the morning and evening and the shower was to die for! I could just feel all the tension in my shoulders wash away while in that shower. Our first day in Benidorm wasn’t all that eventful, Tara and I spent most of our day out by the pool swimming (Tara) and soaking up some vitamin D (me).

Eventually we had to leave the pool at about 8 o’clock for dinner which would be starting soon. The dinner the hotel served was extraordinary! It was as if they had taken a dish from every country in the world and put it into a buffet where we could just take whatever tickled our fancy! Day two of our holiday of found us spending the day sunbathing at the beach and swimming in the sea. The water was a beautiful clear blue colour and the sand was golden. The highlight of day two for me though were the peaches that my dad bought at a fruit stall while we were walking down to the beach.

They were the largest and juiciest peaches I had ever had and kept my stomach content until dinner time. On the third and fourth days of our time in Benidorm were spent in the theme park “Terra Mitica” which translates to ‘mythical land’. The theme park was split into 5 different parts: Egypt, Greece, Iberia, the Islands and Rome. Each area had their own rides and shows. Personally my favourite part was of the theme park was the boat ride around the park as it was decorated magically. Day five found us exploring the old and new town and the shops that they offered.

We found a boat ride that would take us to Benidorm Island and while there we walked all the way to the top of the hill and down again which in the blistering heat was a very difficult feat to accomplish. The next day was spent at a secluded beach that we found while exploring the town. This beach was a little bit different to the main beach though, as there were fish swimming in the water with us. Our last day in Benidorm was spent at a marine animal park, “Mundomar” where we watched a bird, sea lion and dolphin show, looked at turtles/tortoises, lemurs, monkeys and seals and had our pictures taken with dolphins.

It was the perfect ending to the holiday that had undoubtedly been the best holiday of my life. With our glowing tans, souvenirs and pictures that needed to be uploaded onto Facebook, we boarded the plane that would take us back to Edinburgh, I couldn’t help but feel disheartened by the fact that we were leaving this incredible, stunning and warm place and going back home to dreary Scotland! But as they say, all good things must come to an end.