This package offers a family of four the chance to experience on of Gulliver’s four theme parks and includes tickets to the park, entertainment, and an overnight stay for less than £25-a-head
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Park tickets and accommodation are included in the deal(Image: Gulliver’s Theme Parks)
Keeping the kids entertained can be a costly undertaking, but this deal offers families not only a fun day at a theme park, but also a memorable overnight stay, all for less than £100.
Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts, who have four locations in Milton Keynes, Warrington, Matlock Bath, and Rotherham, are now offering a ‘1 Night Saver’ package on selected dates that comes in at £99 for a family of four. The package includes tickets to the park, so families get access to all the rides, attractions, and entertainment for the day.
The cost also includes an overnight stay in select themed family accommodation, with access to the resort’s facilities and activities for even more fun for all ages. Families can book these overnight packages on selected Friday dates throughout 2026, with park access on the Saturday after you check out.
The package can be booked at www.gulliversfun.co.uk, where families can also browse the fun accommodation options available to them. Depending on the park and availability, these can include family-sized double suites, western-themed dens, fairy hideouts, and dino dens, so no matter what the kids are into, there’s an accommodation option they’ll find thrilling.
If you’re looking for different dates, it’s also worth checking out Wowcher’s Gulliver’s deals, which include school holiday dates. Packages start from £159 for tickets and overnight accommodation, and options include stays in Jungle Cabins and dinosaur-themed Lost World dens.
Facilities and attractions also vary by resort, but as an example its Warrington park features rides such as a wooden rollercoaster, pirate ship, log flume, and lots of other fun themed attractions for all the family. Look out for themed events such as Princess and Pirates weekend where kids can meet characters that they love.
If you don’t have a Gulliver’s near you, many other theme parks across the UK also offer short break packages. Paultons Park, known for being the home of Peppa Pig world, is offering short breaks from £177 per family. This includes a second free day in the park for the family, free parking, and breakfast.
Alton Towers is also currently running a Spring Sale where those who stay overnight get a second day free. Alton Towers packages include free parking, 9-hole golf, and breakfast. Guests can also add a waterpark pass to their booking, allowing them to enjoy even more family fun during their stay. You can find out more on the Alton Towers short breaks website.
Other parks operated by Merlin are also offering a similar deal, including Chessington, Thorpe Park, and LEGOLAND. Many resorts also offer additional entertainment and perks to guests, making for the ultimate family sleepover.
Find out more about Gulliver’s deals, check availability and book short breaks at www.gulliversfun.co.uk.
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
HOLIDAYMAKERS are being warned not to do one common activity at the beach.
Beach days are always fun, especially in the summer with the family – but the public are being warned to never dig a large hole in the sand in one part of the UK.
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The coastguard is warning beachgoers to not dig holes on the beachCredit: Getty
This is because a large hole can collapse in on itself and could pose the risk of trapping someone, including kids and pets.
The fresh warning comes from the coastguard at Cleethorpes, a popular seaside town destination with a four-mile beach, traditional pier and family-friendly activities, making it the ideal day out.
According to the BBC, Cleethorpes Coastguard deputy station manager Shaun Lee said: “It’s like an avalanche effect, where the sand just keeps collapsing and collapsing, and then people just get completely buried in it.
He explained that when a hole is dug with steep sides, the wet sand will dry out and make it looser and as a result, more prone to collapsing.
He added: “We don’t want to be the fun police – just be aware of what you are doing if you are digging holes.”
Also in Lincolnshire, last year coastguards filled a hole in Sandilands Beach that was nearly two metres deep.
At the time, the coastguards said they filled the hole “for safety reasons”.
Last June, the coastguard filled a hole on Weymouth Beach as well, which was around 1.5metres deep.
It took the coastguard three people and 30 minutes to fill.
Senior Coastal Operations Officer Allan Norman, at HM Coastguard, said: “Buckets and spades are a lot of fun – but most of us wouldn’t dream of digging a 5ft deep hole at a park where youngsters are running about and people walk in the evening.
“It’s the same at busy beaches: deep holes can be hard to spot in the sand and pose the risk of someone falling in and being injured, particularly little children and older people.
“There’s also the danger of the sand collapsing on top of you, causing injury and suffocation.
“These incidents require whole teams of rescuers.
“We’d just ask people to stay aware of who else is on the beach and the potential risks of digging too deep.”
Last year, coastguards filled a hole in Sandilands Beach that was nearly two metres deepCredit: Mablethorpe Coastguard
Even though beachgoers are warned against creating large holes at the beach, it doesn’t mean you can’t dig them at all.
Allan advises to just not dig it deeper than waist height and to avoid digging tunnels, which are even more likely to collapse.
He added that you should fill the hole in before you leave the beach.
If you do happen to be caught in a situation where you get stuck in a large hole on the beach, GOV.UK recommends creating a circle of people around the hole, who dig with their hands to create an outer circle.
Then create another circle of people behind that circle, but they will be removing the sand dug from the first circle.
By creating multiple circles, it will make the original hole bigger and more shallow and as a result, it will be less likely to collapse.
Walt Disney World has just launched two offers that could help families save money on a dream holiday to the Florida theme parks – and it’s valid for school holidays too
16:47, 21 Apr 2026Updated 16:53, 21 Apr 2026
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Walt Disney World has brought back its popular free dining and drinks deal(Image: Getty Images)
Walt Disney World is a bucket list destination for most families, but visiting the Florida theme parks isn’t necessarily easy to do on a budget.
However, Mickey Mouse’s US home has just launched a deal that could help families save money on their meals – and you could currently save up to £400 off a booking too.
That’s because the resort’s Free Disney Dining and Drinks deal is back for holidays in 2027 – including some school holiday dates – with plans that include free table service dining plans or quick service plans, and one drink per meal (alcoholic or non-alcoholic, depending on the plan you go for). The offer is valid for a minimum of five nights’ consecutive stays if you’re booking a Walt Disney World hotel along with a park ticket package.
You can already book on disneypackages.co.uk, with the deal running until November 4, 2026. However, if you book by July 2, 2026, then you could also bag a discount of up to £400 per booking.
Don’t be disheartened if it’s not quite the right deal for you, or you can’t commit before July 2. For a start, if you book after July 2, you’ll still be able to save up to £200 per booking. Meanwhile, there are plenty of tempting deals and offers throughout the year with the Walt Disney Travel Company, including the Free Dining and Drinks offers. If you’re after ticket offers, the likes of Floridatix and AttractionTix can also be good sources, especially if you’re thinking of combining your Disney trip with other Orlando attractions, or even some of the Universal theme parks.
If Florida still feels a little too far to travel just yet and you want some of that Disney magic just a little closer to home, then you may want to consider a cruise, as the Disney Wish cruise ship will be sailing from the UK next summer (we got a sneak peek at what you can expect onboard earlier this year).
Animal Kingdom theme park: Bluey and Bingo will be at the Conservation Station from May 26, with photo opps and games.
Magic Kingdom: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is back after refurbishment, with new interactive targets, lights and sound effects. Meanwhile, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen on May 3.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: From May 22, Star Wars fans can join The Mandalorian and Grogu on a new Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run mission. From May 26, the former Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will open with its new Muppets theme.
Have you got a holiday question you want answering? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
THE conflict in Iran has added as much as $100 (£77) per person to the price of long-haul flights from Europe, new figures have revealed.
The Transport & Environment (T&E) said in a statement that disruption to jet fuel supplies is likely to trigger higher ticket prices for passengers.
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The conflict in Iran has caused the price of jet fuel to sky rocketCredit: AlamyFor families – the cost of long-haul holidays could increase by as much as £308Credit: Getty
T&E added that the rise in jet fuel prices has increased the average fuel cost by £77 for each passenger on long-haul flights leaving Europe.
For a family of four heading on a long-haul holiday that’s an increase of £308.
For short-haul flights within Europe, they’ve increased by £25.26 per passenger – or more than £100 per family.
In the report, T&E then predicted that jet fuel for a flight from Barcelona to Berlin would be €26 (£22.64) more expensive per passenger.
Long-haul journeys, for example Paris to New York could even cost €129 (£112.35) more in fuel.
Since the Iran conflict began and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, jet fuel prices have risen to well over $100 (£74) a barrel.
And there are fears that more turmoil is on the cards, as atemporary ceasefire ends tomorrow,with concerns the Middle Eastern conflict could spark back into life – as thousands of US troops are on standby to launch fresh attacks.
A second round of crunch peace talks are due to resume in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad shortly – but they have already been plagued by no show claims.
Iran has refused to confirm if it will attend even after the US delegation, led by JD Vance, prepared to board a jet for the Middle East.
Trump has already said it is “highly unlikely” the two-week ceasefire will be extended past the deadline especially if a permanent end to the fighting can’t be hashed out.
The impact of the rising costs of fuel have been felt everywhere from the petrol pumps to Brits’ summer holidays, as airlines have offset rising costs by increasing ticket fares and adding additional baggage fees.
In total, Air France and KLM will have increased their round-trip fares by €100 (£87) on most of their long-haul flights.
It comes after the head of the International Energy Agency warned that Europe has just six weeks left of jet fuel.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said mass flight cancellations will begin “soon” if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
Airlines including United, Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa have already been forced to cancel hundreds of flights in recent weeks due to fears of shortages.
The Sun’s Head of Travel explains further
The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot, explains more.
There’s no doubt the current jet fuel crisis represents the greatest challenge to the travel industry since the pandemic.
Passengers face higher fares and less choice if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed in the coming weeks.
While flights – and prices – are relatively stable in the short term, it is inevitable that we may see more flights cancelled and surcharges added to existing flights and holidays if the war continues into May.
But given the scale of the global aviation network – and the fact we rely on the Middle East for part but not all of our jet fuel imports – the UK is relatively well placed to deal with the fallout.
With so much uncertainty, we’ve seen a surge in those looking to book staycations.
But there are still some fantastic deals out there for those willing to get booking – particularly to destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean that are completely safe yet have suffered a drop in interest.
Some airlines – including Air Canada and Virgin Atlantic – have already started applying a surcharge to flights or have increased prices for checked luggage as they anticipate the inevitable rise in fuel prices.
And package holiday operators have the right to impose a surcharge of up to eight per cent in the light of fuel increases – if they ask for any more than eight per cent, holidaymakers have a right to an automatic refund as well.
So far – none have chosen to do so.
Birol’s deadline means airports could face critical fuel shortages by May, causing travel chaos for Brits heading abroad during the school May half-term holidays.
Despite the chaos, there are still great holiday deals to be made as Egypt tour operators have dropped prices of all-inclusiveholidays with thousands in savings.
Getaways should not be seriously impacted immediately as airlines bought fuel far in advance at a fixed rate.
But if the crisis continues into June, operators may start adding a surcharge to holiday prices.
A limited number of flights may be cancelled, but mostly on well-served routes with alternatives.
If supplies start to dry up, cancellations would increase.
2. Am I entitled to a refund?
IF some or all of your holiday is cancelled by the provider, your refund depends on whether you booked your trip as a package holiday, or individually.
Your money tends to be much better protected with a package deal.
3. Is now a bad time to book?
There are some great deals, but book with caution.
You must take out travel insurance as, if your flight is cancelled, you may have protection against the cost of other elements of your holiday, such as accommodation.
The price of jet fuel could increase the cost of holidays for families to as much as £308Credit: Alamy
Families, in their various flavors, have been essential to television since that light first flickered on. They may be ideal or nightmarish, or both, or in between, and we take to them — be they Waltons or Addamses or Simpsons — according to our own experience or desires, having known families of our own or wanted something other than what we had.
In “Schitt’s Creek,” Dan Levy co-created — with his father, Eugene, yet — one of the medium’s greatest family comedies. It was a show that grew over time from a basic premise about rich people who lose their money and are forced to live at close quarters in adjoining motel rooms to a paean to love, understanding and acceptance. It swept the comedy categories at the 2020 Emmys, including acting awards for both Levys, Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy and writing and directing trophies for Dan.
“To family” are in fact the last words spoken in the first season of “Bad Mistakes,” Levy’s noisy, funny new show, co-created with Rachel Sennott and now streaming on Netflix — though given what precedes it, it’s less a blessing than a curse. Levy plays Nicky, a pastor at a sparsely attended suburban New Jersey church of no evident denomination. He’s out as gay, but supposedly celibate; that he has a boyfriend, Tareq (Jacob Gutierrez), is known only to Tareq; this, of course, creates a secret, which will create pressure, which will create comedy.
Sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega) is an elementary school teacher, a job that doesn’t quite jibe with everything else we see about her — it’s barely represented, anyway, summer having come — and a very longtime boyfriend, Max (Jack Innanen), who has decided that now is the moment to propose. She had once tried acting in New York, which means that she lived a wilder life once and is something of an improviser. Their mother, Linda (Laurie Metcalf), who owns a hardware store, is running for mayor and the campaign is being managed by extra daughter Natalie (Abby Quinn).
The series begins as their grandmother is dying, and at Linda’s command, they rush out to buy her a present — Linda is trying to squeeze in an “early birthday” before her mother passes. And because she is that sort of person, Morgan shoplifts what she imagines is a cheap necklace from a convenience store. (Attendant Yusuf, played by Boran Kuzum, will have much to do.) The necklace isn’t cheap, it turns out, for no particularly good reason, and the convenience store isn’t just a convenience store, but a kind of waystation for stolen goods run by local Russian mobsters. As a result, Morgan and Nicky find themselves forced to run errands for them, under threat of death, or worse.
The show gets very complicated on its way to a circular semi-conclusion; there is a lot going on, with Linda’s mayoral ambitions and various relationship issues. (Elizabeth Perkins plays Max’s mother, bridging storylines.) But it’s a good ride, and classic in its way; searching the phrase “get mixed up with gangsters” brings forth a host of old comedies. Through the dodgiest situations, brother and sister do not hesitate to argue. Nicky would love to be anywhere else, while Morgan finds it invigorating. Though it is all improbable, the parts do mesh neatly; they make television sense.
Finally, the series rests on the shoulders of the three principal players, who are just a pleasure to watch; the camera obliges by moving in close. Levy brings a soft-spoken breathlessness you may recognize from his David Rose on “Schitt’s”; his softly muttered “OK,” which might just mean “stop talking,” is almost a trademark. Ortega brings a kind of poignance to her reborn wild child, while Metcalf plays Linda with a kind of small-town operatic intensity, eyes popped and pronunciation precise — she’s like a country cousin to O’Hara’s Moira Rose — as if she were onstage pitching to the back row of the theater.
Michelle Pfeiffer and Elle Fanning in “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” premiering April 15, 2026 on Apple TV.
(Allyson Riggs/Courtesy of Apple)
In “Margo’s Got Money Problems, premiering Wednesday on Apple TV, Elle Fanning plays the title character, a college student flattered into bed by her married-with-children writing professor, Mark (Michael Angarano), despite my shouting at the screen for her not to do it. Soon she is pregnant, and soon after that the essentially single mother of baby Bodhi, unable to find work or the time to write. (As the heroine, we assume her talent.)
Presumably in search of some normalcy, Margo’s mother, Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer), a former good time girl — but still sparkly — has become engaged to Kenny (Greg Kinnear), Christian, square and sincere; the Ralph Bellamy of the piece, you are not asked to take him quite seriously (though Kinnear plays him straight). Shyanne’s ex-husband is Jinx, a former professional wrestler, played by Nick Offerman with the low-key affect of Ron Swanson, dialed down even further; depression and drug addiction will do that to you. Fresh out of rehab, he trades a championship belt for a motorcycle and joins the household; though he left Margo early, and unlike Shyanne, he proves to have a marvelous, easy way with Bodhi. (The baby himself, or babies — they use twins for this job — are themselves marvelous.)
Also in residence is roommate Susie (Thaddea Graham), a chirpy cosplayer — and coincidentally Jinx’s biggest fan — whose skills will become valuable as Margo, needing cash, sets off into the world of OnlyFans. First picking up tips describing followers’ penises in terms of Pokémon (no explanation has been thought necessary), she pivots to video, mounting increasingly elaborate sexy sci-fi productions alongside Susie (sets and costumes), Jinx (narrative advice, stunt coordinator) and OnlyFans veterans KC (Rico Nasty) and Rose (Lindsey Normington), a fabulous tag team to whom Margo turns for advice. (Margo does seem to take things over, but it’s her name in the title, so there you go.) This introduces an element of Mickey and Judy, my uncle’s got a barn, let’s put on a show comedy. More important, it creates a team, melding the family you make with the family you have.
It’s as sweet as can be. Apart from sleeping with one’s professor — students, do not do this! — the show is positive about just about everything: motherhood, daughterhood, professional wrestling, second chances, sex work, cosplaying and the way art shows up in strange places. Only Marcia Gay Harden, as Mark’s mother, Elizabeth, is an outright villain, and you will hate her.
The series was created by David E. Kelley (Mr. Michelle Pfeiffer), from Rufi Thorpe’s 2024 novel, once again under the umbrella of Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films (following their collaborations on “Big Little Lies,” “Nine Perfect Strangers” and “Love & Death”), with its house style of well-upholstered capital-Q Quality (as distinct, in its pop-cult, way, from prestige). (Kidman has a small role as a wrestler-turned-lawyer and it’s been a while since I’ve seen her this well used.) “Margo’s Got Money Problems” can be terribly sentimental, almost corny — the climax is pure Hollywood — but undeniably effective. And if its mix of comedy and drama can be a little destabilizing, you won’t need to worry about where it ends up.
Want a relaxed holiday in a place where you know kids will enjoy? TUI ranked the best spots for hassle-free family fun.
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TUI ranked the best places to travel to with kids(Image: Getty Images)
Finding a place to travel where you can take kids and not worry about safe accommodation and fun activities can be difficult, but as of 2026, 86% of British parents agree that holidays are essential for family bonding, according to holiday giant TUI.
Taking into consideration factors such as where to keep children entertained while giving parents a chance to relax, reliable weather, open spaces and more, TUI ranked the top destinations in Europe that combine fun, sun, and convenience.
Here are the five best spots on the continent, according to the research.
5 – Barcelona, Spain
The well-known historical and architectural allures of Barcelona give way to family-friendly fun – as the city stands out with the highest number of TUI Musement excursions in the ranking (439). For those seeking a relaxed itinerary, the city also boasts 31 parks per 10 km².
The colourful Park Güell and the interactive CosmoCaixa Museum of Science are always hits with kids – and best paired with beach days along the Mediterranean for parents to enjoy.
4 – Catania, Italy
With a mean temperature of 26.7°C, Catania offers sunshine alongside rich history and cultural experiences – especially due to its location right next to Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano.
There, families can take excursions around the volcano and explore the deep roots of Catania’s lava caves and farms. When that’s done, it’s a great idea to head to the city’s bustling markets and grand piazzas to bask in the local culture or relax on the nearby beaches.
3 – Porto, Portugal
In third place is Porto, which TUI gives a score of 9.01/10. The city, located in the north of Portugal, is just a two-hour flight away, and is the perfect pick for families looking for simple, hassle-free fun.
Porto is easy to navigate, and offers 32 family-friendly hotels and 13 parks per 10 km². There, get ready to ride the historic Dom Luís I Bridge cable car or hop on a river cruise along the Douro.
To relax, enjoy beaches, riverside strolls, and vast parks.
2 – Naples, Italy
Naples scores 9.12/10, combining summer temperatures of 25.2°C and rich culture to be enjoyed by all ages.
Kids will have fun with authentic pizza-making immersive experiences and open spaces to explore with a good gelato in hand.
Time in the city is good enough, but from there you can set off to explore the ancient ruins of Pompeii, take a ferry to nearby islands, or stroll along the scenic seafront promenade.
1 – Lisbon, Portugal
The gold medal goes to Lisbon, crowned Europe’s most child-friendly city with a score of 9.16/10. The Portuguese capital has an average of 37 family-friendly hotels per 10 km², 17 parks and an entertainment score of 7.36/10.
Children are likely to love the Lisbon Oceanarium – one of Europe’s largest – and the beautiful trams that cross the city centre. After ticking those essential boxes, take time to explore riverside playgrounds and nearby beaches.
To get to Lisbon, flights depart from the main UK airports and take about 3 hours.
IF you’re looking for a top notch, classic campsite with no-frills – The Spinney Wild Camping has just been named the best.
The campsite in East Yorkshire has scooped up a Gold Award with 10/10 reviews from families calling it a “wonderful hidden gem”.
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The campsite is ‘no-frills’ and pitches cost just £12.50pppnCredit: The Spinney Wild CampingThere’s a hot tub for hire as well as a games shed and firepitsCredit: Unknown
Pitch Up, an online booking platform specialising in camping, glamping and caravan sites has found the best in the country.
Based solely on reviews and ratings, The Spinney Wild Camping has been named Pitch Up’s best campsite in Britain.
The site got 10/10 ratings from all 58 of its reviews and was described as being “no-frill and wild”.
It’s affordable too with prices starting from £12.50pppn.
The spot in East Yorkshire is small with space for just 10 tents, and campers can pitch tents in either the woodland or the meadow.
It has plenty of open space for children and dogs to run about and play as well as hammocks to laze about in.
It is also completely off grid with no outdoor lighting, so visitors are advised to bring a torch for when it gets dark.
For when the weather doesn’t play ball, the campsite has a garden room with a sofa and games for entertainment.
There’s also a hot tub that guests can hire out and firepits for barbecuing.
It’s quite simple when it comes to facilities and has a compost toilet – but the site does have running water.
The campsite achieved a clean sweep of full marks for location, value for money, accommodation, facilities, customer service, child friendliness, cleanliness and WiFi.
One visitor called it a “wonderful hidden gem”, a second called it “idyllic”.
Another said: “As a single mum with two children I felt very safe here, the choice of where to pitch was just brilliant. We chose a hidden spot waking up with the beautiful oak trees.”
For more on holiday parks, here are some of our favourites in the UK…
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Park Holidays UK Sand le Mere, Yorkshire
This holiday park in Yorkshire is a thriving family resort, just steps from Tunstall Beach. Entertainment is what this resort does best, with costume character performances, Link-up Bingo and cabaret shows. Accommodation ranges from fully-equipped Gold Caravans to Platinum Lodges with sun decks and luxury bedding.
This beachfront resort in St Ives, Cornwall is a true beach bum’s paradise – whether you want to laze out on the sand, or take to the waves for some surfing. Activities include disc golf, a Nerf challenge and an outdoor cinema, as well as indoor activities for the colder months like karaoke, bingo and DJ sets.
This holiday park has loads of unique activities on offer, including TikTok dance classes, alpaca feeding, a pump track for BMX riding, and taking a ride on the resort’s very own miniature railway. Throw in bug hotel and den building, pond dipping, survival skills workshops and a lake for paddleboard and pedalo hire, and you’ve got yourself an action-packed park.
Parkdean Resorts Camber Sands, Sussex This beachfront resort is a classic family favourite. If you’re not up to swimming in the sea, there’s four fantastic pools here, as well as water flumes, underwater jets, inflatable jet skis and kayak races. Plus if you’ve got any little fans of Paw Patrol or Milkshake!, you’ll be glad to know there’s Milkshake! Mornings and Paw Patrol Mighty Missions to keep your tots entertained.
The campsite is 30-minutes from the city of YorkCredit: Getty
The campsite is the perfect spot for anyone wanting to explore the city of York without forking out a lot on an expensive hotel.
In the car, it is just a half-an-hour drive from Spinney Wild Camping to York which is home to higgledy-piggledy streets and plenty of family attractions.
It was even called the “best UK city for families” by travel guide creator Peter Naldrett, who visited all 76 cities in the UK.
Talking to Sun Travel, he said: “There’s enough in York to keep both junior and secondary school children entertained, from the Viking Museum to York Chocolate Story and Harry Potter-style streets and a cold war bunker.
“The Viking Museum has interactive activities for children, the Castle Museum has recreated Victorian Streets and there’s also the Shambles, the inspiration behind JK Rowling‘s Diagon Alley.”
Other nearby attractions to the campsite are in the village of Allerthorpe where visitors can go on a relaxing stroll, or try out watersports at Lakeland Park.
Lakeland Park has three lakes for kayaking, paddleboarding, open water swimming, and even jumping about on the inflatable Aqua Park.
THE Easter weekend is nearly here and whether or not you have kids, you are probably wanting to make the most of the four-day weekend.
Whether you want to escape crowds of families or just discover something new away from your hometown, the Sun Travel team has recommendations for every generation and every type of person.
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Gen Z Travel Reporter Jenna Stevens recommends heading to the city of Norwich, which was recently voted the best place to liveCredit: Alamy
Gen Z
Gen Z Travel Reporter, Jenna Stevens is used to jet-setting off around Europe and further afield, but when it comes to doing things in the UK for Easter, her first recommendation is to head to Norwich.
She said: “The artsy city of Norwich in Norfolk was just voted the best place to live in the UK, and in my opinion, it’s one of the best spots for a city break, too.
“This city moves at a slower pace, split up by the River Wensum’s scenic canals, gardens, Tudor buildings and bookshops that give it a quaint feel.
“Norwich is full of easy-going creatives and young people who prefer a chill pint by a waterside pub than a groggy night out clubbing.
“My top spots are the Red Lion Bishopgate, which juts out over the water, and the Playhouse Bar with a colourful beer garden and affordable pints.”
And instead of just heading shopping, Jenna recommends strolling the city’s cobbled streets to “dip into vintage shops and grab a new jacket or pair of shoes”.
She added: “Visiting during Easter means flowers at the Plantation Garden will be in full bloom, plus it’s the perfect time for literature and history walks (yes – that’s what Gen-Z are into nowadays).”
Alternatively, Jenna recommends heading to Cornwall for a dip in the sea.
She said: “Cornwall really is a crowd-pleaser UK destination for all ages.
“My dad loves a coastal walk and a pint of local ale in a pub steeped in history, whilst I seek out cider and beer festivals and the best beaches for watersports.
“April is the prime time to shake off the cold and make use of the increasingly sunny days to grab a wetsuit and head out into the water.
“Newquay is the surf capital of the UK, so there’s no better place to try it – whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth.
“Fistral beach has prime waves that reach 6-8ft, but don’t worry if you’re a beginner like me; there’s plenty of classes for first-timers.
Jenna also recommends heading surfing, and Cornwall makes the ideal spot for thisCredit: Alamy
“Escape Surf School have been teaching beginner classes for over 20 years, and they start at £43pp for a group lesson.
“There’s also Hibiscus Surf School, which was Europe’s first women-only school, where sessions start at £35pp.”
Millennial
Having travelled to more than 50 countries, Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey has had her fair share of memorable travel experiences.
But when it comes to Easter, the UK holds some real gems for her.
She said: “Living in Kent, I love the trail along the White Cliffs of Dover, which if you can brave the blustering winds, has some of the most beautiful views in the UK.
“The circular National Trust route is just over three miles, so you can easily do it in less than two hours.
“Then end with a cuppa and cake at Mrs Knotts Tearoom or grab a pint at The Coastguard Pub which has a great pub garden at the front.”
Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey says the White Cliffs of Dover have some of the most beautiful views in the UKCredit: Alamy
But coastal country walks aren’t for everyone, so if you prefer something a bit more bustling, Kara suggests to head to Manchester.
She said: “Manchester is one of my favourite cities – and one you will always have a good time at.
“And by this, I mean embracing your inner child with a day of games and experiences.
“Start at Chaos Karts, an indoor race track (£30pp) where you can pretend you are in Mario Kart, before grabbing some Barbie-esque skates to whizz around Archie’s Atomic (£8.50).
“End the evening at NQ64, a gaming bar with all the old classic machines and some very fun themed cocktails, before a stint at K2, a karaoke bar open until 4am (£10pp).
“Followed by some chips and gravy of course…”
For some competitive fun, head to Chaos Karts in ManchesterCredit: google maps
Families
Having a seven-year-old son, Head of Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire knows exactly what makes a good family day out.
Having tried and tested tons of spots across the UK, Caroline recommends dropping by The Outernet in central London.
She said: “When it comes to free attractions, few are as popular in my house as The Outernet next to London’s Tottenham Court Road station.
“Now, my son and I will make a 25-minute detour to spend even 20 minutes there, whenever we’re in central London.
“The huge, multi-screened space screens artist-made short films throughout the day, and you can walk in from the street and spend as little or as much time there as you want.
“With screens covering the sides and ceiling, you really do feel like you are inside the films.
“Yes, you wouldn’t spend the whole day there, but the British Museum is a short walk away, as is the walled playground Coram’s Fields.”
But if you are looking for a getaway and don’t want to head into the city, Caroline suggests booking into Haven Hopton Holiday Park in Norfolk.
Haven Hopton Holiday Park in Norfolk is often named the best Haven site in the country by visitorsCredit: haven.com
She said: “[It] is routinely named the best Haven site in the country by visitors, with 4/5 star rating on TripAdvisor.
“It was the first holiday park I ever went to, and it still ranks as my No.1.
“The park has direct access to a lovely sandy beach, which is one of its more best-loved features, but it also has stacks of indoor activities in case the weather forgets to play ball.
“There are two indoor pools, arcades, a climbing wall and a good-sized soft play, as well as some excellent evening entertainment.
“If you fancy going off-site, then it is a short drive away from Pettitts Animal Adventure Park, Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park and the Norfolk Broads.”
Or if you are just looking for a day full of fun, head to Paultons Theme Park in Hampshire.
At Paultons Theme Park all of the rides have been designed for younger childrenCredit: Alamy
Caroline said: “With a child under eight, Paultons Theme Park is easily my favourite theme park in the UK.
“Specifically because nearly all of the rides have been designed for younger children – so he can go on everything.
“It is best-known for Peppa Pig World, but there is so much more to the park than that.
“With several different lands, including a £12million new Viking land opening in May this year.
“At last year’s UK Theme Park awards, Paultons bagged ten gongs including the coveted Theme Park Of The Year.
“I’d have to agree with that gong, thanks to many key factors.
“Incredibly short queues for rides, incredible customer service (employees all cheerful), the cleanliness (bathrooms spotless), and the attention to detail.
“For example, the fact that they don’t charge for parking, unlike several other big theme parks, and that they have leaflets at the entrance telling you all of the events that are on that day.
“It’s a family-run business and that really shows.”
In London, you could head to St Katharine’s Dock to see jazz bands perform from a floating dockCredit: Getty
Empty Nest
Head of Travel at The Sun, Lisa Minot, is an expert in all things travel having been travelling both the UK and the world for decades.
And when it comes to spend Easter in the UK, she recommends “enjoying the mellow sounds of jazz from a floating platform in London’s St Katharine’s Dock while sipping a free glass of English sparkling wine“.
She said: “Sessions on Saturday evening of the Easter weekend (April 4) catch the golden hour when the yacht lights twinkle across the Marina and Sunday afternoon will be a relaxed affair with performances Olivia Swann, Jamie Safir and Flo Moore.
“Tickets are from £27.50 and include a glass of fizz and light bites, as well as blankets to snuggle under if the weather turns.”
Our favourite UK holiday parks
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Park Holidays UK Sand le Mere, Yorkshire
This holiday park in Yorkshire is a thriving family resort, just steps from Tunstall Beach. Entertainment is what this resort does best, with costume character performances, Link-up Bingo and cabaret shows. Accommodation ranges from fully-equipped Gold Caravans to Platinum Lodges with sun decks and luxury bedding.
This beachfront resort in St Ives, Cornwall is a true beach bum’s paradise – whether you want to laze out on the sand, or take to the waves for some surfing. Activities include disc golf, a Nerf challenge and an outdoor cinema, as well as indoor activities for the colder months like karaoke, bingo and DJ sets.
This holiday park has loads of unique activities on offer, including TikTok dance classes, alpaca feeding, a pump track for BMX riding, and taking a ride on the resort’s very own miniature railway. Throw in bug hotel and den building, pond dipping, survival skills workshops and a lake for paddleboard and pedalo hire, and you’ve got yourself an action-packed park.
Parkdean Resorts Camber Sands, Sussex This beachfront resort is a classic family favourite. If you’re not up to swimming in the sea, there’s four fantastic pools here, as well as water flumes, underwater jets, inflatable jet skis and kayak races. Plus if you’ve got any little fans of Paw Patrol or Milkshake!, you’ll be glad to know there’s Milkshake! Mornings and Paw Patrol Mighty Missions to keep your tots entertained.
Alternatively, Lisa suggests “making the most of the spring delights of Herefordshire with their new Roasts and Rambles guide that teams up great walks with excellent country pubs along the route”.
She added: “There are more than 60 curated trails to choose from that can see you discover everything from wild mountain ponies to romantic castle ruins, ancient caves and tranquil rivers – all with cosy country pubs along the way for a well-earned pint and classic pub grub.”
Christmas is still quite some way away, but one attraction is already putting tickets on sale for its magical experiences, and if previous years are anything to go by it could sell out quickly
This immersive experience takes kids on a magical journey to meet Father Christmas(Image: LaplandUK)
It doesn’t feel that long since the Christmas decorations were packed away, but one festive attraction is already putting its tickets on sale today (March 27) for the Christmas 2026 season.
Tickets for LaplandUK, which has locations in Ascot and Cheshire, will go on sale tomorrow at 10AM with over a million people expected to join the queue. The experience is often likened to booking Glastonbury tickets, as hopeful parents will need to wait in a virtual queue and have ten minutes to complete their order once they reach the front.
Ticket prices for 2026 have been confirmed, starting at £60 for midweek dates in November, up to £155 per person for peak weekends in December. Both venues will also host a ‘Superstar Day’ on November 25 which is “adapted for families and guests with access requirements to create a quieter, more relaxed and accessible environment.”
While the tickets are costly, the cost does include a range of experiences that set it apart from the average Santa’s grotto. Families receive a special gift boxed invitation ahead of their day out to build the excitement, and this message from Father Christmas personally invites little ones to visit LaplandUK to help the elves with toy-making.
On arrival, visitors step into a magical world, walking through several different interactive experiences from the Elven Bazaar, where guests have to work out how to enter the door to Lapland, to the Lapland Bakery where kids can help make some Christmas treats before enjoying storytime with Mother Christmas.
The experience lasts around four-and-a-half hours, according to the LaplandUK website, and also includes ice skating, a soft toy for every child, a small toy to give to kids on Christmas Day, and of course, a special visit with the man in red himself, deep in a snowy forest.
Husband-and-wife founders of LaplandUK, Mike and Alison Battle, took to Facebook to update fans of the attraction about changes that are being made for 2026. Alison said: “Every year, we challenge ourselves to make the experience more special, more magical, more believable. And this year, we’ve got some very exciting things in store for you.”
The pair announced that invites would be sent earlier this year, towards the end of the summer, to build anticipation of the event. They added that the return experience will be upgraded, so that “coming home will be just as magical”, and that visitors to Little Rudy’s Stables will now be able to make reindeer food to take home with them.
One of the major changes will be in the Elven Village, which the pair said has expanded over the years to be more immersive and include more characters. Guests will now get more time in the village to listen to stories at Fable’s Library, skate on the ice rink, and meet characters along the way.
Those hoping to grab tickets for LaplandUK can either register on the official site to get a ticket booking link ahead of the sale, or visit the website from 9am to join the queue.
LaplandUK’s Facebook page confirmed that both sites will have their own booking queues accessed through a unique link. It said: “Upon entering a queue, you will be randomly assigned a place before bookings open. When the queue begins moving at 10 AM, you’ll gradually make your way forward.
“Once you reach the front, you will have 10 minutes to complete your booking for your chosen location.. We truly cannot wait to welcome you to Lapland to make treasured memories together this Christmas.”
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
A week into the United States-Israeli war on Iran, and Iran’s attacks on its Gulf neighbours, Jaya Khuntia spoke – as he often did – to his Doha-based son Kuna on the phone.
It was March 6, about 10pm, and Khuntia and the family were worried. “He told me, ‘I am safe here, don’t worry,’” the father recalled from the conversation with Kuna.
It was the last time they spoke.
The next day, the family in Naikanipalli village of India’s eastern Odisha state received a phone call from Kuna’s roommate telling them that the son had suffered a heart attack after hearing the sound of missiles and debris from interceptions falling near their residence. He collapsed and was later declared dead. Kuna’s body reached home days later.
Al Jazeera cannot independently confirm the cause of Kuna’s death, but the family of the 25-year-old, who worked as a pipe fitter in Qatar’s capital, is among millions across South Asia directly affected by the war in the Middle East.
Of the eight people killed in the United Arab Emirates in Iranian attacks, two were Emirati military personnel, a third a Palestinian civilian, and the remaining five were from South Asia: Three from Pakistan, and one each from Bangladesh and Nepal. All three people killed in Oman were from India. An Indian national and a Bangladeshi national are the only deaths in Saudi Arabia.
Migrant workers from South Asia total nearly 21 million people in the Gulf nations, a third of the total population of the region. At stake, for their families back home, is the safety of their loved ones and the future of their dreams.
The Khuntia family had taken on a 300,000-rupee ($3200) debt in 2025 for the marriages of their two daughters. Kuna’s income in Doha – where he had moved only in late 2025 – of 35,000 rupees ($372) was helping them collect what they needed to pay back the loan. Kuna had been sending back about 15,000 rupees ($164) every month.
“We thought our suffering was finally ending,” Jaya said, his voice trembling. “My only son would say, ‘Baba, don’t worry, I am here.’ He was our only hope… our everything.”
That hope is now extinguished. “That one call finished us,” Jaya cried. “He promised to return after clearing our debts … but he came back in a coffin. We have nothing left now. Losing our only son is the biggest debt we have to live with.”
Kuna Khuntia, a 25-year-old pipe fitter from India’s Odisha, who died of a heart attack in Doha, Qatar [Photo courtesy the Khuntia family]
‘I thought we would be next’
In all, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – the six Arab countries in the Gulf – host 35 million foreign nationals, who form a majority of their total population, 62 million.
They include 9 million people from India, 5 million each from Pakistan and Bangladesh, 1.2 million from Nepal, and 650,000 from Sri Lanka. Most of them are engaged in blue-collar work, building or supporting the industries and services that are at the heart of the Gulf’s success and prosperity.
But since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, these migrant workers have often been among the most vulnerable. That vulnerability extends beyond deaths and injuries to the very nature of their work: Oil refineries, construction areas, airports and docks, where many work, have been targeted in Iranian attacks.
The suspension of work at many of these facilities, coupled with fears of a major economic downturn in the region, has also left many workers and their families worried about the future of their jobs.
Hamza*, a Pakistani migrant labourer working at an oil storage facility in the UAE, recalled a recent attack that he witnessed. “A drone struck a storage unit right in front of us. We were completely shaken. Most of us there are from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“We couldn’t sleep for nights after that. The drone was so close that it could have killed us, too,” Hamza added. “For a moment, I thought we would be next.”
Despite these dangers, he said, leaving is not an option.
“We want to go back, but we can’t,” Hamza said. “Our families depend on us. It’s dangerous here, but if we stop working, they will have nothing to eat. We have no choice.”
Experts say Hamza’s sentiment is common across South Asian blue-collar workers in the Gulf, because of poverty and limited employment opportunities back home.
Imran Khan, a faculty member at the New Delhi Institute of Management working on migration economics, said migrant labourers from South Asia are often driven by desperation to take up jobs in the Middle East. He said Western countries have, in recent years, dramatically raised entry barriers for less-educated blue-collar foreign workers.
“These workers are the worst affected during crises – whether war or natural disasters,” he says. “I have been speaking to several migrant labourers, particularly Indians in the Middle East, and many are living in distress since the conflict began.”
But, like Hamza, most cannot afford to leave, Khan said.
“They cannot simply quit. Their income would stop immediately, and there are very limited opportunities back home,” he explained. “They have families to support, and without these jobs, survival becomes difficult.”
Indian labourers work at the construction site of a building in Riyadh, November 16, 2014 [Faisal Al Nasser/Reuters]
Families – and societies – that depend on remittances
Middle Eastern countries remain a key source of remittances for South Asian nations such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The remittances these five countries receive from the region, $103bn, are comparable to Oman’s total gross domestic product (GDP).
Just the remittances that India receives from the Gulf, $50bn, are more than Bahrain’s entire GDP. Pakistan receives $38.3bn in remittances, Bangladesh $13.5bn, Sri Lanka $8bn, and Nepal $5bn.
With the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East, experts warn these flows could be significantly affected, especially if Gulf economies contract and layoffs follow.
Faisal Abbas, an expert in international economics and director at the Centre of Excellence on Population and Wellbeing Studies, a Pakistan-based research institute, said remittances from the Middle East form a crucial economic backbone for South Asian nations, not just families.
“Remittances are a critical pillar for Pakistan and other South Asian economies, and a large share comes from Middle Eastern countries,” he explained. “If the situation worsens, it will not be a positive development for the region.”
Pakistan’s remittances from the Gulf constitute nearly 10 percent of its GDP, about $400bn.
Abbas added that the effect may extend beyond remittance flows. “Migration patterns could also be disrupted. Many workers may return home, while those planning to migrate might reconsider,” he said. “This could further increase unemployment in a region already facing job shortages.”
Unlike Hamza, a number of South Asian workers are planning to return home.
Noor*, a migrant worker from Bangladesh employed at an oil facility in Saudi Arabia, said he no longer feels safe and plans to return home once his contract ends.
“I will never come back here again,” he said. “It’s too dangerous. We can’t even sleep at night. The fear never leaves us.”
Noor said drone attacks had occurred close to his workplace. “We saw it happen in front of us,” he said. “That fear stays with you… It doesn’t go away.”
His family, too, is deeply affected. “My children cry every time they call me. They are scared for my life,” he added.
He said he knows that returning to Bangladesh would mean more economic hardship for his family. But Noor said he had made up his mind.
“I would rather go back and struggle to survive with my family than live here in constant fear,” he said. “At least there, I will be with them.”
*Some names have been changed at the request of workers who fear retribution from contractors for speaking to the media.
FAMILIES are facing a whopping £1.6billion tax blow on the “great British holiday”, a new report has warned.
The findings from industry body UKHospitailty, with figures crunched by Oxford Economics, show that a proposal to slap a five per cent levy on accommodation could “decimate” the industry.
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A holiday tax could slap holiday goers with a £1.6billion tax hell and lead to 33,000 jobs being axedCredit: Alamy
It comes as Labour Government has been proposing to allow local authoritiesthe right to tax overnight staysin holiday parks, campsites, B&Bs and hotels as part of a new holiday tax.
UK Hospitality claim the proposed levy would slash GDP – a benchmark for the country’s economic health – by £2.2billion.
It also warned it would result in a £1.8billion reduction in hospitality spending.
The group also claimed that it would lead to the loss of 33,000 job roles in areas of the UK where there are few alternative employment opportunities.
Allen Simpson, chief Executive of UKHospitality, said the tax would make staycations “more expensive and decimate tourism.”
“There are no winners from a holiday tax. From coastal communities and city centres to local guesthouses, pubs and taxi firms, the impacts are stark and indiscriminate.
He added: “Taxes up, jobs lost and our high streets hit once again. Holidays are for relaxing, not taxing. The government should keep it that way and stop the holiday tax.”
The charge, which could be applied to hotels, Airbnb-style accommodation and short lets, could amount to a whopping £1.6billion holiday tax on tourists by 2030, according to the figures
Meanwhile, Simon Palethorpe, chief of Haven, said it would mean fewer UK holidays resulting in “less investment and fewer jobs, often in areas where there are few alternative employment opportunities”.
He added: “In the UK, visitors are already paying double the VAT rate of the most popular overseas holiday hotspots. The UK is a great place to visit and we should be encouraging people to do so, not adding extra taxes.”
The government launched a consultation on the tax, with final views submitted last month.
Other measures that also could be introduced include a £2 tax per person per night on staycations.
However, it is worth noting that it will be up to individual mayors to decide whether or not to propose a charge for visitors to their towns or cities.
Government has previously said the charge will help improve local tourism infrastructure, public services.
Families displaced by Israeli strikes are sheltering in tents across Beirut, as rain falls, with residents describing difficult conditions, limited aid and uncertainty over when they can return.
SUN-seeking holidaymakers can save up to 30 per cent on packages for one of Florida’s top attractions.
The limited-time deal is the perfect chance to lock in a tropical escape to Orlando’s most exclusive park: Discovery Cove.
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Attraction Tickets is offering up to 15 per cent off its Discovery Cove packages this March – but you can save extra with a promo code
Discovery Cove Orlando packages: save up to 30%
If there’s any such thing as a classic bucket-list item, it’s swimming with dolphins – and that’s something you can do without breaking the bank this summer.
Discovery Cove in Orlando has just slashed prices for 2026, and we’ve got the inside track on how to stack your savings.
But the real win for savvy readers is using the code SUNNY at checkout to snag an extra 15 per cent off – that’s a potential overall saving of 30 per cent.
For families watching the pennies, the Ultimate Package is the undisputed star of the show.
Not only do you get a full day of luxury at Discovery Cove, but it also includes 14 days of unlimited access to SeaWorld, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Aquatica.
If you want to explore further, you can snorkel through the Grand Reef, a vast underwater world where thousands of tropical fish and graceful rays drift over colourful coral.
For a change of pace, visit the Freshwater Oasis to see the fun-loving otters.
You can also stroll through the lush landscapes of Flamingo Point to observe the beauty of Caribbean Flamingos.
They even provide all the essentials, including snorkel gear, wetsuits, animal-safe suncream, towels and lockers.
With a strict limit of just 1,300 guests per day, you can dodge every theme park visitor’s nightmare: endless lines of slow-moving queues in the Florida heat.
Because capacity is capped, the park stays peaceful, allowing you to move at your own pace without the usual crowds.
Instead of waiting in line, you’ll be swimming through serene lagoons or hand-feeding tropical birds in the aviary.
You can book with confidence via AttractionTickets.com, a package provider with a stellar 4.8 Trustpilot rating.
This flash sale ends on March 31, so you’ll need to move fast if you have the Orange State in your sights this summer.
Travelling with kids can be stressful, but a new data analysis has revealed some of Europe’s most child-friendly city breaks which offer accessibility and plenty to keep kids entertained
The city is a family-friendly choice(Image: Getty Images)
With the Easter break, May half-term, and bank holidays coming up, many parents will be looking for ways to keep the kids entertained. While you might not have considered taking younger kids on a city break, it can be a fun option if you’re looking for a short break.
That’s why LateRooms has put together the Family Breaks Index– a data analysis that pulls together information that’s of interest to people travelling with young children, such as flight and transfer times, walkability, accessibility for those bringing pushchairs, and the child-friendly attractions on offer.
Coming in at number three is a Spanish city that has long been popular with Brits for city breaks, and its short flight time and easy walkability have seen it score highly for family trips too.
Barcelona flights are just over two hours from the UK, and on arrival, visitors can hop on the airport train to the centre, which takes just 25 minutes. This makes it ideal for people travelling with young children who wouldn’t be able to do a long journey.
The city has a flat, walkable centre, with many major tourist attractions just a short walk apart. This means it’s easy to navigate with a buggy, and little legs won’t get worn out from a day of sightseeing.
According to LateRooms, the city has about 400 family-friendly attractions, so you won’t have to deal with kids complaining they are bored. To start, there are classic tourist attractions such as the Sagrada Família and Gaudí’s unique and colourful Park Güell, both of which are impressive enough to keep kids enthralled.
Kids love science museums, and Cosmocaixa is an unforgettable day out. One of Barcelona’s largest museums, the entire experience is interactive, full of engaging activities that teach kids about the creation of the cosmos. The museum takes visitors on a journey through the natural world, from the past to the present.
Tibidabo Amusement Park is a great place to see views of the city and enjoy charmingly old-fashioned fairground rides. It’s set on a hill that overlooks Barcelona, and as you ride the Ferris wheel or drop rides, you can enjoy seeing the city below.
A dream day out for kids could well be the Museu de la Xocolata, the chocolate museum, where you can see huge sculptures made from chocolate, including kids’ TV and film characters. It also runs chocolate tasting and making workshops, and once you’ve explored, you can indulge your sweet tooth at the café with a rich and creamy hot chocolate.
One advantage of Barcelona over other city breaks is that it also has a beach nearby, so you can explore the city in the morning and let the kids swim or build sandcastles in the afternoon. The seaside neighbourhood of La Barceloneta is popular with families thanks to its access to a long sandy beach, and it has its own metro station, making it easy to get around the city.
In May, flights to Barcelona start from just £27 one way based on flights from London-Luton with Wizz Air. The weather in May often hits highs of 23C with little rain, making it an ideal time of year to explore.
Afghan authorities say a Pakistani attack killed hundreds of civilians; Islamabad rejects claim as ‘false’.
Published On 17 Mar 202617 Mar 2026
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Families have gathered outside a drug treatment centre in the Afghan capital, Kabul, looking for their loved ones after it was hit in a Pakistani air strike, which Taliban authorities said killed 408 people.
The attack on Kabul’s Omar Addiction Treatment Hospital took place at about 9pm local time (16:30 GMT) on Monday.
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Baryalai Amiri, a 38-year-old mechanic, was at the 2,000-bed facility on Tuesday to look for his brother, who was admitted about 25 days ago.
“We are not given the proper information,” Amiri told the AFP news agency, as rescuers picked through the rubble nearby. “So far, we don’t know where he is.”
Afghanistan and Pakistan have been in conflict for months, with Islamabad accusing its neighbour of harbouring armed groups that have mounted deadly cross-border attacks.
The two nations share a 2,600km (1,600-mile) border. The conflict had ebbed amid attempts by friendly countries, including China, to mediate and end the fighting before flaring up again.
Pakistan denied Afghan claims that its latest attack targeted civilians, instead insisting that it carried out precision strikes on “military installations and terrorist support infrastructure”.
“Pakistan’s targeting is precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted,” the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said. Islamabad dismissed the claim as “false and aimed at misleading public opinion”.
The health authorities said there were about 3,000 patients from across Afghanistan at the clinic at the time of the attack, which triggered panic in Kabul just after residents had broken their daily Ramadan fast.
The United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said he was “dismayed” by reports of the air raids and civilian casualties.
“I urge parties to de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint & respect international law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects such as hospitals,” he posted on X.
‘It was like doomsday’
A spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior Affairs said on Tuesday that the attack killed 408 people and injured 265.
Witnesses said they heard three explosions just as people in the hospital were completing evening prayers. Two of the bombs struck rooms and patient areas, they said.
“The whole place caught fire. It was like doomsday,” 50-year-old Ahmad told the Reuters news agency.
“My friends were burning in the fire, and we could not save them all,” he said, giving only his first name as he was under treatment at the facility.
Ambulance driver Haji Fahim told Reuters that he arrived at the site shortly after the air raids.
“When I arrived [last night], I saw that everything was burning, people were burning,” Fahim said on Tuesday. “Early in the morning, they called me again and told me to come back because there are still bodies under the rubble.”
The clinic was established in 2016 and has treated hundreds of people, also providing them with vocational training, such as tailoring and carpentry, to make them employable, according to local media reports.
Families displaced by Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have found shelter at the Saints Peter and Paul Monastery in the village of Qattine. Clergy there opened their doors to those fleeing the violence, offering food, shelter and a place to pray as thousands across the south remain unable to return home.
Displaced families in Sidon are turning their vehicles into makeshift shelters, covering them with tarp to shield themselves from the rain after failing to find space in local schools. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes as Israel’s offensive in Lebanon intensifies.
Gaza City, the Gaza Strip – Shortly before the call to sunset prayer, Islam Dardouna stretches her hand towards a pot hanging over a makeshift stove fashioned from a battered metal can, with scraps of paper and pieces of wood feeding the fire beneath it.
Then she pauses. She turns her face away from the rising tongues of smoke. Her face stained with a thin layer of soot and her clothes steeped in the lingering smell of fumes, she takes a deep breath but does not immediately lift the lid.
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In her right hand, Dardouna holds an asthma inhaler as though it were a ladle or tongs. With her other hand, she tries to prepare food for her three children.
“I can no longer tolerate the fire at all,” the 34-year-old says in a strained voice as she raises the inhaler to her mouth.
“We heat water on it, cook on it … everything. It completely destroyed my health,” she said, pointing to her chest.
Islam Dardouna suffers from respiratory problems that have worsened significantly due to constant exposure to wood smoke, and relies regularly on asthma inhalers [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/ Al Jazeera]
Dardouna has been displaced from Jabalia in northern Gaza since the start of Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the territory in October 2023.
She now lives with her husband – 37-year-old Muath Dardouna – and their children in Sheikh Ajleen, west of Gaza City.
A year and a half ago, their home was destroyed. Since then, the family has moved from place to place until they eventually settled in this camp alongside other displaced families.
Everything changed after the war began. But for Dardouna, having to cook daily over an open fire in the face of cooking gas and fuel ranks among the worst.
“Our entire life now is a struggle, searching for wood and things we never imagined we would need one day,” she says. “There is no cooking gas and no gas cylinders. We lost all of that during displacement.”
What makes the situation even harder is that she suffers from asthma and chronic chest allergies, conditions she says began during Israel’s 2008 war on Gaza when she inhaled the smoke of a phosphorus bomb that dropped on her house. Her situation improved over the years, but has dramatically worsened during the current war.
“I developed airway obstruction, and recently there were masses found in my lungs,” said Dardouna, who in January was hospitalised for six days after suffering from oxygen shortage.
“The doctors prescribed an oxygen cylinder for me,” she says, quietly. “But unfortunately, I cannot afford it.”
A prolonged shortage
Like so many others across Gaza, Dardouna is struggling amid a prolonged shortage of cooking gas and fuel that has persisted since the start of the war.
Supplies have remained severely limited even after a “ceasefire” came into effect in October that included provisions allowing the entry of fuel and essential goods into the territory.
However, the quantities that have entered since then remain far below the population’s actual needs, according to official sources in Gaza and United Nations agencies.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the availability of cooking gas in Gaza remains “critically constrained”, with the limited quantities entering the territory covering less than three percent of what is required.
As a result, many families have been forced to rely on alternative and often hazardous cooking methods.
UN data indicates that about 54.5 percent of households rely on firewood for cooking, roughly 43 percent burn waste or plastic, and only around 1.5 percent are able to cook with gas.
Humanitarian groups warn that such unsafe alternatives endanger people’s health and the environment due to prolonged exposure to smoke and toxic fumes produced by burning plastic and other waste.
Amid these conditions, cooking over open fires made from wood, scrap materials or plastic has become a daily reality across displacement camps and neighbourhoods throughout Gaza.
The crisis has intensified during the Muslim holy month Ramadan, when families must prepare both suhoor meals before their daily fast and iftar meals afterwards.
Firewood has become expensive, requiring a daily budget. Lighting the fire before dawn is also often difficult due to the lack of lighting and unfavourable weather conditions, so the family often skips the pre-dawn meal entirely.
“Today, for example, it’s raining and windy. I couldn’t light the fire,” said Darduna’s husband, Muath, who is also helping out with the daily cooking.
“Even when we break our fast, we wish we could drink a cup of tea or coffee afterwards, but we can’t, because lighting the fire again is another struggle.”
A former psychosocial support worker for children, Muath says it pains him to see his children fasting without suhoor.
“Every detail of our lives is literally suffering,” he says. “Fetching water is suffering. Cooking is suffering. Even going to the bathroom is suffering. We are truly exhausted,” he added.
“Our lives are covered in soot,” Muath says, pointing to the black smoke stains left by the fire.
Soot and smoke stains left by wood fires cover the hands of Islam Dardouna and many other women forced to cook over open fires since the war on Gaza began in October 2023 [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/ Al Jazeera]
He describes gas as “one of our dreams”, recalling how “it felt like Eid day” when the family got a gas cylinder a few months ago. “But we don’t even have the stove to use it, and many families are like us,” he said.
“We are living on the edge of nothing. Displacement and war stripped us of everything,” he adds. “We are willing to live with the simplest rights in tents. But there is no heating, no gas, no lighting. It feels like we are living in open graves on Earth.”
Serious implications
In a statement on Wednesday, the General Petroleum Authority in Gaza warned of the “catastrophic and dangerous consequences of the continued halt in cooking gas supplies” to the territory, stressing that the crisis “directly affects the lives of more than two million residents” amid already dire humanitarian conditions.
The authority said Gaza had already been facing a shortfall of about 70 percent of its actual gas needs compared with the quantities that entered after the “ceasefire” announcement.
It added that the “complete suspension of gas supplies places the Gaza Strip before a looming disaster that threatens food and health security”, particularly during Ramadan.
The authority also said that preventing gas from entering the enclave constitutes a “clear violation of the ceasefire understandings”, calling on mediators and international actors to intervene urgently to ensure the regular flow of cooking gas into Gaza.
Across Gaza, many families now rely on ready-made meals from aid distributions and charity kitchens because of economic collapse and the difficulty of cooking.
“Even when food arrives ready hours before iftar,” Muath says, “heating it becomes another problem.”
The frustration of daily survival pushes Muath to the brink.
“As a father now, I cannot even provide the most basic things,” he says. “Imagine my son simply wants a cup of tea … even a little wind can stop me from making it.”
‘The fire suffocates you’
In a nearby tent, Amani Aed al-Bashleqi, 26, sits watching food being cooked over an open fire for iftar while her husband stirs the pot.
She said cooking on fire makes food taste “flavourless” – not because the taste changes, but because “exhaustion and suffering have become part of every bite”.
“We start cooking early so we can finish by iftar, and after breaking the fast, my husband and I are completely exhausted and covered in soot.”
At times, Amani Aed al-Bashleqi says she cannot boil water for her baby’s milk because lighting the fire is difficult and not always possible [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/ Al Jazeera]
Like Dardouna, al-Bashleqi says the smoke causes severe headaches and health problems.
“The fire suffocates you. All the women in the camp suffer health problems from cooking on fire,” she says. “But we have no choice.”
She has a seven-month-old baby, and her biggest worry is boiling water for his milk.
“Sometimes I boil water and keep it in a borrowed thermos, but I don’t always have one,” she says. “And sometimes when he wakes up at night, I mix the milk with water without boiling it, even though I know that’s not healthy. But what can I do?”
Nearby, Iman Junaid, 34, displaced from Jabalia to western Gaza City, sits with her husband Jihad, 36, in front of the fire preparing food.
Junaid blows on the flames while she pushes an empty plastic oil bottle under the fire.
Behind them, bags full of plastic bottles are piled up. The family collected them to fuel the fire because cooking gas has been unavailable for months.
A mother of six, Junaid says she knows the health dangers of burning plastic, but has “no other choice”.
Iman Junaid and her husband Jihad rely on empty plastic bottles to fuel their cooking fire because they cannot afford the rising price of firewood [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]
“My little daughter is one year old, and her chest always hurts because she inhales the smoke,” she says. “Our life is collecting and burning plastic and nylon.”
“With the price of wood rising, we now wish we could even find wood. Gas has become almost impossible … we’ve forgotten it.”
She said there were many promises that gas would enter Gaza after the “ceasefire”, but “nothing happened”.
For Dardounah, the solution is not simply bringing cooking gas into Gaza. “What we need is for life to become possible again,” she says.
“Let gas enter. Let goods enter at reasonable prices. Let there be basic necessities for a normal life.”
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