holiday

YOU don’t need a celebrity budget to jet off to Europe’s most stunning beach destinations.

We’ve scoured Wowcher‘s holiday deals to find the best beach breaks with return flights included, slashing prices by up to 56%.

Whether you fancy living the high life at a five-star resort in Mykonos, floating in a rooftop infinity pool in Malta, or soaking up the sun on Turkey‘s Turquoise Coast, we’ve got you.

Here are the top sunny stays you can book right now from £99pp – before they sell out.

Malta – £99

With this gem of a deal, you can soak up the Malta sunshine from this four-star hotel’s rooftop infinity pool for under £100pp – saving up to 46% off full-price.

This stylish spot has sweeping views over the Mediterranean, plus a spa to unwind in and multiple bars and restaurants to pick from.

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The hotel sits in the charming hilltop village of Mellieha, which is home to Malta’s longest sandy beach and historical landmarks like the 17th-century St. Agatha’s Red Tower.

The deal also comes with return flights from your pick of London Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Southend, London City & Manchester airports, plus you can pick the number of nights you stay.

Book a 4* holiday to Malta with return flights included from £99pp

5* Algarve holiday – £99

Bag a beachfront break to Portugal with this £99 stay at a luxurious 5* hotel in The Algarve, saving up to 56% off full-price breaks.

The glamorous resort, named Wine & Books by the Sea, boasts a huge, glimmering outdoor pool surrounded by palm trees and bright white parasols.

Indoors, the Library Spa has a heated indoor pool and offers treatments like aromatherapy massages and soothing facials.

When you fancy exploring the local area, this resort sits in Portugal‘s Reserva Natural dos Salgados, where wildlife like flamingos wander the wetlands.

Book a 5* holiday to The Algarve with return flights included from £99pp

Antalya – £159

Antalya’s Citrus Park Hotel has everything you’d want in a Turkey holiday – comfy sea view rooms, a huge hotel breakfast spread, and the golden sands of Konyaalti Beach a short walk away.

This hotel comes with some pretty amazing views, sitting on the beachfront and framed by dramatic mountains.

Just a short walk away you’ll find a promenade lined with bars, cafes, souvenir shops and water sports stations.

You can save 30% on the holiday with this Wowcher offer, which also includes breakfast during your stay and return flights from London, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh or Manchester.

Book a holiday to Antalya with return flights included from £159pp

Fuerteventura – £179

This 4* Fuerteventura hotel places you right in the heart of the action.

There’s white sands just steps away and a plethora of beachfront bars and restaurants.

There’s a huge swimming pool here with a dedicated kids section, plenty of loungers, plus a poolside bar serving up fruity cocktails.

The hotel is a short stroll from Corralejo Harbour, where you can hop on a ferry to the island of Lobos, or even take a day-trip to Lanzarote.

Book a 4* holiday to Fuerteventura with return flights included from £179pp

Mykonos 5* – £299

A 5* holiday to Mykonos sounds like something only celebs can afford. But this Wowcher offer means you can book one for under £300.

The offer includes a stay at Saint John Hotel Villas & Spa, home to its own private beach, gourmet restaurants and infinity pool facing the sea.

Here you’re also perfectly positioned to explore the best of Mykonos – with its white windmills, Mykonos Town and Little Venice all nearby.

This offer can save you up to 22% off full price, giving you some extra cash in your pocket to hit the island’s stylish bars and clubs.

Book a 5* holiday to Mykonos with return flights included from £299pp

Menorca – £179

Majorca’s quieter sister island Menorca offers all the same stunning beaches and scenery – but in a more relaxed, peaceful setting,

This Wowcher bargain includes flights plus a stay in the beachfront Aparthotel Sol Parc, surrounded by scenic pine woodlands.

Here you’ll get a spacious apartment plus access to multiple swimming pools and sports facilities like beach volleyball, mini golf, basketball and a tennis court.

Even better, you can walk directly out of the building onto the beach where there’s clear waters to paddle in and a restaurant overlooking the sea.

Book a holiday to Menorca with return flights included from £179pp

Prices correct at the time of publication.

A British travel content creator has shared her thoughts after visiting Los Angeles admitting she should have a listened to a warning she received when exchanging her currency

A British woman who visited Hollywood recently has explained how the “reality” surrounding Tinseltown is “definitely not what you think”.

Travel content creator Jasmine admitted she had been warned about Los Angeles by her local Post Office’s staff when she changed her pounds to dollars. “A lady on the counter asked if I was going anywhere nice and I told her was going to LA and she looked at me a bit gone out,” she began in a TikTok video. “I was a bit confused at this point and she asked if I had ever been before and that it would not be what I thought it’d be.”

And as Jasmine’s clip continued in California, it appeared the Post Office clerk clearly wasn’t wrong. “As soon as I got there I understood exactly what she meant,” she said.

On a dreary looking day, Jasmine headed to Mel’s Drive-In Celebrity Bar to order French toast. There, she continued: “It was exactly what she said it’d be and absolutely nothing like I had imagined.”

While Jasmine acknowledging Hollywood does boast some “fantastic places to go”, she couldn’t help but highlight other “really run-down places” as she strolled the Walk of Fame.

“There’s definitely a misconception of what LA actually is, especially when you are from the UK,” she mused. “If I had known what it was really like, I probably would have planned my trip a whole lot differently and missed Hollywood completely.”

Jasmine added that on her return to the UK she was regularly asked if she visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “It actually makes zero sense because it’s probably the worst place in LA to go,” she said as she ate a hot dog. “Just be mindful if you are going there from the UK, it’s not going to be how you imagine.”

In a follow-up video, Jasmine headed out for an early morning walk where she showcased little more than “all the cleaning crew out” and areas that were “dealing with homelessness”.

“There was rubbish and human waste on the floor, which can be a real issue,” she slammed. “It definitely gave me a bit of a reality check.”

Jasmine did offer praise for Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, however. “We tried so much amazing food there and experienced so many different sides of the city,” she enthused. “I guess what surprised me the most about LA is that every area feels so different. You can go from Hollywood to beaches to food spots all in one trip.”

Writing in response, a frustrated local asked: “No one in LA cares for Hollywood. Why do you guys always come to Hollywood? That’s like the last place we ever go to!”

A second person agreed with Jasmine: “I went to the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was absolutely shocked.” A third fumed: “Totally agree, I was massively disappointed, especially Hollywood, that was like a crack den.”

However, a fourth TikTok user exclaimed: “Los Angeles is gorgeous. You just need to have realistic expectations and stay slightly off the beaten track to see the real LA Hollywood and Downtown are must avoids.”

JUST like their sunlounger-hogging cousins, the beach blaggers start early in their bid to grab as much precious sand as possible.

With multiple guy ropes and pulleys stretched across the sands, they construct complicated cabanas and tents that occupy nearly EIGHT times more space than a standard umbrella while providing no extra shade.

It’s been an increasing problem on busy Mediterranean beaches but now the selfish beach-dwellers with their sand-stealing contraptions are beginning to invade UK shores.

As millions of us escape to the UK’s gorgeous beaches to cool off in the heatwaves, we’re increasingly having to fight for every square inch of sand stolen by these modern monstrosities.

A traditional beach umbrella takes up around 0.5sq metres of sand -whereas the new modern beach cabanas can take anything from four to nine square metres of prime shoreline.

That’s the equivalent of a small studio apartment!

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Once set up, the hoggers then begin emptying multiple beach buggies of chairs, tables and more to furnish their tented encampments.

And what’s even more irritating, once set up they promptly disappear – for HOURS – leaving everyone else on the beach scrabbling for a little bit of space or helplessly trying to navigate their way through the ropes and chains.

Just last month I watched a family set up not one but THREE different huge marquees on the sands of Fuengirola complete with a huge barbecue and full dining table and chairs.

But as they start to lay claim to British beaches, authorities across the Mediterranean and beyond are beginning to fight back against the sand grabbers with confiscations, strict bans and heavy fines.

On Spain’s Costa Blanca, municipal wardens and local police are doing early morning sweeps. Anyone who plants a tent, cabana or even an umbrella before 9.30am to reserve a spot – or leaves their gear unattended for more than three hours – has their kit confiscated by council trucks.

Those wanting to reclaim their possessions must go to a warehouse – after paying a €250 (£210) fine!

And with wildfires raging across Europe, these tented constructions caught the attention of concerned authorities in Sardinia. 

When the forest of pop-up structures and guy ropes physically blocked beachgoers from evacuating safely from a wildfire, authorities moved swiftly to ban them.

 And Greece has now expanded its ‘untouched beaches’ protection law, designating more than 250 beaches where pop up structures and commercial sunbeds are banned to give the public back their sand.

And even Australia’s Prime Minister has weighed in on the subject after social media was flooded with videos of popular Gold Coast and Sydney beaches completely swallowed by rows of interlocking 2metre x 2metre ‘Cool Cabanas’.

Anthony Albanese declared that using cabanas to reserve spots was ‘not on’ adding: “One of the great things about Australia is that everyone owns the beach. It’s a place where every Australian is equal. It’s a breach of that principle, really, to think that you can reserve a little spot as just yours.” 

Of course, as temperatures soar and with heatwaves getting ever more common, we all still do need to make sure we have ample shade on the beach.

And no doubt, for young children and babies it is essential their delicate skin is protected. No one is arguing against small tents for children to escape the worst of the sun’s rays.

They can be picked up online and in shops from as little as £6. 

Absolutely fine by me. Babies, of course, take up very little space.

But as our beaches become ever more crowded in the peak summer months, those of us who don’t fancy paying a fortune to rent a lounger for £50plus a day need other options.

What’s wrong with a towel and beach umbrella with a good, hardy base that either is filled with sand or screws into the ground to avoid being blown away in the wind. 

With a basic umbrella and a low-rise beach chair plus a towel for stretching out, there’s no need to take up so much space.

It’s time UK councils took a leaf out of Europe’s book and kicked the sand-grabbers off our shores for good! 

FINDING somewhere to stay can be boring, but it doesn’t have to be…

If you are heading off on a staycation this summer, instead of opting for the same old hotel, why not consider something a bit more quirky?

There are a tonne of holiday homes out that that have something weird or unusual about them.

So we’ve picked out the best ones across the UK for you to check out – and some are a bargain.

Helipod, Lincolnshire

Never been in a helicopter before? How about staying the night in one?

Helipod in Lincolnshire is a converted helicopter that you can stay in at the former RAF Wainfleet in Friskney, near Skegness.

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The helicopter sleeps two guests with prices starting from £50 a night, which is just £25 per person per night.

Inside the helicopter you’ll find a double sofa bed, TV, mini fridge and a kettle.

Station Masters House, Scottish Borders

Switching from one mode of transport to another, you could stay inside a train station house in the Scottish Borders.

Known as Station Masters House, Saughtree Station used to once be a working train station and to get to the house, you have to head along the original platform and once inside you’ll find a spacious kitchen as well as a lounge with a Smart TV.

There’s then three bedrooms in total – one on the ground floor, and then another double and twin room – while outside there is also a patio area ideal for soaking up the sunshine.

Stays cost from £531 per night, which would work out at £88.50 per person per night.

The Old Chapel, Herefordshire

The Old Chapel is a two bedroom converted chapel, surrounded by countryside.

Inside, you’ll find an open-plan living space with a Smart TV, as well as two bedrooms.

Both rooms have an ensuite as well and there is an outside area with a lawn, patio and furniture.

Stays cost from £146 per night, though there is a minimum stay of four nights.

Tree House near Aberaeron, Ceredigion

If you always dreamed of having a tree house when you were a little kid, now is your chance to (sort of) live out that dream.

Tree House near Aberaeron in Ceredigion, Wales, is what it says on the tin – a tree house in the woods, with an open-plan airy living area.

There is one double bed and a sofa bed, ideal if also with kids.

Outside the tree house there is even a small veranda and also a hot tub.

Nant y Garnedd, North Wales & Snowdonia

If you are a fan of Lord of the Rings, make sure to head to Nant y Garnedd in Wales.

Somewhat resembling a hobbit hut, you can stay in a single storey hut built into the hillside.

The accommodation sleeps up to four people, has its own little kitchen and lounge as well as an outdoor area.

Bookings must be a minimum of three nights, which costs from £689 – working out at £229.67 per night.

Sprat & Winkle, Horsebridge

Sprat and Winkle is a converted 1922 railway carriage that sleeps up to four guests.

Inside, there are two bedrooms with ensuite shower rooms, a living area and a small kitchen.

Just a short walk away is a pub too, in case you fancy a tipple – if not, you can soak up the sunshine in the garden.

There’s a minimum stay of three nights, which costs from £538, working out at £179.34 per night.

Fingal Hotel, Edinburgh

Fingal Hotel in the Scottish capital isn’t your regular hotel – instead you will be sleeping on a boat.

Complete with a sun terrace, restaurant and bar onboard, you’d be staying on a former Northern Lighthouse Board ship that is permanently docked in the Port of Leith.

There are 23 custom designed cabins onboard as well as Art Deco styling throughout.

A one-night stay for two adults costs from £279.

Cley Windmill, Holt

If none of the above tickle your fancy, you could stay inside a windmill.

Cley Windmill in Holt is both historic and pretty, with its own terrace and garden.

Inside, you will find rooms with their own bathrooms, as well as a restaurant and bar.

Rooms cost from £150 per night for two adults (£75pp), with breakfast included.

Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel, York

Love all things witchy? Check in to the Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel in York.

Found inside a historic building in the city centre, the hotel has a range of rooms including family options.

You can expect quirky details, stone walls, historic paintings and four poster beds.

Stays cost from £169 per night, for two people.

WITH temperatures soaring towards 38C this week, a holiday close to home can feel like being abroad.

And when there’s UK holiday parks with plenty of last-minute summer availability, there’s no better time to set off on a cheeky spontaneous staycation.

If you bag one of these last-minute offers, you could be cooling off in giant waterparks, floating down lazy rivers, or feeling the sand between your toes on the beach.

And with prices tumbling to entice holidaymakers, you can bag an action-packed family break from as little as £7.71 per person a night so here’s our pick of the best last-minute bargain holidays you can book right now – before they all sell out.

Cleethorpes Beach, Lincolnshire

If you’re looking for a last-minute getaway with loads to do for the kids, this park has plenty of excitement on-site. It’s also ideal for a dip in the sea, thanks to its direct beach access.

Sunny days are best spent cooling off at the outdoor splash park, dropping a line in the peaceful fishing lake, or tackling pedal go-karts and mini golf outdoors.

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For bigger thrills, kids can scale the giant climbing wall or battle it out in the NERF training camp.

Feeding the family is easy too, thanks to Slim Chickens, Papa Johns, Burger King, and even its very own on-site Wetherspoons pub.

Last-minute three night break in a Bronze caravan sleeping eight for £185 total, working out to just £7.71pp per night.

Todber Valley Holiday Park, Lancashire

Fancy a last-minute getaway to a relaxing holiday resort with two national parks on your doorstep?

Todber Valley sits in Clitheroe, where caravans are surrounded by nothing but rolling hills and greenery.

But if you do fancy a slice of history, you’ve got Clitheroe Castle and Museum just under 20 minutes’ drive away.

For kids, there’s an outdoor adventure playground and sports courts to burn off energy, and for grown-ups there’s a pub with a pretty beer garden that’s perfect for enjoying the sunshine.

Three night break for six people in a Bronze caravan for £313, working out to £17.39pp per night.

Combe Haven, Sussex

Set in sunny St Leonards-on-Sea, this Sussex park centers around an epic waterpark complex with a lazy river and a giant Space Bowl flume

Out of the water, you can test your aim with archery coaching, tackle Footgolf, or scale the massive climbing wall.

For dinner, tuck into a proper chippy tea at Cook’s Fish and Chips, then head to The Saxon Bar for evening drinks with sea views.

Plus historic Hastings is just 15 minutes away – ideal for exploring its famous castle and delving into the underground caves at Smuggler’s Adventure.

Three night break for four people in a Saver caravan for £279 total, working out to £23.25pp per night.

Craig Tara, Scotland

Perched on the dramatic Ayrshire coast, Craig Tara is one of the biggest Haven holiday parks in the UK.

This seaside spot delivers non-stop action no matter what the weather is doing. The star attraction is Splashaway Bay – one of Scotland’s largest indoor waterparks – with multi-lane slides, thrill flumes, a lazy river, and a toddler splash zone.

Indoors, the massive Airspace sports hall keeps the momentum going with climbing walls, soft play, a golf simulator, and electronic target walls.

Outdoors, at the Lighthouse Harbour Adventure Village, you can brave an aerial ropes course or take the plunge on the six metre-high ‘The Jump’.

Last-minute three night break in a saver caravan sleeping six people for £339 total, working out to £18.83pp per night.

Butlin’s

Butlin’s have a selection of last-minute breaks for the remainder of the summer holidays that can cost you as little as £22.50pp per night.

There are three and four night breaks available across all three locations – Skegness, Minehead and Bognor Regis.

Included in the price you’ll get waterpark and fairground access, as well as daytime activities like soft play, football and arts and crafts.

Plus you’ll be able to catch one of this summer’s exclusive shows before they end for the season, including performances from Diversity, The Masked Singer and Maximum Pro Wrestling shows.

We found one three night break at Minehead, including access to Diversity and The Masked Singer shows, for £269 total, or £22.42pp per night.

Prices correct at the time of publication.

The Mirror’s Stephen Jones and his wife Charlotte braved taking their five-month-old twins on holiday for the first time – and were blown away by the resort

A few months after our twins were born we were badly in need of a holiday… somewhere distant enough to guarantee sunshine but not so far as to become a nightmare journey with two five-month-olds in tow.

With a flight time of four and a half hours, Gran Canaria seemed ideal. What we didn’t appreciate at the time we booked is how brilliantly accommodating the TUI Blue Orquidea would prove to be for young families. I’m pleased to say that a week there completely reinvigorated us but also changed our expectations of what a family holiday could be.

Like many new parents, we were worried about flying abroad with babies whose very existence is based on a routine of feeding, changing, entertaining and sleeping on repeat. Packing alone felt like preparing for a military expedition but by the time we reached the boarding gate at Gatwick – each pulling a big suitcase and pushing a travel buggy simultaneously – we felt like accomplished war veterans able to deal with any situation.

And after arriving at the hotel in a prebooked taxi transfer of just 20 mins from the airport, all our other worries soon melted away.

Set right on the seafront in Bahia Feliz on Gran Canaria’s sunny south coast, the all-inclusive TUI Blue Gran Canaria immediately radiates a relaxed atmosphere. Instead of loud entertainment and crowded spaces, the resort feels spacious, clean and remarkably calm, something any sleep-deprived parent will appreciate.

Our room was bright, modern and comfortably large enough to accommodate two cots without making us feel as though we were navigating an obstacle course every time we walked across it. Having a balcony overlooking the sea quickly became one of our favourite places to relax after putting the babies to bed each evening. Early mornings with bottles in hand somehow felt a little more manageable while watching the sunrise.

Travelling with babies means your holiday revolves around their schedule rather than your own, but this hotel made that surprisingly easy. Staff couldn’t have been more welcoming, always greeting the twins with smiles and happily offering helpful tips whenever we needed.

Meal times were relaxed and there were wide enough spaces between the tables to manoeuvre the buggies. The buffet restaurant deserves particular praise for its generous choices, meaning nobody should ever struggle to find something they like – from fresh salads and grilled meats to fish, pasta and pizza cooked to order.

Although our twins were far too young to sample the menu themselves, we were able to easily grab things we liked to keep ourselves nourished while we fed them, and families travelling with slightly older babies and toddlers seemed pleased with extensive options.

Of course, five-month-old babies with priorities of bottles, naps and cuddles don’t care so much for infinity pools or cocktail bars, but the hotel’s peaceful surroundings ticked every box.

The swimming pools were spotless, with plenty of comfortable sun loungers available throughout most of the day. We quickly settled into a rhythm that revolved around popping to the air conditioned baby lounge with changing facilities a stone’s throw from the main pool after breakfast for nappy changes, feeds and a play before hitting the loungers. Its sister hotel next door the Playa Feliz, where your wristbands are equally welcome, has a bigger splash pool for toddlers with a huge shade screen and that’s where we spent many of our afternoons.

While you are essentially doing exactly the same as you would be back home looking after newborn twins with the endless cycle of washing bottles, laundry and trying to get them to sleep, those same routines somehow became more enjoyable against a backdrop of palm trees, warm blue skies and the gentle sound of waves.

The childcare offering at a TUI Blue is arguably beyond generous if you choose to get involved. There’s baby and tots club sessions which run twice daily for children aged 0-35 months with gentle play, songs and stories and there’s more lively 45-minute playdate sessions available. The organised Little Splashers or Little Ravers sessions are self-explanatory, but our twins especially enjoyed their visit to a Baby Spa for a sensory-led pampering session with soft music and calming lights they seemed to enjoy as much as the TUI reps holding the session.

Speaking of the TUI reps, you also have the option of leaving your babies with them for a couple of hours while you enjoy some me time on a sun lounger or even pop to the gym or Club Spa, which we both managed to escape to on occasion. The open-air spa pool is actually something of a hidden gem squirreled away at the back of this hotel, but boasting a fantastic array of hydrotherapy jets where you can relax while you gaze out at the Atlantic ocean. There’s a Finnish sauna, Hammam steam room and a sanarium – or you can just pull up a lounger and relax in the sun away from the kids.

A highlight of our week was a meal out at La Taverna a la carte restaurant which is included in the all inclusive package, where they serve a variety of vibrant tapas as you watch the sun go down; in many ways a kind of special evening out we would love but find hard to achieve at home.

We weren’t racing to tick off tourist attractions or planning packed itineraries, if anything we wanted to slow down and enjoy some relative peace in the sunshine, which we achieved in batches daily. We did day trips but we were more than happy to just recline on a lounger by the side of the pool with the babies and switch off.

For any parent wondering if their first overseas holiday with young babies is worth attempting, this hotel provides a reassuring answer. Its combination of comfortable accommodation, welcoming staff, quality food and peaceful atmosphere creates an environment where families genuinely feel supported rather than merely accommodated.

Our first holiday abroad with two five-month-old twins could easily have been unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. Thanks to the TUI Blue Gran Canaria, it became unforgettable for exactly the right ones – a sun-soaked reminder that life doesn’t stop when you become parents. It simply changes. We knew that having holidays after having children would be different, what we realised at the TUI Blue Gran Canaria was that it didn’t mean that they shouldn’t be relaxing.

• TUI offers seven-night holidays to Gran Canaria, Spain staying at the 4T TUI BLUE Orquídea on an all-inclusive basis from £900pp, based on 2 adults and 1 child sharing a twin room, flying from London Luton in August, and 23kg luggage per person and transfers included. tui.co.uk
• TUI Musement offers a Gran Canaria’s ‘Little Venice’ – visit Puerto de Mogan by boat from £45 per adult, £28 per child (3-12 years old) and children (0-2) go free. tuimusement.com/uk

EXCLUSIVE: A holidaymaker was left shocked at the behaviour of fellow tourists in Benidorm as people started queueing at 6.30am for sunbeds, leaving her and her family perched on plastic chairs

A fuming mum hit out at “selfish middle-aged fellas” for hogging sunbeds as her family were forced to perch on plastic chairs during their Benidorm holiday.

Annie Redfern went away with partner Declan Nash and seven-year-old daughter Belle Redfern for a 10-night holiday in the popular Spanish resort last month.

They were staying in the hotel made popular by hit ITV sitcom Benidorm, but she slammed the middle-ages blokes who queued for hours before swarming like “ants” for sunbeds.

Annie and her family arrived at Sol Pelicanos Ocas hotel, known as Solana Hotel on the television show, but realised all the sunbeds had already been taking.

She put this down to arriving at the hotel at midday, but the mum was stunned to see people congregating to bag a coveted bed at 6.30am the following morning – despite the pool not opening until 9am.

Annie, from Hull, East Yorkshire, said: “We thought if we’re going to go to Benidorm, we might as well see what the Benidorm hotel is like.

“We arrived there at 11.30am and there were no beds but obviously at that point we just thought it was because it was midday.

“The next morning, I started seeing queues starting at 6.30am, at this point I didn’t even know what time the pool even opened. We had gone down to go and get a latte and there were just loads of people all lining up.

“I can’t believe that’s how you spend your holiday, it’s crazy. You see them go, put a towel on the bed then run off straight to the breakfast then eat the breakfast then run straight back. It was a whole routine.

“What we realised was either wives were sending their husbands or the husbands were just doing it because so many of the line was made up of middle-aged men. It was just like a sea of people.”

Annie posted about her bizarre experience on TikTok and it quickly went viral, racking up more than 192,000 views.

She said the only way to grab a sunbed without joining the huge queue was to wait until people left for their evening meal around 5pm.

The family were instead forced to resort to sitting on plastic chairs when they weren’t playing or in the pool.

Annie admitted Benidorm divides people in the UK “like Marmite”. She said: “You can just go sit at a table and obviously I’ve got a child so we’re always in the pool anyway so I don’t really get much sunbathing.

“It’s selfish. Maybe do it one or two times so you can get a spot or have a day on the sunbeds, but there was one woman and she was at the front every single day.

“They [people queueing] were speed walking and as soon as the guy would come down and open the barrier, it was like ants.”

People online slammed the situation. One wrote: “My idea of hell this is.”

Another commented: “I’d rather go to Blackpool in the winter.” A third said: “I love Benidorm but I would never lose sleep when there’s so much more you can do in Benidorm.”

Sol Pelicanos Ocas hotel was contacted for comment.

WHETHER you’re on a fly and flop break or sight-seeing adventure, it’s only natural to want more out of a holiday.

TUI has revealed one trick that lets you visit three countries in one day – and there’s no queueing up at the airport either.

It works particularly well if you’re booked at a TUI hotel, called the TUI BLUE Kalamota Island which is on an island off the coast of Dubrovnik in Croatia.

Not only is it off the coast of Croatia, it’s right beside both Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This is where TUI comes in – if you book with TUI Musement it offers full day tours and experiences of the neighbouring countries which don’t require any flying.

In some cases they can even pick you up from your hotel.

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One day trip to Montenegro starts off in Perast with a visit to the island of the Lady of the Rocks before heading off to Kotor.

There’s a guided tour as well as free time where guests can explore the sites in their own time – these start from £79pp.

There are more options if you start away from the hotel in Dubrovnik – for example a full day trip from Dubrovnik to Montenegro starts from £52pp.

It includes a drive through Zupa Dubrovacka and Konavle valleys and along the picturesque Bay of Kotor.

This is followed by a visit to a charming fishing village called Perast and then hop onboard a boat to reach the island of Lady of the Rocks.

There’s then a tour of the Old Town of Kotor before returning to Dubrovnik.

You can also book a tour to explore some of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Dubrovnik without having to fly.

One experience heads to the city of Mostar and the beautiful Kravica Waterfalls from £41pp.

The full day trip starts at the waterfalls where visitors can even have a quick dip in the water.

Then it goes onto Mostar to wander about the city, see the famous Old Bridge before heading to the village of Počitelj.

If you want to book a stay in the TUI BLUE Kalamota Island this year, there are still holidays available from £718pp.

This is for an all-inclusive break from October 11-18 in a double room with a balcony or terrace including return flights from Birmingham Airport.

The hotel is adults-only with a white pebble beach, swimming pool and the island itself is traffic free.

TUI BLUE Kalamota Island Experience Manager Kelebek Canbulat said: “Guests can wake up on a peaceful island, head out on a TUI Musement experience to Montenegro or Bosnia and Herzegovina, and be back in the evening for dinner by the sea.

“It gives customers the best of both worlds. They can explore multiple countries during their stay, but still enjoy the comfort, ease and relaxation of having one hotel base.”

Doctors initially said Lottie Perks was just dehydrated and should rest at home

A mum says she was ‘dismissed’ as being ‘overly anxious’ by doctors until her daughter’s holiday stomach bug turned out to be her appendix bursting – and potentially fatal sepsis. Lottie Perks, now 20, began experiencing ‘crippling’ stomach pain, coupled with vomiting just days into a holiday.

24 hours later she was back to normal and the family got back to enjoying their holiday in Brazil, but on arriving home in London it was clear Lottie was unwell.

“She began shaking uncontrollably and I noticed her lips, hands and feet were freezing cold,” said mum Laura. “Her feet were white and her lips were blue. And her temperature was weirdly very low. Her face and limbs were swollen and flushed.

“I had been trying to trust the doctors before this and convince myself they were right. But, at this point, it was clear something was very wrong. I was terrified.

“And then, she collapsed in my arms as her eyes rolled back in her head. Her blood pressure plummeted and her heart rate raced dangerously high. I thought this was the end.”

Laura had also experienced a bout of sickness after returning from the trip in April 2025, so the family assumed Lottie had contracted the same bug. But just hours after coming home, the stomach pain and vomiting started again, coupled with bleeding and diarrhoea.

They went to A&E but nothing was found to be wrong. Laura said: “She was very pale, weak and physically could not stop vomiting even though there was nothing left in her. Lottie was placed on an IV drip for three hours while being observed, but was ultimately discharged with a gastro bug, as her blood tests showed normal levels of inflammation.

“That night, and the next day, she didn’t improve and became much weaker. I called the hospital and asked if it could be appendicitis, but they said everything was fine.”

Laura rushed her daughter back to hospital and begged for her to be seen again. Doctors allegedly claimed she was simply dehydrated and that they needed to leave the hospital – until an unusual rash was spotted.

After further checks, Lottie’s legs had started to turn a mottled purple and her body was severely swollen. A CT scan was ordered and it was found that her appendix had burst, causing sepsis.

Laura said: “I knew something was clearly wrong and before they took me seriously, I felt powerless. She had emergency surgery, but it was too late, the sepsis had spread. When she collapsed in my arms, that was her going into septic shock.

“And the start of her organs ceasing to work. I thought she’d be OK after the operation But the look on the surgeon’s face afterwards told me otherwise.

“When they explained about the sepsis and septic shock, and said they’d done all they could do, I felt powerless.”

Doctors rushed to give Lottie antibiotics, as there was a one hour window before her organs would start to fail completely. As nothing else could be done, it was a waiting game for a week.

Luckily, the teen recovered and was slowly taken off medication, as well as machines, keeping her alive. And, despite her life being on the line, she managed to return to university and pass her first year with flying colours.

Now, she still suffers with bouts of sickness, stomach pain, dizziness, fatigue and difficulty keeping warm. The emotional toll is felt by not just Lottie, but her mum, too.

To help raise awareness, the pair are working with Sepsis Trust to warn others of the signs to look out for. And, to never dismiss whether worrying symptoms could be sepsis.

Laura added: “Sepsis doesn’t need a cut, injury or an appendix bursting. It can be from something as simple as a virus. The symptoms are so subtle and confusing; but can become fatal so quickly.

“Having that one question in your mind when advocating for a loved one could save their life. We both suffer from nightmares following the experience. It’s difficult to look at photos from that time.

“And it’s hard not to associate the trip with what happened. We’ve always enjoyed relatively adventurous holidays and discovering further away places.

“But this has definitely put on the radar the possibility of a medical emergency while we’re away. And so, as a family, we haven’t been away too far since. We’re trying not to let the worry and her vulnerability take over too much from enjoying life.

“It’s forever changed us, but we’re so incredibly lucky to have caught it just about in time. I was treated like an overly anxious mother – but that’s what saved my daughter’s life.”

Lottie added: “Initially, I was very scared. I tried to stay calm and thought it was probably a gastro bug or food poisoning. It quickly turned into frustration because I was in so much pain and it was clearly where my appendix was.

“There was a lot of fear; I was terrified. Genuinely feeling like you’re dying and can’t explain or get anyone to understand was [infuriating].

“I still don’t think I really understood what was happening while I was in the ICU. I remember being frustrated that I couldn’t go up to the normal ward. But this was obviously because my organs weren’t fully functioning on their own still.

“Another part of the recovery that was quite frustrating was the loss of all my muscle. I remember just doing one lap of the ICU when I was well enough and being completely exhausted and my legs feeling so tired.

”Going from being someone quite active, and having to come to terms with this new situation, was quite a shock. Looking back on it now, I just feel incredibly lucky and almost proud of my body for managing to push me through it.

“But that gratitude and appreciation also comes with a huge frustration that it could’ve been avoided or acted upon sooner. And I wouldn’t have had to have been in that position in the first place.

“But it taught me a lot and I’m obviously very grateful for all the doctors and nurses that helped me. I have learned to advocate for myself better and to speak out when something isn’t right.

“I also felt frustrated as just being young and female meant that so many things masked it – from doctors thinking I could be pregnant, toxic shock syndrome, period cramps. I wanted to explain that as women, we know what’s normal for us, and this clearly wasn’t normal.

“I understand that various possibilities needed to be ruled out; but I wish someone had considered rapidly progressing sepsis as one of those a little sooner. That said, I am well aware that I am one of the very lucky ones. I’ve been shocked to read all of the ways it could have ended differently.”