resort

AS the plane circled in to land in the city of Murcia in south-eastern Spain, we caught our first glimpse of La Manga.

The 13-mile-long strip separates Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon, Mar Menor, and the Mediterranean Sea.

It was as impressive to see from the air as it was to explore on foot, but it was what lay beneath the warm waters on either side of the sandbank that really made our trip.

The beach of Cabo de Palos on the southern cape of La Manga is widely regarded as one of Europe’s best snorkelling hotspots, with protected marine beds and crystal-clear visibility in the shallow bays.

With nothing but an old pair of goggles, my partner Owain and I saw starfish, octopus and an array of colourful reef fish in a small cove under the lighthouse.

The seagrass beds are renowned as one of the biggest breeding grounds for seahorses, and with dive shops and excursions taking off every hour from the harbour, snorkel enthusiasts will be in their element.

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The beach was a ten-minute drive from our hotel, the Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf & Spa. And while we could have easily spent every day snorkelling around the reef beds, there was too much else to explore at the 5H resort.

With 11 restaurants on site, we struggled to decide which we enjoyed more out of the red Thai prawn curry and hand-made gyoza dumplings at Asia Restaurant or the Aberdeen Angus steak with truffle mash on The Terrace Grill Steak House.

The latter did come with sunset views over the golf course, though.

But our favourite meal of all came at the hotel’s private beach restaurant, La Cala, which you get to via an on-demand mini-bus service down to the coast via the Calblanque National Park.

Sharing a huge pan of squid ink paella, home-made bread and a bottle of rosé on the terrace overlooking the bay was a highlight of the trip.

Luckily, there were many activities on offer to burn off all our overindulgences.

While the hotel has the biggest and best hotel gym I’ve ever seen, as well as tennis courts, two swimming pools, a football pitch, a cricket centre, bike hire and a spa, the jewel in La Manga Club’s crown is the three 18-hole golf courses that surround it.

Before teeing off, we had a lesson with resort pro Iain Hanna, who helped us work on our swing using analytic equipment before letting us loose on the pristine fairways.

With 325 days of sunshine a year, the resort — which hosted the Spanish Open for five years from 1973 — is a firm favourite for golfers looking for a sunny winter escape.

But even if golf isn’t your thing, the hotel is a good base to explore the Murcia region.

The historic city of Cartagena — known as the “Port of Cultures” — is 30 minutes away.

Its Roman theatre, which was built between 5 and 1 BC and would have seated 6,000 to 7,000 people, was only discovered by accident in 1988 during construction of a new crafts centre.

Entry is via the museum opposite the town hall and costs seven euros per person, and it is a must for the breathtaking views of the city alone.

At the Molinete Archaeological Park, we wandered around the ruins of an old Roman bathhouse and perused the reconstructed painted murals and some of the 300 artefacts found there.

Then it was time for cañas and tapas. We loved La Uva Jumillana, where beers and tapas cost from around 3.20 euros each.

Bodega La Fuente does good pinchos, Las Termas del Pincho is a lively stop for a drink and El Vinagrillo serves more substantial tapas to finish.

Our last stop was the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology, which is free on Sundays.

It covers the city’s maritime history — the port city of Cartagena was once the Carthaginians’ capital in Spain — and displays treasures recovered from Spanish shipwrecks around the world.

Driving back along the palm-tree-lined promenade as the sun set, I decided that with cheap flights, sunny climes and more Roman ruins and artefacts to see than most cities in Europe, this corner of Murcia should be top of any autumn sun list.

AS someone with a fear of heights, dangling by a thin rope from a cable several hundred metres above a deep mountain valley is not on my bucket list. 

But here I am, suspended 2,000ft up with nothing between me and the valley below (a situation that could soon change as I feel the pastries I had for breakfast make their way back up). 

I have reluctantly agreed to take part in the so-called Aerolive experience, which is essentially a gondola without walls. 

“Aerolive invites you to slow down, take a deep breath and appreciate the sheer scale and beauty of the mountains,” teases the bumpf. 

Heavenly stuff, but no one has told my pulse, which is going like the clappers as I gingerly step nearer the edge. 

I watch in awe as my fellow daredevils lean out into the abyss and decide on a half in/half out strategy, which would typically be described as “chicken”.  

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Because yes, Aerolive is exhilarating and yes, the view is magical but my God it is also bloody ­terrifying. 

This mountain masochism is the latest thing to do in La Plagne — a French ski resort which has spent millions installing the superfast gondola from which I now teeter, to whisk visitors up to the top of its 3,080m-high Roche De Mio mountain. 

Of course, you don’t have to — literally — put your life on the line to get up here. Normal, sealed cabins are available.  

And while Roche De Mio is most definitely the highest, it is just one of numerous peaks in this vast Alpine resort, with its 77 lifts, 143 pistes and 225km of skiing.  

That nearly doubles when you add the runs and lifts in neighbouring resort Les Arcs, which offer a combined 425km of pistes — the third largest ski area in the world. 

You could spend a week here and not cover half the terrain, even if you bomb down a few slopes after hours on a sledge, which local ski firm Oxygene offers for around 40 euros. 

I gave their so-called Superluge Derby a go and wow, it’s probably the fastest — and most out of control — you can go on these mountains. 

Helpfully La Plagne is HIGH, with 70 per cent of runs above the treeline between 2,000m and 3,000m, which is perfect for a late break (I went in late March and conditions were ideal). 

From the top of the highest runs, the views across the bowls are spectacular and there are plenty of big, wide runs. 

And when your legs get tired, you are spoilt for choice for places to stop, from cosy chalet-style joints serving all the Savoie usuals — such as tartiflette and fondue — to more modest snack bars pumping out croque monsieurs. 

So you don’t blow a hundred euros every lunchtime, I’d suggest nipping over to Plagne Bellecote, where cheaper snack bars abound but the view is still cracking. 

If you do fancy spending a few bob and you can’t visit the mountains without a blast of electronic dance music, there is a Folie Douce-style bar on the way down to Plagne Village called La Bergerie. 

It’s a straight rip-off of the Val d’Isere original Folie Douce and features DJs, half-naked dancers and, of course, some dude on a saxophone. 

Getting a big round in here is only for the brave, though. I bought three pints and am still paying off the credit card bill.  

But it’s a good laugh for a quick stop and hey, you’re on holiday. 

I stayed just down the hill from Bellcote in a Ski Beat chalet in one of La Plagne’s smaller satellite villages, Plagne 1800. 

It’s a charming little place with a few bars and restaurants but most importantly, it’s about a five minute ­totter from the lifts. 

This is my second year on a Ski Beat package and again the service was first class and the food top quality. 

While Plagne 1800 is a sleepy hamlet, there is enough to keep you entertained if you’re not quite ready to turn in at 9pm. 

I spent a few nights in the rowdy La Mine Bar, themed on a “traditional English pub” and it has made a pretty good fist of it. 

You can watch Premier League matches here and neck a few proper pints but, with its wooden beams and Gore-Tex-clad clientele, you still feel like you’re in the Alps.

Musical acts take to the stage most nights and, depending on how smashed you are when you ask them, they’ll play requests. 

The only, er, downside is you have to walk back up the hill when you’ve reached capacity. 

Where’s that windowless lift when you need it, eh? 

Ski holidays have gathered a reputation for being some of the most expensive getaways, but how much will a weekend on the slopes really set you back? Oliver Radcliffe went to find out

Ski holidays have a reputation for being on the pricey side. The very pricey side. Holidays to the Alps are increasingly thought of as a reserve for only the richest, as the Mirror’s trip to Megeve last year highlighted. But it doesn’t have to be. A day on the slopes in Austria’s Gastein Valley might not be as expensive as those new to the mountainside life may think (although it’s certainly all relative).

Spread across the trio of resorts of Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein, and Dorfgastein, the valley forms part of the region of SalzburgerLand, one of the lesser-known alpine destinations. Yet compared with some of Europe’s biggest-name resorts, the cost of skiing here remains reasonable.

While a local dry slope can offer a cost-effective start for beginners, nothing beats real snow for the authentic experience. A trip to the Angertal ski school could be the perfect place to build your skills and get you able to take on the slopes.

One really handy feature of the region is its Guest Mobility Ticket, which provides free public transport throughout the entire region.

So what does a realistic day on the mountains actually cost?

Do you have a travel story to tell? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

The lift pass

The biggest hidden expense for any skier is the lift pass. This is your ticket to the mountain’s ski lifts and gondolas, which transport you to the top of the slopes so you can ski down. Without a valid pass, you won’t be able to ride the lifts. Passes can range from single-day tickets to multi-day, weekly, or even season-long access, with prices varying widely.

In the Gastein ski area, a one-day adult ticket costs €69.50 (~£59). A six-day pass costs €344.50 (~£293), which works out at around €57.40 (~£49) per day, so staying for a few days noticeably reduces the daily cost.

The pass gives access to the main Schlossalm–Stubnerkogel ski area linking Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein, as well as the higher-altitude Sportgastein sector.

Ski hire

If you’re not travelling with your own equipment, rental is the next major cost. At the Angertal Skizentrum in Bad Hofgastein, a day’s rental starts from around €26 (£22) for skis and poles and €14 (£12) for boots.

For weekly rentals, expect to spend around €129 (£110) for skis and €65 (£55) for boots. Snowboard rental is priced similarly.

Ski lessons

For beginners, learning can also be the most expensive part. A three-day beginner’s course can set you back around €294 (£250), including 12 hours of lessons with a dedicated instructor.

Lunch on the mountain

Food prices in the mountains are slightly higher than at your local spot, but Austrian mountain huts are usually gentler on the wallet than some French mega-resorts.

A typical slope-side lunch might include €10–€15 (£8.50–£13) for dishes such as goulash soup or Tiroler gröstl, another €6 (£5) for a drink or coffee, and another €7 (£6) for a slice of strudel. Kaiserschmarrn, the sweetened shredded pancake, costs a little more at around €15 (£13)but it will keep you full well into the evening.

Altogether, €15–€25 (£13–£21) is a realistic spend for lunch and an espresso on the mountain.

One recommendation after a day on the slopes of Bad Hofgastein is the brand new Hirsch und Maus, perched at the mountain peak. A traditional Wiener Schnitzel costs the equivalent of €21 (£18). For those fed up with beige carbs, a Caesar salad is around €19 (£16).

Après ski

Après ski is a key part of the skiing experience, but it can be expensive. After a day on the nursery slopes, a half litre of the local Salzburg brew, Stiegl, costs the equivalent of €6 (£5.30) at the trendy Angertal 1180.

That overall figure can drop if you book lift tickets early, bring your own gear, or choose shorter passes such as half-day tickets. Skiing will never be a budget activity, but not every resort caters only to those on six figures, where single-day lift passes often exceed €80–€90 (~£68–£77).

After the lifts close, many skiers swap their boots for bathrobes and head to the valley’s famous thermal spas, soaking tired legs in steaming mineral waters surrounded by snow.

Accommodation

A classic double room at Hotel Zum Stern costs €294 (~£250) per room per night. Shared between two people, that’s about €147 (~£125) each per night.

Five-day holiday estimate (per person)

Based on the assumption that you’d buy a lift pass for each of the five days of a five-day ski holiday, hire skis and boots for the week, and each day have a mountain lunch, a Schnitzel-style dinner, and one beer Apres ski, this is how much you could expect to spend.

• Lift pass, 5 days: €66–78.50 a day, €330–392 (£280–335) a week
• Ski and boot hire, weekly: €194 (£165)
• Lunch, 5 days: €15–25/day, €75–125 (£65–105) a week
• Dinner, 5 days: £16–18/day, €94–106 (£80–90) a week
• One beer a day, 5 days: €31 (£26.50)
• Accommodation, 5 nights: €1,470 per room, halved to €735 (£625)

Total (no lessons): €1,474–1,536 (£1,255–1,305)

• Optional 3-day beginners course: ~€294 (£250)

Total with lessons: €1,768–1,830 (£1,505–1,555)

This winter thousands of holidaymakers will be packing their thermals and heading for the ski slopes. We’d love to hear about your favourite smaller ski resort, one which has managed to hang on to its local character and charm, whether it’s in the Alps, the Pyrenees, Scandinavia or eastern Europe.

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While many may flock to the huge French resorts of Val D’isere or Chamonix, for a more intimate romantic ski getaway one hidden Austrian getaway scoops the title

There are ski resorts built for thrill seekers, and there are ski resorts built for those searching for glamour. Then there is the Gastein Valley in Austria, a place that seems designed for something else entirely – romance.

Hidden deep within the Alps in the province of SalzburgerLand, the valley’s twin spa towns of Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein combine sweeping mountain scenery, healing thermal waters and classic wooden ski huts that ooze quintessential Austrian charm.

While German may not be known as a romantic language, the Austrian alpine culture all but makes up for it with its cosy wooden lodges with roaring fires, extremely good local wines (I promise it’s not just Riesling), and let’s not forget about the fondue. Something I indulged in for the first time on a recent trip, surrounded by a roaring fire in said cosy lodge, at Bellevue Alm Gastein. Washed down with a good quantity of schnapps, of course.

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OPINION

With plenty of lodges to curl up in, it’s clear why the region has quietly gained a reputation as one of the Alps’ most romantic winter destinations. The resort of Bad Gastein itself is unusual. Rather than spreading gently across a valley floor like most Alpine resorts, it clings dramatically to the side of a steep gorge.

After a walk around the town during golden hours on a brisk February evening, looking at the mountain views and the marvels of architecture that surrounded me, it hit me – I’m in a Wes Anderson film. The streets were lined with grand pastel coloured hotels perched perilously onto the mountainside, just like in one of my personal favorite films, The Grand Budapest Hotel. I walked through the flakes, feeling as though I had just stumbled onto a film set with Ralph Fiennes and Bill Murray.

But this wasn’t just a figment of my imagination. The cult-classic director is said to have traveled to Bad Gastein, seeking alpine inspiration for the Oscar-nominated hit. Clearly, he found it. It is especially easy to spot when looking up at the façade of the Grand Hotel de l’Europe. The hotel looks out over a cliff, a gentle waterfall crashing below, with all but a bright pink 19th-century funicular distinguishing it from the film itself.

As I continued my wander, the noise of the waterfall offered its own theatrical backing track – and one that becomes even more magical in winter, when mist from the waterfall freezes into crystals and snow dusts the pastel-coloured buildings. This is a magic that has been enchanting people for centuries, with the town having inspired many Romantic composers.

Franz Schubert and Johann Strauss found musical inspiration from the valley, while it is said Mozart himself was born in Bad Gastein before his pregnant parents moved to the nearby city of Salzburg.

Today, that historic grandeur remains, giving the resort a slightly surreal atmosphere that feels part Hollywood and the perfect place for a day together on the slopes.

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EUROPE is home to a theme park you might not have heard of, but was named one of the best in the world – and it’s about to get some huge upgrades.

Futuroscope in France is often overlooked by its busier neighbour Disneyland Paris.

Yet earlier this year, it was named one of Europe’s best theme parks by Blooloop and was even dubbed the equivalent to Universal Studios in Europe”.

Celebrating its 40th birthday next year – it opened in 1987 – it has since announced huge new multi-million plans.

Called Vision 2025, the €304million (£260million) masterplan has already included the Aquascope waterpark, three rides and and two themed hotels.

One of the biggest upcoming investments will be a fourth hotel at the park, with a science fiction theme throughout.

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The four-star hotel is currently under construction, with 240 rooms randing from premium to suites.

A 400-seat restaurant, an 120-seat bar and a huge spa area are all part of the plans too.

Guests will be able to access the park directly via a pedestrian bridge when it opens.

An official opening date and prices are yet to be confirmed.

Olivier Héral, Creative Director, said it will be a “spectacular and immersive hotel, designed as a world unto itself, where architecture, scenography and services tell a true story”.

Also new next year will be ATHOS, a new IMAX film at the park’s Kinemax.

The new Dance with the Robots attraction will see 10 robots dancing to music, while others include the illusion show Imagine, Live Show.

But there are also some exciting new additions to the park this year too.

From December 5, the new Magical Nights parade will launch with five floats and 23 artists.

In the mean time, there is still loads of things to do with 40 rides and attractions.

This includes the Aquascope indoor waterpark, which have eight slides and a lazy river with four themed universes – and even an “aquatic cinema”.

One visitor previously said:  “Aquascope is a kind of aquatic nightclub crossed with a James Cameron film.“

WITH ancient ruins like the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus, Athens has long been considered one of the oldest cities in the world – but it’s about to get much more modern.

A new billion-pound seafront regeneration project with a towering skyscraper and luxury shopping has resulted in the city being dubbed the ‘new Dubai‘.

Major changes are happening in Athens especially on the riviera where an enormous development is underway.

A regeneration project called The Ellinikon an estimated €8billion (£6billion) is set to completely transform the area to become its first ‘smart city’.

At its core is an enormous skyscraper called Riviera Tower – once transformed it will be the tallest building in Greece at over 650 feet high.

Inside will be around 170 luxury apartments including penthouses and each one will have panoramic views over the coastline.

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It will also have private infinity pools, spa and gym as well as shared wellness spaces and greenery and plant filled terraces around the building.

The skyscraper was formerly part of Ellinikon International Airport which served the city until 2001.

The Ellinikon will also have new additions including ‘Little Athens’, a new neighbourhood right next to the beach with apartments as well as small shops and cafés.

The Riviera Galleria will be a new complex for luxury shopping with 80 new shops covering 10,000 square metres.

At the galleria will also be upscale restaurants, artisan ice-cream parlours, beauty salons and organic markets.

The upscale and luxury aspect mirrors what visitors expect when heading to the seafront neighbourhoods of Dubai.

In order to entice expats into Greece, the country is also offering tax breaks – much like Dubai which is a playground for the wealthy.

Since its debt crisis in around 2009, Greece has made a ‘remarkable economic recovery’, according to the IMF.

Part of this is thanks to tax breaks aimed at families, young workers and expats.

Under new rules this year, investment professionals who relocate to Greece can pay five per cent on “carried interest” – this is a fraction of the rate in the UK. 

Talking to The Times, Henley & Partners, which organises residence and citizenship planning for the rich says interest in moving to Greece has surged.

It’s now the second-most popular destination after St Kitts & Nevis for relocation.

Mario Rafael, a managing director at the firm. said: “Greece is increasingly competing for the attention of the same internationally mobile families considering places such as Milan and Dubai.” 

If it does turn into a Dubai-alternative, for Brits it’ll be much easier to get to as the flight is around four hours less.

While it might not be the winter hotspot like the city in the UAE, Athens still has scorching summers too.

I RAISE my fork to my mouth and lock eyes with Stevie. My heart stops. He’s 6ft, super-muscly and has a cracking set of teeth.

He spends the next hour watching me eat by candlelight, and he’s there again at breakfast the next morning.

But far from being my husband or an admirer, Stevie is a blacktip reef shark simply enjoying his natural habitat at Oblu Xperience Ailafushi — a four-star resort on a tropical island in Male Atoll of the Maldives.

The country is known as the world’s most romantic honeymoon hotspot, but I was there to check out its wilder side,

Of course, this included dining at Only Blu, the largest underwater restaurant in Asia.

Sitting 22ft below sea level, it’s a way to enjoy the diverse ocean life, without getting your feet (or hair) wet.

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It’s not included in Ailafushi’s all-inclusive “Fushi” plan, but it’s well worth splashing out on (prices start from £95 per person).

I was just inches away from blue powder surgeonfish, humbug damselfish and dozens of parrotfish as I tucked into my decadent five-course meal — though I did feel slightly guilty as I stuffed forkfuls of the “reef catch of the day” into my mouth. I hoped I wasn’t eating any of their brothers or sisters!

As several sharks swam by, including the one I nicknamed Stevie, “oohs” and “aahs” spread like a Mexican wave.

This kind of restaurant could be gimmicky. But the food — which included pistachio scallops, tuna poke bowls and decadent chocolate desserts — was genuinely delicious.

Just a 20-minute complimentary speedboat ride from Male airport, Ailafushi is a more affordable choice than many Maldives resorts, with all-inclusive packages starting at £160 per person per night.

But for the comparatively bargain price (most four-star resorts average at £300), you don’t miss out on the luxury.

My over-water villa was stunning — exactly what you picture when you think of a Maldivian suite, with an outdoor shower, private sundeck and stairs that drop you straight into the pale blue Indian Ocean.

Each night, I drifted off to the soothing sound of the waves beneath my floorboards. And every morning, I threw off my pyjamas and jumped directly into them.

It was the same at Ailafushi’s more upmarket five-star sister hotel, Oblu Select at Sangeli, where there’s even a window in the floor for 24-hour ocean life viewing.

But if the idea of sleeping and showering above sharks and stingrays gives you the creeps, both resorts offer beach houses and family suites far enough from the shore to put your mind at ease.

You should get out on the water, though, if your fears allow. Especially as guests can pick up a snorkel and fins to use for free throughout their stay.

I’ve never seen such amazing sea life, with reef sharks, unicorn fish, eagle rays and turtles just feet away.

Like many reefs around the world, the coral is sadly bleached. But there were so many fish displaying vivid colours, it was like being inside a Windows screensaver.

If you’d rather stay above the waves, though, there’s still plenty to see and do on dry land and boat.

Guests can book local island excursions, fishing trips and moonlight cruises.

My favourite was the sunset dolphin cruise. They might be wild animals, but they certainly put on a show, leaping in the air and gliding along the side of the boat.

At one stage, there were so many gasps and pointed fingers, it felt like I was watching a fireworks display. Guests also have access to free pedalos, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards.

And both resorts also have their own spas, ELE|NA Ayur — perfect for while your partner, kids or hungover pals are napping.

At Sangeli, where guests get a free 45-minute treatment for every four nights they stay, a stress-buster massage melted away the tension I built up during the 14-hour journey to get there from London Heathrow via Dubai.

Equally dreamy was the full-body Balinese treatment at Ailafushi, where prices start at $50.

Life is equally indulgent at the more peaceful Sangeli.

Alongside couples’ massages and intimate dinners, there’s a phenomenal free kids’ club with puppet making, cupcake decorating, palm leaf crafts and scavenger hunts.

There’s also a slide that plops you directly into the sea — fun for all ages. I howled with laughter as I sped round the tight bends before crashing into the gentle waves at the bottom.

If you’re feeling energetic — or simply want to work up an appetite for your next meal at one of each resort’s four restaurants — try the over-water gym with one of the best views in the world.

You could also attempt a sunrise yoga class, if you haven’t had too many of the hotel’s unlimited cocktails the night before.

By this point, you’ve probably seen plenty of fish from your villa, perhaps snorkelled with several and spotted them during a boat trip. So why not try catching a couple on a sunset line-fishing trip?

Whether you’re a seasoned fisherman or, like me, have never picked up a rod in your life, it’s the perfect way to spend an early evening.

And you might surprise yourself. I went in thinking I’d have no luck at all, but ten minutes before our time was up, I felt a hard tug on my line and eventually reeled in a giant remora.

I squealed with delight (and perhaps a little fear) as it flapped about in front of my face. But I quickly threw him back into the shimmering water.

Despite being a Muslim country where alcohol is all but banned, booze is freely available at all tourist resorts.

They also take international holidays incredibly seriously.

I’m told Christmas is an extravagant affair with Santa Claus arriving on a flyboard or parasail before descending to the beach with gifts.

I was there for Halloween and they did not hold back — think eyeball cupcakes, a terrifying haunted house, and dark red cocktails served in blood bags.

Four waiters dressed as zombies even carried a “body” in a coffin through the restaurant at dinner.

Yes, it costs more to get there (return flights start at £785 with Emirates) than Ibiza and your hotel will be a little more expensive, but you’ll barely spend a thing once your feet hit the white sands. And truly, it’s worth it.

Forget the White Isle — make the Maldives your next trip.

EUROCAMP has hundreds of resorts across Europe – but there is one that has been backed by mums as being the best.

Found in Holland, Duinrell has a lot to shout about including a theme park as well as a huge indoor and outdoor waterpark.

With all this, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the top-rated Eurocamp resorts for families – and it was voted as such on Mumsnet.

Its main draw is the enormous theme park which is completely free for guests with over 40 rides and attractions.

It has high thrill rollercoasters like The Falcon which is 72 feet tall with vertical drops, loop the loops and a top speed of 43mph.

There are other more family-friendly rides like log flumes, bumper cars, slides and climbing towers.

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Something else that makes it so popular is the enormous waterpark which has a total of 21 waterslides and huge swimming pools which are both indoor and outdoors.

The complex has a lazy river, a wave pool and an outdoor Tiki pool with tipping buckets and fountains which is open in the summer months.

Inside is where families will find the Playa waterpark which is especially designed for little kids up to 12 years old, with four waterslides for children.

Guests will need to pre-book time slots and pay up to €15 (£12.88) per person for the waterparks.

Activities don’t stop there either, as families can spend hours in its arcade which has over 80 games.

There’s mini golf, air hockey, classic arcade games, including eight immersive racing simulators.

In the comments, one previous visitor wrote: “We love Duinrell…I would do at least a week as loads to do.”

Another added: “This is an absolutely brilliant place!! Everything about it is spot on! Between the accommodation and the theme park, it’s all fantastic.”

A third said the waterpark was the “best we’ve been to!”

The park has eating options too from a creperie to an Italian restaurant and at the bars there’s entertainment like discos, karaoke and talent shows.

As for a place to stay the Eurocamp has a selection of ultimate holiday homes which can sleep up to eight across three bedrooms.

They have fully kitted out kitchens with open living areas and spacious bedrooms.

When the sun shines there’s an outdoor decking and a barbecue too.

For eight people to stay in an Ultimate 3-bedroom cabin next May for seven-night works out to £1,327.48 or £23.70pppn.

The Eurocamp is just outside The Hague, meaning that luckily for Brits it’s very easy to get to as it sits in between Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Flights to Rotterdam can be as quick as 50-minutes and heading to Amsterdam can take just one hour.

The cities can also be reached by the Eurostar in three hours and 15 minutes.

For more Eurocamp resorts, here are 10 with pools, waterparks and beaches.

And this Eurocamp in France has a huge kids club and laid back vibes.

A solitary man believes he’s been wronged by a vast, overarching system. Feeling helpless to take it on directly, he picks up a gun and violently confronts the most powerful person he can think of who embodies his grievance.

It is a chilling dynamic that keeps repeating itself in American culture, and one at the heart of “American Hostage,” a dramatic miniseries making its debut Sunday on MGM+.

The eight-episode series re-creates the true story of Tony Kiritsis, an Indianapolis man who, in 1977, kidnapped Richard O. Hall, a mortgage broker whose family Kiritsis blamed for his own financial hardships.

The standoff lasted 63 hours, during which Kiritsis kept a shotgun attached by wire to Hall’s neck, and it became a national media spectacle. Throughout the crisis, Kiritsis made live calls to Fred Heckman, a local AM radio news broadcaster, pleading to listeners for the justice he believed he was due.

A half-century after this incident, not even the creators and stars of “American Hostage” can say for certain why we find stories like this so compelling — or why they keep happening in real life.

“We haven’t quite figured this situation out,” said Jon Hamm, who plays Heckman in “American Hostage” and is one of its executive producers.

Jon Hamm plays Fred Heckman, a radio news broadcaster, in “American Hostage” and is an executive producer.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

The “Mad Men” star — no stranger to period pieces — said that beneath its retro production values and wide lapels, “American Hostage” is fundamentally about how people who feel voiceless in our society fight to be heard, even if the means is violence.

“There’s a lot that really resonates in the current media landscape and culture 50 years down the road, that people can still really connect with,” Hamm said.

Hamm and his colleagues hardly need to argue that point when the nation has been fixated on the case of Luigi Mangione, who in August pleaded guilty to federal charges in the December 2024 killing of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare.

Though work on “American Hostage” had begun before Mangione’s crimes and the show was not inspired or motivated by them, series co-creator Shawn Ryan said that audiences have a boundless fascination with these types of stories — with or without any counterparts in current events.

“Dramatically, it’s always very interesting to see somebody do the wrong thing for the right reason,” Ryan said.

The TV series originated with a 2022 scripted podcast, produced by Criminal Content and also called “American Hostage,” on which Hamm also played the role of Heckman. It told of how Kiritsis, an Army veteran, enacted the kidnapping on his belief that the Hall family had swindled him on his mortgage — a loan for land where he had hoped to build a shopping center.

While Kiritsis sought to use Hall’s life as a bargaining chip for prosecutorial immunity, he also portrayed himself as an underdog taking on powerful financial interests. On the other end, Heckman wrestled with the moral predicament of giving airtime to a potential murderer while hoping to keep Hall alive. (Hall survived the ordeal and Kiritsis, acquitted of his crimes by reason of insanity, was later institutionalized.)

In the spring of 2022, Hamm approached Ryan, the creator of TV thrillers like “The Shield” and “The Night Agent,” with the idea of adapting the “American Hostage” podcast into a miniseries.

Ryan created the TV adaptation with Eileen Myers, a collaborator of his on shows like “Last Resort” and “Mad Dogs.” They both saw in the source material a story that was a combination of classic 1970s films like “Network” and “Dog Day Afternoon.”

(In a parallel development, Kiritsis’ story was also adapted into the Gus Van Sant film “Dead Man’s Wire,” which was a box-office disappointment earlier this year.)

Ryan and Myers said they were fascinated with how the American news media covered the kidnapping in instantaneous fashion and in an era long before the internet. In the 1970s, Ryan said, “There were fewer journalists and they were better and more trusted, and if Walter Cronkite said something, you believed it.”

Shawn Ryan, Jon Hamm and Eileen Myers executive produce the TV adaptation of “American Hostage.” Hamm approached Ryan, who brought in Myers to co-create and co-showrun the series.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

The question that journalists like Heckman were confronted with, Myers said, was, “Do you allow a man who’s got a shotgun to somebody’s head dictate the terms of whether you’re going to put them on the air or not?”

Hamm, who has played alluring if ultimately disreputable characters on “Mad Men” and now Apple TV’s “Your Friends & Neighbors,” said he appreciated that “American Hostage” gave him a character who an audience can feel good about rooting for.

“I thought, I’m 55 years old,” Hamm said. “I was close to Fred’s age when this all went down. It was fun to play somebody morally conflicted that is actually on the good side.”

With some hesitation, Hamm pointed to the career trajectory of Bryan Cranston, who followed his celebrated heel turn on “Breaking Bad” with projects like “All the Way,” the play and TV film about President Lyndon B. Johnson.

“I don’t want to draw a comparison that’s stretching the bounds of reality,” Hamm said, “but Bryan went from Walter White to LBJ. You go, ‘All right — he’s still morally conflicted, but at least he’s on the right side of things.’”

“American Hostage” also benefited from the casting of Giovanni Ribisi (“Saving Private Ryan,” “Avatar,” “Sneaky Pete”), who brings a blend of volatility and humanity to the role of Tony Kiritsis.

Hamm recalled how Ribisi was in the midst of shooting another project — the upcoming Prime Video miniseries “The Greatest,” about Muhammad Ali — when he agreed to do a reading for “American Hostage” over Zoom.

“He brings value to every project he does, and he’s picky, as he should be,” Hamm said. “He’s a phenomenal DP — he might just go be a camera person or something if he wants to do it. So we were lucky to get him.”

Giovanni Ribisi plays Tony Kiritsis, the man who kidnapped Richard O. Hall. “So we were lucky to get him,” Hamm said.

(Steven Ackerman / MGM+/Sony Pictures Television)

There are of course unavoidable parallels between the stories of Kiritsis and Mangione, including the fact that both men were celebrated as folk heroes by some people who identified with their broader resentments.

But Hamm drew a crucial distinction between the two cases: Mangione “killed a guy,” he said. “He shot a man in cold blood. Like, I don’t care how good your point is. That’s not how we do it.”

Going back to the Boston Tea Party, Hamm said, every era of American history has had its dissidents who feel “wronged and done over by a system that is stacked against you” and are willing to take aggressive actions against it.

Hamm said that feeling persists and thrives today. “I think this is a big part of the rise of Trumpism,” he said. “I think this is a big part of the rise of the MAGA mentality, of ‘I have been done wrong and no one is hearing my complaints.’”

When those feelings go unaddressed for long enough, Hamm said, people will come to accept a certain amount of lawlessness from the figures they feel can solve their problems.

“We have a guy in the Oval Office right now who thinks that the laws don’t apply to him and a Supreme Court that said, ‘Yeah, they don’t — you can do whatever you want,’” he said.

For supporters of President Trump, Hamm said, “I think it’s fun for them to be able to flout the law and say, ‘Who cares?’ and all the things that they’re currently saying, but it’s not the principles that we were founded on.”

Hamm and Ryan make no secret of the fact that they’d like to keep “American Hostage” going as an anthology series and explore more of what Hamm called “these watershed moments of American life, to see how they rippled and how we got here from there.”

One could certainly imagine other events that would fit the show’s interest in real-life hostage crises that became media spectacles — the 1974 abduction of Patty Hearst; the 1963 kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr. — though Hamm kept any specific plans for the series close to the vest.

Perhaps the upper limits they face are the hours in a day to make and to broadcast the show.

“We’re living in great times right now for television,” Hamm said. “There’s so many opportunities to tell stories. Almost too many.”