FUERTEVENTURA 2017.03
- Lolita G.
- 31 mai 2017
- 5 min de lecture
Hey you !
It‘s time to tell you, roughly, about our trip to Fuerteventura. I'm not going to make tons of it, because sincerely, Nico and I came back rested, but disappointed.
ORGANISATION
Why Fuerteventura ? For several reasons :
1. Because in March, the one-week destinations, with a small budget, where the sun is heating and for which we would not lose two days on the plane, are quite limited
2. It was a trip proposed by the Nico’s work council at an unbeatable price! But our registration was impossible, in 2h, all the places had been booked. We were a little frustrated at the time
3. I have been three times already with my parents as a child, always with an all-inclusive journay, and I kept a good memory of it
4. For our first trip as a couple, we really did not want to take the chance of getting lost so we opted for an all-inclusive offer (including the transfer to the hotel, because every place we tried to go to became difficult to access, without ever understanding why Ahahahaha)
And so there was no organization to foresee, since we opted for a trip with TUI (ex Marmara), a trip ALL INCLUDED for €1,378 : flight, transfer, full board, and with a €70 extra for a sea view room. That is to say €690/person.
The flight was carried out with an airplane of TUI company, count a 4 hours flight (without turbulences and with a landing very well controlled). Then 2 hours on a TUI bus to arrive at the hotel and FINALLY to settle down.
ACCOMODATION
The Fuerteventura Maramara Club **** is also called Ambar Beach Hotel, located in the South of the island, rated 8/10 by TUI travelers, offering the following free services:
Animations (animation team is present all day proposing gym sessions, aquagym, step, mini-games around the pool, and which also animates each evening until 00h, then leaves to let the « night club » begin)
Teen Club & Mini Club
Fitness (Mini fitness room, squash court in good condition and an abandonned tennis court)
Free wifi at the reception
Interior swimming pool with a jacuzzi
And some extra payable services :
Thalasso (Hammam, massages)
Wifi in your room
Snooker, Darts, etc ...
Excursions
Our room
It was totally clean with crisp white sheets, but the decoration is really to renew and the bed linen to change. Worse, the hotel seems to offer only twin beds (and no double bed for lovers). The maid service was available every day if you wanted to remake your bed, clean and change the towels.
The only really unpleasant thing we noticed about the room was that there was roadworks all week at the entrance of our building. So we could not stay quiet on the terrace.
The hotel
The hotel staff was really A-DO-RA-BLE! Very welcoming and at our service. The hotel welcomes every new arrival with a "welcome cocktail" (understand juice + strawberry sirop), but it is very appreciated after a long day travelling.
The hotel was clean, and well maintained except in the indoor pool and the gym part, which had plenty of water infiltrations. And the result? Full of painting pieces falling from the ceilings, full of cracks ... It looked a little dirty.
The "all-inclusive" offer
Here is a copy of what the proposes the hotel :
"Unlimited buffet meal : international and local cooking, themed buffet, show cooking, snack ..." → The food, and we should have excepted it, was very disappointing. The served products are of deplorable quality. They even made a non-eatable pasta’s gratin, the cakes were just fat and tasteless. Asparagus and cheese were good. Fruits also. What they call "show cooking" is actually a person cutting meat / fish in front of you, and the fish were pretty good.
"Snack with a hot pastry" → I was expecting pancakes or waffles, but not at all in fact, it did not have anything to do with the desserts or breakfast pastries
"Unlimited local drinks from 10am to 11pm: wine, beer, fruit juice, soda, coffee, tea, water ... local alcohol, Gin, Vodka, Whiskey, 2 cocktails of the day" → Here Nico got really disappointed. See what daily cocktails looked like ... I'm not a princess, but still it's really nothing like a cocktail ! Not even a small parasol ! And for a cocktail with the taste of alcohol, you had to ask for an extra alcohol drop as they are « already made » mixtures. The cocktail of the day, served at night was better and more presentable
TO VISIT
Jandia Dunes
El Barranco de los Encantados
Las Cuevas de Ajuy
Betancuria’s village
& it’s mirador
Aloe Vera factories
Oasis Park
BEACHES
For more breathtacking beaches, here
MISTAKES NOT TO BE COMMITED
Opt for the Buggy Tour! It was really a scam, thankfully Nico was there to make it funny by trying to skid as soon as we were in the blind spot of the provider. Because, in fact, we had no autonomy. It was a convoy, with the claimant diving a car in the lead, and we were following at 30km/h. He took us to two por three places to take some pictures, then in his friend's bar located in a shantytown, to make money, pretending that we would like to refresh ourselves ... I paid my damn Mars icecream €3! Then we drove the opposite way, vexed, the ass soaked ! While we were stopped in the bar, there was a very heavy downpour. I was even looking forward for it’s ending… I was devastated. And if you still want to try the experience, do not wear shorts in March, you’ll feel as an ice cube! All I remember was that we had a nice dust mustache at the end !
To not rent a car and discover the island by yourself! This option was sacrificed in order to make the Buggy excursion (reduced budget). I forgot to mention the most beautiful thing in this story : the Buggy was the same price as a car rental for ¾ days: €90 !!!
Take an all-inclusive hotel. The problem with this formula is that we dare not eat out for lunch because we have already paid to eat ... Your excursions would only be on the morning or afternoon, while you could leave all day and maybe found a cheap and delicious village restaurant
Try to take a bus to Morro Jable. The bus is often already full, as it comes from further north and has already passed the previous hotels (ours was almost the last one on the coast so ...). In Spain, all passengers must be seated and belted, or they risk a very high penalty (€250 € if I remember it right). When the bus makes you sip 30 minutes to finally tell you to wait for the next one because it is full, you are so disapointed !
￫ I beg you, hire a car !
Thinking that the African / artisanal markets will be surprising. Nothing more than in our French markets where you find clothes, bags, glasses, belts ... You can find Aloe Vera products, one of the specialties of the island, but it will be more interesting to go visiting Aloe Vera factories, and buy your products there !
ADVICES FOR A BETTER STAY
Rent a car
Chose a half board maximum
Lodging in the North, the most beautiful beaches are over there (Corralejo) ! Or just under the airport, but especially not in Puerto Del Rosario
If you want to choose an excursion, prefer the boat excursions to discover the other islands
SOME HOLIDAY PICTURES
EBecause we have not moved much from the hotel, there are only few pictures. I had a lot of trouble writing this article because I was not inspired by this vacation. And when I see all the things we could have seen ... Please, do not make the same mistakes ! And this experience shall be a lesson : we will never travel this way again.
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