May 2nd 2011 was the date of my first holiday in over 5 years.

I had booked the holiday the year before, giving me plenty of time to save for a well earned break. As we do not get the real nice hot sun in the UK, my idea was to go somewhere that is not too hot for the time of year, and not so far from home.

It was a 4 hour flight from gatwick airport, and it was an early flight.

The day I was travelling, i was very excited as this time I would not be going into an apartment, but booked a villa instead.

There were 3 of us going, and it would be an holiday we all deserved. I was so glad the flight was over as I really do not like flying, as after a few hours I get bored and fidgety.

At arriving at Las Palmas airport, we made our way to the hire car station. This was included in the booking of the villa, so no need for reps to keep hounding you to take up their sight seeing tours.

When we finally arrived at the villa, it was more than i could have imagined. The villa was totally beautiful andquiet, in the peaceful resort of Maspalomas. It had the basics in a kitchen. Both bedrooms had their own en-suite, and I felt like a king.

I decided to go to Maspalomas for the peace and quiet, and for the fact it was nearer the beaches and dunes. It was only a short journey into the main centre of Playa del Ingles, where the nightlife was full of everything you wanted. From restaurants to bars, family ones as well as the most famous gay drag bars. Though I did not plan to go out every night, the cabaret bars kept calling, which made for a very entertaining evening, making a few friends on the way. The restaurants were excellent, esp the larger family run eating houses, but you have to shop around. Some look completely dodgy ie avoid the greasy style burger shops and go to a decent restaurant. Meals were anything from €6, and the Chinese style eat as much as you like for €10 was excellent value. The taxi fare from our villa to playa del ingles was in the region of €3 to €4 so it would definately not break the bank.

For relaxation we stayed by the pool during the day, before venturing to the famous beaches. Like a fool, I thought it would be far easier to walk along the dunes, only to find that the sun was so hot on the sand I burnt all my feet and toes. Upon reaching the beaches, the sea was far more warmer than the pool at the villa.