Destination - Ibiza!
The year of soft voices, luxury and vacations.
3rd vacation of the year - destination IBIZA! Mini-review because this was more of a vacation than a review (problem with being a content creator- your brain never switches off. Everything is a content opportunity).
Ibiza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula which is super popular for its party scene. There are no straight flights from Ghana, you’ll need to transit and tickets start from around $700 via KLM if you’re a major bargain hunter and $1600 via Emirates.
You need a valid Schengen visa from an EU state to enter Spain as a Ghanaian tourist. You can apply for it directly at any European Consulate (and its pretty straight forward.
Sidenote, if you have a Schengen visa for 1 of the 27 European Union states you can travel through them all, not just your final destination. For example a Schengen Visa from the Austrian embassy gives you access to Belgium, France and Germany.
As a Ghanaian/non-EU traveler you’ll need your vaccination card and a COVID test to enter the country. They MAY not check for the test but trust me, better safe than sorry always.
I stayed at Hotel Torre del Mar, a 4 star beachfront hotel about 30 minutes from the airport.
Travel tip 1: If your hotel arranges pick-ups, book a one way from the airport to the hotel, especially if you’re alone. It’s usually more expensive than a taxi but it’s safer and more convenient. You can figure out your bearings when you reach the hotel and take a regular taxi when you’re leaving.
The hotel charged €50 for a one way pick up from the airport (taxi back cost €15). The price isn’t per head, it covers picking up 3-4 people. Also the transfer shuttle was a Benz so it cancels out.
The hotel is lovely! At night it’s lit up with green and purple neon lights, and the general lighting throughout the place is warm white. Staff speak Spanish, French or to my relief, English.
There are 12 types of rooms here:
Twin Room Mountain View Room
€164 room only, €188 room + breakfast, €224 room, breakfast + dinner
Twin Room Sea View
€182 room only, €206 room + breakfast, €242 room, breakfast + dinner
Elite Mountain view room with terrace and Hydromassage bathtub
€186 room only, €202 room + breakfast, €242 room, breakfast + dinner
Superior Side Sea View
€211 room only, €251 room + breakfast, €287 room, breakfast + dinner
Twin signature room sea view, terrace and Hydromassage bathtub
€227 room only, €251 room + breakfast, €287 room, breakfast + dinner
Premium sea view room, terrace and Hydromassage bathtub
€254 room only, €278 room + breakfast, €314 room, breakfast + dinner
Deluxe sea view room with terrace Hydromassage bathtub
€253 room only, €278 room + breakfast, €313 room, breakfast + dinner
Junior Suite Sea View
€332 room only, €356 room + breakfast, €392 room, breakfast + dinner
Penthouse Suite panoramic sea view with terrace and Hydromassage bathtub
€437 room only, €461 room + breakfast, €497 room, breakfast + dinner
Duplex Suite panoramic sea view with terrace and hydromassage bathtub
€525 room only, €549 room + breakfast, €585 room, breakfast + dinner
Grand Suite panoramic sea view with terrace and Hydromassage bathtub
Signature Family room sea view, terrace and whirlpool bathtub
Pricing is tricky because though these are their standard rates, they can be a little lower or significantly higher depending on the dates. For weekends, bookings need to be a maximum of 2 nights.
I got the Premium Sea View Room, terrace and Hydromassage bathtub. The room was nice, decorated in white and brown tones, and the view was perfect! The bathtub has a jacuzzi function and can be used as an outdoor shower, and if you’re worried about neighbours watching, there’s a canopy above that area which shields you from their view.
It came with the basics: water everyday, towels, shower gel, hand wash, shampoo, hair conditioner, blowdryer, a TV, a phone, a fridge and a safe. I found it really cool that their water came in paper cartons instead of bottles by the way - save the planet!
As with most hotels you have the option of getting your stuff laundered if necessary. Sizewise it was a bit narrow but very wide.
Travel tip 2: 95% of the sockets required round pin plugs so if your chargers dont fit that requirement, get an adaptor!
Only thing I wasn’t actually impressed with was their wifi which was shaky. It would randomly go off and it disconnected a few times at the restaurant.
One of my favourite features was the pool - it’s so aesthetically pleasing! You get a card that gives you free access to towels at the pool, and you need to return it before you leave or you’ll be charged the pool entrance fee of €23. It’s surrounded by a very big green lawn and a second level patio with cabanas and a jacuzzi facing the ocean.
There is no heating system in the pool but there is one in the on-site spa. To use that one (and the spa in general) there’s an entry fee of €18. The price does not include massages or any services in the spa except use of the heated indoor pool.
There are 2 restaurants here:
Panoramic Restaurant
Which overlooks the ocean and serves breakfast and dinner buffets only
2. Restaurant Miramar
Which is next to pool area and lawn and has a strictly a-la-carte menu.
Food prices were pretty friendly, even when converted to cedis. The buffet costs €15 (¢130) for breakfast, €22 (¢195) for dinner minus drinks, and the a-la-carte menu is priced €15-€30 (¢130-¢265).
I had the:
Breakfast & Dinner Buffets - The options were so many! I loaded up on salmon, guacamole and cream cheese with croissants during breakfast. The mashed potatoes from the dinner were simply divine, next to the lamb. I had a bottle of sparkling wine which cost €23 extra.
Octopus - It doesn’t look very filling, but this was actually the right portion. Every bit of it was DELICIOUS - from the potato puree to the slightly smoky taste of the octopus.
Potatoes - These were cooked whole with the skin intact and had such a different texture, I felt like I was bursting a bubble with each bite. They were really hot and soft on the inside and tasted very spicy.
A Sex On The Beach and Long Island - I always say, a good cocktail is one where the taste of the spirit used isn’t overwhelming. They didn’t quite achieve that with the Long Island but the Sex On The Beach nailed it so perfectly, which inspired me to get the Long Island in the first place.
Room service comes from the Miramar restaurant and has an extra charge of €4.
There is also a bar right next to the pool, Bar Sa Punta de Dalt which you can order from while you’re using the pool area.
So those are the basics! It’s actually a budget-friendly holiday for Ghanaians once you get the visa bit sorted.
Check the weather before you plan your trip because it can get pretty cold during certain times of the year, and don’t forget to get a travel adapter. VERY important!
You can check out their website for more details here!
xx.
Zubzz
