You Can't See the Nuddies From Here...... (Girasol Garden Apartments (Son Bou, Menorca))

Member Name: lisajo

Product:	Girasol Garden Apartments (Son Bou, Menorca)
Date:	14/07/09 (72 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clean, Friendly staff, decent pool, great priced holiday

Disadvantages: we simply needed more toilet roll

**THE COST OF OUR HOLIDAY**
We recently when on package holiday to Menorca with some friends and their children, totalling 7 in our party. I recall we paid £285 per adult, £149 for the eldest child, one free child place and just £30 for our infant son (for his in-flight seatbelt), booking through Thomsons.


**FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE RESORT**
When we landed at Mahon Airport we were transferred by mini-bus to our apartment complex, Girasol Garden Apartments, in Son Bou. The transfer took around 25 minutes (which was a great relief as we have initially been told on booking that it was 1 1/2 hours transfer - phew).

Son Bou itself is quite built up with many beautiful apartments, villas and a couple of high rise hotels, built into the hills. For somewhere so tourist-y it is remarkably picturesque and pleasing to the eye. There is still some building works going on, although some of it looks like nothing has been done for a while.

**OUR ACCOMODATION**
We had a 2 bedded studio apartment, with a pull out double bed and cot in the lounge area. There was a small kitchenette, well stocked with glasses, crockery and cooking utensils, oven, hob, microwave and fridge. It was very clean. The maid service was not regular enough for us though and we did have to ask at the Reception several times for more toilet roll - two rolls would not last 7 people a week surely!

The swimming pool at the apartment was manned by a 'Lifesaver' during its opening hours 11.00 - 6.30am and was clean. There is an adult pool and a baby pool too.

We were also able to use the 'mushroom' pool at Son Bou Gardens Apartments next door. This pool was bigger, also with and adult pool and baby pool, but with the added interest of a self operated Jacuzzi and mushroom shaped water feature. It is attached to the Gondola bar and restaurant and therefore taking your own food and drinks to this pool is strictly prohibited. Not too strictly though - it didn't put us off and there was never any come back. Having said that the prices at the bar were not bad 2.50 euro for a beer (not quite a pint as in a paper cup for sitting by the pool). The pool was a decent temperature too. The temperature was around 30 - 32 degrees during our stay while we were there so chucking yourself in the pool was the only way of cooling down.

On the whole are apartment was more than adequate even if it was full of crappy tacky ornaments. It was clean when we arrived and remained that way with the maids popping in twice a week. I would visit here again and would stay in either the Girasol Gardens or Son Bou Gardens complex (which is across the road).

**AND AS AN ASIDE, SOMETHING ABOUT THE FAMOUS BEACH**
Son Bou boasts the longest beach on the Island, with 2km of fine golden sand. The reported 5 minute walk to the beach was more like 25 from our end of the resort. There is a protected marsh land between Girasol Gardens and the beach so it was a long walk round. That was a bit disappointing. We did go to the beach on a few occasions but it was very windy. The west side of the beach is very popular with the naturists, so not for the faint-hearted or easy blushers. If you were there in May and saw the most beautiful specimen of womankind (tall, tanned skin, and loads of it, long flowing dark hair) it might have been me...... Though it would be highly unlikely, I am only 5.1.

Summary: We would go back