A review of Ibiza 2008

nikg

New Member
Ok, so I'm not long back from Ibiza for my third year holidaying there. I love Ibiza and have been totally mesmorised by it since when I first went in 2005, especially as it gets such a bad rep (which isn't justified as long as you stay out of the West End- it's some people's cup of tea but not mine- I could experience the same if I went out at home on a Saturday night).

Anyway, I just wanted to give a run down of all the things I enjoyed and the things I didn't during my latest stay in September 2008 :)

Accomodation

For the last two years I have stayed in Playa den Bossa in the Club Mijorn apartments. I really liked them and didn't think anywhere else would top them, but this year I stayed in the Ebano Apartments just along the road. I was mightily impressed with them as they were also very clean, had a lovely pool and were quite quiet (I need my beauty sleep lol). They are slightly further along from Bora Bora and Space but only by a few minutes.

Nightlife

This year I had plans to go to a few more smaller and less well known nights as I did all the 'BIG' nights during the last two years I have been in Ibiza. So, on Friday night I went to Goa at Space which was OK- not fab but not rubbish. I must admit I was pretty knackered after having no sleep the night before which probably tainted my view slightly. The music was quite good (a lot of tech house and techno) and there was no hassle at all. There were lots of locals rather than British people which was totally fine. It was quite quiet but I like that as it meant we could dance without fear of getting an elbow in the face. I did get slightly annoyed when I manged to get some seats only to be told twcie by a rather rude steward that I had to move for 'V.I.P's', and the bar staff didn't seem very interested in serving anyone who wasn't spanish.

On Saturday night I couldn't resist going to Hed Kandi at El Divino as I am a sucker for my big funky house tracks! As usual, the music was on form and Tiger Lilly doing a live P.A was definitely a highlight. However, it was far too busy to the point where you couldn't even stand comfortably, let alone dance. It took ages to get served at the bar and as i'm so small, people seemed to be banging me about like a pinball. The toilet queue was just as bad and it took me about half an hour each time to get in (to which my boyfriend wasn't very amused standing on his own). The atmosphere too didn't really seem to be particularly friendly either, although perhaps its the first time i've noticed as I was quite sober. I know I am having a moan but I would still recommend going, especially if you've never been before.

On Sunday night we were El Divino whores and went back AGAIN for the Soul Heaven night with Louie Vega. We were humming and hawing between going there or We love Space, but as we went to Space on Sunday last year, we decided to give this one a go. What a treat! The club was really quiet (in comparison to Saturdays), but as mentioned before I much prefer that. The atmosphere was much nicer and everyone in the club seemed to actually be there for the music rather than just to pose. We ended up talking to loads of people who were all really really friendly (even when I kept stealing their sunglasses!). The music was tremendous (lots of soulful house) and I didn' stop dancing all night. It is still a relatively new night in Ibiza and i really hope people give it a chance as it was a great night and one i'll definitely go to again.

I decided not to go back to Pacha this year as I haven't really had a good night in there to date. Don't get me wrong it's a beautiful club and the music is great, but the atmosphere seems to be missing something and it is far too poserish. If you don't have at least £200 to spend when you're inside then it really isn't worth the hassle in my opinion. (a bottle of house wine is 80 euros!). I'm gutted that the Zoo project had finished by the time I was there as I've heard that they are worth a visit and I hope to catch them next time I go. There was also a few secret Azuli beach parties throughout the summer and I am gutted there wasn't one on when we were there :(

The thing I have loved most about staying in Playa den Bossa is the fact it is also where Bora Bora is. The first year I was there it totally blew me away and I was so impressed- we ended up going there most nights before we went out. I must admit that this year it was a BIG disapointment :( I blame the fact they have brought in these new laws about noise etc. The music didn't start until 4.30pm, and even when it did start, it was so quiet you could hardly hear it- not exactly building up a euphoric atmosphere! Then to top it off, the bouncers shut off the inside of the bar to the people on the beach at about 6pm. Then the place actually shuts at midnight, which is when most people are just about starting to go out for there pre-club drinks. I am gutted as it used to be so good. I really hope they find a way round it or replace it with something else.

Things to do around the Island

This year I did a lot more exploring around the Island and would recommend it to everyone, as Ibiza has so much more to offer than just clubbing. For anyone who hasn't been before, Ibiza town is a must. It is so beautiful and the night scene is just as good as San Antonio. If you want to splash a bit more cash then head up Dalt Vila at the foot of the castle where there are loads lof lovely little restaurants. We went to one at the midway point which had amazing views over Ibiza town and a lovely ambience by candlelight. Ok so it was a bit more pricey but not ridiculous. It cost us 60 euros for bread and alioli, two main courses, a bottle of wine and a shared dessert. I just don't get why people would go to McDonalds when there is so much nice fresh spanish food on offer.

I also took a day trip to Formentera this year (which is a small Island just South of Ibiza and takes about half an hour to get to by ferry). You can cycle around or get a moped/car, and the beaches are some of the nicest you'll find. However, I did stumble upon a nudist beach of which there seems to be quite a few!

Santa Eulalia is about 15 mins away from Ibiza town by bus and a lovely wee town. They have the richest harbour in Ibiza and it is worth going down to see all the massive yachts and cruisers. There are loads of cheap but tasty restaurants to choose from, or a selection of trendy bars playing dance music. We also stumbled upon the restaurant and apartments that Kevin and Perry are filmed from. The place is called Ninas and they do the best cocktails ever!

Es Cana is 5 minutes from Santa Eulalia and you can get there by bus too. There is a hippy market on a Wednesday and Saturday which was not bad value and good to see.

Finally, we went to the Aquapark in Playa den Bossa too. By waterpark standards it isn't the biggest, but we never had to wait long to get on the slides and it has enough room to lounge about and do a bit of sunbathing. It is also really clean.

Disapointments

As i've already mentioned, Bora Bora was a real let down this year. It was probably the biggest let down and I doubt I'll stay in Playa den Bossa again next year as a result. The change in licensing laws has definitely had an effect on the clubscene and I really hope promotors find a way round it, or think of new alternatives to keep the clubbers happy.

I was also a bit miffed about the price of tickets for clubs and 'special promos' given out by P.R's. Perhaps I'm just getting older and wiser, but I noticed a lot more how some people try and 'trick' you into things you think are a bargain that actually aren't. For instance, when we went to buy our tickets for Goa at Sapce, the P.R took us into the bar while he apparantly went away to get them for us. Ten minutes later we were still waiting and he had gone back outside to do his P.R'ing. We had a drink while waiting (a ploy to get us in and make the place look busy) and eventually when we asked him another three times he finally gave us them. When we went to get our tickets for El Divino on Sunday night we got quite a good deal for the ticket price with a free drink, but when a friend of mine went to get a ticket half an hour after I had bought mine, they told us the price had jumped up by ten euros as apparantly he had 'no more tickets at that price left'. Hmmmm. Just be careful as many of them take advantage of you and will bump you. My advice is to shop around and don't be afraid to ask for a free drinks voucher with your ticket (generally speaking we always got one if we asked, or paid an extra 5 euros for one which is still ok considering most drinks are at least ten/fifteen euros).

Ibiza is ace and it's a shame some people have been disapointed with their experience this year, which I know has changed to a degree. The clubs and parts of the Island are still worth seeing and make for a great holiday. At the end of the day, it is what you make it, so party hard, sleep loads and make sure you don't fall asleep in the sunshine without suncream on!! x
 
Good review. Theres no doubt El Divino lost its vibe this year and Bor Bora was Bora Boring. Did anyone go to Smarty Party? The big clubs have lost it and the special vibe is to be found at the small places. I had an experioence this year which will be hard to beat but thats always the same for me in Ibiza, I'm never dissappointed.
 
Smarty party? that sounds interesting!

yeh hopefully when we go next year we will get to some of the smaller nights that are happening. We will definitely go slightly earlier in the season. smaller underground nights seem to be the way forward for ibiza at the moment and then hopefully (eventually) it will go full circle and the big clubs will regroup, rebrand and be get back to their full glory :)
 
It will take a year or two of half empty floors before they realise they've pushed prices and general contempt for the punters too far, but what do we expect from a bunch of criminals? Its dangerous because tastes are changing and to keep the faith and a good dance music scene going Ibiza is central, so they actually risk a terminal situation. You can't turn Space into a jazz club!

I can see it now - El Divino - restaurant and gym, Privilege a music hall Theatre, Amnesia a motorway service area, Eden and old folks day care centre, Space a supermarket (no change there you might say), DC10 a car yard, Pacha a gay sauna or carpet warehouse, Es Paradis a wax works museum of what Ibiza once was with stuffed effigies of Carl Cox, Danny T, Tiesto and Roger Sanchez with Pete Tong as curator.... creepy stuff, Hammer House of Horror - no more blissy times - no kissing strangers - the world without dance music.
 
good review

must say great review i am heading dis summer wit me girlfriend an a few pals staying in d jet apartments, wat r dey like an wat type of money r we talking ta have a good time in 2 weeks i spent 2g in ayia napa last year
 
when we went to buy our tickets for Goa at Sapce, the P.R took us into the bar while he apparantly went away to get them for us. Ten minutes later we were still waiting and he had gone back outside to do his P.R'ing. We had a drink while waiting (a ploy to get us in and make the place look busy) and eventually when we asked him another three times he finally gave us them.
:confused:
 
Last year I distinctly got the impression that everyone was trying to part me with my money at every turn, and not particularly interested in whether we had a good time.

Like you said above, it might well have always been this way, and we're just getting older and more attuned to it.

Still had a great time of course, I always have a good time, but these things do start to niggle.
 
Really good to hear that ebano apartments are pretty good. Just booked there myself - also wanted a bit of quiet whilst not being too far from space etc :). Thanks for the review.
 
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