stivi
Well-Known Member
Intro - One year without ibiza
(If you just want to read my review from this years hols, then scroll down and skip the first bit, this is not really about ibiza, but it still has a connection to it)
As most of readers on here will know, I have been going to ibiza for a few years already. I fell in love with the island at first sight back in 2004 and ever since, I always visited the island at least twice, if not three times a year. And then in 2007 and 2008 I did two seasons there – most definitely the summers of my life! Then last year, I got back to the routine to travel to ibiza on various occasions. But at the end of summer 2009, before I flew down for the closings, I already knew I would take a break after that. not because I was fed up with ibiza, not at all, but just for the simple reason that during the last 5 years I had spent almost all my hols in ibiza and I suddenly realised there's still a lot more of this world I wanna see. So the only reason I didn't go to ibiza earlier this year is the fact I wanted to have some time on my hands to travel to other destinations. On one hand this was great, I really saw a lot of beautiful places during the last 12 months (read on!), but on the other hand I felt like I'd just withhold myself of going to the place I love most…strange isn't it? And also knowing I wouldn't see some close friends for much longer than i usually do was quite hard. But I have to admit that, looking back at the past 12 months, I was a lucky bastard because I got to see a lot and still had a brilliant time – in ibiza and elsewhere!
Some of you surely have noticed I didn't post as much on here as I did before. This was due to various reasons: first of all, work. Second: travelling! And third: I just wasn't on spot anymore. I did let go a bit of ibiza (maybe to survive here back home? J) and so also let go a tiny bit of spotlight. I still was and am reading on here everyday and I still post, but I know it's no comparison to when I was working down there! But that's not really important, isn't it? Now you'll get the trademark nostrum-esque review and as a bonus, even before we really start, I'll tell you about my travels I did this year. I'm sure you'll know a lot of these places or have even visited some of them, but maybe you also think about travelling to other places than ibiza in the future and so here's my travel guide… (and again, just scroll down if you're not interested!) J
December 2009 – Maldives
Just before the winter really kicked in here in Switzerland, I took a flight down to Maldives islands. I had been there before various times already, so the islands were no news to me. This year though, I went for one simple reason: to finally get my scuba diving license! And boy, I do regret it a lot only having started doing scuba diving now. The marine world is such a wonderful place and so peaceful. No noise at all, and you're feeling like being in a big zoo. So I did my open water diver course there and chilled a lot as well and soaked up the sun. Just what the doctor had ordered before a long and heavy winter in the mountains…
New year 2010 – Morocco / Marrakech
A last minute booked trip to Marrakech, a city I always wanted to see. Lovely and exhausting at the same time! loved all the souks and Jemaa-el-fna (the huge square) and the restaurants and mint tea and arab shoes (I do remember Barbie here!) No clubbing done at all – gave pacha Marrakech a miss because we just weren't in the mood to have a boogie.
Winter 2009-2010 – Switzerland (Snowsports!)
Skiing or snowboarding anyone? Well, to be honest, the only nice thing about living in Switzerland (in winter!) is the fact you're able to hit the slopes within one hour from most cities! Great! So whenever I had some spare time, I was skiing and enjoying the snowy mountains. So if anyone ever needs a hint for a Swiss skiing resort, just PM me, I really know myself around.
March 2010 – Timewarp Mannheim
Not really travelling, but even the nicer to have a great GREAT party after half a year's party break during winter! TW is a “must-do†– really liked it a lot!
April 2010 – Africa!
Right, I had been to some of the northern African countries before (Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt) and also had been to some of the countries in the Middle East (UAE and Oman), but so far, I hadn't been to the “real†Africa. This changed in april this year when I travelled down and visited Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi. What an absolutely great and impressive trip this was! Safaris in Zambia (in the South Luangwa National Park), chilling at Lake Malawi (including scuba diving – wohoo!) and generally soaking up a life that's just SO different of almost everything “we†are used to. By saying “we†I might be generalising a bit, but let me just say I'm speaking about the western world. It was really a trip I'll never forget and I'm more than sure I'll return to Africa sooner or later. There's still many spots on that continent I haven't seen yet and which I'm keen on seeing (such as South Africa as well as Tanzania for example).
Summer 2010 – Switzerland again (outdoor activities and parties!)
Now summer in Switzerland is a completely different story than Winter. Even though I love skiing and snowboarding, I generally hate our winters. But I adore our summers. Everything's so (fukcing) green (anyone got it? J), we're swimming in the lakes and the rivers, camping, BBQ's and so on. I did a bit of windsurfing, was down in the Italian part of switzerland twice (Ticino – magnificient) and also enjoyed some really great parties. first off, there's the streetparade weekend in Zurich in August. Even though we had a bit of bad luck with the weather this year, it still was the highlight of the summer again here. And I think i broke my own record in terms of extended dancing sessions…It was just bloody marvellous! Second, we're having a few really nice outdoor parties here in our lovely small country. A lot of them are in the goa/psytrance sector. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of psy trance (although I do like the prog sound they also play lots at these fiestas), but the scene is really lively here and they always find stunning locations in the mountains for their parties! great work guys, keep them coming! So even without ibiza, I did have my fair share of parties in summer J
August 2010 – Mykonos and Santorini
A one week trip took us to both Mykonos and Santorini. We were based in a great hotel in Mykonos, nice and quiet and quite far from all the party beaches. But hey, Mykonos is even smaller than ibiza. So you just rent a scooter or an ATV and you're set. That's what we did and so we explored all of Mykonos. The beaches are OK generally, the sand's a bit rough sometimes, but the water's always crystal clear. The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that most of the beaches (except panormos, our favourite!) were just too crowded with sunbeds and umbrellas. It made the beaches look a bit ugly IMHO. Then, speaking about those famous party beaches (paranga, paradise and super paradise beaches), they are also OK – but not more than that. the main differences to ibiza are the following two: first off, the beach bars there (which basically are really nice!) play a lot of really, really commercial stuff. And second: the peeps there love it! Well, it's just not “ibiza people†in Mykonos. They are not the clubber type of tourist, more like the normal young tourists who like to party a bit and don't really mind who's playing and what exactly is played. Cavo Paradiso is a must see though when you hit Mykonos. It's really one of the most beautiful clubs I've ever seen. I mean, maybe not the club itself, but the location is simply amazing! THIS is exactly what's missing in ibiza nowadays – an open-air club overlooking the sea and you dance into the sunrise – great. They could (err, should!) improve their sound system though. They have a great lineup from mid-july to the last week of August, one really big DJ every night (so you get Sven Väth on one night, then Carl Cox the next and after him AvB). When we were there, Tony Humphries just came from Ibiza and looked a bit worn out after his appearance at the DC10-anniversary fiesta J it was great fun still! The only thing you have to keep in mind when you hit Cavo Paradiso: you won't find the ibiza clubber type there neither! Again, more the “normal†tourists who go out and try out CP once or twice during their holiday. And, especially in August, there are a lot of Italians, same as in Ibiza.
The most beautiful place in Mykonos is Chora – Mykonos Town – with no doubt at all. Go and see it for yourself. That town alone is worth a visit to Mykonos!
Then we took a ferry and hopped over to Santorini (around 2.5hrs with the fast catamaran ferry). Wow. Breathtaking! Make sure you hit a sunset from Oia (the northernmost point of the island) and then have dinner there. It's such a picturesque place, it's incredible. Oia in Santorini and Mykonos Town alone are worth the whole trip. Also Fira, the main city of Santorini is really nice and I was surprised to see they're also having some nightlife there! So if you're planning to see these places, my advise would be to take one full week and spend 4-5 days in Mykonos and 2-3 in Santorini. And oh, before I forget – you can also do scuba diving in Mykonos!
September 2010 – Dutch Antilles / ABC Islands
Another week on the road. This time I flew with some peeps of the travel trade to the dutch Antilles and had a look around. First we spent some days in Aruba. A small island with a very, very nice and long sandy beach. And some great marine life! Else, far too “American†for my taste. I mean you step out of the hotels and see McD, BK, TGIF, Hooters, you name it… also, most of the hotels are not really beautiful IMHO, they're just too big and I didn't like their style neither. There's one exception and this is the bucuti beach resort. Go there, get spoilt and enjoy!
After Aruba, we flew to Curacao (we didn't have time for Bonaire which ist the 3rd island of the trio) and yup, that was much more up my street. Curacao had a much more local, Caribbean touch, mixed with the obvious Dutch influences. The beaches might not be as shiny and big, but the people are really lovely and nice, the marine sealife is incredible (yes guys, scuba diving again). So Curacao definitely won over Aruba on that trip.
Well I hope I didn't bore you to tears until now.
So after all that travelling I had done and the really great summer I had had, there was just one piece of the puzzle missing to make it a perfect summer. Of course it's the return to ibiza I am talking about. Would the island still amaze me as it always did? Would the two weeks fulfil my (high) expectations? Read on and you'll find out…
(If you just want to read my review from this years hols, then scroll down and skip the first bit, this is not really about ibiza, but it still has a connection to it)
As most of readers on here will know, I have been going to ibiza for a few years already. I fell in love with the island at first sight back in 2004 and ever since, I always visited the island at least twice, if not three times a year. And then in 2007 and 2008 I did two seasons there – most definitely the summers of my life! Then last year, I got back to the routine to travel to ibiza on various occasions. But at the end of summer 2009, before I flew down for the closings, I already knew I would take a break after that. not because I was fed up with ibiza, not at all, but just for the simple reason that during the last 5 years I had spent almost all my hols in ibiza and I suddenly realised there's still a lot more of this world I wanna see. So the only reason I didn't go to ibiza earlier this year is the fact I wanted to have some time on my hands to travel to other destinations. On one hand this was great, I really saw a lot of beautiful places during the last 12 months (read on!), but on the other hand I felt like I'd just withhold myself of going to the place I love most…strange isn't it? And also knowing I wouldn't see some close friends for much longer than i usually do was quite hard. But I have to admit that, looking back at the past 12 months, I was a lucky bastard because I got to see a lot and still had a brilliant time – in ibiza and elsewhere!
Some of you surely have noticed I didn't post as much on here as I did before. This was due to various reasons: first of all, work. Second: travelling! And third: I just wasn't on spot anymore. I did let go a bit of ibiza (maybe to survive here back home? J) and so also let go a tiny bit of spotlight. I still was and am reading on here everyday and I still post, but I know it's no comparison to when I was working down there! But that's not really important, isn't it? Now you'll get the trademark nostrum-esque review and as a bonus, even before we really start, I'll tell you about my travels I did this year. I'm sure you'll know a lot of these places or have even visited some of them, but maybe you also think about travelling to other places than ibiza in the future and so here's my travel guide… (and again, just scroll down if you're not interested!) J
December 2009 – Maldives
Just before the winter really kicked in here in Switzerland, I took a flight down to Maldives islands. I had been there before various times already, so the islands were no news to me. This year though, I went for one simple reason: to finally get my scuba diving license! And boy, I do regret it a lot only having started doing scuba diving now. The marine world is such a wonderful place and so peaceful. No noise at all, and you're feeling like being in a big zoo. So I did my open water diver course there and chilled a lot as well and soaked up the sun. Just what the doctor had ordered before a long and heavy winter in the mountains…
New year 2010 – Morocco / Marrakech
A last minute booked trip to Marrakech, a city I always wanted to see. Lovely and exhausting at the same time! loved all the souks and Jemaa-el-fna (the huge square) and the restaurants and mint tea and arab shoes (I do remember Barbie here!) No clubbing done at all – gave pacha Marrakech a miss because we just weren't in the mood to have a boogie.
Winter 2009-2010 – Switzerland (Snowsports!)
Skiing or snowboarding anyone? Well, to be honest, the only nice thing about living in Switzerland (in winter!) is the fact you're able to hit the slopes within one hour from most cities! Great! So whenever I had some spare time, I was skiing and enjoying the snowy mountains. So if anyone ever needs a hint for a Swiss skiing resort, just PM me, I really know myself around.
March 2010 – Timewarp Mannheim
Not really travelling, but even the nicer to have a great GREAT party after half a year's party break during winter! TW is a “must-do†– really liked it a lot!
April 2010 – Africa!
Right, I had been to some of the northern African countries before (Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt) and also had been to some of the countries in the Middle East (UAE and Oman), but so far, I hadn't been to the “real†Africa. This changed in april this year when I travelled down and visited Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi. What an absolutely great and impressive trip this was! Safaris in Zambia (in the South Luangwa National Park), chilling at Lake Malawi (including scuba diving – wohoo!) and generally soaking up a life that's just SO different of almost everything “we†are used to. By saying “we†I might be generalising a bit, but let me just say I'm speaking about the western world. It was really a trip I'll never forget and I'm more than sure I'll return to Africa sooner or later. There's still many spots on that continent I haven't seen yet and which I'm keen on seeing (such as South Africa as well as Tanzania for example).
Summer 2010 – Switzerland again (outdoor activities and parties!)
Now summer in Switzerland is a completely different story than Winter. Even though I love skiing and snowboarding, I generally hate our winters. But I adore our summers. Everything's so (fukcing) green (anyone got it? J), we're swimming in the lakes and the rivers, camping, BBQ's and so on. I did a bit of windsurfing, was down in the Italian part of switzerland twice (Ticino – magnificient) and also enjoyed some really great parties. first off, there's the streetparade weekend in Zurich in August. Even though we had a bit of bad luck with the weather this year, it still was the highlight of the summer again here. And I think i broke my own record in terms of extended dancing sessions…It was just bloody marvellous! Second, we're having a few really nice outdoor parties here in our lovely small country. A lot of them are in the goa/psytrance sector. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of psy trance (although I do like the prog sound they also play lots at these fiestas), but the scene is really lively here and they always find stunning locations in the mountains for their parties! great work guys, keep them coming! So even without ibiza, I did have my fair share of parties in summer J
August 2010 – Mykonos and Santorini
A one week trip took us to both Mykonos and Santorini. We were based in a great hotel in Mykonos, nice and quiet and quite far from all the party beaches. But hey, Mykonos is even smaller than ibiza. So you just rent a scooter or an ATV and you're set. That's what we did and so we explored all of Mykonos. The beaches are OK generally, the sand's a bit rough sometimes, but the water's always crystal clear. The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that most of the beaches (except panormos, our favourite!) were just too crowded with sunbeds and umbrellas. It made the beaches look a bit ugly IMHO. Then, speaking about those famous party beaches (paranga, paradise and super paradise beaches), they are also OK – but not more than that. the main differences to ibiza are the following two: first off, the beach bars there (which basically are really nice!) play a lot of really, really commercial stuff. And second: the peeps there love it! Well, it's just not “ibiza people†in Mykonos. They are not the clubber type of tourist, more like the normal young tourists who like to party a bit and don't really mind who's playing and what exactly is played. Cavo Paradiso is a must see though when you hit Mykonos. It's really one of the most beautiful clubs I've ever seen. I mean, maybe not the club itself, but the location is simply amazing! THIS is exactly what's missing in ibiza nowadays – an open-air club overlooking the sea and you dance into the sunrise – great. They could (err, should!) improve their sound system though. They have a great lineup from mid-july to the last week of August, one really big DJ every night (so you get Sven Väth on one night, then Carl Cox the next and after him AvB). When we were there, Tony Humphries just came from Ibiza and looked a bit worn out after his appearance at the DC10-anniversary fiesta J it was great fun still! The only thing you have to keep in mind when you hit Cavo Paradiso: you won't find the ibiza clubber type there neither! Again, more the “normal†tourists who go out and try out CP once or twice during their holiday. And, especially in August, there are a lot of Italians, same as in Ibiza.
The most beautiful place in Mykonos is Chora – Mykonos Town – with no doubt at all. Go and see it for yourself. That town alone is worth a visit to Mykonos!
Then we took a ferry and hopped over to Santorini (around 2.5hrs with the fast catamaran ferry). Wow. Breathtaking! Make sure you hit a sunset from Oia (the northernmost point of the island) and then have dinner there. It's such a picturesque place, it's incredible. Oia in Santorini and Mykonos Town alone are worth the whole trip. Also Fira, the main city of Santorini is really nice and I was surprised to see they're also having some nightlife there! So if you're planning to see these places, my advise would be to take one full week and spend 4-5 days in Mykonos and 2-3 in Santorini. And oh, before I forget – you can also do scuba diving in Mykonos!
September 2010 – Dutch Antilles / ABC Islands
Another week on the road. This time I flew with some peeps of the travel trade to the dutch Antilles and had a look around. First we spent some days in Aruba. A small island with a very, very nice and long sandy beach. And some great marine life! Else, far too “American†for my taste. I mean you step out of the hotels and see McD, BK, TGIF, Hooters, you name it… also, most of the hotels are not really beautiful IMHO, they're just too big and I didn't like their style neither. There's one exception and this is the bucuti beach resort. Go there, get spoilt and enjoy!
After Aruba, we flew to Curacao (we didn't have time for Bonaire which ist the 3rd island of the trio) and yup, that was much more up my street. Curacao had a much more local, Caribbean touch, mixed with the obvious Dutch influences. The beaches might not be as shiny and big, but the people are really lovely and nice, the marine sealife is incredible (yes guys, scuba diving again). So Curacao definitely won over Aruba on that trip.
Well I hope I didn't bore you to tears until now.
So after all that travelling I had done and the really great summer I had had, there was just one piece of the puzzle missing to make it a perfect summer. Of course it's the return to ibiza I am talking about. Would the island still amaze me as it always did? Would the two weeks fulfil my (high) expectations? Read on and you'll find out…
