Ali Bon Tempi
Active Member
This may not be to everyone's liking but here is my review of this years trip. Usually my reviews cover disco dancing along with lovely drives around the islands, tasty lunches in the sun and some fine dining. As this year involved 12 lads on my brother's stag do it won't so I apologise. I'll start by explaining that while the trip involved quite a bit of stag behaviour there wasn't a football shirt or song in sight and not once did I hear the cry of ‘get ya tits ooooooot'….well not from our lot anyway. The group was a mixture of Ibiza veterans, first timers and some in between. We had only three days and one proper night out due to different budget levels.
Saturday
I got picked up at 3:30am in Notts to head to Leeds/Bradford airport. Was surprised that all the lads made it on time and as I had checked us all in earlier that week we made our way straight to security……catastrophe, what a queue! Just about made it through on time to get straight on our flight and so missing the traditional stag breakfast of a bacon sarnie and a pint. On passing the bar I was congratulated on the lack of un-amusing t-shirts or flower necklaces that the group had to wear. On to the flight and normal stag do behaviour was restored by taking advantage of three small beers for £10, and a quite terrible sandwich!
We touched down on time, left the airport and straight to the taxi queue as only had hand luggage with us. We arrived at the Sol Bahia in San Antonio shortly before midday and were pleasantly surprised to find that three of the four rooms were already prepared with the last one on its way and so a quick change and off we went. We caught up with two other mates who had flown in the night before and were staying for the week before stocking up on supplier from the shop (water, beers, ciggie's and cheesy poofs!). For anyone who has stayed at the Sol Bahia you'll know how good it is, for those who haven't I highly recommend it. Close enough so as not to be isolated but far enough away to have a lovely chilled out day when feeling a tad fragile. A massive shout out to all the staff who worked on reception, behind the bar and at night. Always a warm welcome, a smile and a joke to be had. Maybe it's because there's less agro and riff raff staying there but they were great. Literally every time you went to the bar you were offered a shot, and the only time there was a raised voice was when a shot was declined.'You chicken sheeeet' was the call that was followed by a big belly laugh!
First day was spent boozing around the pool, followed by a stroll around San An to show some of the boys the local sights and to let people get there bearings for later. We started with the sunset and then headed up to Davis Pizza where a good meal was had. The night mainly took in stag type booze filled shenanigans before retiring to the hotel to carry on the party.
Sunday
Woke up top and tales styleee on a mate's bed due to the stag falling asleep in our room and having locked all the doors….safety first eh? Was pleasantly surprised at a lack of hangover and so we all celebrated with breakfast and more beer although there was a significant drop in pace today. A good idea as we had hired out a couple of speed boats from 6pm through to sunset. What a brilliant idea this was. We all took an afternoon power nap and then took a stroll down to the marina for 6 o'clock to meet the boat lads and off we went around the sunset strip and round the coast where we moored up one boat and then used the other to go wake boarding and used the donuts to throw us around the med. Free beers and wine on board and was well in the party mood. The guys running it were a great laugh and one of them came out with us later. We finished outside Mambo annoying those who had turned early to get a good view of the sunset sat on the rocks!! Plenty of times I've sat there thinking ‘wa****s' but not this time around baby!
We went to take in the second half of Holland vs. Portugal and a few more beers before heading back at midnight to get changed. It was at this point the best man had decided that lots of pop plus the waves of the med (Inc free beer) equal a tired boy and so I hate to admit it but I crashed out before 1am to the shame of the stag and the rest of the boys. I am reliably told that I wasn't missed and lots more west end type fun went on including a visit to a bar where girls get naked for cash......and that some of the girls really like some of the lads so much so that more dancing was had……and funnily enough more cash changed hands, but that wasn't the point so I was told!
Monday
Woke up feeling like a big jessy but surprisingly spritely as opposed the rest who were obviously very manly and hard but were all a funny green colour. Again breakfast and poolside drinking was the order of the day and at this point we did start to upset the barman with our constant turning down of the Jagermeister – ‘You boys are chicken sheeeeeeets!!!' Again the pace was much slower today and by 4 all thoughts of DC10 led to a panic stricken face, however a dip in the pool and a game of head tennis soon perked us up (why didn't we do this yesterday!!!) The plan to be ready for 6 and get off went wrong in girly (not in a sexist way) fashion with us all taking far too long to get ready and so after having to pop down the west end and getting a taxi it was about 9 before we got to DC10. Now previously there was quite a dilemma faced on whether to come here or go to Defected on the Saturday before as I wasn't sure this would be to everyone's taste musically. I couldn't have been more wrong, it was literally banging in your face in both rooms and those I was particularly concerned about wouldn't leave the main room all night and are already trying to find out if Ellen Alien is playing when we head to Berlin to another stag do in 4 weeks time. There was a nice level of people even between 10 and12 when previously it's been too busy, and the atmosphere was top draw – reminded a lot of the older boys of the good old days of meeting people, talking **** and a good stomp. Think we left about 15 minutes before it closed so that we didn't have a taxi dilemma, headed back for a couple in San An and then carried on in the rooms until about 8 which was a good idea at the time and less so two hours later when the alarm went off.
Tuesday
Up after two hours sleep, a shower and a big worry that some of us would not make the airport in time. A rushed attempt at packing and we made it downstairs to collect our passports and in typical Sol Bahia fashion (quickly and efficiently), three cabs were called by the good lady on reception and were literally waiting for us before you could smoke a tab! A quick Burger King was had for breakfast and you have never seen such a sorry site as 10 lads sweating, and puffing and panting trying to get some food down, all trying to convince ourselves that while it was a struggle it was for the best. Flight was on time and sound, apart from having a couple of old dears who having insisted I move from the window seat (as it was not assigned to me), then got me up so that they could go to the toilet every 25 minutes….thanks for that.
Gladly not my job to drive us home and walked in just after 6pm feeling a bit eughhhh to be honest. My original plan to spend the next day working from home cruelly ruined by my boss who had called a mandatory meeting the next day, starting at 09:30 meaning I was up at 6am the following morning…disaster.
All in all it's now Friday and I'm whilst I'm still getting the shakes, the night fears and am still a bit wobbly I can safely say a great time was had. Not as much chilling and less sophistication than I'm used too but a great time none the less. It always takes me a few days to come back on Spotlight after a visit as I find it too painful, like not being able to see an ex so soon after a split but I think I'm OK again now. The fun is over and I'm over it but I know I'll be back next year and can hold on to that.
Sorry for the ramble, still a bit ooooh eerrrr missus but have found spouting crap quite therapeutic!
Saturday
I got picked up at 3:30am in Notts to head to Leeds/Bradford airport. Was surprised that all the lads made it on time and as I had checked us all in earlier that week we made our way straight to security……catastrophe, what a queue! Just about made it through on time to get straight on our flight and so missing the traditional stag breakfast of a bacon sarnie and a pint. On passing the bar I was congratulated on the lack of un-amusing t-shirts or flower necklaces that the group had to wear. On to the flight and normal stag do behaviour was restored by taking advantage of three small beers for £10, and a quite terrible sandwich!
We touched down on time, left the airport and straight to the taxi queue as only had hand luggage with us. We arrived at the Sol Bahia in San Antonio shortly before midday and were pleasantly surprised to find that three of the four rooms were already prepared with the last one on its way and so a quick change and off we went. We caught up with two other mates who had flown in the night before and were staying for the week before stocking up on supplier from the shop (water, beers, ciggie's and cheesy poofs!). For anyone who has stayed at the Sol Bahia you'll know how good it is, for those who haven't I highly recommend it. Close enough so as not to be isolated but far enough away to have a lovely chilled out day when feeling a tad fragile. A massive shout out to all the staff who worked on reception, behind the bar and at night. Always a warm welcome, a smile and a joke to be had. Maybe it's because there's less agro and riff raff staying there but they were great. Literally every time you went to the bar you were offered a shot, and the only time there was a raised voice was when a shot was declined.'You chicken sheeeet' was the call that was followed by a big belly laugh!
First day was spent boozing around the pool, followed by a stroll around San An to show some of the boys the local sights and to let people get there bearings for later. We started with the sunset and then headed up to Davis Pizza where a good meal was had. The night mainly took in stag type booze filled shenanigans before retiring to the hotel to carry on the party.
Sunday
Woke up top and tales styleee on a mate's bed due to the stag falling asleep in our room and having locked all the doors….safety first eh? Was pleasantly surprised at a lack of hangover and so we all celebrated with breakfast and more beer although there was a significant drop in pace today. A good idea as we had hired out a couple of speed boats from 6pm through to sunset. What a brilliant idea this was. We all took an afternoon power nap and then took a stroll down to the marina for 6 o'clock to meet the boat lads and off we went around the sunset strip and round the coast where we moored up one boat and then used the other to go wake boarding and used the donuts to throw us around the med. Free beers and wine on board and was well in the party mood. The guys running it were a great laugh and one of them came out with us later. We finished outside Mambo annoying those who had turned early to get a good view of the sunset sat on the rocks!! Plenty of times I've sat there thinking ‘wa****s' but not this time around baby!
We went to take in the second half of Holland vs. Portugal and a few more beers before heading back at midnight to get changed. It was at this point the best man had decided that lots of pop plus the waves of the med (Inc free beer) equal a tired boy and so I hate to admit it but I crashed out before 1am to the shame of the stag and the rest of the boys. I am reliably told that I wasn't missed and lots more west end type fun went on including a visit to a bar where girls get naked for cash......and that some of the girls really like some of the lads so much so that more dancing was had……and funnily enough more cash changed hands, but that wasn't the point so I was told!
Monday
Woke up feeling like a big jessy but surprisingly spritely as opposed the rest who were obviously very manly and hard but were all a funny green colour. Again breakfast and poolside drinking was the order of the day and at this point we did start to upset the barman with our constant turning down of the Jagermeister – ‘You boys are chicken sheeeeeeets!!!' Again the pace was much slower today and by 4 all thoughts of DC10 led to a panic stricken face, however a dip in the pool and a game of head tennis soon perked us up (why didn't we do this yesterday!!!) The plan to be ready for 6 and get off went wrong in girly (not in a sexist way) fashion with us all taking far too long to get ready and so after having to pop down the west end and getting a taxi it was about 9 before we got to DC10. Now previously there was quite a dilemma faced on whether to come here or go to Defected on the Saturday before as I wasn't sure this would be to everyone's taste musically. I couldn't have been more wrong, it was literally banging in your face in both rooms and those I was particularly concerned about wouldn't leave the main room all night and are already trying to find out if Ellen Alien is playing when we head to Berlin to another stag do in 4 weeks time. There was a nice level of people even between 10 and12 when previously it's been too busy, and the atmosphere was top draw – reminded a lot of the older boys of the good old days of meeting people, talking **** and a good stomp. Think we left about 15 minutes before it closed so that we didn't have a taxi dilemma, headed back for a couple in San An and then carried on in the rooms until about 8 which was a good idea at the time and less so two hours later when the alarm went off.
Tuesday
Up after two hours sleep, a shower and a big worry that some of us would not make the airport in time. A rushed attempt at packing and we made it downstairs to collect our passports and in typical Sol Bahia fashion (quickly and efficiently), three cabs were called by the good lady on reception and were literally waiting for us before you could smoke a tab! A quick Burger King was had for breakfast and you have never seen such a sorry site as 10 lads sweating, and puffing and panting trying to get some food down, all trying to convince ourselves that while it was a struggle it was for the best. Flight was on time and sound, apart from having a couple of old dears who having insisted I move from the window seat (as it was not assigned to me), then got me up so that they could go to the toilet every 25 minutes….thanks for that.
Gladly not my job to drive us home and walked in just after 6pm feeling a bit eughhhh to be honest. My original plan to spend the next day working from home cruelly ruined by my boss who had called a mandatory meeting the next day, starting at 09:30 meaning I was up at 6am the following morning…disaster.
All in all it's now Friday and I'm whilst I'm still getting the shakes, the night fears and am still a bit wobbly I can safely say a great time was had. Not as much chilling and less sophistication than I'm used too but a great time none the less. It always takes me a few days to come back on Spotlight after a visit as I find it too painful, like not being able to see an ex so soon after a split but I think I'm OK again now. The fun is over and I'm over it but I know I'll be back next year and can hold on to that.
Sorry for the ramble, still a bit ooooh eerrrr missus but have found spouting crap quite therapeutic!
