"After a difficult year it was really important to us to find the perfect family holiday destination. A huge amount of research and review reading was done and I am pleased to say Malama Beach Holiday Village has been perfect for us.
We stayed in a one bedroom, garden view suite on a half-board basis. The sofas were made into beds for our two children and they slept comfortably.
The suite was lovely, spotless on arrival and the cleaning team came in everyday (apart from Sunday), they removed recycling and rubbish, made beds, swept and changed towels. Would have liked them to have swept the balcony as it got sandy quickly from our beach things, but as we had a dust pan and brush in the kitchen we managed to keep this clean enough. A small kitchenette was brilliantly equipped. We didn’t cook but you could do basics if you needed as there is a microwave, 2 ring hob, toaster, kettle. Pans, utensils, cutlery and crockery all provided and kids plastic plates, bowls and cutely too. The fridge was perfect for storing drinks and food.
Plenty of cupboards and shelves for clothes and storage. Both the bedroom and lounge were big enough to store our suitcases in corners without tripping over them all holiday!
The hotel itself is lovely, we really enjoyed the accommodation being spread out around the grounds rather than one big building. It made it feel more private than a big hotel. The staff are fantastic, reception very helpful and answered any questions we had, booked us a taxi when needed and gave us information on buses and trips. Maintenance were on hand when needed, my daughter managed to change the code on our safe and within minutes of calling reception one of the maintenance team arrived at our room to override and open the safe…phew!
There is a small shop just outside the entrance to the hotel for essentials and a bigger shop / small supermarket a few minute walk up the road. We used both and could easily find snacks, food for lunch, toiletries, drinks etc.
The pool area is very nice, and kept clean. There are 3 pools, one of which is shallow for small children. We did find the pool to be cold but lovely on very hot days for an instant cool down! It didn’t stop my children from playing in the pool continuously and to be honest not totally unexpected in October! The sun loungers being allocated for the duration of the stay was a big plus for us. We had a great spot where we could see the kids in the pool easily. The team were very willing to move you, if needed, when space became available. Pool towels were also provided and you can change for fresh towels every 2 days, this is another huge plus.
The food is good, lots of choice. Several live cooking stations, you do need to be prepared to queue at these during busy times, but food is cooked fresh so hardly something to complain about and plenty else readily available if short on time. Restaurant staff were quick to clear tables and serve drinks. As half board we could easily swap dinner for lunch, which we did on a couple of days and then went out of the resort in the evening.
The beach is lovely, just a short walk from the pool area down a private footpath from the hotel. The water is shallow, clear and very calm, perfect for the kids to play in. It is a small cove, so not a huge amount of beach but we always found a spot, even if some days it was a squeeze! The water was very warm and inviting, and great for snorkeling. There is a lovely beach bar with great staff and a great mix of tables for eating, or just sitting taking in the views with a drink. Also a jetty with water sports, the team there were very friendly.
We did a couple of trips, a short taxi to Protaras for an explore and to see the Magic Fountains, which we all enjoyed. We enjoyed a walk along the sea front where there were lots of hotels and beach front bars. It was nice to see Fig Tree Bay which we had heard about from friends. We had food at Siko Seaside, which we recommend, lovely atmosphere and food on the sea front. We walked back up through the strip early evening, which was nice to see but personally would not rush back to. There were some lovely local and authentic looking bars and restaurants but also plenty of ‘Brit’ style places such as the Only Fools and Horses and Cheers bars, great TV shows, but not our preference to experience abroad!
We got the bus to Ayia Napa one afternoon, it took 40min, but it went around the coast so lovely views. The bus stop was a 5min walk from the hotel and only cost €2 per adult, €1 per child. We are glad we visited Ayia Napa, lovely for a walk around and drinks / dinner. A taxi back late evening only took 20min and cost €30.
Our highlight of the trip was swimming with turtles and snorkeling in the blue lagoon. We decided to take a private boat from the water sports team on the jetty by the hotel. They take you out earlier than the big boats, so better chances of seeing and swimming with the turtles. Once we saw those boats arrive we were glad we paid more for private. With many more people getting into the water we would have struggled to get close to the turtles, luckily all 4 of us managed to swim up close with them. A first for us all and an experience we will never forget.
Malama Beach Holiday Village and its surrounding areas has everything you need for a lovely relaxing break, we highly recommend and will be back."
