Hi, hope someone can help please. We are heading to Lanzarote next Sunday (15th January) for a 2 week stay at the Papagayo Arena Hotel. I have a young baby who is still only on milk feeds. I didn't want to have to use up half my weight allowance on the plane bringing milk and nappies with me. I was wondering if there was a large supermarket in or around Playa Blanca that stocks baby products? I don't mind travelling a bit to get there and I speak pretty good Spanish so if it's out of the main bit it shouldn't be a problem.

Also, was wondering if anyone had experience of staying at the hotel we've booked? I'm not sure if they will be able to provide us with a kettle and microwave either for making/sterilising bottles.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Yvonne x

I'm sure someone will be able to answer with specifics, and if they don't I can point you to some other forums which will, but living in PB, I am well aware that the supermarkets do stock plenty of baby items which are just like the ones you are used to, albeit different names. For example, the disposable nappies are Dodot. PB not only caters for many visitors with your needs, but is a town of over 10000 residents, who need them for themselves. The main supermarket in the back of the middle of the town is Hiperdino, and the hotel can give you directions. There are also Spars and other smaller supermakrets analogous to Tesco Express near to you.

Try Googling the hotel; I did and came up with this review:

"We have just returned from the Papgayo Arena and after only 1 day vowed we would go back. This is the ideal hotel for familes. We had 2 babies in our party aged 4 and 7 months and the staff were brilliant with them. It especially helped having the fridge in the room. Also if you are travelling with babies be aware don't do what we did which was load up with sterilising solution etc as you can hire all of this equipment there.

I have never been to a hotel before where everything was cleaned so regularly. The pool was scrubed every morning even the steps into the pool where taken off to scrub behind them!

Food was excellent always something for everyone Chinese could have been better not in quality but in choice of dishes. The main international restaurant was quite large and sometimes felt like a dining hall but the Italian restuarant was adjacent and much more intimate and you could eat food from either the Italian or International selection so we tended to eat in there most nights as it had more atmosphere. Drinks were all excellent including alcoholic. We stayed at an all inclusive in Barbados last Novemeber and it was not a patch on this hotel in any area. Would deffinately recommend to anyone."

See http://www.holiday-truth.com/holiday_tr ... %20Resort/

How olds your little one?

We took ours when she was 4 months - THe big Hiperdino in the centre of Pb has everything you need - aptimel is the same - bit more pricey than at home although with the exchange rate improving prob not a lot in it - looks a little different but the box is the same size. But would take a couple of days supply with you.
Nappies - dodots are pampers, so no probs there. Plus all the wipes and that.

Sterilising - we took out the old milton tablets, bought a bucket in PB and just left all the bits in it to sterilise overnight - was also great for killing mossies too....! Must admit think people can get a little over zealous with sterilising - by 6 months little madam was licking the floor anyway........but the milton tablets seemed the easiest and most packing friendly way of doing it and just leave the bucket behind.

What else - car sick was a bit of a prob - especially if the only way to settle them was to feed them all the way through the flight. Suggest lining the car seat with muslins and towels - we ended up travelling with her just in a nappy and dressing at destination - was fine when she was 4 month but when we went again when she was 13 months must have had to wash the car seat 4 times!!!

But should be absolutely fine.

As already mentioned, we found everything we needed in the Hiperdino except one thing, Farley's Rusks, but we managed to get them from Macey's in Tias.

Thank you everyone who took the time to reply to my post. Between you, you have given me all the information I need.

Walker - I have only ever looked at Trip Advisor reviews, I didn't even know about this other site so will have a look on there, thank you.

Foodie - My baby's 4 months old too. Great tip about sterilising, thanks. I was gonna try n squeeze in my microwave steriliser but tht just seems daft now. I'm not overly fussy about sterilising myself as my LO's big brother, who's 2, makes sure she's exposed to plenty of germs already lol. He's forever poking his manky fingers in her mouth, poor wee soul! I'm really pleased I can get her Aptimel too as that is the milk she has taken from birth anyway.

Ethan's dad - Thank you for your reply, we'll definitely be visiting the Hyperdino.

Thanks again folks

Yvonne x

Vonnie - I don't about microwave sterilisers but we had these....

http://www.johnlewis.com/231185080/Prod ... s%2e%2e%2e

Bags you stick in the microwave - you can get them off amazon too. 20 uses per bag.Really handy.

Hi

we have taken a 10 month old and the best way we found to ensure you get the correct milk is to pre order enough individual cartons to collect air side in the uk airport. Sometime milk stocks can be hit and miss on the island just take an empty handluggage and fill it with baby "stuff" - Advise use dodots nappies... Food is readily available.