Frequently Asked Questions

We hope any questions you have will be answered here. If not, then please feel free to give as a call or send us an email, we are always happy to answer any of your questions. - Tel: 01902 373410 or 07779 008990 or email info@mangoholidays.co.uk

What kind of people come on your holidays?

Our holidays are open to anyone and we have clients from all walks of life, however, we find that most of our parents are generally over 25. Most parents in our groups we have noticed are non-smokers and we have a predominance of professional or full-time parents on our trips.

What can I expect when I come on holiday with Mango?

Our holidays are Group Holidays. We believe we are unique in providing the group holiday format for single parent family holidays. At the start of the holiday, we have a get together, when everyone meets up. The Mango Co-ordinator will introduce everyone and tell you about what activities will be on offer and get to know any specific interests or requests.

Then each day after breakfast, the group will meet up for whatever is planned for that day, even if it's just going down to the beach together. You can always go off and do something on your own with your children, but we find that most people want to join in with the group most of the time. At the end of the day before dinner, we meet up again, usually for a pre-dinner drink in the bar and then we will all go into dinner together.

You will soon find you and your children are among friends. Your children will develop a social network with their new found friends and you will be making friends yourself and enjoying adult company. Many people who meet on our holidays keep in touch and meet up after the holiday. The holidays are a great way for single parents to meet and make lasting friendships.

What are the age groups of the children?

Our youngest has been 18 months and the oldest 23 years (on a ski trip). Normally children up to 16 come on our holidays and more usually the age range is from 3 to 14. We find that age does not matter too much, as children seem to get on with each other, whatever their age. Skiing is popular with older children and we don't recommend Brecon Beacons for children under 4 as they are unable to participate in several of the activities. We run a holiday especially for Tots (pre-school age children) in Devon in June.

I'm a single parent and very nervous about travelling on my own with my children, how can Mango help me?

Our holidays are exclusively for single parent families and so everyone is in the same position. Although we get lots of repeat bookings, on any one holiday there is usually a predominance of those travelling with us for the first time. So there will be lots of other people in the same position as you. When you arrive you will be met by the Mango Co-ordinator who will immediately put you at ease and as soon as possible introduce you to all the others on the holiday. Soon you will feel like everyone has been your friend for a long time and you will be feeling confident. Your children too will soon make friends and you will be able to relax, just knowing they are happy. Note, if you want to ask any questions and talk about any of your concerns, feel free to give Lesley, Jackie or Steve a call on 01902 373410

What is the role of the Mango Co-ordinator?

All our holidays are accompanied throughout by a Mango Co-ordinator. Their job is to ensure that the group gels as much as possible, to ensure everything runs smoothly, reserve tables, deal with any problems for you and arrange visits and activities.

Please note, however, that your Mango co-ordinator cannot be responsible for the personal safety or welfare of your children. Our holidays are based on parental responsibility and it is your role to ensure the safety and good behaviour of your children. You should not ask the Mango Co-ordinator to take your child or children on an activity if you are not going yourself. (The legal framework under which we operate prevents this).

In extreme circumstances, if the behaviour of any child or adult is disrupting the enjoyment of the rest of the group, the Mango Co-ordinator can request the family not to participate in group activities.

How do you recruit the Mango Co-ordinators?

Jackie and Steve are the Mango Co-ordinators on many of the trips. Steve tends to co-ordinates in the UK holiday, Slovenia and ski holidays. For other trips the Mango Co-ordinator will be a Single Parent with their child or children. These co-ordinators are usually recruited from people who have been on a Mango holiday themselves and are fully supportive of the Mango ethos. We believe that single parents with their children will have the most empathy with our Single Parent Families and because they participate with their children they can more easily become part of the group.

I've seen the prices in your brochure or on the website but will it go up after I have booked?

The price quoted is the price you pay. Once you have booked your holiday and paid the deposit we will absorb any increases in price, such as fuel supplements or exchange rate fluctuations. Any optional payments, such as flight supplements for regional airports, if they apply, or room upgrades, are clearly stated. We also tell you exactly what is included in the price of the holiday. You will notice that the price of our overseas holidays includes both a price in GBP and a local payment. See the next question for an explanation of why we have a local payment and what it is for.

What is the local payment on overseas holidays and what is it for?

On our overseas holidays we have a local payment, usually payable in local currency or euro. Because our holidays are group holidays, there are some costs that have to be met in resort in cash. If we meet these payments through the local payment method it removes the need for us to add into our prices exchange costs and makes it easier for us to physically provide the cash to the Mango Co-ordinator. Collecting this payment in this way enables us to keep our overall costs down and pass the savings onto you.

How safe is my money with Mango?

Your money is perfectly safe. In accordance with EC regulations, your payment to us for holidays including flights are fully protected under our bonding agreement, through the Civil Aviation Authority, who issue the Air Tour Operator's Licence ATOL our Licence number is 6200. You should ensure that any holiday company with whom you book an overseas trip is ATOL bonded. For more details please visit www.atol.org.uk to check out any Tour Operator's Licence.

Can I fly from my nearest airport?

Wherever possible we try to arrange for you to fly from your nearest airport as we know this is important to you. We do sometimes have to charge a regional flight supplement but this will always be made clear to you at the time of booking. The regional flight supplement may be to cover additional costs associated with your flight and/or additional costs for transfers as a result of flights arriving at different times. We try to keep these supplements to a minimum, usually up to £35 per person and if you book before the end of the December before your trip, we do not charge a regional flight supplement, except in exceptional circumstances and then we will always offer an alternative airport without supplement. For some holidays, such as the ski trip to Transylvania, flights are only available from Heathrow. We recommend travelling down the day before and booking a Heathrow hotel overnight with parking, if required. Packages are available through secure.holidayextras.co.uk/mango-parking and secure.holidayextras.co.uk/mango-hotels

Do the Hotels have Kids Clubs?

Most of the Hotels we use do not have Kid's Clubs. Because of the way we organise our holidays, we find that most of our clients want to spend quality time with their children and get out and do things together. And because you'll be making adult friends, while your children are busy socialising with their new-found friends, there really is no need for Kid's Clubs.

Does Mango get many fathers?

Yes, we get plenty of fathers, especially on our ski holidays.

What deposit is required?

Deposits on holidays are 50% of the total cost.

When do I have to pay the final balance?

The balance is required no later than 8 weeks before departure. If you are unable to meet the normal schedule of payments, we are happy to agree alternative arrangements in many cases. Please contact us if you wish to make alternative payment arrangements.

When will I receive my travel documents?

All travel documents will be sent to you about 2 weeks prior to departure. These will include tickets, if provided, although most airlines now use e-ticketing and therefore you will just get a reference number, flight numbers, times of flights, check-in times, baggage allowance, etc., arrangements for arrival and a list of those booked on the holiday together with the ages of the children. We will also usually recommend some things you should take with you, the currency used, and so on.

Do you organise visits, excursions and activities?

Your Mango Co-ordinator will be able to organise most excursions and activities for the group. Whenever possible they will try to negotiate group discounts, which can be passed onto the group. In each resort we take advantage of anything interesting to visit or any activity on offer. Snorkelling, diving and other water sports are on offer in both Malta and Cyprus. Each resort has activities and visits available and these are often mentioned in the trip description. The visits and excursions are not included in the price of the holiday, except when specified.

What money will I need?

For all our trips you will need personal spending money and money for visits, activities and excursions. A lot of the entertainment we use is home-spun fun, such as games on the beach. For our overseas trips you will need the money for the local payment. We always make it clear in our trip descriptions what is included in the price of the holiday. There are ATMs available close by to most of the hotels we use.

How big are the groups?

Our groups usually consist of between 20 and 30 (6-12 families). Our February Half-term skiing holidays generally have larger numbers of families.