’I flew to Lanzarote and spent a day at the beach for less than a trip to London’

The entire trip cost less than £100

A father treated his daughter to a day at the beach in Lanzarote, spending less than £100 on the entire trip. Budget travel enthusiast Aleksander Sikora, 41, arranged return flights to Lanzarote for a sunny day out when his 19-year-old daughter, Wiktoria, said she wanted to go on a trip to London to go shopping.

Aleksander, believing he could plan a better day out, booked £60 return flights to Lanzarote Airport, allowing them six hours of sun-soaked relaxation before heading back to the UK. The pair jetted off on 11 November, with Wiktoria exploring local fashion shops and markets while Aleksander enjoyed some downtime on the beach.

The excursion cost less than £100 per person and they were back home by midnight. Aleksander revealed that Wiktoria enjoyed the ‘extreme day trip’ so much that she’s eager to do it again.

Aleksander, a retail employee trainer from Farnham, Surrey, recalled: “My daughter said she wanted to go shopping – I said ‘give me a day and let me check something on the internet’. I came back and offered her a day trip to Lanzarote to do her shopping at the markets instead – and she said ‘why not?’.”

He added: “While she went off shopping, I listened to music and flew my drone on the beach – I enjoyed some peace and quiet time in the sun. It’s not for everyone and people will say I’m crazy for the trip – but it was what I needed to calm my mind.”

Aleksander secured the EasyJet tickets three days prior to departure, with the duo setting off on a 7am flight from Gatwick after shelling out £15 for a day’s parking. Upon arrival, they caught a £1.20 bus directly to Puerto Del Carmen, where Aleksander sat himself on the beach whilst his daughter went shopping.

Aleksander travelled light with just a small bag containing nothing more than a towel, his mobile, passport, a power bank, an empty water bottle, some earphones and his drone. He unwound in the sunshine for four hours, enjoying music and piloting his drone to capture bird’s-eye shots of the coastline.

He popped into a Chinese restaurant to purchase a £10 Chicken Chow Mein which he claimed sustained him throughout the day, sticking solely to water to maintain minimal expenses. He said: “It was on a budget, I’m not talking champagne and all-inclusive drinks. I just spent time on the beach, listened to my music, flew my drone and enjoyed the sun. I just relaxed, it’s like meditation, you don’t need much more than that.”

They left after six hours in Lanzarote to make their homeward flight, with Wiktoria having secured all the items she wanted, and Aleksander having absorbed some Vitamin D. They touched down back on British soil around 10:30pm and, whilst they were tired, they said they adored the day.

Aleksander commented: “If you spent a day in London it would cost more than I spent. In the present time, a lot is going on, the price of everything is increasing and everyone has work pressure. Sometimes you just need a few minutes to yourself, however you get it.”

Trip expenses

• Return flights – £60
• Petrol to drive to Gatwick from Surrey – £10
• Parking at airport – £15
• Bus – £3
• Chinese food – £10
• Souvenir magnet – £1

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