A wealthy couple that are used to five-star getaways costing £21,748 admitted that they had ’11 times more fun’ on a budget Ayia Napa getaway which was just £223 per person.
On an episode of Channel 5‘s Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday, airing on Sunday, March 15, high-end jewellery consultant Lydia and her music producer husband Rob – who was once the bass player in noughties band Missing Andy – got to experience a vacation worlds away from their usual fancy fare.
The pair from Essex, who usually don’t think twice about splurging thousands on hotels, went on a typical ‘Brits abroad’ trip to Cyprus’ party capital, swapping out deluxe suites and posh seafront dinners for a day out on a pirate boat and ‘dirty €7 kebabs’.
On the programme, which invites people from different sides of the wealth divide to experience a vacation in another tax bracket, best friends Vicky and Shelley, from Birmingham, first went on a luxury trip to the city of Paphos, where they joined Lydia and Rob.
A wealthy couple that are used to five-star getaways costing £21,748 admitted that they had ’11 times more fun’ on a budget Ayia Napa getaway which was just £223 per person
The group stayed in flats that set them back £1,300, and featured a private pool, with amenities so premium they sent Shelley to tears.
She and Vicky, both in their 40s, have been friends for more than 30 years and have bonded over being mothers.
Shelley had to give up her full time job in recruitment 18 months ago to care for her autistic 13-year-old son Alfie, whereas Vicky is a health care worker working for a minimum wage.
‘I work longer hours just to keep my head above the water really,’ Vicky told the programme. ‘It’s a daily struggle.’
Meanwhile, Shelley is left with about £50 of disposable income per week ‘if she’s lucky’ and has had times ‘when she has not got a penny’.
‘And when I say I haven’t got a penny, I mean I haven’t got a penny,’ she stressed.
However, the pair got to experience a holiday ‘in a different league’ when Rob and Lydia initially took them to visit posh Paphos, which included cocktails by the pool and a cultural walking tour of the architecture.
But while they both got a taste of the high life, all four agreed that a cheap as chips trip to Ayia Napa, just two hours down the coast, was the superior one.
The pair from Essex, who usually don’t think twice about splurging thousands on hotels, went on a typical ‘Brits abroad’ trip to Cyprus’ party capital, swapping out deluxe suites and posh seafront dinners for a day out on a pirate boat (pictured) and ‘dirty €7 kebabs’
For all of them, the trip, including accommodation, spending money and activities, came to a total of just £892.
They went clubbing down the strip, took shots with strangers at the bar, enjoyed some karaoke and were dragged by a boat while sat on an inflatable sofa.
‘The adventures we had on our holidays were amazing,’ Lydia gushed. ‘And I’ve made memories that I will take away with me but then coming here and being reminded of when I was younger has been so much fun.
‘It’s made us realise that we don’t need to spend silly money to enjoy ourselves and that we can cut things back a bit.’
‘Both holidays were great,’ Shelley added. ‘I loved the luxury holiday, it was amazing and fancy, I’m not knocking it, but I feel personally but we have had a lot more fun on this holiday.’
‘I agree,’ Rob said. ‘It was about 11 times less than what we spent on the expensive one, but we had 11 times more fun on this one.’
The couple, both in their 40s, who have been together for 11 years, were first sceptical when they arrived in the much more humble accommodation for the cheap leg of their holiday.
Rob and Lydia have spent as much as £1,000 a night on a hotel and £200 just for room service, and first described their twin bed room as ‘a little bit prison-y’ and found the toilets to be ‘about as big as in a camper van’.
And initially, they were daunted by the prospect of only having £30 to spend a day per person.
But after an initial night out on the town, the couple found themselves in high spirits and said they felt ‘young again’, tucking into a cheap kebab after clubbing.
‘I enjoyed it just as much as I would an a la carte dinner,’ Rob said.
‘Honestly, it’s just taken me right back to all those girly holidays I had growing up,’ Lydia also shared. ‘It’s been worth every penny, hasn’t it.’
‘If I had all the money in the world I would still choose to go on the poor holiday,’ Shelley added.
And while the couple enjoyed the luxury Paphos pampering, Vicky was less than impressed by the value for money when it came to fine dining.
At a restaurant where a bottle of champagne can set you back £1,300, Vicky was dismayed by the small portion she was served.
‘I had four prawns with sauce,’ she recalled. ‘It was lovely… but four prawns.’
And she was horrified when the final bill came to £430.
‘I would never ever pay that amount of money for food,’ she said.
‘You’re telling me you would rather have a burger and chips?’ Shelley asked.
Vicky simply replied: ‘Yes.’
‘It does make you take a step back and go actually that is a heck of a lot of money,’ Lydia admitted.
Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday is airing on Channel 5 on Sunday, March 15 at 8pm
