As far as holiday activities go this one sounds rather bizarre if you go by just the name. But as you will see there is a lot here to enjoy, since you will get a whole new experience to try.

So what can you expect if you say yes to the idea of bob diving? Well as the name would suggest there is a degree of scuba diving involved. Although it isn’t anything like normal diving and that is why a lot of people who wouldn’t dive do enjoy doing this.

Your bob is a type of scooter that operates underwater, and that makes it nice and easy to use. You do have to be confident enough in the water to dip your head underneath it to go into your bob. But once you are in there you will be dry and safe and able to see out. As you might imagine there is an air supply included within the bob because your head will be in a bubble once you are properly seated in it. This means you do need to be of a certain height to use it. Provided you are about five feet four inches or over you should be fine.

This is an incredible experience though because you can go down several metres on your scooter and see all the different kind of fish and other delights that are below the waves. If you don’t like the idea of scuba diving but you would like to see more than what you would see if you tried snorkelling then bob diving in Tenerife is the best way to do it.

And of course since the waters around Tenerife are so beautifully clear you can enjoy seeing much more than you might imagine. The scooters have a buoy that always floats on the surface of the water as well so once you are seated and going to explore, you will always be within reach of the boat above.

So why not try it and make your Tenerife holiday even more delightful than it would be otherwise?

Time and time again you will hear people who have been on holiday to Tenerife singing the praises of the Aqualand Water Park. It is located in Costa Adeje and as you will soon discover there is a lot more here than just water rides as well.

But let’s at least start with those, since that is what draws many people to the park each year. For starters you can try the Kamikaze – if you have the nerve for it. It’s a water chute, it’s steep and it will probably frighten the life out of you as well! Keep your arms crossed over you and your legs crossed at the ankles and get ready for the fastest descent back down to the ground you have ever experienced.

If you love fast water rides but you find that particular one a bit much to cope with, try out the Rapids instead. These provide huge slopes to slosh your way down in an inflatable tyre, and there are pools in which you can stop for a breather before tackling the next bit of the journey down.

And when you find it all too exhausting for words, you can head on down the Lazy River instead. Grab a figure of eight tyre and paddle your way down a river that stretches out for five hundred metres. What better way could there be to recharge your batteries for another run at the Kamikaze or the Rapids?

There is a huge area devoted to making sure the younger kids have just as much fun as well. They might love the Lazy River but they will also love the Mini Park which has mini slides and a castle to get to grips with. A shallow pool area is big enough for lots of kids to enjoy, and it offers the perfect place for them to tire themselves out too!

And you can also see the dolphins in a separate area of the park if you wish. You’ll need to pay more to see the dolphin show, but it’s well worth the extra money.

There is just one word that comes even close to describing the delights of Loro Parque. That word is ‘colourful’.

When you translate what Loro Parque actually means you will probably realise why that word is so right. Loro means parrot, so what you will be visiting here is a park full of parrots. There are other delights to see here too but what most people remember is the huge number of stunning parrots that are on display.

There are lots of different species on show, from pure white ones to those that have feathers in all the primary colours. It’s no wonder that children are captivated by the parrot show and love every minute of it.

But what else can you expect to see here? Well from the depths of the aquarium to Planet Penguin (that’s where the penguins live, swim and get up to mischief), you’ll want to explore every inch of Loro Parque. The name might suggest a plethora of parrots but you’ll find far more than that here.

You can walk through the Shark Tunnel, see an almost pure white Snow Tiger and enjoy seeing a whole family of chimpanzees. One thing is for sure – no matter what kind of animals you like to see you’ll find something you love right here in Loro Parque in Tenerife.

And don’t miss Naturavision either. You’ll be transported away to some of the best places on the whole planet to witness stunning sights of nature, from the forests to the seas. The park leaves no stone unturned to bring you the best of the natural world, both in reality and in this sensational show that will have you glued to your seat.

As you can probably guess this is a full day out experience and a very reasonably priced one as well. Expect it to be busy if you visit during the summer season though, as Loro Parque is one place that virtually all the tourists head to.

So regardless of how much you love the beach, make sure you make time for the parrots – and everything else that comes with them too.

As the largest of the seven Canary Islands, Tenerife is the natural choice for blue-chips looking to organise events on the archipelago. Alcon recently brought 70 UK delegates to the island for five days of karting, a beach Olympics contest, surfing, quad-biking and catamaran outings. Axa, Audi, Lenovo, Cisco, McDonald's and Henkel are among other recent corporate visitors.

"For large conferences, Tenerife has lots going for it - great hotels with decent meeting space, plenty of outdoor activities, good weather and it's just four or five hours from the UK," says Banks Sadler senior project manager Saxon Heffernan.

Tenerife's ever-expanding array of unique C&I venues are helping it to stand out from its neighbours. The abstract Magma Art & Congress Centre now sits alongside the new Siam Park water kingdom, whose attractions include an amphitheatre for an audience of 1,500.
Other new options include the five-star, 331-room Hotel San Blas Reserva Ambiental, which opened in December with capacity for 600 delegates, and the Gran Melia Palacio de Isora, which opened last summer with reception space for up to 1,000.
"Tenerife has changed from mass holiday tourism to a well balanced business destination," says Ovation account manager Thomas Stecher.

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Restaurants in Tenerife offer a very varied choice of cuisine to the tourist and resident alike. You will literally be spoiled for choice. Tenerife restaurants vary in quality and price, and there is something for every taste and budget.

Varied styles of cuisine available

The island plays host to many restaurants of varying types of cuisine. Think of a style of cooking and you can bet there will be a restaurant which does it. You will find a greater variety of styles of cuisine in the major tourist areas, and more traditional Spanish and Canarian styles if you venture out of town.

A very popular way of eating in both Spain and Tenerife, is Tapas. This type of food is becoming popular in the UK and Europe and involves eating small potions of different dishes. It is not uncommon to eat seven or eight plates of Tapas in one sitting. This is a social way of eating also, as several plates at a time will be placed on the table for a group of people to share. It is a very good way of "tasting a little of everything". This is arguably the cheapest way to eat in Tenerife and is a way of life for the local Canarian residents.

Tenerife is an island, and as such there are a number of fishing villages dotted around the coast. This has given rise to a great number of restaurants which specialise and shellfish. You will very often find that the seafood you eat in Tenerife is so fresh, it was caught the same day. You will pay more for fresh seafood and shellfish, but this is the same the world over.

If you fancy something more international, you will find it in Tenerife. The island boasts a plethora of restaurants which specialise in Chinese, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Taiwanese and English cuisines. Fast food is also available in the tourist areas, so if you are missing your burgers or pizzas, it's covered.

Where will you find the most restaurants and choice?

You will find the greatest concentration of restaurants in the south in the tourist areas. These can be summarised as Los Cristianos, Playa de las Americas, Playa Fanabe, Adeje, Playa Del Duque, La Caleta (a major fish centre) and Los Gigantes.

Eating out of town

There are many restaurants in Tenerife outside of the major tourist areas, and these are mostly frequented by residents. The majority of restaurants out of town are cheaper, but there are some specialist restaurants which will cost as much as eating in town. If you fancy a change from the tourist areas and want to eat like the locals, a trip out of town is worth while. It is better to go on recommendation rather than dropping on the first restaurant you see. Beware though, not all of the staff at these restaurants will speak English. Also bare in mind you have to get there.

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To the British, Tenerife Holidays mean one thing: "tacky costa culture and year-round sunshine". But the largest of the Canary Islands has so much more to offer, says Philip Smith in the Guardian.

It is quite possible to enjoy Tenerife's good weather, low prices, beautiful beaches and spectacular mountains while avoiding all resorts.

The ideal base is the "exciting" capital, Santa Cruz, which has been "transformed" in recent years by a series of grand architectural projects. Following hot on the heels of Santiago Calatrava's "breathtaking" waterfront auditorium is a new art gallery by Herzog & de Meuron, like a "sci-fi set" hewn from the island's black volcanic rock.

In the evenings, superb local food and vivacious nightlife are to be found in the old colonial neighbourhood of La Noria.

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Tenerife is rapidly becoming one of the must-visit destinations for golfers.

Spain and Portugal have long held an edge because of their easy flight access, but while Tenerife takes a little longer to get there, it's worth the effort because of the growing number of quality courses and the fact Tenerife boasts an even all-year round temperature.

There are also many fine hotels to choose from but being based at the Mare Nostrum Resort, located on the Playa del Camison in the south of Tenerife, was perfect for the 10 courses on the island and within easy reach of the ferry for a trip to Gomera to play the wonderful Tecina lay-out.

There are five hotels, all five-star, on the Mare Nostrum Resort with more than 1,000bedrooms, loads of pools, bars and restaurants inside the resort and there's more out there on the main street.

Pick of the courses is almost certainly the new Dave Thomas-designed Abama course, but there's really not much to choose between the likes of Abama, Seve Ballesteros's Buenavista lay-out, Adeje, Amarilla and Golf del Sur and all of the courses have their individual attractions and it is certainly worth taking the ferry trip to Gomera to play Tecina.

Tecina is unusual in that every hole is just about downhill! You're bussed up to the first hole and wind your way down to the 18th and clubhouse which makes the course fairly reasonable to walk although there are buggies available.

Designed by Donald Steel, it has incredible views, particularly on the second, fourth, 10th and 18th. The most difficult holes are probably the fifth and the 16th, but the 10th is also a cracker.

There is the astounding array of trees and plants - palms, mangoes, bananas, avocados, geraniums and bougainvillea and the clubhouse has a snack bar and pro shop.

Nearby is the Hotel Jardin Tecina and the work has started on the construction of luxury apartments.

Abama is winding and challenging, with several lakes and is typical Dave Thomas rolling greens. With a par of 72 and 6,237 metres in length, it has 10 par fours, four par threes and four par fives and magnificent views of Mount Teide volcano. Another nine holes are also being built.

The golf course is part of a luxury complex with a five-star hotel, conference centre and tennis club.

Adeje also has amazing views of the sea, the island of Gomera, Las Americas beach and the Adeje Mountains. It staged this year's European Ladies Tenerife Open and is a fair test of golf - take a buggy as there are some hills to negotiate.

A feature of the course is the stone walls, the legacy of the agricultural history of the site, which have been restored and come into play more than you would probably like.

Buenavista is on the North East corner of the island and is surrounded by the Teno mountain range. The 18 hole, par 72, has a length of 6,150 metre and on the outward nine, the most demanding holes are the par fours while on the inward route, the greatest precision is required by the par threes and above all at the 15th and 17th, as they are next to the sea.

On five holes, the greens are close to the rocky coastline and the waves break spectacularly framing the greens.

Within easy reach of Mare Nostrum is Las Americas, a fairly flat course which is ideal for holiday golf - that's not to imply it's easy because it is not but it is pleasant to walk with wide fairways through lakes, waterfalls, and trees and measures 6,039 metres, so it's not long and it also has a terrific clubhouse with very friendly staff.

Amarilla is located on the foreshore, with impressive views of the Atlantic Ocean. It has a spectacular fifth hole where you have to drive the ball over the sea.

Golf del Sur, the 27 hole complex, has been around for a while but it still surprises you with its wide fairways, flanked by palms and giant cacti and its black volcanic sand bunkers.

The Tenerife Open was held there for several years and has also hosted the Shell Wonderful World of Golf tournament. It has a tremendous clubhouse and is well worth a visit.

The island's oldest course Real Club de Golf de Tenerife has been there since 1932 and is very British in its feel and it's rolling terrain means you have to be fairly fit to walk it.

Los Palos is a nine hole course and is also worth a visit. It has water obstacles and lush vegetation, but is not punishing and is ideal for beginners, families, players wishing to improve their short play or those who need a quick game.

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