Drink Another Holiday Ideas Thread!

[Scouse]

So - I've got 14th-23rd April to do something with. Me and the good lady.

If you had 10 days to play with, where would you go and what would you like to do?

For me - I can't just sit on a beach every day or go and stay in an all-inclusive hotel - why go somewhere and eat and drink in the same hotel? You may as well stay at home IMO. Yes, that's some people's idea of heaven, but I'd die crying of boredom.

Not that I dislike beaches, but as most one day in three. I like culture and physical activity - things to see and do. Bit of mountain biking is not out of the question either though I don't think the missus is up for a ten day mountain biking jaunt in the Atlas Mountains I found on those dates

I'd prefer somewhere warm. It's not out of the imagination that I'd happily pay a fair wadge if it was worth it, but cheap n cheerful would be nice too.

Any ideas? Places you've been? Places you'd like to go?

 

[Jupitus]

Venice.

 

[Job]

Funny you should mention that..the missus had all but booked a week in Morocco, with her sister and our daughter..but they both refused to go...and I'm like, Morocco ..it's the Vegas of north Africa
Still it was cheap..£500 all inclusive each, which says a lot ..50 quid for a 4x4 trip into the Atlas mountains.

 

[SilverHood]

If you haven't been yet, I can recommend Madeira.
On my to do list if I ever move back to Europe, is Malta and Crete.
From the US, I have Cuba, Jamaica and Canada on my to do lists, if I can find the time.

 

[Scouse]

Venice.

Like the idea, but not for ten whole days tho. Could be a start or finish to something.

If you haven't been yet, I can recommend Madeira.
On my to do list if I ever move back to Europe, is Malta and Crete.
From the US, I have Cuba, Jamaica and Canada on my to do lists, if I can find the time.

I discounted Madeira as an expensive Canary Island type thing. Like the idea of it - but for some reason I think the prices don't reflect what you're gonna get. Not that I've ever been there, but I get the impression they don't want a pleb like me.

But Malta and Crete are on the cards. I'm leaning a bit more toward Crete at the moment, but know little about either. (I could scuba in Malta - blue hole's there isn't it?)

Cuba was cool BTW. Now you can actually go there as a US resident without being arrested

 

[Moriath]

Over the moors in devon and cornwall. Or you could do coast to coast over the penines and all. Know so eone who walked that with the bags being taken from rest stop to rest stop

 

[SilverHood]

I discounted Madeira as an expensive Canary Island type thing. Like the idea of it - but for some reason I think the prices don't reflect what you're gonna get. Not that I've ever been there, but I get the impression they don't want a pleb like me.

But Malta and Crete are on the cards. I'm leaning a bit more toward Crete at the moment, but know little about either. (I could scuba in Malta - blue hole's there isn't it?)

Cuba was cool BTW. Now you can actually go there as a US resident without being arrested

Madiera is anything but high brow. It was used as Portugal's version of Australia, a place to send convicts and other undesirables. Fly directly with Easyjet or via Lisbon. We are spending Christmas there, though I haven't figured out I'm getting there from the USA.

Cuba is still off limits for people paying taxes in the USA, hopefully that will change soon.

Have you ever been to Georgia? I think you can travel to Belarus too, as of last month, visa free, if you stay for 5 days or more.

 

[Moriath]

Krakow was awesome

 

[Hawkwind]

Sri Lanka - You have the interior highlands with the tea plantations and stunning scenery. The beaches (NE / SE side are best) are great and there are a lot of unspoilt areas not just huge hotel complexes. Definitely one of the more interesting places I've been and the people were amazing.

 

[Scouse]

Been to Sri Lanka @Hawkwind - agree with everything you say. Was awesome.

I'd so the UK biking thing @Moriath but she's not up for full-on MTB (the coast-to-coast can be done totally offroad over five hard days). Also, been to Cornwall recently. +warmness in the UK?

 

[DaGaffer]

Like the idea, but not for ten whole days tho. Could be a start or finish to something.


I discounted Madeira as an expensive Canary Island type thing. Like the idea of it - but for some reason I think the prices don't reflect what you're gonna get. Not that I've ever been there, but I get the impression they don't want a pleb like me.

But Malta and Crete are on the cards. I'm leaning a bit more toward Crete at the moment, but know little about either. (I could scuba in Malta - blue hole's there isn't it?)

Cuba was cool BTW. Now you can actually go there as a US resident without being arrested

Its a good time to go to Venice; just before the tourist/smell ratio goes through the roof. We didn't stay in Venice the whole time - you can get trains to from Venice to a bunch of nice places (we went to Verona and a day trip to Slovenia), or hire a car and access even more (visited the Ferrari factory in Modena for example).

Madeira is supposed to be nice, not my cup of tea though.

Don't know anything about Malta (I will say most diving in the Med is very disappointing these days - all a bit dead I'm afraid), been to Crete a very long time ago, nice but you're back to mostly beaches (unless they've upped their game the archaeological sites were a bit shit), you can get a boat from there to Santorini though, which is just about the best place in the world to visit for a day.

Other places I'd recommend - Corsica, really surprised me, and southern Italy (Amalfi coast) - bit expensive though. Lots of people tell me Sicily is an unspoilt gem and has amazing food.

 

[Hawkwind]

Its a good time to go to Venice; just before the tourist/smell ratio goes through the roof. We didn't stay in Venice the whole time - you can get trains to from Venice to a bunch of nice places (we went to Verona and a day trip to Slovenia), or hire a car and access even more (visited the Ferrari factory in Modena for example).

Some good MTB stuff up around lake bled near Ljubljana.

 

[Syri]

I went to Japan in April a few years ago. It was quite a bit warmer than here, and it's a really nice country if you like to check out different cultural stuff. Some great places to see, especially around Kyoto. I'd highly recommend it if you've not been before. Language isn't really an issue either, not everyone can speak English, but the most important places to go generally have some English speakers, and most signs have English on them too.

 

[Scouse]

Lots of people tell me Sicily is an unspoilt gem and has amazing food.

That's also on the radar.

Japan

Think I'd like to have a little more time if I was going to explore Japan but I definitely want to go.

 

[Anastasia]

10 days in Venice is too much, I agree, but if you've never been, you should. It's one of two places I've been to that actually surpasses the brochures.

Barcelona is an awesome city. Base yourself in Poble Nou for walking distance to the beach, 5 minutes on the underground to the gothic quarter / tourist centre, it even has its own Rambla lined with bars / restaurants, just minus the septics and other tourists. Climate in April, perfect for us northerners.

For more tranquil surroundings consider Corsica / Sardinia, and +1 for Sicily.

 

[Anastasia]

Think I'd like to have a little more time if I was going to explore Japan but I definitely want to go.

10 days in Japan might be the perfect introduction. The lad went there for Christmas / New Year two years back and absolutely loved it, but he did say it was pretty alien, completely unlike anywhere else he's been (and he's been all over). Virtually nothing familiar, language, food, culture, it is just different. So 10 days would certainly be long enough to get a good taste of the place, but not so long as to be an ordeal if you find yourself out of your comfort zone.

 

[Bodhi]

If we had 10 days to go anywhere in the world I suspect we would end up in Thailand again - absolutely beautiful country, shedloads to do and dirt cheap once you get there. We went 2 years ago, did 3 days in Bangkok (awesome place, and Kho San Road is mental), then spent 3 days up in Kho Phi Phi - easily the most beautiful place I've been. Fantastic beaches and clear blue sea, no roads on the island so you get everywhere by boat. Loads of excursions for snorkelling, watersports etc, loads of trails on the island on which I'm pretty sure you can hire a bike.

Then another night in Bangkok and we carried on to Bali (also lovely, but full of Australians).

Phi Phi is a bit of a pain to get to (we had to fly to Krabi, then get on a 2 hour boat ride out to the island, then another 15 minutes boat ride to get to the resort), but so worth it when you're there.

We got the "penthouse" room in the resort we were staying in, it cost a grand total of £60 per night.

 

[Scouse]

Thailand

Agree totally. Did Thailand a fair while back. I'd love to go again but there's so much of the world to see eh?

 

[old.user4556]

If you had 10 days to play with, where would you go and what would you like to do?

Don't have time to put a well thought-out post right now, but something that would involve an almost once-in-a-lifetime moment - National maps

 

[Scouse]

Don't have time to put a well thought-out post right now, but something that would involve an almost once-in-a-lifetime moment - National maps

Love to do that m8. But I've got a bit of time in April, not August, unfortunately.

Well, actually, my contract *does* come to an end before then

 

[old.user4556]

Ah sorry, didn't read the April bit. Will have a think.

 

[Lakih]

I agree on Venice, awesome city, but not for more than 2-3 days, it's not very big. Barcelona is also great - if you can catch a game at camp nou, do so, it is fantastic. I have a few friends that's been to Hong kong and raves about it, good mix of east meets west.
On a less serious note... you are a brit @Scouse isn't a vacation on Kos and/or Ibiza mandatory each year?

 

[Scouse]

On a less serious note... you are a brit @Scouse isn't a vacation on Kos and/or Ibiza mandatory each year?

Even when I was 18 the idea of that put me off. Never been the type to go on a purely shagging holiday. Guess I'm a bit of a snob, but most girls I've known and actually liked weren't ever into that either.

Not that they weren't dirty. Just discerning

Went to Ibiza when I was four. My memories are that nan died so we came back early and I did a big shit in the sea which floated back to shore

 

[old.user4556]

Never been the type to go on a purely shagging holiday.

Question is, could your arse take it?

 

[Gwadien]

Skeggy

 

[Scouse]

Question is, could your arse take it?

Skeggy

Rather take it like a champ than go to skegness.

(Or anywhere on the east cost south of Whitby I guess. So flat. So boring. So run-down and dull)