Holiday suggestions..

[Marsdinho]

Hello all,

 

I thought id ask you lot to help me come up with a good holiday destination. Well, i say holiday, its actually for my honeymoon.

 

Got married two weeks ago and spent last week in the lake district (which was nice)

 

However, we plan to go on our "proper" honeymoon in January, but cant decide where to go....

 

We have certain criteria that we would like our hoilday to meet, they are:

 

- Its got to be faaaarking hot and sunny, and when I say faarking hot I mean really faarking hot.

 

- Mrs Mars likes the idea of golden sandy beaches

 

- I get bored sitting on a beach all day, so I need stuff to do (either sporting activities or, dare i say it, historical / cultural things to look at)

 

So far we have thought about:

 

The Maldives - i think i would get bored as there doesnt seem much to do

Carribean - Too many americans for my liking (i might be wrong)

Reunion Island - Cyclone season

 

Can anyone suggest a good place to go that will tick all the boxes.

 

Cheers

[Fat Freddys Cat]

Have you thought about cuba ? beaches are awesome and loads of stuff to see and do. Watersports are pretty good too. Try the Blau Colonial Hotel in Cayo Coco

[Guest Dark Sotonic Mills]

Goa. Excellent weather in January, fantastic beaches, brilliant food, lots of cultural things: temples, jungles, old Goa, wildlife, dolphins, spice farms (yes really) and great people.

 

For a truly fantastic honeymoon, you could do worse than here, one of the top ten hotels in the world. I went there last year and without doubt it was the best holiday I have ever had.

 

http://www.theleela.com/images/leela-goa-factsheet.pdf

 

http://www.theleela.com/hotel-goa.html

[dubai_phil]

An organised tour of Vietnam. No argument.

 

Spend 2/3 days in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and do a tour to the Mekong Delta (good German Brewery there BTW)

Spend 4/5 days at Hoi An. There is a Swisshotel Beach Resort there with a beach to die for and the old town is a living museum with small craft shops and restaurants

Drive up to Hue City for a day before flying up to Hanoi for 3/4 days.

While there do the whole city tour and shopping, find the Belgian Brewery and take a long but fantastic day trip to Halong Bay (If on honeymoon try and get your own boat for the trip)

 

Hot. sunny, beaches to die for, sort of rough and ready and not quite perfect in a cute and trying hard sort of way - no chavs, VERY few Americans and when you get there it is REALLY as cheap as chips. (And the local beer's pretty good too)

 

(There's loads of info on the web, a sort of mix of cheap online airfare and local internet tour programme is as good as any "package hol" (but pay with credit card XL style!)

 

Their Gov sort of insists on putting you on a type of "communist controlled tour programme", but it is just great. Do it before it gets discovered, but better buy your dollars as quick as possible as it's getting expensive for you Sterling junkies)

[saints_is_the_south]

Goa. Excellent weather in January, fantastic beaches, brilliant food, lots of cultural things: temples, jungles, old Goa, wildlife, dolphins, spice farms (yes really) and great people.

 

For a truly fantastic honeymoon, you could do worse than here, one of the top ten hotels in the world. I went there last year and without doubt it was the best holiday I have ever had.

 

http://www.theleela.com/images/leela-goa-factsheet.pdf

 

http://www.theleela.com/hotel-goa.html

 

Brits want to be careful out there after the murder of an Indian in Fawley last year, the guy was from Goa & there were reports of residents out there attacking Brits who were on holiday out there as their 'revenge'.

[swannymere]

How about something different, what about South America. I'm going to Brasil in January initially Brasilia then on to the coastal resort of Natal. Peru has some beautiful beaches and you can do the whole Inca trail thing as well.

[sperm_john]

egypt? golden beaches, might not be too hot in january and plenty of history to visit

[anothersaintinsouthsea]

zanzibar.

[CabbageFace]

Bulgaria, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Iraq.

[Marsdinho]

Hhhmmmm, im looking at all of these at the moment on the googleweb. some good suggestions, keep them coming.

 

Thanks for the ideas so far

[Guest Dark Sotonic Mills]

Brits want to be careful out there after the murder of an Indian in Fawley last year, the guy was from Goa & there were reports of residents out there attacking Brits who were on holiday out there as their 'revenge'.

 

The murder was in October and I went the second week of December. There were no problems whatsoever where I was and I took my 5 year old and 9 year old sons.

[mdearlove]

Goa. Excellent weather in January, fantastic beaches, brilliant food, lots of cultural things: temples, jungles, old Goa, wildlife, dolphins, spice farms (yes really) and great people.

 

For a truly fantastic honeymoon, you could do worse than here, one of the top ten hotels in the world. I went there last year and without doubt it was the best holiday I have ever had.

 

http://www.theleela.com/images/leela-goa-factsheet.pdf

 

http://www.theleela.com/hotel-goa.html

 

I would echo this - Goa gives you the best of both worlds - beaches and sightseeing. Leela hotels are fantastic - although not been to the Goa one yet. Stayed at the one in Bangalore and couldn't fault it.

[1576]

going here for the 16th time in November.

 

http://www.turtlebay.co.ke/

[Marsdinho]

Bulgaria, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Iraq.

 

Funny you should say that. I have a friend that is a tribal leader of a community just north of Baghdad. He has said on quite a few occasions that he would like me to go out there for a visit.

 

One of his main selling points was that we could shoot AK47's in his back garden

 

I can see it now....its 50 degrees in the shade, im sweating my gonads off, my new wife has passed out in the heat and im spraying AK47 rounds everywhere. Above us in the sky there seems to be a silver bird flying very fast. Wait...thats no bird....its an F-22.

 

Next thing we know is me and Nowzat are chewing on a bunkerbuster

 

Think ill give it a miss for now....

[dubai_phil]

Funny you should say that. I have a friend that is a tribal leader of a community just north of Baghdad. He has said on quite a few occasions that he would like me to go out there for a visit.

 

One of his main selling points was that we could shoot AK47's in his back garden

 

I can see it now....its 50 degrees in the shade, im sweating my gonads off, my new wife has passed out in the heat and im spraying AK47 rounds everywhere. Above us in the sky there seems to be a silver bird flying very fast. Wait...thats no bird....its an F-22.

 

Next thing we know is me and Nowzat are chewing on a bunkerbuster

 

Think ill give it a miss for now....

 

Although they ARE building 5 star hotels and looking for Tourists up in the North....

 

although probably not a good bet for a honeymoon, more for the new mother in law....

[Rattlehead]

An organised tour of Vietnam. No argument.

 

Spend 2/3 days in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and do a tour to the Mekong Delta (good German Brewery there BTW)

Spend 4/5 days at Hoi An. There is a Swisshotel Beach Resort there with a beach to die for and the old town is a living museum with small craft shops and restaurants

Drive up to Hue City for a day before flying up to Hanoi for 3/4 days.

While there do the whole city tour and shopping, find the Belgian Brewery and take a long but fantastic day trip to Halong Bay (If on honeymoon try and get your own boat for the trip)

 

Hot. sunny, beaches to die for, sort of rough and ready and not quite perfect in a cute and trying hard sort of way - no chavs, VERY few Americans and when you get there it is REALLY as cheap as chips. (And the local beer's pretty good too)

 

(There's loads of info on the web, a sort of mix of cheap online airfare and local internet tour programme is as good as any "package hol" (but pay with credit card XL style!)

 

Their Gov sort of insists on putting you on a type of "communist controlled tour programme", but it is just great. Do it before it gets discovered, but better buy your dollars as quick as possible as it's getting expensive for you Sterling junkies)

 

I will second that Vietnam is great. A few alternative suggestions though:

 

- I wouldn't particularly bother with any more than a day in HCMC. Hanoi is miles better.

 

- I would go to the Temples of Angkor in Cambodia instead of the Mekong for 3 days or so. Superb plus some very nice hotels there as well.

 

- Halong Bay is incredible and I would spend a couple of days on your own (crewed) junk there. You can go swimming, kayaking, whatever and it is dirt cheap. Watch out for the monkeys on Monkey Island though as one of the little sh*ts attacked me and I was convinced I had rabies.

 

- Not sure about the "communist controlled tour programme" - I did it completely independently without having to go to any authorities for anything other than a visa and no organised trip whatsoever.

[saint1977]

Australia - going there and NZ for my own honeymoon in March/April. The Great Barrier reef is awesome and you and Mrs Marsdinho could sail around the Whitsunday Islands and snorkel in some of the best waters on earth and then relax on the world's finest beaches.

 

Alternatively, if you want few Americans, try the British Virgin Islands and Virgin Gorda in particular. Ok, not a huge amount to do apart from Tortola (which does have some things to keep you amused) but the beaches are in the world's top 10 as above and the snorkelling at the Baths is awesome.

[saintwarwick]

Hello all,

 

I thought id ask you lot to help me come up with a good holiday destination. Well, i say holiday, its actually for my honeymoon.

 

Got married two weeks ago and spent last week in the lake district (which was nice)

 

However, we plan to go on our "proper" honeymoon in January, but cant decide where to go....

 

We have certain criteria that we would like our hoilday to meet, they are:

 

- Its got to be faaaarking hot and sunny, and when I say faarking hot I mean really faarking hot.

 

- Mrs Mars likes the idea of golden sandy beaches

 

- I get bored sitting on a beach all day, so I need stuff to do (either sporting activities or, dare i say it, historical / cultural things to look at)

 

So far we have thought about:

 

The Maldives - i think i would get bored as there doesnt seem much to do

Carribean - Too many americans for my liking (i might be wrong)

Reunion Island - Cyclone season

 

Can anyone suggest a good place to go that will tick all the boxes.

 

Cheers

 

Have you thought about cuba ? beaches are awesome and loads of stuff to see and do. Watersports are pretty good too. Try the Blau Colonial Hotel in Cayo Coco

 

I would recommend Cuba as well, Cayo Coco for the relaxing golden sandy beaches but with plenty of watersports and lots of cultural/historical interest around the island. No americans as well.

[dubai_phil]

I will second that Vietnam is great. A few alternative suggestions though:

 

- I wouldn't particularly bother with any more than a day in HCMC. Hanoi is miles better.

 

- I would go to the Temples of Angkor in Cambodia instead of the Mekong for 3 days or so. Superb plus some very nice hotels there as well.

 

- Halong Bay is incredible and I would spend a couple of days on your own (crewed) junk there. You can go swimming, kayaking, whatever and it is dirt cheap. Watch out for the monkeys on Monkey Island though as one of the little sh*ts attacked me and I was convinced I had rabies.

 

- Not sure about the "communist controlled tour programme" - I did it completely independently without having to go to any authorities for anything other than a visa and no organised trip whatsoever.

 

I was not keen on the "tour thing either" but have to say apart from a couple of hours at "Government House" in HCMC the sightseeing they put together was immense. I normally HATE the "tourist trap" souvenir places, but we went to this factory where they had disabled kids making pictures out of mother of pearl or duck egg shells and the quality of the stuff was awesome. I still have a picture on my wall that people dismiss as a photo of a fisherman until they get up close and OMG is always the reply.

And IF you do Hanoi - you have to visit the Museum of Anthropolgy - I admit I rolled my eyes at that one until we found the museum of life under the communist rule.

OMG, period

 

Agree with Ankor, but then that needs a separate visa and stop over to get to.

When we went to Vietnam it was a 2 days of factory visits for work then had 10 days for the touring, on the way back stopped at Koh Samui - don't like it so much these days as it has grown very fast in the last 8 years, but for a honeymoon I would REALLY recommend you check out the Imperial Boathouse and book one of their converted Rice Barge suites.....

and the little beachside restaurants there ahhhhhhhh

 

Air France probably the most western airline, or go via Hong Kong - Cathay have a code share to get in and out and that is a great 2/3 day stop over for the more complicated thinsg that Vietnam shops can't do!

Thai airways is not the greatest to do a long haul flight with but gives you the option of Ankor

[dubai_phil]

Oh an alternative....

 

 

Key Lime Sailing Club, Key Largo, Florida

http://www.thefloridagetaway.com

 

I know you don't like yanks but this place is amazing - little huts on the waterfront, an ex America's cup crewman as Sailing instructor and a real family atmosphere. each hut gets a 22ft cabin Sailing Boat and lessons are $50 per hour. We were buzzing around after two hours... totally not like the yanks I expected and the second best holiday I ever had, barbequed American Supreme Rib Eye for dinner and a great red wine sitting watching the sunset. Didn't actually do much else while there except drink beer & wine, sail, eat, and that other thing you do with a cute chick oh yeah, washing up

[rocknrollman no2]

Firstly congratulations on your marrage mate.

My lot and me are going to Goa next Feb (mother in law has a house over there),and there are beaches over there that are deemed some of the best around.

Like most places that havent become over popular,the beaches are unspoilt,the food and drink are cheap and the locals friendly.

We are going to hire a beach hut,where you spend a few nights at the waters edge watching the sunset and listening to the sea, while you have a drink or two in total seclusion.

And of course the fact that its in India means its very hot,though it also means because i have red hair,i will go like a lobster.

Anyway hope you both have a great time.

[saint_stevo]

Marsdinho,

 

I would give you some suggestions but i have the following grieviences:

 

-I was part of the creation of your wedding cake, i was chief icing swirler on the cup cakes and i understand that i was not mentioned in your speech and other, less important non swirlers were.

 

-Mrs Mars purchased a present for my mother for helping with the cakes. Again, s_s undervalued.

 

-Mrs Mars wedding dress was hanging in my house for quite some time, and only once did i sit wearing it commando watching dirty dancing.

 

s_s

 

P.S- Dubai?

 

Check storm seasons etc

Edited 12 September, 2008 by saint_stevo

[Pugwash]

How about two centres? Couple a week in Sri Lanka with Elephant Island tours (google it) - personalised boutique hotels with your own driver doing all the sights, followed by a week's slob-out in the Maldives for sun and scuba.

 

Congrats btw

[Guest Hacienda]

I'd second the British Virgin Islands but also recommend the Whitsundays Islands or if your budget will stretch that far, Bora Bora, which is paradise on earth.

[Marsdinho]

Marsdinho,

 

I would give you some suggestions but i have the following grieviences:

 

-I was part of the creation of your wedding cake, i was chief icing swirler on the cup cakes and i understand that i was not mentioned in your speech and other, less important non swirlers were.

 

-Mrs Mars purchased a present for my mother for helping with the cakes. Again, s_s undervalued.

 

-Mrs Mars wedding dress was hanging in my house for quite some time, and only once did i sit wearing it naked watching dirty dancing.

 

s_s

 

P.S- Dubai?

 

Check storm seasons etc

 

 

Ive just cracked up reading that, we are currently thinking of a way to recognise your input to our wedding day. Albeit a little late...

 

Bare with us, we are thinking.

[dubai_phil]

Marsdinho,

 

I would give you some suggestions but i have the following grieviences:

 

-I was part of the creation of your wedding cake, i was chief icing swirler on the cup cakes and i understand that i was not mentioned in your speech and other, less important non swirlers were.

 

-Mrs Mars purchased a present for my mother for helping with the cakes. Again, s_s undervalued.

 

-Mrs Mars wedding dress was hanging in my house for quite some time, and only once did i sit wearing it naked watching dirty dancing.

 

s_s

 

P.S- Dubai?

 

Check storm seasons etc

 

 

We don't have storm seasons - just one or two wet days a year.

 

However a word to the wise, somebody in Dubai is recommending Vietnam or Key Largo........

 

Too much construction still around the nice beach hotels and the traffic getting to and from them is just .......

 

But if anyone comes this way let us know we have the "must do list"

[saint_stevo]

Ive just cracked up reading that, we are currently thinking of a way to recognise your input to our wedding day. Albeit a little late...

 

Bare with us, we are thinking.

 

Any good ideas?

 

A go on any of the bridesmaids woulda done, but too late now so i want a cup cake conmdom or similar. not haooy at all. i want recompense for my efforyts

[Saint Paul C]

Take a look at Port Douglas http://www.portdouglas.com/

 

 

Lots of decent places to stay - hot weather, sailing, Great Barrier reef, jungles, mountains etc...

 

[dune]

Just booked two weeks in a 5 star hotel in Side - Turkey. This place was recomended to me by friends so i've gone against my better judgement and decided to visit a country i've always said i'd never visit.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g297968-d304613-Reviews-Barut_Hemera_Resort_Spa-Side_Turkish_Mediterranean_Coast.html

 

Where's everyone else going and has anyone been to where i'm going and if so what's it like?

[BadgerBadger]

Funny you should say that. I have a friend that is a tribal leader of a community just north of Baghdad. He has said on quite a few occasions that he would like me to go out there for a visit.

One of his main selling points was that we could shoot AK47's in his back garden

 

 

It's all starting to make sense, I always had my suspicions

 

Langkawi looks good, heard some good reports on my travels

 

I reckon Cuba would be a goodun' - it might start to lose some of it's magic if Castros grip starts to slip failing that Bakino Faso

Edited 14 January, 2010 by BadgerBadger

[View From The Top]

Just booked two weeks in a 5 star hotel in Side - Turkey. This place was recomended to me by friends so i've gone against my better judgement and decided to visit a country i've always said i'd never visit.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g297968-d304613-Reviews-Barut_Hemera_Resort_Spa-Side_Turkish_Mediterranean_Coast.html

 

Where's everyone else going and has anyone been to where i'm going and if so what's it like?

 

You've made a mistake. In this case your instincts were correct.

[RedAndWhite91]

I went to Magaluf. I'd recommend it. There's a lovely beach, it's not overly hot, and there's other things you can do other than lounging around by the pool, such as: drinking, visiting strip clubs, drinking, passing out, buying alcohol, and drinking.

 

HTH.

[Um Bongo]

I went to Magaluf. I'd recommend it. There's a lovely beach, it's not overly hot, and there's other things you can do other than lounging around by the pool, such as: drinking, visiting strip clubs, drinking, passing out, buying alcohol, and drinking.

 

HTH.

 

Booking lads holiday for july next week. Sounds like our sort of thing

[RedAndWhite91]

Booking lads holiday for july next week. Sounds like our sort of thing

 

Quality Where are you thinking of going?

[Gemmel]

Brasil - And surprisingly reasonable to get out there and very cheap when you are

[BadgerBadger]

Brasil - And surprisingly reasonable to get out there and very cheap when you are

 

Not what my mate said - cheap to get there but he spent a fortune and mixed it up between the posh and dodgy bits

[Gemmel]

Not what my mate said - cheap to get there but he spent a fortune and mixed it up between the posh and dodgy bits

 

Couldn't comment on prostitutes but food, drink and cigarettes are very cheap compared to here..

[pedg]

Just to say that when we were in Cuba in Feb we found the sea quite cold compared to other caribbean locations so if you want somewhere very hot in Jan you need to probably look nearer the Equator. I would recommend St Lucia as been 3 times and never overwhelmed by americans at all. The best place was the jalousie plantation where you can rent little villa's each with there own plunge pools. Plus when on the beach you are given a red flag to stick in the sand if you want anything. It is rather pricey but was one of our best holidays ever.

[Wilko]

Last year, I went on a nine-day wine and food holiday with the bird and two friends in the Loire. This year, we're doing the same, but in Puglia, South Italy. Cute, small places with nice restaurants and quaint guest houses are the order of the holiday. I can't wait.

[tpbury]

I recommend Southsea. Glorious beaches, history coming out of its arse, women to die for (or of), easy access to premiership football, endless sailing opportunities. If the January weather isn't spectacular enough, I'm sure there's a few coin-op sunbeds to get on. Your honeymoon will have a smaller environmental impact and the money you save can be spent on consumer goods which will last much longer than a two week trip!

[View From The Top]

Last year, I went on a nine-day wine and food holiday with the bird and two friends in the Loire. This year, we're doing the same, but in Puglia, South Italy. Cute, small places with nice restaurants and quaint guest houses are the order of the holiday. I can't wait.

 

I've spent lots of time in Puglia.

 

Nice place but better hidden gems to be found in Italy.

[swannymere]

Brasil - And surprisingly reasonable to get out there and very cheap when you are

 

Depends, i went last February (09) to stay with my brothers wife's family in Brasilia and Natal. It can be quite cheap for booze, cigarettes and food but clothing and other things are expensive. It's cheap if you stick to the local's places to eat and drink but once you start going to the tourist spot's it's quite expensive. The women however make much more of an effort that their UK counterparts! Beer should only be bought if between -2 & -5.6 degrees otherwise it gets too warm too quickly. The traffic is a joke and you will get runover if you don't keep your wits about you and overall it's like anywhere in europe but with an edge to it.

[amsterdam]

Some out of the way places I visited in the last year or so for business that I'd love to go back with the family sometime in the future (and will be hot this time of year):

 

Barranquilla - Colombia is fantastic and the people are the friendliest I've come across. Because of the dodgy reputation it has with drugs and gangs there's no real tourist structure so the locals haven't sussed out how to rip you off yet! There's also a carnival around now I think.

 

Zanzibar - Dar-Es-Salaam is a bit of a hole, but Zanzibar is beautiful; being on the old spice/slave routes there's a lot of history to see if you get bored of the beaches.

 

Loloata Island - Papua New Guinea - a bit of a trek to get to, and Port Moresby is a bit dodgy, but diving in the Coral Sea is an amazing experience, even for an unfit old fart like me. And nearby you've got the Port Moresby golf course and the Yacht Club.

[SO16_Saint]

Mexico - more specifically The Grand Sirenis. Went there 18 months ago with the Mrs - absolutely awesome place. You can prob get all incl for £800 each for 2 weeks. lots to do when there, also.

 

http://www.grandsirenisrivieramaya.com/

 

 

[View From The Top]

 

Zanzibar - Dar-Es-Salaam is a bit of a hole, but Zanzibar is beautiful; being on the old spice/slave routes there's a lot of history to see if you get bored of the beaches.

 

 

Very interesting place and one I'd also like to revisit.

 

I'm lucky enough to have travelled through the South Pacific and Bora Bora is still the coolest place I've ever been, along with the Phi Phi Islands before tourists discovered them.

[dune]

You've made a mistake. In this case your instincts were correct.

 

We shall see. I've heard conflicting reports about the locals from them being dead friendly to them being a pain in the arse hassling you to buy stuff. From an historical point of view Turkey looks quite cultured with Asia Minor being the crossroads of civilisations for centuries. There are various crusader castles which look impressive. Mamure Castle is on the list:

 

 

And i've always wanted to visit Antioch - although it's proably a bit far at 200 miles away.

[View From The Top]

We shall see. I've heard conflicting reports about the locals from them being dead friendly to them being a pain in the arse hassling you to buy stuff. From an historical point of view Turkey looks quite cultured with Asia Minor being the crossroads of civilisations for centuries. There are various crusader castles which look impressive. Mamure Castle is on the list:

 

 

And i've always wanted to visit Antioch - although it's proably a bit far at 200 miles away.

 

I've been to Turkey a few times.

 

Istanbul is a fascinating place but much of Turkey is a backward sh*thole.

 

It's one of the few countries that I'm very glad that I'll never have to return to (unless my missus says we are going on our jollies there )

[CB Saint]

Queensland Australia - Would also suggest a stop over in Hong Kong - two or three days there is great

 

If you want closer to home - sharm el sheik - I stayed in the Hyatt Regency last year, great hotel. Great weather. Also I know a lot of people who have stayed there and none of us have ever suffered from the runs.

[marc_saint]

I'm off to Sharm el Shaeikh in Egypt next sunday. Cant wait!!

 

(Just thought you'd like to know! lol)

[pilsburydoughboy]

Caravan in the pearl of Prestatyn would be nice at this time of year.