AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
Me and a bf went to Phuket for the beach bit, and then flew up to Bangkok to stay in a fancy 5* hotel for a couple of nights, for hustle and bustle of the city, visiting the palace, going to the night market, etc.
Christmas holiday somewhere warm and interesting
- Thread starter baldrick
- Start date
dessiato
🇪🇸 my spirit is crying for leaving
That's how we know who the tourists are.Agreed. I went to Malaga for a couple of weeks on a last minute package deal years ago, think it was late January/maybe February time and had a nice enough time.
It's not somewhere I would've had on my 'to do' list, not somewhere I would've chosen to go, ordinarily, but I'd witnessed a shooting in the street outside my flat and the police were talking putting me into witness protection, so I basically went into a travel agent and said I need to get out of Dodge City for a couple of weeks, somewhere cheap and sunny.
I spent time on the beach and by the pool and also went on a couple of day trips, to Ronda (because of Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls) and also to visit Alhambra in Granada.
It was warm enough to be t-shirt weather in the day and putting a cardigan on/taking a jumper when going out for dinner at night. Although it seemed relatively balmy to me, the Spaniards were walking round with coats on day and night as it was their winter.
Málaga is my favourite city after Miami. It has a similar range of things to do.
I'm pleased you went to Ronda. There's some dispute about whether or not the incident described in For Whom the Bell Tolls really happened. But some of the things Laurie Lee describes in his autobiography (book 3) are definitely true. He was in Almuñecar, along the coast from Málaga.
AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
I've been to Egypt a couple of times.
Once to Luxor, which is on the Nile, there's the Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple. I also went on a boat trip one day, and another day I'd sort of been talked into going a day trip to see the temple at Denderah, by a taxi driver who'd latched on to me. The temple was impressive, I have to admit, but it transpired the temple trip was probably just a ruse by the taxi driver to get someone to pay him to drive from Luxor to Qena (not far from Denderah), because when we got there, he parked up and said he had to go into an office and do something about his taxi licence, so he disappeared into a building for ages to do some bureaucracy, leaving me to my own devices, pottering about for a bit, in my t-shirt and knee length shorts, buying some drinks and oranges, in Qena, which I later learned after coming home was a hotbed of fundamentalism roundabout that time.
And in one of the brief respite periods between lockdowns more recently, I went to Sharm El-Sheikh for three weeks. Tbh, it's probably great if you're into diving, but I'm scared of fish so don't like swimming in the sea that much (the movie Jaws has a lot to answer for!) and while it was pleasant enough to lounge around the pool reading books and swimming, and then going to different restaurants at the marina for dinner at night, there wasn't much culturally, unless you take a trip to Luxor (for temples and tombs) or up to Cairo for the pyramids.
I feel hesitant about returning to Egypt though because of the hassle and the hustle, being shouted at to come into shops, buy this, buy that, get in my taxi. It was just too much. I found it really irritating, draining, and annoying.
For that reason, I'd avoid Egypt.
Once to Luxor, which is on the Nile, there's the Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple. I also went on a boat trip one day, and another day I'd sort of been talked into going a day trip to see the temple at Denderah, by a taxi driver who'd latched on to me. The temple was impressive, I have to admit, but it transpired the temple trip was probably just a ruse by the taxi driver to get someone to pay him to drive from Luxor to Qena (not far from Denderah), because when we got there, he parked up and said he had to go into an office and do something about his taxi licence, so he disappeared into a building for ages to do some bureaucracy, leaving me to my own devices, pottering about for a bit, in my t-shirt and knee length shorts, buying some drinks and oranges, in Qena, which I later learned after coming home was a hotbed of fundamentalism roundabout that time.
And in one of the brief respite periods between lockdowns more recently, I went to Sharm El-Sheikh for three weeks. Tbh, it's probably great if you're into diving, but I'm scared of fish so don't like swimming in the sea that much (the movie Jaws has a lot to answer for!) and while it was pleasant enough to lounge around the pool reading books and swimming, and then going to different restaurants at the marina for dinner at night, there wasn't much culturally, unless you take a trip to Luxor (for temples and tombs) or up to Cairo for the pyramids.
I feel hesitant about returning to Egypt though because of the hassle and the hustle, being shouted at to come into shops, buy this, buy that, get in my taxi. It was just too much. I found it really irritating, draining, and annoying.
For that reason, I'd avoid Egypt.
AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
You say you've been to India before, whereabouts? Goa should be quite warm but not too hot that time of year. I think I went in January. Mostly a beach holiday, but I vaguely remember going to visit a pretty church, and spending an afternoon taking a boat trip to Anjuna market.
We’re (me n eldest) going to Cuba in October. £850pp for a week all inclusive, direct flights from Manchester or Heathrow.
Caribbean beach less than an hour from Havana. Food is meant to be dire, snorkellings meant to be wonderful. Hotel a bit shabby, but old cars and those buildings.
Caribbean beach less than an hour from Havana. Food is meant to be dire, snorkellings meant to be wonderful. Hotel a bit shabby, but old cars and those buildings.
sparkybird
ask the bird...
baldrick
Personally I wouldn't go to Tulum as it's become hugely over touristy to the extent that it's damaging the underwater lakes ecosystem, extremely expensive and there are ongoing issues with seaweed (caused in part by the above). At Christmas likely to be like Brooklyn on Sea. Not in any way Mexican.
I'd try the Oaxacan coast, then take a flight to Oaxaca city for your culture and IMO the best food anywhere in Mexico.
Spent 2 weeks in Puerto Escondido in January and loved it. Big beaches for surfing but smaller ones near the town centre where you can safely swim. Lots of Mexicans as well as foreigners. Favourite beach was Carrizalillo, plenty of places to stay within walking distance.
Oaxaca city itself has everything (ruins, cathedrals, churches, art and traditional handicrafts, amazing buildings, markets, music and did I mention FOOD?) and you can be in the mountains within an hour for hiking if you like that sort of thing. Just spent 2 months there, DM me if you want any recommendations.
Already planning trip number 7 to Mexico. It's a huge country with so much to offer, good value for money and very friendly people. Go once and you'll want to return....
Personally I wouldn't go to Tulum as it's become hugely over touristy to the extent that it's damaging the underwater lakes ecosystem, extremely expensive and there are ongoing issues with seaweed (caused in part by the above). At Christmas likely to be like Brooklyn on Sea. Not in any way Mexican.
I'd try the Oaxacan coast, then take a flight to Oaxaca city for your culture and IMO the best food anywhere in Mexico.
Spent 2 weeks in Puerto Escondido in January and loved it. Big beaches for surfing but smaller ones near the town centre where you can safely swim. Lots of Mexicans as well as foreigners. Favourite beach was Carrizalillo, plenty of places to stay within walking distance.
Oaxaca city itself has everything (ruins, cathedrals, churches, art and traditional handicrafts, amazing buildings, markets, music and did I mention FOOD?) and you can be in the mountains within an hour for hiking if you like that sort of thing. Just spent 2 months there, DM me if you want any recommendations.
Already planning trip number 7 to Mexico. It's a huge country with so much to offer, good value for money and very friendly people. Go once and you'll want to return....
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baldrick
hmmmmm
Started in Delhi and did trips to the Taj, Jaipur etc and then a beach week in Goa. The Goa part was a bit annoying actually - we booked a really nice hotel which turned out to be miles from anywhere so it was tricky to leave the resort. Lesson learned there. I want to see more of the north of India but want a warmer time of year for that.
I'd like to go to Cuba actually. I have heard that about the food though, which is a shame and puts me off a bit cos I like eating new things on holiday.
sparkybird
ask the bird...
You'll eat well in Cuba, in fact I had some great home cooked food as well as restaurant food. Amazing seafood obviously. Not sure about all inclusives though if that's where you're headed.
It's a very safe country, you could (if u wanted to) walk round late at night with all your valuables hanging out and be fine.
Music at every turn and it's got RUM!
Downside is that I found it really difficult to understand the Spanish as the Cuban accent is pretty strong..... although that could just be my crap Spanish
ice-is-forming
let me rephrase that... Fuck off
And weed now decriminalised in Thailand !
I don't like extreme heat or extreme cold. If I could have a holiday every month my schedule would look something like this...
January - Cuba
February - Florida
March - Malta
April - Cyprus
May - France
June - Norway
July - Iceland
August - Australia
September - Cornwall
October - Spain
November - Tunisia
December - Egypt.
January - Cuba
February - Florida
March - Malta
April - Cyprus
May - France
June - Norway
July - Iceland
August - Australia
September - Cornwall
October - Spain
November - Tunisia
December - Egypt.
