Holidays 2024

[ChrisJ]

 

Having just finished 2023 with 10 days in Cape Verde, thoughts turn to 2024.

Already have a couple on the go:

• Off to Zimbabwe/Zambia for 10 days on the 10th Jan. Visiting some investments - a possible new one in Zambia and a current one in Zimbabwe.
• 2nd trip is in the planning stages for after Easter - a 10 day road trip in the Eastern USA visiting potential universities with my daughter. Looking to hire a Dodge Charger or similar. Currently planning on flying into Baltimore - although this may change by the end of the month.

If our daughter decides on a US university, we will almost definitely all go back in the summer, otherwise it will be somewhere in Europe - driving not flying.

Oh and @Kimbers will be going to Cyprus. /end thread

 

[Sparky]

Planned so far:  NYC one-nighter to see friends in a band Jan/Feb; Brussels in March, Naples in April, Florida in October with kids/grandkids (I swore I wouldn't do that again, but hey ho, it's what they want) and somewhere in between maybe something silly in Alaska and/or Canada. Probably busman's holidays to  Denmark too.  

MIght try Cyprus one day...

[C8RKH]

Oooh, nice @Sparky.

So far I have three days in Miami in February, leading to 6 days in the Florida Keys, and then a further 3 days in Miami.

I then have 10 days in South Africa including the "tram" tour in the wine areas around Franschhoek and then Cape Town and Stellenbosch in March. I'm dreading Stellenbosch as last time I was there was with work and we got phished at the wine festival weekend. Not sure the wife knows what is going to hit her, but at least she can be the designated driver that weekend...

May is two weeks in Turkey.

June, is a 6 day trip to Norwich around the Lotus tea party.

July is 5 days with my mum and family in the IoM for her 80th as that is where half my family is from (hence my surname)

We're still planning the second half of the year, but Singapore is on the list as is Turkey in October.

Can't wait.

 

[mayevora]

Always great to start a New year with Holidays planned. January for some can be depressing months of crap weather, not much daylight, over spent Xmas, carrying a lb or two  extra ect ect.

With something to look forward to like holidays makes the start to a year easier to wake up for when that 6am daily alarm call happens. 
France and Germany planned so far. 

[Bibs]

Cyprus.

Also, having been bit by the Italian bug over the last couple of years we're off to Rome over Easter. It's a big birthday for me this year too so thinking of a roadtrip across the States

 

[Sparky]

Need any advice?  😁

[ChrisJ]

I might need some for the April trip - never been to the states before.

Don't need any for next week's Africa trip though 😜

[exeterjeep]

I had not realised that half the planets global warming was down to TLF holidays.😃

[Bibs]

13 minutes ago, Sparky said:

Need any advice?  😁

Plenty thanks! Will be in touch before we book anything

 

[Kimbers]

22 hours ago, Sparky said:

MIght try Cyprus one day...

You won't regret it but can I suggest the Latchi Polis area. So much more unspoilt than Paphos/Larnaca

[Chillidoggy]

We've never been to the south east Asia before, so this year we decided to arrange a multi-centre trip to Vietnam, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Saigon and Singapore, using Trailfinders.

Oh, and almost certainly France for the 5th edition of Esprit d'Aventure, in September. Details on that to follow.

 

As a nod to the misguided 'Just Stop Oil' twerps, I've planted a bush in the garden to compensate. Sadly, the squirrels are now busy undermining it to hide their nuts.

[Bling]

Nothing planned yet other than a 10 day visit to Athens over the Easter holidays at the end of March. 

Need to start planning in order to catch up with the rest of yous lot !

 

@Sparky - Naples and the surrounding area such as the Amalfi Coast is great.

[Kimbers]

We are planning on 3 weeks in July in Cyprus to celebrate our Silver wedding anniversary. I wanted 25 days (one for each year) but many of the villas we are looking at won't do that period.

Plus I am taking the whole family, who will be in a seperate villa for 2 of those weeks!

Gonna be expensive but wanted to show them the place we love.

[williamtherebel]

Off to Antarctica in Feb for 3 weeks. Flying to Buenos Aires first for few days. Any suggestions. (Clean please!)

[Sparky]

Ooooh, nice!  It's on my bucket list.  Pray tell more.  Heading down to Ushuaia?  Hoilday or something else?  Sorry, this stuff excites me.

[Bibs]

On 01/01/2024 at 11:17, ChrisJ said:

Having just finished 2023 with 10 days in Cape Verde

How was it? I've been tempted to visit for a while - I've only been to the Canaries twice but quite like it, is it similar?

[ChrisJ]

Brilliant - We didn't go with TUI to an all inclusive, but organised it ourselves and stayed local. The islands TUI fly to just look like deserts with little to do.

We flew with TAP Air Portugal via Lisbon to Sao Vincente - even has a Lotus named airport.

Stayed in Mindelo for a couple of nights - here (photos are very careful not to show the view from the pool straight ahead, as there is a bloody great new hotel being built).

Ferry across to Santo Antao, where we here for stayed for 5 nights - here

Typical scenery - my son described it as Jurassic Park

One of the walks - you can see the path snaking down the mountain - we are at around 4700 ft. The sea is about 3kms away.

We will definitely be going again. Probably to another island as there are 10 of them. I think it is a superb winter destination, temps mid to high 20s (very depressing to be back to the damp and grey UK). I am not sure if I'd go in the summer, and we found 7-10 days to be a good length of time. 

I'd research who flys into which island - TUI do fly into Sao Vincente, but from Amsterdam. Cabo Verde Airlines flies there from Paris. TAP were fine, but I'd try to avoid Lisbon Airport as an overnight transit as their passport control is a nightmare, both exiting and getting to the gates.

 

Here's a good video about Santo Antao - although I strongly suspect that they did not do their walks on consecutive days, as our calves were knackered from walking down the first one.

 

 

 

 

 

[Spinney]

We’re doing 4 days in Buenos Aires in February before moving on to Montevideo then down to Ushuaia. For some strange reason that I don’t even understand myself, I want to take a trip out to the Falklands. 🤷‍♂️ Anyhow, we’re in the region, so why not?😁

From Ushuaia we are going up through Chile before spending a couple of days in the Santiago region then flying home from there. 

In April we’re taking a week by the Italian lakes, one of my most fave regions of Europe then at the end of May a week in Rovinj, Croatia. We were there earlier last year and it is a fabulous place. 

Beyond that, things are on hold until my son and his squeeze decide where and when this year they will be getting hitched. It will be somewhere in the US since that’s where they live but no idea where yet. I suggested Death Valley, which didn’t go down too well with the squeeze!😂

[ChrisJ]

Another thing - we didn't see any poverty. No street urchins, people in rags etc. No shanty towns or "mud" houses. Everyone was well dressed - saw a couple of drunks, houses looked well built, great architecture and colours.

We hired a car, but most people got about by taxi or minibus, and unlike the rest of Africa, the minibus would not wait to be jam packed, don't think we every saw a full one. Prices were reasonable, no real rip off prices for tourists that I could see.

Roads are mainly cobbles - great idea for Africa, keeps the speed down, and cheaper to maintain - that is an aquaduct.

English was not the main second language on Santo Antao - I had to speak French a fair bit of the time.

Can't forget to mention Grogue - the owner of the hotel we stayed in made his own - bloody hell it was potent.

It definitely did not feel like mainland Africa.

[pete]

how depressing for the other half

[williamtherebel]

@Sparky Just a holiday. Its been on my bucket list for a while. Fly to Buenos Aires for a few days then on to Ushuaia. Then start cruising. We stop off on the Falklands, Puerto Madryn, Montevideo then back home. Really looking forward to it. Never been on a cruise before either!

[Sparky]

Exactly what I hope to do!  Tracy and I really don't like the idea of cruises, but it's the only way to see that part of the world.

[Spinney]

48 minutes ago, williamtherebel said:

@Sparky Just a holiday. Its been on my bucket list for a while. Fly to Buenos Aires for a few days then on to Ushuaia. Then start cruising. We stop off on the Falklands, Puerto Madryn, Montevideo then back home. Really looking forward to it. Never been on a cruise before either!

Can I ask which cruise line you’ll be using for this trip? We’re old hands with a lot of them so can maybe offer some tips. 👍

[C8RKH]

I shiver with horror at the thought of a "cruise" holiday, but will be very interested in your experiences @williamtherebel on this one.

 

[Spinney]

14 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

I shiver with horror at the thought of a "cruise" holiday, but will be very interested in your experiences @williamtherebel on this one.

 

Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. I used to think the same but here we are a mere 24 cruises later. 😁