Tell me your holiday plans for 2017. I might get some ideas!

One eyed Jack

FTA69 wrote: »

That's gas, my missus was in Ethiopia and totally and utterly hated it. She's been to around 18 countries in Africa and loved most of them but actually gets in a bad mood when you bring up Ethiopia she hated it that much. It's funny, other people I know went there and said the same. They said there was fierce insincerity there and you're constantly getting blackguarded and hassled for money and constantly fending off rip-offs. I don't know what to make of it.

It was a major idea for me once and I've heard so much from people I trust that said it wasn't worth it. I'd be very interested to hear your position on it though.

Has she been to Uganda? My mate is actually from Uganda herself and has all sorts of wonderful stories, but ehh, well, I presume you've seen "An Idiot Abroad"? :pac:

FTA69

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

How safe did you find it? And I reckon the infrastructure for those for whom a hostel or a bed on the floor won't work is not great. But I could be wrong about that.

The FO advice is scary. But it is probably different on the ground.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/algeria

I bet there is a huge French influence there which is interesting.

If you always listened to that site you'd never go anywhere, parts if he deep Sahara in the south could be dodgy but the urbane cities on the coast are thousands of miles from that literally and in a lot of other sense too. Because there's no tourists there's no hostels so you're limited to crumbling cheap hotels that can be fairly dilapidated (tepid showers, shared bathrooms, dirty and falling apart rooms), at least in Algiers you are anyway. That having been said nicer places and guest houses can be found but not many.

I also have a distinctly Arab appearance so could walk around no bother but if you were a big blonde Norwegian in a backpack maybe reactions would differ.

EDIT: There is indeed a huge French influence, the architecture in some of the towns sometimes makes it feel you're in Marseilles or Nice, all tree lined boulevards, cafes and white masonry buildings with French shuttered windows and wrought iron balconies. There are patisseries on every street and I've had some of the best cake I've ever had there. The language is also highly French influenced and in Algiers they switch between the two regularly.

Your Face

Oh holidays, how bourgeois.

FTA69

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Has she been to Uganda? My mate is actually from Uganda herself and has all sorts of wonderful stories, but ehh, well, I presume you've seen "An Idiot Abroad"? :pac:

She has. She enjoyed it very much. I've never been to East Africa but have been to parts of West Africa (very different albeit) and the best advice I was given was expect to be shown great kindness and friendliness by a lot of people and taken advantage of by others. It'll be an amazing experience, I'd love to go in future.

vicwatson

Kerry for week in July, ya cant bate it

LaChatteGitane

vicwatson wrote: »

Kerry for week in July, ya cant bate it

I agree. I'm on holidays all year round. :cool:

janja

mariaalice wrote: »

Going to Alvor in Portugal and hiring a car and going to Lisbon for 2 days, so 5 days of relaxing swimming and 2 days of sight seeing in a city.

Caiscais worth a visit too

janja

South Africa or Thailand , we can't decide . We haven't had a proper holiday in years and these were our chosen destinations for when we would be able .

bear1

Driving to Italy in July for 2 weeks, can't beat the open road and just savage music.
Then it's a question of saving up a bit more in order to book flights to Mauritius in january 18.
Was there last month and it's unreal.
Friendliest place I've ever been and the beaches are a joy.

Spanish Eyes

I'm also squeezing in a few days to Westport and the Greenway and Achill. Such an amazing place. That's one of my "staycations"

Richard Hillman

Hoping to go to Japan for a month at either the end of the summer or Autumn.

Spanish Eyes

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Hoping to go to Japan for a month at either the end of the summer or Autumn.

So is Eviltwin post 17 above. Nice.

wotzgoingon

I may go, well to be honest I'm not sure. Where am I going again. Let me think. Oh yeah, I'm going to go for a walk around the back garden.

Spanish Eyes

wotzgoingon wrote: »

I may go, well to be honest I'm not sure. Where am I going again. Let me think. Oh yeah, I'm going to go for a walk around the back garden.

Now to be fair wotz, you are lucky to have a back garden. Many don't even have that luxury. :pac:

No wonder they want to escape their tiny flats with no outdoor space.

clappyhappy

We are going to Poland for 4 days in April with the kids, bit of a cultural experience for us all. Summer will be 10 days in the outer Hebrides and 4 days in Edinburgh with the in laws, we go every year and love it, kids go for 6 weeks since they were 3 and they love the freedom from us and the island. We'll do a week in the south of France end of august for the bit if guaranteed sunshine in Perpignan.

wotzgoingon

clappyhappy wrote: »

We are going to Poland for 4 days in April with the kids, bit of a cultural experience for us all. Summer will be 10 days in the outer Hebrides and 4 days in Edinburgh with the in laws, we go every year and love it, kids go for 6 weeks since they were 3 and they love the freedom from us and the island. We'll do a week in the south of France end of august for the bit if guaranteed sunshine in Perpignan.

Well La di da, and here I am thinking my walk around my back garden will be enjoyable and this dude comes along with a list of places he is going.

twill

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Yay, was thinking of flying into Cologne and doing a trip on the Rhine.

Dunno if it will be full of people like me.... dull, older and FULL OF FUN lol.

Cologne is really lovely, full of history and lots of museums and the like if you're into that. The cathedral is just amazing and there's a great viewing platform 100m up if you don't mind climbing the steps. Only did a short trip on the Rhine but that was very pleasant as well. I'm really itching to go back, might do it this year if I can manage it.

Satts

I'll drive up town for a cone during the summer, twice if the weather is good.

Beanntraigheach

Zimbabwe.
I've paid $30,000 for the opportunity to hunt the deadliest prey of all - Man!
(Don't worry, the "runners" as we call them are all convicts or addicts and are given a 4-hour head start.)

Tokyo

Nepal, to head up to base camp. Then Bangladesh, on the way back here.

Jude13

Dublin for 1.5 weeks, then off to Switzerland/France skiing for four or five days.

Hoping to do a Safari in Africa before Christmas and maybe a bit more skiing in Europe after Christmas.

FTA69

mike_ie wrote: »

Nepal, to head up to base camp. Then Bangladesh, on the way back here.

I did that in reverse a few years ago. Bangladesh only gets 4000 tourists a year in a country of 160m people so white people are a curiosity to say the least. I was having a cup of tea there once and had around 80 people standing around in a circle staring at me. It can get a bit unnerving at times. How long are you there for?

sadie06

Ten days in Achill in July, Electric Picnic and a long weekend in Lisbon with friends in Late September.

Fozzie Bear

California for two weeks in April with wife and our 2 year old. Flying into LAX, get the hire car and off up Route 1 to San Fran. Herself has family living in Santa Barbara and San Jose so we will be staying with them. Might do an odd night in a hotel along the way too. Big Sur, Monterey, Morro Bay etc. I think Disneyland is in there somewhere too for the 2 year old, not her parents *cough*.....

We were there in 2008 and loved it so really looking forward to going back again.

Zebra3

Iran is on the to do list.

Fingers crossed it's this year.

Intrigued somebody has been to Algeria. Visa application looks like a right pain in the hole.

DrPhilG

Heading to Italy in May for a week. Hiring a car and driving around the north. Como, Garda, Venice etc.

Majorca for 2 weeks in September. No driving then, just lying in a heap for the duration.

I'm also going to India in April, but that's a charity gig so definitely not a holiday. I get very arsey when people refer to it as a holiday. Which is bound to happen as the Italy holiday is only a month after India.

"God you're good to yourself, sure you're only back from holiday and you're away again"

hairyslug

Get my finger out, buy a new bike and down to North Italy for a few days

FTA69

Zebra3 wrote: »

Iran is on the to do list.

Fingers crossed it's this year.

Intrigued somebody has been to Algeria. Visa application looks like a right pain in the hole.

I was in Iran last year it's unreal; Irish citizens can get a visa on arrival too so that's handy. Algeria's visa application was the hardest I've ever done by far. I'd to submit prebooked accommodation for every day I was there (which I cancelled after I got the visa), an invitation letter to Algeria, three months payslips, a letter from my employer confirming what I do, photocopies of every page of my passport, a full itinerary of my trip, travel insurance and an interview at the embassy.

They're not mad on the idea of tourists coming to visit really.

Dom84

Going to Krabi in Thailand for 10 days in September. Can't wait.

Graces7

Ah so much variety and eagerness... Great reading... As for me? Connemara will suit me fine. Six weeks here now and so much to see and learn... Going away would be too much for me and in fact not been away for over 30 years. That was driving across France to stay with friends in Strasbourg.

Never had a big hotel holiday; always eg camping which I enjoyed.

Now I drive somewhere new on shopping days so every week is a holiday.. when the weather allows .. And this place...utter beauty.