Lingua Franca wrote: » Canary islands will be hottest. Malta is another option. I despised the Canaries, myself. I'm trying to take a short, hot holiday between March - May next year and Malta's looking like the most viable and appealing option.
FTA69 wrote: » Due to the fact I've continually avoided taking holidays over the past couple of years in work, I've been told by work I have 24 days holiday I need to take between now and the 31st March; this is excluding Christmas. It basically means I can take the whole of January off to go travelling. Has anyone any good ideas about where to go? The chances of this coming up again are pretty slim to say the least. So far I'm thinking of splitting the month between Bangladesh and Nepal, has anyone any experience of these places?
The Backwards Man wrote: » I'd love a go on one of those freighters that take passengers, go to China or Argentina or somewhere, love the high seas but the idea of a cruise ship appals me.
jank wrote: » 32 days a year? Government job of some sort I'm not mad, I'm jealous! Ha, I work for a trade union so they practice what they preach when it comes to work-life balance! The hours are often unsocial and we do every weekend, 6-7 day weeks are common but the pay is good and the holidays are brilliant. I can't complain for a second! I'm booking the tickets to Bangladesh and Nepal tomorrow anyway, I've managed to get London to Dhaka, Dhaka to Kathmandu and Kathmandu to London for £600. I'll be gone for the month. As I said in an earlier post, I work in the East End with migrant workers who are overwhelmingly Bengali and I'm the only white member of staff in the gaff I'm in. I think it would be fascinating to visit the country itself; it has immense natural beauty and is also well off the beaten track as that general area goes. You also don't get half of the hassle and scam artistry that you do in India. One of the lads I work with is a former diplomat and has been on the blower all day to Bangladesh organising free accommodation and tours etc in Dhaka and Sylhet. Couldn't ask for more really. Secondly, one campaign we had here in the East End was raising awareness of the conditions of garment workers in Bangladesh, around 700 of them were killed a few years ago in a factory collapse. I'll be visiting that area and meeting with a few of the workers' groups they have there. I'll have 9 days in Nepal which will allow me to see the cities of Pokhara and Kathmandu as well as take a 3 day trek up one of the ranges and visit a few villages and temples etc. It'll be cold but apparently the views are fantastic at this time, the trails are still solid and I'll buy a sleeping bag when I get there for the hostels. January the weather is in the Southern Hemisphere. Someone mentioned Namibia. An amazing place to visit. I did a tour there a few years back and still pine for those isolated still mornings at sunrise where the whole world seemed to stand still. Probably the best holiday I ever had. You could easily combine it with South Africa and/or Botswana. Cape Town is a great city to visit. Africa blew me away and is a must for anyone interested in travel. Fantastic idea. Ethiopia was one gaff I was going to head to next year but Namibia sounds pretty unreal as well. Was it a pricey endeavour? Alternatives would be South America? Rio Carnival? Argentina? I was in Cuba earlier on in the year for boxing which was fantastic; if I return to Latin America though it will be for a few months at some stage though. I speak a bit of the old Spanish too which was handy. Plenty of options, all that you need is a credit card and your passport (and maybe a few shots depending where you end up). Let us know what you decide. Some great ideas there mate, thanks very much.
32 days a year? Government job of some sort I'm not mad, I'm jealous!
January the weather is in the Southern Hemisphere. Someone mentioned Namibia. An amazing place to visit. I did a tour there a few years back and still pine for those isolated still mornings at sunrise where the whole world seemed to stand still. Probably the best holiday I ever had. You could easily combine it with South Africa and/or Botswana. Cape Town is a great city to visit. Africa blew me away and is a must for anyone interested in travel.
Alternatives would be South America? Rio Carnival? Argentina?
Plenty of options, all that you need is a credit card and your passport (and maybe a few shots depending where you end up). Let us know what you decide.
FTA69 wrote: » jank wrote: » Ha, I work for a trade union so they practice what they preach when it comes to work-life balance! The hours are often unsocial and we do every weekend, 6-7 day weeks are common but the pay is good and the holidays are brilliant. I can't complain for a second! I'm booking the tickets to Bangladesh and Nepal tomorrow anyway, I've managed to get London to Dhaka, Dhaka to Kathmandu and Kathmandu to London for £600. I'll be gone for the month. As I said in an earlier post, I work in the East End with migrant workers who are overwhelmingly Bengali and I'm the only white member of staff in the gaff I'm in. I think it would be fascinating to visit the country itself; it has immense natural beauty and is also well off the beaten track as that general area goes. You also don't get half of the hassle and scam artistry that you do in India. One of the lads I work with is a former diplomat and has been on the blower all day to Bangladesh organising free accommodation and tours etc in Dhaka and Sylhet. Couldn't ask for more really. Secondly, one campaign we had here in the East End was raising awareness of the conditions of garment workers in Bangladesh, around 700 of them were killed a few years ago in a factory collapse. I'll be visiting that area and meeting with a few of the workers' groups they have there. I'll have 9 days in Nepal which will allow me to see the cities of Pokhara and Kathmandu as well as take a 3 day trek up one of the ranges and visit a few villages and temples etc. It'll be cold but apparently the views are fantastic at this time, the trails are still solid and I'll buy a sleeping bag when I get there for the hostels. Fantastic idea. Ethiopia was one gaff I was going to head to next year but Namibia sounds pretty unreal as well. Was it a pricey endeavour? I was in Cuba earlier on in the year for boxing which was fantastic; if I return to Latin America though it will be for a few months at some stage though. I speak a bit of the old Spanish too which was handy. Some great ideas there mate, thanks very much. Not really. South Africa is great value if you stay away from western style safaris that are expensive. You can make it as cheap or as expensive as you want. Rent a 4x4 and away you go, paying for camping fees along the way.
jank wrote: » Ha, I work for a trade union so they practice what they preach when it comes to work-life balance! The hours are often unsocial and we do every weekend, 6-7 day weeks are common but the pay is good and the holidays are brilliant. I can't complain for a second! I'm booking the tickets to Bangladesh and Nepal tomorrow anyway, I've managed to get London to Dhaka, Dhaka to Kathmandu and Kathmandu to London for £600. I'll be gone for the month. As I said in an earlier post, I work in the East End with migrant workers who are overwhelmingly Bengali and I'm the only white member of staff in the gaff I'm in. I think it would be fascinating to visit the country itself; it has immense natural beauty and is also well off the beaten track as that general area goes. You also don't get half of the hassle and scam artistry that you do in India. One of the lads I work with is a former diplomat and has been on the blower all day to Bangladesh organising free accommodation and tours etc in Dhaka and Sylhet. Couldn't ask for more really. Secondly, one campaign we had here in the East End was raising awareness of the conditions of garment workers in Bangladesh, around 700 of them were killed a few years ago in a factory collapse. I'll be visiting that area and meeting with a few of the workers' groups they have there. I'll have 9 days in Nepal which will allow me to see the cities of Pokhara and Kathmandu as well as take a 3 day trek up one of the ranges and visit a few villages and temples etc. It'll be cold but apparently the views are fantastic at this time, the trails are still solid and I'll buy a sleeping bag when I get there for the hostels. Fantastic idea. Ethiopia was one gaff I was going to head to next year but Namibia sounds pretty unreal as well. Was it a pricey endeavour? I was in Cuba earlier on in the year for boxing which was fantastic; if I return to Latin America though it will be for a few months at some stage though. I speak a bit of the old Spanish too which was handy. Some great ideas there mate, thanks very much.
Deleted User wrote: » You lucky bastard. That is all.
SameDiff wrote: » I wish I'd been as lucky as him, to have taken no holidays in two years
FTA69 wrote: » Palestine, Cuba...Morocco
SameDiff wrote: » They'd certainly be in my top ten, along with Afghanistan, the Gaza Strip and Finglas.
FTA69 wrote: » "I took the road less travelled..." Also you'll find that Gaza is in Palestine. They have lovely Medjoul dates that grow there.
FTA69 wrote: » Palestine is hands down the best place I've ever gone. Although I was sick sh*t of f*cking hummus by the end of it. I found a KFC in Ramallah and barrelled through man, woman and child in order to get a crispy strips meal.
FTA69 wrote: » In fairness I did take holidays, usually only half of what I was allowed though. In the past two years I've been to the USA, Palestine, Cuba, the Basque Country and Morocco as well as a good few weekends in Ireland. I was often caught to work bank holidays etc and it just built up. I've been very lucky the amount of gaffs I've been able to visit in such a short space of time.
Meathlass wrote: » I did something similar in Iran; a month of eating rice and vegetable will do that do you! Except there it was called 'The Colonel's'! Not a worry about trademark infringements!
FTA69 wrote: » Everything in the West Bank is a knock-off. All the clothes are counterfeit and the eateries are ripped off as well; I used to go for coffee in Stars and Bucks all the time. Sufa, I spent one night in Tel Aviv on my way home. It was an absolute scream. The sun was splitting the stones in the middle of November, they have a beautiful white sand beach that goes on for miles and loads of hopping bars with outdoor terraces. It was savage craic.
Sufa wrote: » Yeah the pubs, bars and restaurants located along and around the promenade are excellent (there is even an Irish themed pub at the heart of it too that does great breakfasts) and as you say the beaches are great too. But I can't get my head around the fact you would choose to holiday in Judea and Samaria when such a great, safe, lively city was at your fingertips! Ramallah in particular, did you ever feel safe in somewhere so dangerous? Not trying to be pejorative at all btw, I just don't understand the mindset.
FTA69 wrote: » Nobody who lives there calls it Judea and Samaria, (bar the illegal settlers living on stolen land) it's Palestine. And it's populated by Palestinians. Funnily enough the only hassle I had there was off the Israeli military who detained me at Qalandia checkpoint for five hours at gunpoint where I had a great view of them herding people through cattle gates and generally treating them like sh*t. I found the Palestinians to be the most friendly and hospitable people I ever encountered. That having been said, most of the average Israelis I met were perfectly friendly, normal people as well. I went to that Irish pub to watch a Spurs game and the Guinness was actually drinkable enough. I spent my night there on Dizengoff St and don't remember much to be honest!
DainBramage wrote: » I spent some time working in Tel Aviv last year and enjoyed it for the most part. None of the religious tension you get in Jerusalem and other parts of Israel. Bars/clubs open all night. No scum hanging around. I found both Israelis and Palestinians to be generally quite sound. the only real arseholes I encountered were the Haredi (orthodox jews with the beards and hats). also I found many Israelis referred to West bank/Palestine for whatever reason as 'the Territories'. can you remember the name of bar and did you head allenby st at all?
FTA69 wrote: » Fantastic idea. Ethiopia was one gaff I was going to head to next year but Namibia sounds pretty unreal as well. Was it a pricey endeavour?
