To wonder why people go on holiday to exotic places

[Cockwomble]

When they are the types who go all inclusive and never leave the resort.

Why not just go to whatever cheap place is sunny to eat pizza by the pool for ten days?

You haven't really been to cuba/mexico/egypt if you stayed inside a hotel complex and ate english food by the pool from the buffet have you?

Abs,

Quite a few people have already pointed out that actually you can't have the same holiday at half the price somewhere closer to the UK.

I've just checked Thomson, and for what I am paying to go to Egypt (and I already said upthread that Spain, Cyprus and Greece were dearer) I could also have gone to the Dom Rep or Aruba

Sometimes it is to get the guaranteed weather, esp if going on holiday out of the summer.

I wouldn't want all inc in a location where you cannot get out and about to see the place really, although if we go away in october/February i do look for places where I am more likely to have warm sunny weather.

Next year we are off to Africa - not yet decided on exact location. We will stay in some hotels for parts of the time, but also smaller lodges and maye permanent camp sites - I want to get out and see places.

It's a bit like me saying to people who love camping in the Yorkshire Dales in Winter 'why do those types of people bother, it's more comfortable and warmer in their own house'

AIBU is not always the best forum if you just want everyone to agree with you.

I give up now. Going to look at some brochures and count the days!

Ah, okay. Thanks LtEve. That's one mystery solved AND will teach me to read more of a thread before posting lazy

vonherr I am not trying to get you to agree with me....have you actully read what I've been posting?!

For example you could go here www.stjamesclubantigua.com/ and it won't cost you that much more than a dcent holiday in the packed old med.

Well, if you want winter sun without going longhall Egypt is perfect- and at that time of year it is the nearest lovely warm place where my family and I can kick back, relax and have some fun.

I've done more than my fair share of adventuring but sometimes all inclusive suits us. We have a fantastic time even without venturing far from the resort.

I don't question other peoples' holiday choices, why would you?

It's a bit like me saying to people who love camping in the Yorkshire Dales in Winter 'why do those types of people bother, it's more comfortable and warmer in their own house'

You totally missed the point then. It's nothing like that at all!

A few years ago I went to the Caribbean during Feb half term and chilled at the hotel for the whole week and really enjoyed the winter sunshine.
In April I was on holiday in Argentina and visited Paraguay. To get there you have to drive a bit through Brazil through various passport controls and over a bridge where one half is painted in Brazilian colours and one in Paraguay flag colours. My children and I had a brilliant experience.
Am I that type?

Clearly not fluff!

If people just want a pool, beach, and sun and vaguely familiar food, fair enough, but in that case I don't get why they don't just book the cheap hols where you get sent to resorts meeting that spec at random.

My uncle and aunt used to do that, had a great time, but seriously didn't always know what country they were in (admittedly just after Yugoslavia broke up I bet the locals couldnt keep up either!)

Why go all the way to Mauritius/Seychelles/India when Croatia or Cyprus provide the same product?

wantto

Why can't I wonder about these things? Now I am wondering why everyone is getting offended by me wondering?

Can I also recommend www.bahia-principe.com/en/destinations/riviera-maya/

I really don't think it matters what other people do on holiday!

We have just been abroad for a week to a holiday village which was on a small island with very little else to do, and in any cause the village was a good 20 minute drive from anything else. For us, a holiday is relaxing, having quality family time together and enjoying the sunshine. We didn't really go on the holiday to experience the culture of the island we went to, we went on holiday to get away from this weather and to enjoy quality time together doing things we enjoyed. Both boxes were ticked and we were all happy!

I couldn't care less if it makes me 'common' or whatever because I don't necessarily go abroad to experience another culture.

Cockwomble, in that case I have totally missed the point as well, because that is how I read your OP too.

How should it have been read then?

As far as I am aware, I haven't criticised anything anyone's brought to the table in this discussion, (except the poster who didn't read the thread), I've found everyone's contributions interesting and said as much.

I've learned that often the long haul exotics are much of a muchness on price as the nearer ones if you have that kind of budget, something I didn't know before, so it makes more sense people going long haul. I have learned that many people have already travelled a fair bit; and are just ready for a relaxing holiday of doing not much in a beautiful location.

I haven't called people common, or sneered at their choices.

I have simply wondered why you'd pay loads to go to mexico/cuba etc etc and not see any of it. Now I know, which is one of the reasons I started the thread.

What way did you read it Lt?

I think sometimes you fancy a week sightseeing in NYC.
Sometimes you fancy a trip across the Rockies.

And sometimes you just want to chill and be spoiled.
And it is for this option that the long haul AI can suit.

Though I agree that I wouldn't want to do it every year.

How lovely lequeen

I still haven't had my honeymoon yet.

Lequeen was it the Occidental Xcaret by any chance?

Notcitrus - they don't provide the same. I really doubt The Maldives is the same as Croatia or Thailand or Vietnam is the same as Cyprus. They also offer year round sun. Also, European hotels are nowhere near what you get in say Asia.

Well apart from hurricane & monsoon seasons

Cockwomble, I think its back to the tone of the written word being easier to misunderstand.

I read your OP as being sneery, like people who didn't leave resorts were in the wrong. That they didn't anything out of being in a longhaul destination.

That was exacerbated by your 3rd post when you called it 'pointless' again I took that to be sneery.

You also didn't comment on people who just didn't want to sightsee/experience local culture etc. Those who were quite happy sitting on a sun lounger. So do you think that's wrong, or not?

Can you see what I mean?

Now you've posted again, it seems that you weren't being sneery and you have had your questions answered, so of course now I can understand what you meant in your OP

I'm sure someone else has already pointed it out too, but it's often cheaper to go long haul to an AI resort than to Europe at the current time. We priced up an AI holiday to a greek island for the summer holiday for five of us and it would have been near to 10k. We could go to Mexico or Cuba for substantially less than that, and we'd get the same holiday as we would get in Greece or Spain.

I see nothing wrong with your OP Cockwomble, like you said, your'e just musing.
The only reason I can afford it BTW is because of some money that was left me after a death in the family.
I could choose to keep it for a rainy day, or have two weeks in the sun, and I've chosen the latter. I've every intention of leaving the complex at some point and doing a couple of excursions.
The beauty of that is rather than organise it all myself as I did in my youth, someone else will do it for me, I'm too old in the tooth for all that now, and I have responsibilities which means I can't work, save money and take of for a couple of months like I used to do.
BTW what would you choose if you could afford it?