To think tropical location holidays just arent worth it

[jdoe8]

There's a constant worry about getting something nasty (malaria, rabies, dengue fever). The transport / roads often aren't very safe as they are usually in developing countries with very bad air quality in built up areas. In SE asia RTA are the biggest cause of deaths of western tourists. The bugs are annoying and you either have to use lots of pesticides / insecticides that aren't very good for you or something organic that is ineffective. You get hassled a lot and haggling is often essential and sometimes you just cant be bothered as it hot and humid.

Am I just getting old? I've done the whole a year in SE asia when I was younger and as much fun as it was, I don't partially want to go again.

I went for two weeks to Cambodia - quite a carbon footprint. But travelled on local transport, stayed in local owned hotels and ate in local restaurants. So contributed to the local economy and saw an amazing amount of stuff.

Generally speaking when away we stay in local places and eat out in local restaurants. The holiday makers' money is important to the economy.

Even so an AI owned by a multinational company will be providing employment.

I can't believe the amount of uneducated people commenting on this.

No one from the England has the right to look down at any other country. Have you not seen the state of a lot of places here. But go on and judge Breathtaking places you have never been to based on ignorance.

YABU

You sound unadventurous.

You're welcome to Butlins

Re Deet - i SMEARED myself in it - in Africa and still got horrifically bitten.

i love travel. I wish I could afford to get to some of these places.

I think there's a bit of a clash here between people who like a beach holiday, for whom long haul is probably unnecessary hassle and insects a bore, and those who want to travel to a country and see the culture and heritage, for whom the long haul and insects are a necessary side effect. You can't see, for example, the Taj Mahal or Angkor Wat in Cornwall or the Med. You can't chat to an Indian miniaturist or a working mahout (of properly looked after elephants, not tourist victims) without travelling. If you don't want to do these things, then travel is unnecessary. If you do, there's no alternative.
As for the poster who said 'the world is overrated' words fail me.

For me, it's about environmental concerns. Would anything I could learn about the country on a 2 week beach holiday really turn me into such a better and more insightful person that it would offset the carbon footprint involved?

Do you drive a car?

Anyway, I don't and I love travelling. As for sitting in a plane for 10 hours I get through it by watching films and reading my book. And with an amazing adventure awaiting me.

I'm 61 and just did 3 weeks solo travel in South Africa, all by public transport and staying in hostels.. Had an amazing time, met fantastic people, both locals and travelers and was amazed at the amount of solo women travelers I met, some even driving solo.

And yes I've been spoilt cos been to the Caribbean loads and the sea water is like a warm bath. Can't even go into the water in the Med anymore, it's so cold.

Cinnamon Nope, I've never even flown long haul before. I'm really scared on planes so tbh I think most of my fretting is adisplacement fretting so I don't have to think about the flight!

SansComic that's really useful to know about the 7/11s as DS has a bunch of food allergies so there'll be somewhere to get food I know he can eat.

Even if I do end up hating it I shall hate it quietly as I don't want to spoil the experience for DH/DS.

@Camomila

Long haul flying is brilliant.

7/11s in RP tend to just stock basics like milk, crisps, chocolate etc. They're basically snack shops. LArge supermarkets have everything you may want though. Everything except Bovril, that is.

As I said, The Philippines won a place in my heart. The people and the place. The interesting, dirty, crowded city and the stunning provinces. Where are you going? Eat lechon, crispy pata and clover chips. Get drunk on Red Horse. Enjoy.

I feel a little jealous. It's 18 months since I was there and am unlikely to return through work again.

Where is your DH from?

I hate hot weather
Hate bugs and wierd animals
I'm a fussy eater
Don't care if I'm unadventurous
Anything over about 11 degrees and I'm too hot in England so god knows what I would be like elsewhere. I just about managed Vegas because it's all indoors!

DH's a Londoner :) His dad's from just outside Manila and his mum is from a little village in Negros Oriental. I think we'd be going to his mum's island when we visit.

The one thing I'm looking forward to is eating mango straight off the tree. We may also abandon the ILs for a few days and go to the beach in Cebu.

The one thing I'm looking forward to is eating mango straight off the tree

Yummmm!!! I've done this when in the Caribbean and it was the best mango I've ever had.

Ah, I miss understood.

I saw a lot of the country but never got to Negros.

Mango from the tree isn't perfect. Mangos there are amazing but buy them from the people on the street. As with bananas, given a few days to ripen after being picked is best. It's when they sweeten.

I used to love driving past fields of pineapples. At the right time of year the air everywhere smelled of sweet pineapple.

The fruit in RP will ruin you though. When you return, everything will taste sour and un-juicy

'ThatCatsMother'. I think Caribbean mangoes are more similar to Indian mangoes whereas those in SE Asia, the yellow ones, aren't picked and eaten immediately.

Iflyaway Wed 15-Feb-17 13:20:00
"For me, it's about environmental concerns. Would anything I could learn about the country on a 2 week beach holiday really turn me into such a better and more insightful person that it would offset the carbon footprint involved?

Do you drive a car?"

No, I don't actually. But even if I did, I'd have to drive a lot before I got up to the same carbon footprint as a flight across the globe.

And while I am sure I could find amazing people in Asia or Africa, and plenty of fascinating things to experience and learn, I can also find those things in Europe at far less cost to the world. Trains and ferries have a low carbon footprint.

YANBU, I spent many holidays in Goa in the 90's and nothing phased me. Now I wouldn't want the shitty flight, the farce that is Goa airport, the driving, the rubbish everywhere, the constant pestering from hawkers on the beach, give me a nice hotel in Croatia anyday.

But it's different corythatwas the things you would learn in Europe and the people you would meet are not the same as you would learn or experience elsewhere.

You're right to say there is lots to learn and experience in Europe - I love Europe as much as I love longer haul destinations I have been to but as cardibach says you can't see Angkor Wat in Europe or meet many Cambodians, or learn about Cambodia culture there. Travelling isn't the same in every location.

I have travelled a fair bit round Asia and even within Asia I have had vastly different experiences in different countries. Yes the bugs are annoying, I hate long haul flights etc but I don't regret a single one of my experiences - it has for the most part been a lot of fun and something that has shaped me as a person (travelled before uni as well as an adult - best time of my life).

OP, I know what you mean, went to Bali/Gilli islands, was a one in the lifetime experience and I don't regret it but it was a huge expense and I spent a lot of time worrying about taking malaria tablets/avoiding dogs with rabies...naturally a worrier so it freaked me out. And I got awful diarrhoea and vomiting sickness - the worst I've ever had - and even though the place was beautiful I just couldn't enjoy it by the end of the holiday, tend to stick to Europe/UK now

Thats funny maddie as everyone in Goa always says how great it used to be a few decades ago as if it was a paradise and today it's over. I found Goa and Bali both quite similar in a way. I wouldn't want to go back to either.

Yes fly moon that is a constant worry the dogs, especially in asia they seem to be quite vicious towards people that look different. Knowing that even in the tourist hub of Bali they often run out of the rabies post exposure jabs and during a bout of rabies people have had to fly to oz to get the jabs. I didn't ever make it to the Gilli islands purely because Bali was maleria free when I visited but Gilli islands were not.

I'm from Oz and I've never even been to Queensland which is in my own country. For me it's just a climate thing.

I did a stopover in Singapore as part of a recent trip and while an interesting city to explore with great food I hated the fact that I was dripping with sweat in no time. Yuck.

Give me snow and mountains any time

I know what you mean. We do tropical holidays but I can't be doing with anywhere where it's just poverty everywhere and I don't really like dictatorships or areas that are so humid you're dripping with sweat after 30 seconds outside.

I did love Vietnam though and Thailand, despite thinking I wouldn't. Thailand was just paradise for me and even the kids loved it (although mainly because they got to visit where they made a James Bond film.)

I'd quite like to do Hong Kong but I don't think I'd like the fact it's basically built up where ever you go.

I must say as we get older, I find myself much preferring a nice simple holiday with comfortable amenities and stuff.

Our last holidays have been: Marrakech, Nice, Sicily and Malta. We picked them because they were a bit different to your usual resorts but they were still in developed countries which were relatively safe politically and medically. Ironically I felt safer in Sicily surrounded by (I imagine) the mafia than I did in places like Turkey and Russia!

Yes totally agree on the sweat. It's ok being a teenager and travelling, but these days I can't be going through 10 t shirts a day and no matter if I scrub myself in the shower and have a long bath I still seem to smell. Dubai on a stop over was awful, 48 degrees. It was too much seriously to walk a few steps out of an AC cab inside to somewhere else with AC.

I'd love to go to queensland actually - the barrier reef, the gold coast, Brisbane and the range of tropical fruit there. But the cost puts me off more than anything - the flight alone would wipe out my budget and its uber expensive there that I couldn't afford to do anything. I've got a friend in perth that has never been either.