AIBU to ask where you would go for 5 weeks, with £7750.

[Dontforgetyourtowel]

NC as very outing! I will soon finish a 9 year long stint of work and study, and to celebrate my freedom (i.e. not having to study evenings and weekends ever again), my DH and I have decided to go somewhere, anywhere, for a period of 5 weeks, in autumn 2018 (we're in the UK).

We have been thinking Hawaii, 'do' all 4 of the main islands. He's quite set on it but I'm being indecisive..! My main worry (not really an appropriate word but ykwim) is that our budget is 'only' around £7500. This would need to include everything (flights, car hire, food etc.) for the both of us (no DC).

I did the maths and I know that we can go to Hawaii on that but we'd have to be very careful (airbnbs, cook our own food, only pick a couple of big budget adventures, and spend the rest of our time hiking and snorkelling). Imo we might be better off going to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Things are so cheap out there that we'd never really feel we'd have to budget all the time.

Where I really want to go is Galapagos or Bora Bora but I know that the budget most definitely won't stretch to that!

So I wanted to ask, if you had 5 weeks and £7750, where would you go? Inspire me! We love adventure, diving, sun, good food, nature and meeting people!

This isn't a stealth boast, we've pretty much been looking forward to this and saving for it for a good few years, scrimping and saving on everything else

I'm amazed that no-one has yet suggested that you have 5 weeks in a cheap caravan in the UK, and spend the rest on a bench, charitable donations, saving the planet.....

By the by, me and DH would like to do the Orient Express down to Venice, and then have a week/10 days cruise round the Adriatic, and Orient Express back to London.

Or the train trip across the Rockies, and see Niagra, and visit friends in Ontario.

Or I'd like to go to Malaysia, and Singapore so that I can retrace my dear departed dad's footsteps from when he was doing National Service (and have a Singapore Sling at Raffles!).

Whatever you decide to do OP, have an absolutely wonderful trip.

"It was the boast of 'only having £7500' to spend on 5 weeks holiday that's upset posters."

You obviously missed the part about the OP having saved for years for that £7500.

Woah I didn't say I had a problem. I posted what I thought had upset the negative posters. Why the need to swear and berate.

You're all as bad as each other. Even the some of the posts in support of the op are unable to post without being sweary and berating to ones that think it was boastful.

I would tour Australia & NZ then fly home via Hawaii.

My husband and i have just come back from a trip to Hawaii.I have travelled to many places and although Hawaii is lovely , it would not be my top destination to travel to.Something is missing there It is horrendously expensive also.One glass of white wine in the hotel we were staying in cost $18!!We stopped over in California on the way back for a short visit as we once lived there and I really loved it and being there again. I would recommend the Maldives for a romantic and peaceful break.

No Liz I didn't. Why pick away at what I posted. Some MNs aren't in a position to ever accumulate that amount of money, no matter how many years they try. No matter how hard they work in their zero hour minimum wage contracts.

You will absolutely get 5 week trip to Ecuador and Galapagos on that budget. We spent on honeymoon there, 3 weeks Ecuador 8 day Galapagos boat and it came to less. We've had several long trips to South America and managed on budget of £100 a day for 2 of us doing everything we wanted. It's a once in a lifetime thing to go to Galapagos, go go go! PM if you want ideas on boats etcetc. Should say we thought French Polynesia v expensive so i wouldn't think youll get 5 weeks there.... But with Ecuador you'll def get trips to Amazon in too, and volcanoes, its ace

for the love of god OP has said she has scrimped and saved and worked her butt off for 9 years - her and her partner are now in a position where they can enjoy the reward of the hard work and saving....for all the haters, back off and let her enjoy this...

OP i would go to Canada, absolutely beautiful place (have been there before), and would love to go back and see more

wherever you end up, i hope you have a brilliant time

First things first. If I were you OP I would go for four weeks instead of five and that gives you an expanded budget. Have a cheap few daysk at home or somewhere in Europe to relax after all your travels!

It's either left or right so...

South America and Galapagos.
or West Coast USA and Hawaii.

other direction, Trans Siberian Express to Beijing, add Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Vietnam and Australia.

Do let us know what you have decided. It might not be any of our suggestions.

Best of luck and enjoy.

Hawaii is nice but not that special and I think it would be a bit boring for 5 weeks. I sailed around all the islands and it was incredible but not that much to do once you'd seen the first few. Could you do Hawaii for 10 days (max) and then US east coast road trip? Yosemite is fab as stated and very different. I think you could manage it all on that budget. Fly when it's cheap if you can.

But actually yes, South East Asia would be an incredible trip on that budget and every bit as beautiful as Hawaii.

Vietnam got quite expensive for us actually. it was £1200 each for all the flights, travel and hotel ( not the best places) and we went N to S and missed Halong Bay. You have to tip EVERYONE and they will charge you 5x the price for a hat or a souvenir or something because they know you can afford it and pressure you to buy their food. I think Hawaii would be cool but Id probably do a road trip of the US ( combined with trains etc) id probably start on the East coast and move to the Deep south.

Imagine how many chickens and bottles of squash you could buy with that! You could probably eek them out over the rest of your life and never need to buy food again.

South Africa is incredible and really cheap for the amazing standard of food, wine and accommodation you can get. It has fantastic beaches, incredible safari's and fabulous scenery. No jet lag either!

Definitely Vietnam. You can travel along the coast and stay in lovely places for next to nothing. Plenty to keep you occupied for five weeks.

We did america for our honeymoon - Vegas, LA, Hawaii and SF - all great places but i liked Hawaii and SF the best. We did the main two large islands in Hawaii, swam with sharks - was awesome.

With that budget - it would go further in Asia - i should know, im from there! Loads to do/trek/good weather/intereting places.

What about South America?

What kind of holiday would you like - sun sand sea? Or explorations?

Oh and sit is a particularly good time to go to Galapagos, we will in October especially. (It is equally a great time for safari in East Africa, but.... Go to the Galapagos!)

Is anyone else considering visiting Vietnam after reading this thread? Coz I am!

I love Vietnam. Beautiful! Cheap! Great food. Tailors:)

We done Galapagoes for less but was only a week. Imo definitely do Peru and Ecuador finished off with Galapagos. Once in a lifetime.

I would do SE Asia. We did route 66 a few years ago for 3 weeks and it cost more than £7.5k and we stayed in cheap motels 70% of the time.

I'd do SEAsia. Beautiful, friendly, so much to see, and relatively cheap for great food and accommodation. Do Cat Ba Island instead of Ha Long Bay, far nicer and less touristed - you kayak right through the karsts rather than just being taken on a boat tour around them.

Cambodia rearranged the inside of my head, in a good albeit distressing way. I will never forget my visit to the Killing Fields.

For anyone being unpleasant re money...

7500 for 9!! Years slog!

800£ a year.... Many spend more than this.. On flags /booze/morning coffees... /unworn clothes...

Different strokes etc

Not read whole thread, I too would say america however I always feel as its western and easy in a way perhaps something to do when older or retired?

I would go for more exotic Vietnam etc or somewhere like that. And I could never imagine without saving for at least 5 years really hard having that much money to spend on a holiday. have a fabulous trip op

I would thoroughly recommend Australia and NZ.

If you go to Queensland in Australia it is warm and dry and the islands are brilliant then in the south you can get your city fix.

Nz again is a country of many sites. Forest, mountains, snow, sun, islands, cities etc.

7500 might be pushing it but how about campervanning in NZ for some of it.

For what it’s worth the OP doesn’t deserve a hard time. If you are offended you simply shouldn’t have clicked into the thread.