Planning next year holls. Vietnam Sri Lanka or Goa. Can you think of any where else.

[allgoodinthehood]

Just got back last night ( Koh Samui ) and now looking at the next one.
Cant decide at all. Two adults in early fifties. No kids and has to be in summer school holls.
Any ideas gratefully received

Kerala in India?
Japan?
Maui?

Bognor

Bognor sounds nice and No jet lag so thats a bonus.
Partners been to India. Just seeing if anyones been to Vietnam or Sri Lanka Goa might be a bit beachy ( is that even a word ) lol

Maui.

Cambodia? Or something completely different - across the Rockies in Canada? Not been to either so a suggestion rather than recommendation! I quite fancy Alaska, doing something a bit wild.

I’m jealous, it sounds like you have a fabulous lifestyle!

Oooh we're a similar age although we can travel outside of the school break. They would both be amazing choices although the weather is more variable in both counties so I guess you'd need to be prepared for rain.

Personally I wouldn't chose Goa or Kerala again. I had great holidays in both areas but there wasn't a lot to see in Goa away from the coast and I found Kerala to be a little scruffy and down at heel.

Sri Lanka was truly stunning and the sites are amazing although transfers can be long if you want to see some of the key attractions. The choice of food was also brilliant. Theres; not a lot in Columbo but Kandy and Sigiriya are stunning and we adored the tea stations. Galle was a great place for a few days beachtime.

We love Vietnam and have been several times. My sister and her boys are out there now and have had great weather. Its too big to really see in one trip unless you do a lot of flying. Probs best to pick the key highligts- for me I loved Hoi An for the amazing street food and Halong Bay. We had a few days down time last visit on a stunning Island called Phu Kok.

I'd maybe think about Cambodia too- Phnom Pehn has tragic but compiling history and of course Ankor Watt is on lots of bucket Lists. Myanmar might be a less obvious choice but I loved it

Happy holiday

Loved Sri Lanka, loads to see and do. Travelling around was fairly easy. It depends what you want out of a holiday but I found it gave us a good mixture of culture, wildlife and beaches. We're currently debating whether to go back next year or go to Thailand or Goa.

We went to Sri Lanka in Jan and it was brilliant. So much to see and do, and the people and food are lovely. Goa, as you say, is mainly beaches and not anywhere near the same league as Sri Lanka or Thailand.
We're looking at Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos for our next trip east.

Loved Vietnam. Travelled from top to bottom over three weeks (mix of internal flights and over night coaches) and got a real mix of culture, history, beaches, relaxation, food ... we were in our mid-30s with no children and had a blast. If you like scuba diving it’s on a par with Thailand in my opinion.

Goa/Kerala was enjoyable in late August - very quiet in comparison to Christmas as it’s the rainy season but I’d choose Vietnam over a return to that area of India every time (although I do prefer Indian food ...)

Sri Lanka is on my ‘must visit’ list along with Japan.

Vietnam is amazing, I'd recommend it over Sri Lanka (I have been to both). Hanoi is fascinating. Ha Long Bay absolutely stunning (it is worth splashing out a bit to get on a good ship). Hoi An is charming and the beaches around Danang were beautiful (and much nicer than I was expecting). Plus it is as cheap as chips and the food is delicious.

YABU

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It depends on what time of year you plan on going and what parts of the country. Sri Lanka and Vietnam have very different weather at the same time of year depending on the region. We have been to Sri Lanka and loved it and are going to Vietnam and Cambodia early next year.

We visited Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City last year and was blown away by what Vietnam had to offer. Internal flights were great (we started and end the trip in Bangkok). People, food, culture were out of this world and would recommend these cities to anyone.

thank you so much for all the suggestions. I think Goa is off the list. Vietnam and sri Lanka still in the running. Any info on either would be welcome. TIA

Galápagos. You won’t regret it. It’s very costly but wonderful, it’s as the world was before Man arrived.
I went this year, go while you’re still fit and active. Lots of wet landings and getting on and off Zodiacs.

Bless even i know the Galápagos is out of my price range. It is on the bucket list though.

Vietnam is fantastic and there's lots more to it than beaches.

I really didn't enjoy Cambodia even though we went in the same trip as Vietnam and Laos, very different, less friendly, vibe.

New England road trip in the Autumn? Beautiful B&Bs on the coastline, sailing off Cape Cod, quaint lighthouses and views in Martha's Vineyard...

Sorry, just realised you said it has to be school summer holidays. Have a look here for Vietnam Vietnam in August.

And here for Sri Lanka Sri Lanka in August.

We did Sri Lanka a few years ago during the school summer holidays and I can't recommend it highly enough. The food, the people and the culture were all amazing. I'm no longer working in a school so we have more flexibility now and have booked a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam for January/February. We are using a travel agent who is based in Hanoi who was highly recommended to us by some friends.

She has put together a tailor made trip for us (couple in mid fifties who enjoy good food and culture) that looks fantastic and was very reasonably priced which we are very much looking forward to.
I haven't been to India however it appears to be a place you either love or hate from speaking to others!

I haven't been to India however it appears to be a place you either love or hate from speaking to others!

That's what I gather too. We changed a holiday last minute from India to Thailand as the more I researched the more I realised it wasn't for me, confirmed by son when he returned from his trip a few months later. He loved it though.

What @Panticus said ... best experience of my life so far. Next on my list are Colombia and Russia

We did Sri Lanka last year and Vietnam this summer. Loved both places. Food in SR was the best I've ever had. So much to see and do in both countries. All I would say is if you choose one of these two don't try to squish too much in. We spent three weeks in each, and will revisit to see the bits we missed.
I have been no help at all.
Other thoughts...Borneo and Malaysia. My spiritual home.
Again, I haven't helped at all - sorry!

We're going to Goa for xmas - I'll report back if you like!

A few years ago we had a fab holiday in Malaysia which I'd really recommend. 7 nights in Borneo (beaches, island-hopping, Orangutans) the three nights in KL (sights, shopping, restaurants). Fabulous! We're planning to go again in the next couple of years, this time with children.

I absolutely loved Sri Lanka. A wonderful combination of mountains and hiking, beaches, culture and amazing wildlife. It’s such a diverse country and easy to travel around. Also, I feel like they need the tourism now especially.

Dungeness.