Need some ideas for a relaxing holiday

[Chitterlings]

DH is currently undergoing chemo. He is due to finish in April, and I want to book a holiday a somewhere warm/hot a couple of months after that.

I want somewhere that we would be happy to not leave, but would still like the option to explore places around within about 2 hours if we felt the need.

Budget not that important, but no silly ideas

How far do you want to go? You have posted in long haul, so guessing, exotic?
What about Florida? The key Islands. You can explore and you have a great health system if needed. Or Cuba, must be fascinating to visit.

Otherwise, closer to home, one of the balearic Island, Majorca, Minorca , .... avoid Ibiza for the party style.

Long haul because we have a BA companion flight to use, so the further we go the more value we get

An example of our most enjoyable relaxing holidays have been here in Bermuda, and close to Yosemite.

I've looked at Florida, but can't find anywhere that inspires me. The Balearics we haven't been to yet, but want to take the DCs with us, so not yet.

Japan was going to be next our next destination, but as I don't know how DH will be energy wise, it might not be suitable as that would be more full on.

I think I need someone to come on and post 'stay here it's amazing, we hardly left the place'!

Sorted, Polynesia .
French Polynesia, because so you would still have a French Health system. Bora Bora is as close to paradise as you can get!

Both Seychelles and Mauritius have what you need. Beautiful resorts you won't want to leave and places to visit if you do. Also the Andaman resort on Lankawi island in Malaysia is fantastic but gets a bit busy in school holidays. Again, hire a car and lots to do if you want to. Bora Bora would be on my list too. A friend went there on honeymoon and said it was heaven.

Florida keys is lovely - very relaxing. We stayed in Islamorada but there are some fantastic resort places. I guess you want to go somewhere where you wont need any jabs or anti malarials.

Not only jabs or malaria, but a place with no worries about water sanitation (not any the one in your drinks but the one used in the fields to grow veg), somewhere with a good health system because with a fragilised immune system, it is good to stay safe. Not in the middle of nowhere, so all Maldives islands are out.

Your DH may have to be careful about sun exposure following chemo, mine was advised that was the case.
Hope you find somewhere OP.

I've been reading a Jane Green book, and want to spend a summer in Nantucket. It sounds fantastic.

I have been to the Dominican republic a couple of times, if you stay in a proper 5* you really don't need to leave the resort, some have 7-10 restraunts on site and lovely lovely beaches. Its also alot cheaper than other islands in the Caribbean but not wildly different unless you are spending 10k plus! It is all about the hotel though although the island (especially the mountains) is beautiful.

Bali- went a few weeks ago, was amazing. We stayed at 5 star hotel - total bliss.
If you want a day trip hire a driver and you can set an itinerary depending on what you want to do. Do as much or as little as you feel like.
Otherwise it's the perfect place to destress and relax. Eat outside the hotels and it's cheap and fabulous!

Bali and Lombok, lovely people, beautiful place, spiritual (I'm not massively into all that but it does make you feel more positive about life and making the most of the little things). Loved it.

I obviously don't know your husband or his medical details but I urge you to think carefully.
I was "taken" to California 15 months after being very ill. It nearly killed me and trying to keep up while we were away ( and failing) was very distressing. In fact it put me off holidays. The time difference was something I just couldn't cope with. In fact your comment about getting value for money out of your BA companion voucher made me feel really strange.
Maybe somewhere quiet and luxurious in the UK?

Mmmmm, now I've got lots of things to think about!
I will ask his consultant before I plan anything too drastic.
I misguidedly thought that his immunity would be back to normal a couple of months after, so apart from tiredness which may be ongoing thought it would be OK. He is up to date on all sorts of jabs as has travelled extensively, but will check if they are effective still.
Bora Bora and Bali are in the future definitely after looking them up, but clearly not suitable at the moment. They will be when he retires and we can spend 6 months travelling and spending the childrens' inheritance
7to25 I take on board what you have said, and I'm sorry you had an awful time, I hope things are better for you now. I don't want to go somewhere in the UK - as with teenagers and a dog, know that we would have to cut our holiday short because of problems at home, whereas if we were out of the country they would hide everything going wrong until we came back!
The companion voucher value is because I hate flying, so it's either Buisness Class or First which feels less claustrophobic for me. Hence the value for money comment.

Madeira? Bettter weather than the UK, relatively easy to travel to (4 hour flight, BA fly there), good food, lovely and very welcoming people.
I went for five days by myself at the end of a very stressful year and loved it.

You can stay in good hotel, (pestana casino park strongly recommended but here are also many smaller boutique type hotels).
Do as much / as little as you feel up to.

Beautiful landscape, warmer weather, good food, friendly people (and anyone working in a remotely public facing role speaks great English, if that's a factor). Good healthcare system.

You obviously know much more about your husbands dx & treatment than we do Chitterlings, the sun exposure thing was just something mentioned to us.

Impact of dx on travel insurance is also worth investigating.

What about the Reunion Island?

1. The European health card is accepted, so even with the restrictions from the pre-existing conditions on your travel insurance, you can access for free the French Health system.

2. It is exotic and far, but not too far. Just a 4 hours time difference

3. Water is fine, no risk of tourist bug from ice cubes. You can drink tap water, eat whatever you want without any risk. My husband and DS1 have been dreadfully sick for 4 days in the Dominican Republic and we were in a 5* resort

TheFirie
You keep pulling them out of the bag! Thanks
I've never heard of Reunion Island - looks like Bermuda hotel wise.
Chasing. You reminded me about sun exposure, thank you. I had forgotten, but my mum had that (during and after her chemo), which I was always on her case about (she is a sun worshipper and didn't take any notice).

I'm going to ask specialist that for sure.

Travel insurance can be prohibitive post chemo unfortunately, and as mentioned depending on type of chemo sun exposure may need to be avoided. Fatigue can also be felt long after chemo finished, so choose somewhere with lots to do close to resort.
Macmillan can advise on travel insurance- your consultant may also need to provide a fitness to travel letter....what about a cruise?

Take advantage before the Brexit of the CEAM european health card system. Here is a list of countries and their territories (sorry in French)

Allemagne, Autriche, Belgique, Bulgarie, Chypre, Croatie, Danemark, Espagne (y compris les îles Baléares et Canaries), Estonie, France (métropole, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane française, la Réunion), Finlande, Grèce, Hongrie, Irlande, Islande, Italie, Lettonie, Liechtenstein, Lituanie, Luxembourg, Malte, Norvège, Pays-Bas, Pologne, Portugal (y compris les archipels de Madère et des Açores), République tchèque, Roumanie, Royaume-Uni (Angleterre, Écosse, Pays de Galles, Irlande du Nord, Gibraltar), Slovaquie, Slovénie, Suède

France gives you the exotic destinations and you won't have to pay a euro in case of need, as long as you have the european card (it is free of charge) with you. Avoid Guyane, very brown and muddy waters because of the tropical forest, Guadeloupe didn't drive me crazy , never been to Martinique, but the Indian Ocean island of the Reunion might tick all the boxes. Not too far, safe, no health access worries and tropical waters.