Big trip ideas

[dontcallmethatyoucunt]

I'm trying to plan for DH 50th and would like a family holiday that isn't 'standard'. I'm lacking inspiration and I'm always wowed jealous where other people go.

Hit me with your trip of a life time triumphs. We're active, like doing and looking, and flexible on location.

Thanks

With the qualification that I know very little about entertaining 10 year olds, I'd say that a trip that included an Amazon jungle lodge, a historical town in S America and the galapagos would be a lot of fun for the kids. You might feel a bit constrained though.

I think the stans are amazing and you would probably be fine sticking to the tourist trail in Uzbekistan, but I wonder if your kids will be bored with that. There is the potential for police/border hassle in other parts of the region. Plus I waited two days for transport in Tajikistan and I'm not sure how highly that would score on the fun scale especially when combined with a food menu often limited to plov.

I could see Borneo being a good all-round easy choice. Mexico and Costa Rica too

I forgot to say that the Galapagos is not cheap, so if money is an object you might want to rule it out.

There are brilliant suggestions here, but I'd personally stay off Myanmar. I went a few years back on NGO related work and found it very emotionally tough - we felt we had a choice between supporting a genocidal regime by eating and staying at reasonably nice places, and having a pretty grim time but less money going to the regime. We boycotted Bagan because of the human rights abuses involved in turning it into a tourist site. Admittedly, we were going round the country meeting with human rights workers so it was always going to be a bit tough and weird, but my abiding memories were of us finding it very grim.

SpicyTomatoes - I got stuck waiting for transport in Kyrgyzstan too! Explaining that plane tickets really are for a specific date was pretty difficult...

@dontcallmethatyoucunt I'm far from an expert but I think that the south is nice most of the time.

Travelling yes I must admit on reflection I did wonder if it was a good idea. I wouldn't want to support anything like that.

Spicy did you go on a tour or under your own steam to the Galapagos? Upthread someone mentioned you can only go inhabited islands if you don't join a tour. What's your opinion on both option?

I think South America has it, but we will def go to Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos at some stage.

Great choice OP.

Let me know if you need any info. I did four weeks in Peru, Ecuador, Galapagos and Colombia just me and dd 12. All independent and on quite a tight budget. Happy to pass on any recommendations.

Wow TheDonald that sounds amazing. I'd be really interested to know where you went and particular highlights. I'm not sure we'd manage 4 weeks, but 3 could be a plan.

Did you write a blog or anything?

Vietnam is visa free for U.K. Citizens for up to 15 day continuous stay. Me, DH and the kids are doing Vietnam and Cambodia next Easter. I'm flying into Da Nang, staying in Hoi An for a week and then off to Angkor Wat. We will then re-enter Vietnam at which point I'll have to get a visa on entry to come back in. You can get a multiple entry visa but it works out cheaper to just get a visa for the second leg of my travels

dontcall

I've sent you a PM.

I went to the Galapagos 10 years ago so this information is probably out of date. There are two populated islands that you can fly to. On these islands you have freedom to move around without a guide.

To visit the other islands you need a guide. To arrange this you either stay on a boat which travels around on a fixed itinerary or you day trip from the main islands. I did the first of these options for one week. It was amazing, but ultimately it is a group tour. This didn't bother me as it made a nice change as part of a long trip.

Note that not all the boats can go to all islands, so you need to pick the one that goes to the islands you want to. Also it can be worth paying more for a nicer boat.

In terms of increasing your independence you could have a few days on one of the islands first then pick up a shorter duration boat.

Also I don't know how cost effective / limiting day trips are. Friends did this and money was truly no object to them.

From memory I spent something like $2000 ($1500 for boat, $400 for plane from Quito and $100 entrance fee). I imagine it costs lots more now!

In terms of an Amazon lodge you will be quite constrained again as most of them will involve taking a motorised canoe for a while and then staying in the middle of nowhere. Not the sort of places you can just drop by and go for a wonder.

All of that said you could organise a 3/4 night stay in an Amazon lodge and combine it with some independent travel. Both Ecuador and Colombia are easy enough to get around.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Spicy that's a great help too.

Any closer to deciding Cunty?

I think South America has it! .... now just to pin down the route. I think the inca trail will def form part, Galapagos and amazon too in some format. I'm hoping that doing it under our own steam will radically reduce cost.

Costa Rica,

You have Carribean and Pacific coasts, sloths, monkeys, chocolate, jungle, volcanoes, waterfalls, sloths and did I mention sloths?

Ha ha, sloths are pretty cute . What I really need to do is find a way to retire and just travel!

My kids loved Vietnam and Cambodia (so do I actually)

I went to Myanmar earlier this year and loved it - truly amazing. Not sure whether I'd go now knowing what I do about the human rights issue.

I'm off to Uzbekistan next week! Looks amazing.

I fancy Tibet for my 50th. But I've never been to Cuba or Iceland and both appeal too.

Cuba I can confirm was amazing Anna. We did a self drive trip staying in Casa Particulars. We are booked for Iceland as our next trip too, so I'm hoping that is as good!

I would be tempted to skip the Inca Trail and instead spend more time in Cusco.

Also, note that warnings about street crime in South America should be taken seriously. You will need to be a lot more cautious than in most other places. That is not an attempt to discourage you from going.

You can definitely keep the costs down in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, but not in the Galapagos. Most travellers in South America find themselves wrestling with this issue.

spicy!why would you skip the trail?... interested in all views! Thanks

Skipping the trail isn't the end of the world but definitely don't skip MP. You don't have to walk to it. You can go by train and bus.

I would do the walk though even if you just do the one day trek. Feels like more of an achievement.

Also I disagree about Galapagos. We did it relatively cheaply and it was awesome!

The reason I suggested skipping the Inca trail is that you have mentioned a number of times that you prefer independent travel, and the Inca trail is very much the opposite of that. Think hundreds of tourists, porters and guides all walking along in the same direction, staying in the same places etc.

Don't get me wrong, it is a nice trek (often with wonderful food) and the history of the Incas is amazing, but the best Inca sites (in my opinion) are not on the Inca trail (except Machu Picchu). With unlimited time, I would say do it, but if you have limited time you might enjoy going to some other sites which are slightly less touristy.

Also, I don't know what it is like now, but sanitation wasn't great. Plus it is quite hard work and quite high, so will your kids really enjoy that?

I suppose what I am saying is don't think you have to do it, but obviously do do it if you want to.

With regards to Galapagos costs, it depends what you are comparing it to. It is a lot more expensive than the rest of Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. Not least because you need to fly there.

Thanks both, very interesting.

Quick thought - if the Inca Trail is pretty touristy, you could consider trekking to the Lost City in the north of Colombia? It isn’t exactly undiscovered, but much less of a motorway than the trail.