Where would you suggest? Advice needed

[onlyoranges]

We always holiday close to home, usually Cornwall but after some very bad years and hideous events we have realised life is short and have decided to take the plunge and go on the holiday of a lifetime. But we are not travellers and have no experience. What we would like is a complete culture change, where priorities are different. We are considering India, Goa or Thailand. What do you think? Don’t want to moan but life’s been really hard and I am so excited to have something to look forward to!!! Thanks

@BubblesBuddy a quick browse on cheapflights.co.uk turns up the bargain of £440 for a rtn flight to Japan this summer. Of course that is economy with China Airlines. A better route is offered by Qatar for £532 per person.

How about Cuba? It's a very different culture to Western capitalism and a really interesting place to visit.

Book a cruise, if you want 2 weeks you’ll get a good few stops in, probs med or canaries if you want the summer holidays. Food is the best though

In addition to all the suggestions above, you could consider the Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal or Sri Lanka. You'll need to check the weather though.

Sri Lanka? It's a bit easier than India. My choice would be Vietnam but I don't know about the weather there.
New Zealand (although winter there in our summer)
Cuba
Costa Rica
California (although hot & too late to book Yosemite if this summer & not much fun queueing in & out every day). Las Vegas would be 45 degrees (& it's a dump!)

Thanks so much some really helpful advice and tips in there. We have revised our trip. Everyone has said don’t do Indian as a first trip like this so we have taken this on board. We have also thought that for the summer it’s going to be too big a rush so have moved to the trip to Christmas, (lost my mum, dad and younger brother in the last 3 years so Christmas away works well) which seems to work out better with the weather from what a lot of you are saying. Our budget could go up a bit, which it may need to as I am guessing Christmas travel incurs additional costs?

Actually India would be impossible in the summer. Hot and monsoon season! You don’t want to do India on your own either. Guides are cheap and most holiday companies use them. We have been to India at Christmas. No difference in price there!

However, you will find some destinations are going to cost more, eg South Africa. It’s all about demand and supply of holidays and flight costs. Where were you thinking of?

Catin: I always fly direct. We value our time so we don’t book the cheapest indirect flights and would not go to Japan in August when it’s very hot. The spring and autumn have quite big price hikes. Not champagne exactly, but as quick as possible!

Koh samui is lovely in august .

I agree with bubblesbuddy use a guide/ driver for India if you go, actually Christmas is a much better time of year for India than summer, the weather of the golden triangle will be nice then, we went in early January.
Sri Lanka is little a smaller, quieter India. I haven't been since the war stopped but imagine it has made everything easier. You could see a range of tea plantations, mountains and beaches because it is small with pretty good roads and a rail service if you are feeling a little brave.

My answer for everything holiday related is Orlando. Can do it as cheap or expensive as you want and you can do the touristy places or some of Floridas 'hidden gems'.