Sadly can't go to Sri Lanka anymore. What should we do?

[Mummyonline]

After the tragic events in Sri Lanka over the Easter weekend, the Foreign Office have said that only essential travel is allowed to Sri Lanka. We had booked a three week holiday in May with half of it in Sri Lanka and half in the Maldives. We can either reschedule for a later date or change the holiday with whatever is still available. Where would you recommend that we go for culture followed by adventure (which is what we had booked). We were initially travelling around Sri Lanka with a driver and then chilling in the Maldives.
So sad to see Sri Lanka suffer like this.

You initially said the option was to reschedule or choose another option from what’s available. It looks like you DYI’d it rather than use a tour operator? Assumption but if the going somewhere else option is based on using a particular airline, I assume you are restricted to where they fly too? I assume you have done this already but I’d start with taking my original budget, looking at the where the airline will take me for my rescheduling buck, hotel costs in those countries & then narrow things down from there based on what appeals the most. I’m sure this is obvious and you’ve done it. If you’ve booked through an operator, I’d look at where they suggested I could go without increasing the budget that has availability & then narrow it down. I’m making a lot of assumptions here but some of the alternative suggestions people have made might involve a significant amount more money so starting with what you had seems the best way to gauge your choices!

What is the current insurance situation regarding Sri Lanka? Is it pissible to start again? From your last post, I thought all suggestions were on the table. If you used Sri Lankan Airlines they are One World so code shares might be an option. Can you negotiate fares elsewhere via this?

POSSIBLE!!!

Leh, Ladakh in India... would be ok in July.
We were in Kerala last July and was fine.
We are going again in July ( family connections in India) and haven't yet planned where we will head up after visiting family.

Ah you are not the OP HappyHolidays, my mistake for not properly reading through the thread! Are you still waiting to hear back from the airline? And if not you’ve said you should be covered by the travel insurance for sure? Good luck - I’d still advise using your original budget as the starting point for selection just to help you narrow down the options!

Not the op, and @SJane48s many of your assumptions are correct making it not as simple as just switching to new destination.
No news from airline yet but insurance will pay, it's the deciding where I'm struggling with.
I have a very tight budget - single parent - vast majority spent on flights - accommodation £30 a night, travel by bus/train etc etc.
Sri Lanka ticked all the boxes, as Borneo did previously. Lots of places on my bucket list are not good in our summer - no flexibility, teacher and school aged kids. Been to Vietnam and Kenya previously in UK summer, Croatia too.
For kids, beach time, snorkelling, water sports, train travel, homestays, animals are all a plus. I would love to see turtles!
India flights are currently great prices, but don't think beach will work although I'll follow up on @professorlayton1 about Kerala (back waters would tick kid boxes too).
My bottom line is camping in France which we will love and can easily be sorted last minute if I want to leave it until late to cancel flights.
Believe me I've checked out every recommendation even if only briefly!!

Happyholidays- I have the detail of the local travel company we used, much cheaper than arranging through UK based operators.
Pm me if you want their detail.
You fly to Cochin to go to the backwaters - there are a lot of homestays which would be cheaper than you were about to spend in Sri Lanka.
We went to elephant sanctuary and rehabilitation centre - kids loved it.

@professorlayton1 yes please!
India would definitely be good for my budget! Have ordered a load of lonely planets from the library now too.

Have you looked at Costa Rica HappyHolidays? The flight will be element but if you are happy (though it would be a right pain in the backside) to change planes in the States you might get more of a deal than the BA direct flights. Depending on the area, you’ll find some accommodation options within your budget. We had a driver who didn’t cost the earth. Ticks the wildlife and beach options. We went in summer which is rainy season (and wasn’t hideous - one storm a day which doesn’t last forever) which means it’s low season & prices are cheaper. But there’s nothing wrong with camping in France! As another alternative, we did a budget three cities by train trip around Sicily for 2 weeks 2 years ago which was great! All tickets can be booked in advance on Trenitalia cheaply & apartments don’t cost a fortune (except in Taormina) & you can go swim in the sea. Ticks the culture & history box hugely as well - lots of Greek & Roman ruins (don’t think my DD has any interest in seeing another amphitheatre!). I’ve always wanted to go to Kerala - I had a friend who lived in Cochin & his pictures of the boats and backwaters were amazing. I’ve heard the weather isn’t ideal in summer but you already know that! My only experience of India is a trip to Goa yonks ago!

The flight will be the most expensive element - god my attention to detail is shocking!!

How about the Moddle East (Jordan would be my choice) then keep the Maldives part of the holiday?

Middle!

Happyholidays75- have pm'ed you.

@happyholidays75

Have you thought about Mexico? I'm going to the Xcaret Occidental in July and the resort itself looks amazing. Lots of beaches, snorkelling, turtles. You can get culture via Mayan temples, ruins, etc. You can snorkel with turtles, snorkel in cenotes, loads of monkeys, wildlife, go and see turtles hatching on the beaches at night.

We've just cancelled for July.
A quick note re insurance: we assumed we'd be covered due to Foreign Office warning but at the moment we aren't because it is more than 28 days until we travel.

Why are people with holidays in July and August cancelling? The reasons insurance companies have this clause is because travel will likely be fine in a month or so.

Sri Lanka will be no more or less dangerous in July then than it was in February, though if any changes were to happen it’s more likely to be in the direction of increased safety. There is no more risk there than any other countries on this thread - if anything less risk as they're Unlikely to be targeted again.

The aim of the bombing was to spread dissent and persecution and thus breed extremism in the minority Muslim population, and to inflict maximum damage on tourism and the economy.

Please don’t panic-cancel! And yes i’m Planning to travel to Sri Lanka later this year

If you have three weeks in May, I would look at South Africa.

South Africa is very dangerous - I wouldn’t go there if I were you.

@veterinari the foreign office now advises against all but essential travel and doesn't appear to usually change their mind very quickly. Travel would therefore be uninsured. It's unlikely travel will be permitted this year. I'm not cancelling until I have a plan in place though, just in case it does change and we can still go.

Oman and the Maldives would be a great combination trip for culture + beach - you can combine them using Oman Air flights.

Oman is great but not a very budget friendly option!

@Happyholidays75
the foreign office now advises against all but essential travel and doesn't appear to usually change their mind very quickly. Travel would therefore be uninsured. It's unlikely travel will be permitted this year

Not necessarily, depending on the situation the advisories can lift can quickly. I appreciate that if travelling soon, alternate plans need to be made, i’m Just saying that if you can wait it may be fine

Vet - they FO won’t be lifting the ban until the Sri Lankan government can persuade them otherwise. As the Sri Lanka government has warned of the possibility of other attacks, this isn’t going to disappear overnight. In my experience these are set in place for at least a year minimum. I won’t be holding my breath and will rebook for elsewhere. I value mine and my families life more than a two week holiday.

I value mine and my families life more than a two week holiday

Well yes. I suspect most people do. Wasn’t really the point I was making though was it

I travelled to two countries last year that had travel bans lifted quite quickly. Travel advice to New Zealand is fine for example and the FCO does not currently advise against travel to Nairobi (terror attack in Jan) or Egypt (attack in Nov 18). So all i’m Saying is that things may well be controlled quite quickly and it’s probably worth waiting to see rather than panic-cancelling if your holiday is later this year.

As predicted Travel ban lifted and Sri Lanka considered safe for travel - certainly no ban in place for a year
www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/sri-lanka

Very excited. Have been delaying and delaying cancelling but with hols in 6 weeks I was getting close so i could book something else. Woohoo!!!!!!!!!

Glad you held tight @HappyHolidays75 - the Sri Lankan economy needs the boost!
Have a great trip!