Holiday of a lifetime ideas

[wildwestpioneer]

If you had two weeks and a reasonable amount to spend on a holiday, where would you go?

We have a big anniversary coming up in 2025 and I've decided to have a holiday of a lifetime, we're mid 50s, fit-ish and have a good budget to work with.

No cruises or winter sports. It'll be hotels all the way so no back packing either don't mind things like rain forest trekking or horse riding in America so it's not all about the sun and beach.

We went to Australia last year for my 50th/kicked cancer's arse trip. We did have nearly 4 weeks, but I reckon you could easily do a two place holiday in two weeks.

Maybe one of the cities and the Great Barrier Reef? We had the best holiday. Off to the Algarve on Sunday which is going to seem a bit pants in comparison.

Exodus tour of Egypt. Pyramids, temples, Cairo craziness, Valley of the Kings, Nile sail, hot air balloon at sunrise. Amazing!

I always recommend looking at tour operators that are aimed at families and teens. You can either use them, or pinch ideas! Families World Wide or Stubborn Mule are a start. Loads of others too. You can self drive.

It’s catering to loads of visitors from the US you won’t need to worry about food!

@EllaMenopee We stayed at the Andaz Costa Rica Resort At Peninsula Papagayo then Nayara Gardens in La Fortuna.

We did ATV tour, boat trips, zip line, hanging bridges, zoo, hot springs, jet skis. There are endless things you can do!

I came home with something extra on my finger too!! 💍

Im a travel agent (hence the name). Depends what you call a good budget to be honest. I have people coming to me wanting 5 holidays with 3 budgets that they think is good......

I went to Costa Rica with a fussy eater. She enjoyed the rice and beans and plain grilled fish or meat that was everywhere. The food is nice but not stunning. In the resort hotel we stayed in on the Pacific coast there was a full range of teenager friendly international food. Our tour went from Tortuguero right across the country via Monteverdi and Arunal (sp?) and a few other places with 4 days on the beach at the end. There are so many activities, we did zip lines, walks, white water rafting, chocolate making amongst others. Costa Rica is focussed on tourism as a major part of their economy so they provide a really good experience.

A luxury suite on the Orient Express, with the itinerary of my dreams.

Or similar on the Blue Train in South Africa.

The resort hotel we stayed at in Costa Rica had amazing food and my asd DS loved it. Outside the resort it was rice, black beans, fish and meat which was much more challenging and repetitive. He would have struggled outside a resort for food but depends what your child eats, the resort had about 200 different meals, he had the a la carte steak every night in the restaurant where raccoons came whilst you ate. I heard someone say there was pizza places were they were but I didn't see any and mine won't eat pizza either, lactose intolerant. Some hotels you can download menus on their websites. I didn't like the food much either outside the resort, the fresh juices were nice, fish was good but not a fan of black beans or rice. Its not a food destination.

Masses to do in Costa Rica, rainforest, wildlife, horse riding, zip lining, cloud forest, kayaking in ocean, there are loads of old threads on it.

We did the US for our honeymoon a d it went as follows:

Los Angeles : 2 days and hire car
Indian Wells: 3 days in adult only hotel with spa
Las Vegas: 3 days
Drive to Yosemite: 1 day - flipping ages but went through Death Valley
Yosemite: 4 days staying at a lodge and doing a photographic tour.
Napa Valley: 3 days including wine train and wine tour
San Francisco: 3/4 days and fly home from there.

I wouldn't go to Japan or Australia or NZ for two weeks - it's just really far and the time difference is huge - I would save them for when you have more time.

With two weeks, which really isn't that long, I'd do either a small country like Costa Rica or a single area of a big country e.g. California fly/drive. I'd give Vegas a miss if the latter as California has so many amazing places to visit and Vegas isn't a patch on most of them. You could fly to San Francisco, then visit Napa/Sonoma for some wine tasting, then over to Lake Tahoe, then south to Yosemite or Mammoth for some hiking and finish up in Monterey with sea otters, whales, pelicans, etc.

Japan or Costa Rica

Vietnam

Our 2 big holidays have been

1. Western Canada. Flew into Calgary and drove Banff Lake Louise Jasper Whistler Vancouver Island and cruise up to Alaska flying back from Vancouver.
2. Vietnam and Cambodia tour including Hanoi 2 night Halong Bay cruise Hoi An area and down to Ho Chi Min mostly travelling by train between places then 3 night cruise along Mekong to Phonm Pen and Ankor Wat

Japan is much easier to get to than NZ. Its direct flights - non stop. Longer than it was due to route changes but it’s perfectly ok for 2 weeks. Some South American destinations are the same flight time.

I would love to go back to Asia, we did a private tour through Thailand, just us, the guide and a driver, had a marvellous time and saw and did lots of different things.

Friends just did Vietnam and Cambodia, that's also on our list.

Costa Rica sounds great. If I wouldn't have a dodgy back and knee I would go for South America and see the ruins.

We went this year for 2 weeks to the US, Boston, Newport/RI and New York. Loved it. I would happily go back and spend more time there, a proper road trip but that doesn't work with DD unfortunately. It's on the list when she is at uni and we can go in October alone.

If you can travel in Spring - Southern US, Virginia, Carolina, Lousiana, Georgia. I am a history nerd and I want to see the Civil War battlefields.

We are in a similar position OP, big wedding anniversary next year, ideas we have had are to visit US national parks, or a different IKOS Resort in Europe. We love Canada, been to Toronto & Niagara Falls a few times, that is a lovely holiday, but want to do something different. Good luck with choosing and many congratulations.

Another vote for Xcaret and Xel Ha. Also lots of gorge opportunities for things like snorkeling with turtles and swimming in cenotes.

Stayed in the Royalton Riviera in Cancun and it was beautiful

Guerrilla trekking in the DRC or Rwanda?

@gotomomo I hate to break it to you, but your costs are wildly out if you want to go to the Falklands and Antarctica. Usually the expedition boats go via South Georgia too. I’ve been to Argentina and Chile. You’ll nearly spend your money for flights for 2 people never mind anything else.

I read that as £36k each and thought, yeah not surprised 😂

Aaah! It doesn’t need to be that much either. It’s very expensive though but cheaper cabins are available! I thought the amount was £3500! Apologies if I skim read it. Bed time beckons.

No, you were correct, I just clearly projected the cost! Big trips tend to be big bucks

I'd go to Costa Rica

@moonlight1705 I like california too as I'm not mega into lying on beaches and I quite like scenic car drives . We've been 4 times and off next week for an LA/Laguna Beach/Santa Barbara combo

Mine would be safari in somewhere like Tanzania and then do the beaches on Zanzibar for some R&R at the end.

Or Norway to see the northern lights maybe, but might well involve a cruise of some sort. A lot of the boats that do the Northern tourist routes are also just local ferries though but still super comfortable.