Would you go on a holiday just for the sake of it?

[iqbal]

I have two weeks annual leave to use by the end of January. I want to go on a trip and a cousin has said I can stay at her villa in Barbados free of charge. I wouldn’t usually be interested in a beach holiday so soon but I have the time off and flights are ~£500. So should I go?

Usually I like cultural holidays or nature. I went on a beach holiday last summer and found it a bit boring. But the idea of 2 weeks sun in the middle of the winter and saving money on hotels sounds tempting.

We're not the ones going so anyone's opinion other than yours doesn't matter.

Do you want to go?

Depends if you want to go or not. If you want to go then go, that’s why anyone goes on holiday. If you don’t fancy it then save yourself £500 and stay home

What else would you do with your annual leave? Can you afford an alternative holiday?

I LOVE winter sun so there'd be no hesitation from me!

WTF - err, yes! Lots to do and see on Barbados. The buses are great

Good heavens, read the room, eh?

Are your diamond shoes hurting your feet too?

Yes, you should go. Barbados is fabulous, Barbados in January when it's vile here is even more fabulous. For free is even more so!

I'm going in January. We're staying the first week in a little villa inland. We'll probably just stay in and barbeque by the pool in the evenings. The second week we are on the coast, walking distance to restaurants so we'll go out a bit more. It will just be lovely to be somewhere warm, swimming in the sea and lazing about.

I'm sure there's culture and nature in Barbados!

I'm not a fan of sitting around beach holidays, but I'd definitely go, just because it was somewhere new and exciting.

Bloody love Barbados. But I like lying by a pool, reading a book, eating fish and going to fancy restaurants. I'd go!

I’m sure Barbados also has culture and nature!

Aren't all holidays "for the sake of it"?

One of the best holidays I went on was an impromptu jaunt around southern Spain with a friend because her boyfriend cheated on her and she wanted to run away for a while. Nothing planned, not somewhere either of us would normally go, we had an absolute blast.

Go for it, enjoy the sun!

Well since no one NEEDS to go on holiday (although I’d argue it feels like it at times) what else is a holiday but going away for the sake of it? I’d have already booked the flights tbh.

What room, this is literally the holiday board for discussing holidays? Not like she's posted it on COL, where else should she have put it?

Absolutely go OP, Barbados is lush.

There is culture in Barbados- gardens to visit, tours of plantations and all the sad history that goes with that. Swimming and snorkeling are fabulous. It's a totally different culture.

If I had a free villa I'd just do what I do at home, even just watching telly in the evening!

Why not, if you can afford it. But if beach holidays bore you, look into what is on offer locally - there's likely to be some cultural stuff to explore, some markets, sports like hiking, yoga, swimming, snorkelling, diving, kayaking, fishing etc maybe. And you could take some books or plan a fitness focus.

I'd love some winter sun and haven't had a beach holiday for forty years as DH and DC all hate them!

This! Lots of cultural stuff, museums, plantations, sugar factory, lighthouse visits, art gallery etc.

Plus for nature there are amazing hikes to waterfalls and viewpoints.

I really want to go to Peru, but it’s a hugely more expensive trip when you account for the hotels and tours etc

Plus my cousin usually rents out the villa but has decided to keep it empty whilst one of the two swimming pools is closed (safety issue). So it’s sort of a now or never opportunity.

Just go to Peru then? Sounds like you’re not fussed on Barbados so would be a waste of your annual leave. Go somewhere you’d enjoy.

I'd take up the wonderful offer.
Peru will still be there in the future, but the offer of Barbados won't be.

Absobloodylutely.
Barbados is the best place in the world in my humble opinion. Lots to do. Or sit on your bum. Either way it's amazing.

Thank you for the advice! Been looking online and it does look â beautiful island.

Turns out my cousin would overlap for a few days, but it’s alright because we could sleep in a separate building in the villa.

Yeah I thought this too. Like why else do we go on holiday?

I'm definitely not a beach holiday person but I'd take up a freebie like this. You don't even have to stay with anyone, you get a house to yourself.

Two pools and a seperate villa? Almost sounds like you're trying to wind people up. Which is odd for the holiday board!

No wind up at all. It’s a 5 bedroom villa and one of those is in a self contained building in the grounds. The plunge pool is closed and empty to poses a risk if you rent it out.

God yes in a heartbeat! Sounds amazing. Lots to see culture wise in the Caribbean too.