Ideas for 'special' holiday

[SantanaBinLorry]

I'm 50 next year and the first time me and other half will be able to travel/holiday without the kids. Whoop Whoop!!

We've got 12 days booked off together end of July beginning of Aug.
It's a broad brief with a small budget...around £2000
Were just after ideas for something a bit different. We're Fine with low budget travel/hostels etc
Although we've never really done luxury \adults only kind of holidays - so wouldn't mind a bit of that if possible.
We would like to leave the UK! Preferably somewhere warm. We'd also be happy mixing it up, a few cheap nights to be able to stay somewhere really nice for a couple.
We usually do all our own bookings separate flights/accommodation etc but happy to use agents or travel companies to find a good deal but don't know where to start looking...
We know a full 12 days will be impossible on our budget. Thinking something like 5 days of relaxing luxury or 7-10 days of travelling and mixing it up. We can travel light and can be pretty frugal when needs be.
More than happy to fly/train/ferry/buses , prefer not to drive, but will consider it for the right place/route.
I like the idea of overnight trains and boat travel, big or small.
We lived in Spain, so not too bothered about returning (unless for something super special or cheap) Totally open to anywhere in the rest of europe / world!

I'll NEED either the ocean or a body of water for a least some of our trip, it's not a holiday if I don't get a swim!
Other half is interested in Germany, cities and countryside.
I'd love to see Copenhagen.
Morocco is also raising some interest... By train\ferry maybe?I
We've even though of hiring a small villa somewhere and asking some friends to join us...
Just cannot decide what to do, so we need some inspiration.

Things we don't want...
Spanish beach holiday
Camping/Glaming/huts (hostels are ok)
Kids 😂

Hope you can help with some ideas or 'special ' places to visit. Throw it at me, weird and wonderful welcome.
TIA

We stayed in Lecco on the Italian lakes. It wasn't as postcard perfect as other villages but people actually lived there rather than it being just for tourists so there were affordable restaurants, supermarket etc. Also very easy to get to from Ryanair's "Milan" airport (nowhere near Milan!).

I'd recommend sea shoes if you decide to go there as it was very rocky and slippery when getting into the lake.

We stayed for 5 days which felt perfect - could maybe be combined with a trip to an Italian city? I think we would have wanted a car if we had stayed longer.

@IamaRevenant can you send me the details of where you stayed in Malta? Sounds perfect.

Lulu Boutique - we stayed in this room.

The owners are truly lovely too!

Have you considered Vietnam? We went July into August as we were constrained to a particular 10 days by work, it rained while we were there but they were heavy, short dramatic showers which were a good excuse to sit and have a drink and people watch. By the time the drinks arrived and we'd drunk them the rain stopped and we went on our way, and we would have missed the dog in his doggy raincoat.... a typhoon did mean our trip to Halong Bay was cancelled though but the hotel organised a trip to Ninh Binh which was great fun.

You might have to be a bit accommodating on flights but the accommodation is cheap when you're there. We travelled down to Hoi Ann (via Phong Nha Ke Bang and Hue) and followed Seat61's fabulous advice and as usual it all went to plan.

I saw a holiday for Translavania and it looked fantastic

Oooh I'd definitely look at Italian lakes, and some ferry hopping to travel around. That or Greek island hopping if you mix up your luxury /cheaper hotels etc and seek out the cheaper flights. Its peak time though so you may need to compromise somewhere on your budget.

Maybe a cheap package to Corfu and then ferry to Albania and a few fancier hotels?

Flights to Milan are often relatively inexpensive. How about a couple of days exploring there then head off to the lakes for a week?