Need ideas for a big Big BIG wedding anniversary

[Imdunfer]

I've got a year to plan the holiday of a lifetime to celebrate our Golden Wedding anniversary and I'm out of ideas.

Can you help? Feel free to ask questions, I don't want to shut anything down at the moment.

Budget minimum £10k. Time of year mid October.

The only unfulfilled holiday wishes I've got are the Gaudi architecture in Barcelona (but I would hate all the crowds), and the Venice Simplon Orient Express (but I've read it isn't worth the price).

Ideas please 🤗

Is the £10k pp ?
Have either of you any mobility issues ?
Any other interests, apart from trains & architecture ?

Ooh DH treated me to a surprise anniversary on a Four Seasosn private island in the Maldives and it was the best week of my life. https://www.fourseasons.com/maldiveslg/

we had a villa with a private section of beach, obviously private pool and it had a v luxe 2 storey beach shack in the garden. Highly recommended

it’s a long way so you’ll need to go business, or if you’re pushing the boat out, first class.

Burgh Island, Devon.

Safari - South Luangwa National Park in Zambia (as recently seen on TV in David Attenborough's Kingdom) with a side trip to Victoria Falls or Lower Zambezi National Park. Book through Expert Africa or Yellow Zebra Safaris.

I was going to suggest the Maldives. Have been to the Four Seasons and other five stars - all had private Villa and private bit of beach and most hotels are on their own island so you can search what suits you. Mauritius and Seychelles tend to be more resort type.

As it sounds like maybe you want a bit of culture I can recommend Thailand - Bangkok and then beach. Fly from Bangkok to Phuket is easy.

Vietnam is amazing too.

Have been to Barca and Venice in October and it was amazing as crowds were low and no smell in Venice.

Have you considered a safari and then Zanzibar? Or the Red Sea and then Luxor?

What are you thinking in terms of beach/culture/relaxing/sightseeing?

Mediterranean cruise that stops in Barca?

Some great ideas thank you. Keep them coming 😃

I'm assuming that, other than the things you mentioned, you don't have a dream holiday you've always wanted to go on? Or you’d be doing that!

What sort of holidays do you most like: city, beach, cruise/train, remote areas, exploration? Climate?

Per holiday but we can push it out for something fantastic that we've not thought of.

No mobility issues for our ages, can easily walk 4 miles but it has to be on flattish ground with a good surface underfoot.

We can quite literally be interested in anything. Especially anything we've never seen or done before. I think the best holiday we ever had was in the USSR before the Iron Curtain fell, and we came back from that half a stone lighter because of the food shortages, were followed eveywhere by KGB Intourist guides, and the phones were being listened to, but by heavens was it fascinating!

I’m desperate to do the whisky tour on the Royal Scotsman, which might satisfy your Orient Express desires. Punchy price for 4 nights though 😬.

Almost makes me wish I liked whisky 😁

@Imdunfer that would certainly impact your enjoyment!

I'd say safari, assuming you are both fairly fit and active, and happy with very early mornings!
There are lots of gorgeous sleeper trains - it doesn't have to be Orient Express. The Austrian trains are supposed to be really good, but do a bit of research for the fancier ones in Europe (& elsewhere).
Jade Mountain in St Lucia is fantastic - the 4th wall of the room is missing, and you have your own swimming pool.
Or just a really, really good hotel in a beautiful European city - you'll be paying £1,000+ per night, but the service will be impeccable. So, Hotel de Russie in Rome, Danieli or Gritti in Venice, George V in Paris etc etc.

If you have ever fancied a horse back adventure then try this guest ranch - https://www.mountainsky.com/packages/wild-west-adventures/

What about the El Andalus luxury sleeper train visiting Seville, Cordoba, Granada etc.

https://eltrenalandalus.com/en/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=10397144521&gbraid=0AAAAACUM646VMx36T2ZKGJ0zMTjwn0KK8&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5I_NBhDVARIsAOrqIsZWMnPEvmKwvcPmWSfDSpgWhUlXc8rT_ME2XbVWI--uDJt5Z0vEhMcaAuY0EALw_wcB

You can probably find a programme about it on Channel 4 or 5 back catalogue 'worlds greatest train journeys' or similar.

Malaysia

I'd love to do the El Andalus. I'd plump for v posh hotel like San Domenico in Taormina, Hotel de Cap Eden Roc, Or Hotel Splendido in Portofino.

Galapagos? Most amazing place I have been.

We did a Rhine cruise for our 50th - it was very relaxing and stress free. However I'd been quite ill in the months before so we were looking for something unchallenging.
A friend went with the same company (Riviera) to Vietnam for a cruise on the Mekong.

We've done a tour of Vietnam & Cambodia that included a week's cruise on the Mekong. That was very good, well balanced.

Peru, Ecuador & the Galapagos was outstanding. Although a package, the various elements were tailor-made for us.

A tour of China was fascinating, but spoiled by the worst Tour Manager in China (possibly the world).

A trip covering Zambia, Botswana & South Africa was also memorable - for the right reasons !

It seems like similar holidays, I loved my Mekong cruise.
For China I went on a private tour with my family of four. We went to five places, in each destination were met by about own guide and driver either at the airport or train station. It was surprisingly inexpensive.

How about Orient Express to Venice and then a posh Med cruise that includes Barcelona?

It will be over your budget but ticks off your two bucket list experiences?

South Africa? Visit Capetown, Cape of Good Hope and see the penguins, Robben Island, then go to Stellenbosch for the wine country, and a safari if that's your thing. Direct flights overnight from Heathrow and little jet lag either.

I was going to say South Africa. My dad loved the battlefield tours… Zulu and Isandwana. And there’s a train I think along the coast.

Mmaybe something from these guys:
https://lupinetravel.co.uk/

Dh and I have big birthdays coming up. We’ve done safari but i’d love to track apes in Rwanda.

Canada. Steam train through the Rockies. Montreal. Vancouver. so much wildlife, history, culture.