Inspire me for October - adventure and beach without breaking the bank.

[Eightytwenty]

Inspire me!

2 weeks October (10-25th). Adults and teen or teens.

Fly from Scotland.

Ideal destinations - Vietnam, Sri Lanka or Jordan. But budget for above closer to 10k than 5k which is where I’d like to land.

Ideally would have a combo of beach (diving if possible), history, culture or scenery. Would prefer it to feel like an adventure than a package holiday.

Morrocco?

It’s a contender. We had a few days south of Agadir which we loved (Mirleft, Sidi Ifni). Doesn’t do swimming or beaches unless we go to the northern coast.

Book the flight and your first night accommodation. Adventure awaits from there!

Vietnam is very easy to travel on coaches/over night bus from top to bottom (coastal), from Hanoi to HCM very well trodden with trips to Halong Bay. Beach in Nha Trang for the teens.

Sri Lanka is gorgeous, and so friendly. That will definitely tick more boxes I think - beaches, water sports, elephants, tea plantations, cricket, etc etc. Colombo, Kandy snd Ella worth a visit for culture and scenery. 😍

I'd probably chose Sri Lanka because of Vietnam and SL it was my fave.

Egypt.

flights to Vietnam and Sri Lanka are over £1000pp which is beyond our budget. Went to Sri Lanka and Jordan many years ago and loved both. So much more to see and do. Never been to Vietnam

Cape Town? Beach, penguins, Robbin island, Table top mountain and cable car. Good exchange rate, direct flight and more or less same time zone.

Ah ok - I misinterpreted your post. Sri Lanka and Vietnam are not ideal destinations then!

I’m not sure if you can fly there directly from Scotland, but what about an island-hopping trip to the Azores? Flights are fairly cheap which would leave you lots left over for activities. www.theworldinmypocket.co.uk/the-best-things-to-do-in-the-azores/

@Eightytwenty Would you consider Hurghada?

Found flights to Sharm. Which sounds a dump. Is Hurgarda better? Had hoped to fly into one as an entry point to Jordan but it sounds expensive and more ‘adventurous’ than I’m up for. Dahab sounds nicer. Suppose could perhaps get internal flights to Luxor or Cairo.

I know nothing about the Azores. Will check it out logistically too.

Perfect if I win the lottery.

Egypt can be adventurous and has a long haul feel but on more of a budget. Big trips to Luxor or Cairo, diving and snorkelling , desert, amazing boat trips, to me it’s the obvious place to pick.
Is the 5k for two or three people?

Currently sat on a lounger in Madeira. We've just had 10 days of exploring (hiking, canyoning, zip lining, boat trips, city) and we are now having 4 days at an AI resort in the sun. Worth looking into, and the Azores too!

My Apologies, but can I jump this post? Any opinion on Crete in October welcomed. Slightly limited walking ability ( I’m ok on the flat).

I really wouldn't do Hurghada or Sharm, there's honestly very little to do apart from snorkelling (which is utterly amazing there).

If it was going to Egypt and looking for adventure I would go to Cairo and then take the train down to Luxor. It's stunning and you can do the local train.

Have you looked at Georgia - Tbilisi is stunning and there are loads of trips out to the mountains. The food is amazing. There is lots to do and it's cheap to get to, stay in and it's a very different culture.

Or Turkey - bit cold for the beaches but Cappadocia and Istanbul would be great.

Ideally £5k for 2 adults and 1 teen for 2 weeks.

@OneLimePombear @WeddingInvitation

i will look again at Egypt. Cairo - Luxor could be cool in addition to a week of beach / scuba.

Have also seen flights that would work with a Marrakesh, Desert, Fez, Mediterranean coast & back from Algiers. Would tick a lot of boxes but likely scuba not so good. There are some places but definitely not a major part of their tourist infrastructure.

How about Sicily?
It’s warm that time of year and there is so much to see from a history/culture point of view. Amazing food too and very good value for Italy. I know it’s lovely for swimming in October and imagine there must be diving somewhere there?!

Be careful with the flight back from Algiers. The land border between Morocco and Algeria is closed.

The drive from Hurghada to Luxor is incredible too and the day trip to Cairo by aeroplane also very cool.

Oops meant Tangier - getting carried away with adventure 😂

It is a pity that a trip to Vietnam is over your budget (Do it another time!).

You've probably not considered Lanzarote as it's not adventurous enough for you but you'll get all that within budget.

Great diving including the underwater sculpture park

Volcano park and volcanic landscapes

Cesar Manrique houses, caves, cactus garden, vineyards

Inland villages and the north coast especially a world away from your vision of 'a package holiday'.

Madeira and Gran Canaria would also suit as would touring about between Malaga and Granada for history and culture, the el Caminito del Rey for adventure, las Alpuljarras for scenery and la Herradura for great diving.

Sri Lanka is easy to do on a tighter budget, it’s pretty reasonable once there and you can shave money off using public transport, staying in quirky locally owned places, eat in local (family) restaurants, and you’ll get the adventure you want too. Flights aren’t cheap so shop around for them