Has Anyone Booked a Holiday Yet?

[FoyleFox]

4 hours ago, ozleicester said:

Yep a number of issues indeed... but planning one flight in..... some time in GH then... bullet train to HK and fly out of there.

My last USA  trip was a nightmare for queus checks etc so... tomato-tomato

I'm not sure if it would work from your location but, flying to the US via an airport with USA pre clearance is very beneficial in avoiding queues and checks on arrival. 

[Big Dave]

Just booked 4 nights in Valencia in April. 1st time visit and really looking forward to it.

[Big Dave]

Considering going to Sri Lanka at the end of the summer (2centre 2 week holiday).

Anyone been and can recommend places to go to / things to do?

[Lako42]

Thinking Thailand in march with the then 8 month old. 

[Chiltern Fox]

4 hours ago, Big Dave said:

Considering going to Sri Lanka at the end of the summer (2centre 2 week holiday).

Anyone been and can recommend places to go to / things to do?

I've been a few times and stayed in bentota (taj) and ahungalle (rui). The latter is AI.

 

SL was not safe for travel recently,  but If this has improved,  I'd thoroughly recommend. 

[Chiltern Fox]

4 hours ago, Big Dave said:

Considering going to Sri Lanka at the end of the summer (2centre 2 week holiday).

Anyone been and can recommend places to go to / things to do?

Base yourself on the southwest coast, between Colombo and galle. Kandy and yala are travellable. 

[Lako42]

1 hour ago, Chiltern Fox said:

I've been a few times and stayed in bentota (taj) and ahungalle (rui). The latter is AI.

 

SL was not safe for travel recently,  but If this has improved,  I'd thoroughly recommend. 

Not safe due to the Israeli conflict? 

[Chiltern Fox]

21 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Not safe due to the Israeli conflict? 

Nah, I think it was civil unrest.

[Chiltern Fox]

23 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Not safe due to the Israeli conflict? 

I think you maybe correct. Just checked travel advice on foreign and commonwealth website. It's a mix of internal economic conditions coupled with Islamic terrorism due to Israel/Palestine conflict. 

[vandamman]

7 hours ago, Big Dave said:

Considering going to Sri Lanka at the end of the summer (2centre 2 week holiday).

Anyone been and can recommend places to go to / things to do?

We did negombo > kandy > dambulla

 

Negombo was just few days in nice resort hotel, near Colombo and airport, but Colombo not that interesting. Kandy was great and lots of cultural things to see and do. Dambulla was to see the elephants and could’ve gone sigiriya rock but chickened out.

 

only had one dodgy/ near miss on a tuk tuk

’tour’ in kandy where we thought we were being kidnapped so keep wits about you, but other than that all good! 

[stretch1965]

3 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Thinking Thailand in march with the then 8 month old. 

We've just booked for April, Bangkok for 3 days then up to change mai for 5. After that down to koh lak.

You will have to let us know how you get on if you book.

[Big Dave]

19 hours ago, Chiltern Fox said:

I think you maybe correct. Just checked travel advice on foreign and commonwealth website. It's a mix of internal economic conditions coupled with Islamic terrorism due to Israel/Palestine conflict. 

Thanks

Similar travel advice on the FCO website for many countries in the area (including Thailand).

[Big Dave]

21 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Thinking Thailand in march with the then 8 month old. 

Thailand is great - have been several times. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket  and Ko Samui.

 

Not sure I would do it with an 8 month old. Long flight. Hot and humid conditions over there.

 

 

[Big Dave]

18 hours ago, vandamman said:

We did negombo > kandy > dambulla

 

Negombo was just few days in nice resort hotel, near Colombo and airport, but Colombo not that interesting. Kandy was great and lots of cultural things to see and do. Dambulla was to see the elephants and could’ve gone sigiriya rock but chickened out.

 

only had one dodgy/ near miss on a tuk tuk

’tour’ in kandy where we thought we were being kidnapped so keep wits about you, but other than that all good! 

Thanks

were thinking of Colombo, Kandy, Galle, with a few stops in between.

 

[Tommy G]

On 01/01/2025 at 19:38, Lako42 said:

Thinking Thailand in march with the then 8 month old. 

Have you flown anywhere with your baby since birth?

Edited 3 January by Tommy G

[Lako42]

6 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Have you flown anywhere with your baby since birth?

Yea been to Italy

 

Great time to fly with kids before they can move. 

[Tommy G]

30 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Yea been to Italy

 

Great time to fly with kids before they can move. 

I'm haunted by a 2 hour flight when mine was about 1 and he cried pretty much solid. I thought never again. He then started to behave himself after that!

[Clever Fox]

On 01/01/2025 at 19:38, Lako42 said:

Thinking Thailand in march with the then 8 month old. 

I definitely wouldn't do that. The Humidity and poor Hygiene standards for a start. 

 

You've no way of knowing the lasting effects on their little bodies.

[Clever Fox]

I've just booked Portugal again for April. We love it there.

[Wortho]

47 minutes ago, Clever Fox said:

I've just booked Portugal again for April. We love it there.

I was thinking of going there in May. Where do you recommend going?

[grobyfox1990]

58 minutes ago, Clever Fox said:

I definitely wouldn't do that. The Humidity and poor Hygiene standards for a start. 

 

You've no way of knowing the lasting effects on their little bodies.

OTT post. They're prob gonna be staying in Western branded hotels a long way from any sort of Thai reality. Anyway, a bit of immunity built up will be a very good thing.

[Clever Fox]

33 minutes ago, Wortho said:

I was thinking of going there in May. Where do you recommend going?

I go to Vialmoura which is a nice upmarket location with good Restaurants and Marina and 6 Golf Courses within 10 minutes from the centre.

Vilamoura itself is only 30 minutes from the Airport which is nice because you're not spending hours getting there.

Prices are good you can still get a Coffee for a pound and Beer and Wine similar. A meal for 2 with a drink 20 to 50 if you shop around a little.

 

Have you been to Portugal before. ?

Edited 3 January by Clever Fox
typo

[Daggers]

1 hour ago, Clever Fox said:

I definitely wouldn't do that. The Humidity and poor Hygiene standards for a start. 

 

You've no way of knowing the lasting effects on their little bodies.

Little Thai babies seem to cope quite well. Our pair were raised in foreign climes and made it out in one piece. 
 

The biggest argument against taking infants and toddlers on flights is to relieve other passengers from suffering eight hours of screams, tears, shit and vomit. 

[VLC86]

22 minutes ago, Daggers said:

Little Thai babies seem to cope quite well. Our pair were raised in foreign climes and made it out in one piece. 
 

The biggest argument against taking infants and toddlers on flights is to relieve other passengers from suffering eight hours of screams, tears, shit and vomit. 

Yet we watch 2 hours of City every week.

[Stuntman_Mike]

I've got a very busy and expensive year planned!

 

My surprise stag trip somewhere in Europe end of March

Honeymoon tour of Italy, including San Marino and Vatican City in May

A family wedding in Switzerland and doing a trip to Liechtenstein whilst there in August

Las Vegas with mates in September 

 

If funds allow, I'd love to tick off another European country towards the end of the year. Maybe Iceland or Montenegro, or somewhere good for a footy game.