Thread: Holiday Destinations you really don't want to share but....!

Originally Posted by Auld-Yin

Depends on what you are looking for of course. However I can recommend Lyon in France. It is not a tourist centre, very much a working city and the third largest in France. However Vieux Lyon is fantastic and there is plenty to do and see if you are into history. It is the gourmet centre of France (not Paris) and has a huge number of great restaurants and bistros. It has a great arts & festivals theme and there is usually something going on. There are also boat trips (with lunch or dinner) up the Rhone and Saone rivers. All in all well worth a visit - but don't go 14 Jul - 15 August as France is on holiday and the place shuts down while all the Frogs bugger off somewhere else!!!!!!

Seconded - I live near Geneva so it's close by, great food, lovely old town and rather decent bars (one is owned by an ex-All Black who was left stranded in Lyon after one of their tours, great laugh) but don't go during the summer, as Auld-Yin very sensibly points out...

Cavtat, Croatia, full of ex SS types but very few Brits. It's also a 20 minute ferry trip away from Dubrovnik

If not already mention just about anywhere in Namibia is fantastic or the Okavango Delta in Botswana, truly amazing.


ooops sorry Ravers you got there before me.

oh and Travelgall.

Try Marseille on Bastille day, and if you can still stand and remember what you did the day after you are a better man than I.

Moss Side - Manchester

Alaska, but I don't mean the cruising holidays. Fly into Anchorage, hire camping equipment and get hiking.


Just don't forget the mossie repellant...

rearwords you'll not be disapointed in Kefalonia, might be useful to hire a motorbike to get to some of the out of reach beaches on the far side of the island - sorry can't remember the names. The airport wasn't finished in 1991 and I think it's still the same now. The busier resorts won't be too much fun and i'd check out what troubles are occurring with the strikes/public order. There are some caves worth visiting can't remember name but you'll find them online and worth a visit. The hills have some good scenery best on bike.

The Vosges region of France,lots of big lumpy bits of ground,great scenery,nice people,winter,or summer.

Easy to get to by train,less brits than other parts of France.

Blackpool middle of the school holiday's!!!,now that's rough

Rayong resort Thailand - out of the way mainly thai people go there, pool almost always empty as the thai people don't want to get brown - they want to be white like us. Help yourself to any sun lounger - they won't be sunbathing. Trip out to Koh samet island is often free. If you want to go into Pattaya use a hotal car or phone a jewellery shop to come pick you up - they'll do it for nothing. Walk in the shop and come back out. About an hour from Pattaya I think. The REstaurant Manager if he's still there is called Ghan (That's the way it's pronounced not spelt) Tell him Fanta advised you to go. If he's time he'll take you to Makro to buy beer. They nick named me fanta because the chap at the bar near the pool couldn't understand what I was asking for my northern speak didn't work when asking for fanta. They asked ghan to interpret and he said oh you mean faannnntaaaah. So the namt stuck, take him some english chocolates for the kids and also the receptionists. They'll look after you and might take you out for dinner somewhere.
Makes me feel like a holiday.

Originally Posted by RearWords

Could really do with some advice any Arrsers out there spend any time in Fiskardo, Kefalonia? How picturesque is it, how good are the restaurants and were the beaches in the area worth the extra money it's going to cost me to holiday there. I know they will be pebbly (a must for me cause I'm a snorkelling fan) and from what I've seen so far they look small...just how busy do they get during late August? Is Fiskardo a good base, has it become too touristy and is there plenty of shops there? There will be a car involved so I can scare the local inhabitants and mountain goats.

Any feedback would be appreciated...make it good I crave the sunshine!

Been going to Kefalonia for last 11 years usually twice a year in May and September. We stay in Sami on the East coast mainly and usually hire a car.
It is a beautiful island. Fiskardo is very picturesque. It is a favourite with the yachting fraternity and can be more expensive than the rest of the island. Main tourist beaches are at Lassi near the capital, Argostoli, and on the South coast. The weather is generally good but you'll notice it's a very green island and that needs rain so expect a couple of wet days. I haven't done any snorkelling around the North of the island but I'm told it's good. Visit Assos , Myrtos beach and the Vegera taverna in Vassilikades (at sunset)on the West coast , Drogarati caves, Mellissani lake, Karavomilos fish restaurant (evening) Sami ,Anti Samos beach and Aghia Efemiah on the East coast. Toget a feel of the Island get a copy the Dvd of Captain Corelli's Mandolin The film's version of the story is rubbish but the scenery is superb. The massacre of the Italian troops by the Germans took place there and the island was almost flattened by an earthquake in 1943 and you still get tremors now. Hope this has been some help. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Having been to both Kanchanaburi, and Roatan I agree.

Did a day trip from Bangkok and would definitely like to spend more time there. West Bay on Roatan has some of the best sunsets I've seen especially from some of the beach bars while sampling an ice cold local brew. I'd go now as it's transiting from a back packer/scuba divers island to mainstream package tours.

Someone mentioned Panama, it's slated to be the next big "Costa Rica" style eco tourist hot spot. Same spectacular scenery , jungles, wild life, plus the canal and the dynamic night life of Panama City. English is widley spoken due to the lengthy US presence.

Some of my gems:

Montericco on the Pacific coast of Guatemala, about 2-3 hours form the capital and kind of hard to get to, as there's a mangrove swamp who traverse by ferry. Laid back, almost primitive collection of small restaurants, beach bars and cheap basic hotels/hostels, several run by European or North Amercian Expats. Try to avoid being there on the weekend as the local yahoos from Guatemala City tend to show up. Best memory laying awake at night under a mossie net in my basic room listening to the breakers rolling in.

Puerto Morales on Mexico's Yucatan Coast about mid way between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. Isolated sleepy little town far away from the resorts. Drop in and see Goyo Morgan a expat who's lived there 20+ years and runs Indian Jones style tours into the jungle to look at Mayan ruins the regular touristas never see.

Omoa Honduras. A fishing village on the Caribbean coast of Honduras. Weekends it attracts locals from nearby cities and towns looking for a beach getaway, but midweek rather laid back and still a bit of a back packer haven with limited and primitive hotels but plenty of beach shack restaurants and bars. Small expat community run many of these. Great old Spanish fort, captured by the English in less than a day a short walk inland. Despite its isolation rather easy to get to from Guatemala overland or even Belize by ferry.

Negros island Philippines. Once you get away from the main city Dumagute (about an hour flight form Manila) odds are you won't even come across another tourist. Undeveloped tourist infrastructure so far, but spectacular scenery, cheap everything, and friendly locals. Downside as noted you'll stick out like a spark prick at a wedding which could make you a target for some local bad boys including those from the next island over Mindanao.

Cavalaire in the S. of France but not in july & august (too crowded & expensive then), fabulous safe beach, only about 12 miles from St Tropez but a lot cheaper!
The coast West of Tarifa in Spain, excellent for windsurfing and handy for a quick trip to Morocco (35 mins on hydrofoil)

Isles Of Scilly are great for quiet relaxing holiday,great beaches,scenery etc.Water's cold though,and if it rains,well take loads of books.

Originally Posted by Jimmy_Kranke

Kanchanaburi, North of Bangkok. Site of the River Kwai Bridge, but also a stunning area with lots to see. The train ride from BK takes about 2 hrs, a fascinating experience if you've never travelled in SE Asia before. Not to far from the Burmese border if you fancy nipping over for shufti.

Stayed at a small resort camp owned and run by a Dutch/Thai and his Dutch wife. Highly recommend it Oriental Kwai Resort, small and peaceful resort

Nah mate, me grandad went, when he got back, he said it was shoite. He hated the Japs to the day he died. RIP grandad.