Best holiday destinations

[ROVERT47]

Paradise.

 

[The Bear]

Don't like Barbados..... I love it

 

[ROVERT47]

Staff sang, ‘Happy Birthday to ya’ to my wife this morning at breakfast, currently working my way through the Champers.

 

[Loki]

I`ll be there next Sunday

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Few years since I have been. Absolutely love Barbados.

 

[Woburn Wolf]

I have travelled extensively and still love the US. So diverse with great golf courses throughout.

 

[sycophantia]

I have travelled extensively and still love the US. So diverse with great golf courses throughout.

Don't think Barbados is part of the US.....although it probably will be as Trump seems to want a colonial Empire.

 

[sycophantia]

This is probably one for the advice thread but I'll stick it here anyway
We're going ro Marrakesh for a week in March. We've travelled loads in Western Europe and a bit of Eastern Europe but never to Africa. So any tips? I'm not sure what to do about tipping, obviously the culture over there is to tip and I've no problem with that, happy to in fact but don't want to offend anyone or to get ripped off.
Also not sure what to do regards roaming charges (I'll get in touch with my provider before we go) but wondering if it's worth buying a local sim card?
I'm assuming we can change money at our hotel.
Our friends we are going with usually take small denominations of US dollars for tipping when they go to Egypt....worthwhile?

 

[Tredman]

North Africa is not really Africa… it will be very similar to Egypt in culture. Tips will be expected but not essential. I’d max it at 20%.

If you want roaming and have a fairly modern phone install the Airalo app which can get you local esims cheap.

 

[jlo]

This is probably one for the advice thread but I'll stick it here anyway
We're going ro Marrakesh for a week in March. We've travelled loads in Western Europe and a bit of Eastern Europe but never to Africa. So any tips? I'm not sure what to do about tipping, obviously the culture over there is to tip and I've no problem with that, happy to in fact but don't want to offend anyone or to get ripped off.
Also not sure what to do regards roaming charges (I'll get in touch with my provider before we go) but wondering if it's worth buying a local sim card?
I'm assuming we can change money at our hotel.
Our friends we are going with usually take small denominations of US dollars for tipping when they go to Egypt....worthwhile?

Spent a few days there last month. A week is a good amount of time, much more and it might become a bit samey, and elements of Marrakesh have become a bit tourist focused so trips out I hear are worthwhile but we only really had 2 full days and will do it next time.

Get a sim card at the airport I'd advise, really easy - there are two desks by the exit and both offer the same packages, we took the €20 for 20gbs (unless you find better before leaving). Take Euros too, not dollars. The links to its French background are apparent and Euros can be used almost anywhere apart from the odd market stall (but I still convinced the one as I'd run out of Moroccan currency). I don't actually recall doing any tipping minus maybe one restaurant, there certainly wasn't away pressure to gives tips anywhere though. It might be the culture elsewhere but because Marrakesh is more westernised perhaps that was the difference is my only thought.

Currency wise most places also take card which surprised me. My hotel annoyingly didn't but that seemed rare, so I got a Revolut account and that seemed widely accepted.

On places to go, because so many places are in the Riad style it can be quite hard to judge where to go into as they don't massively look attractive from the outside but inside you are transported to some incredibly nice venues. A friend recommended a bunch of places to us and it made it so so much more comfortable. Happy to share when I've got a moment if useful!

 

[sycophantia]

Spent a few days there last month. A week is a good amount of time, much more and it might become a bit samey, and elements of Marrakesh have become a bit tourist focused so trips out I hear are worthwhile but we only really had 2 full days and will do it next time.

Get a sim card at the airport I'd advise, really easy - there are two desks by the exit and both offer the same packages, we took the €20 for 20gbs (unless you find better before leaving). Take Euros too, not dollars. The links to its French background are apparent and Euros can be used almost anywhere apart from the odd market stall (but I still convinced the one as I'd run out of Moroccan currency). I don't actually recall doing any tipping minus maybe one restaurant, there certainly wasn't away pressure to gives tips anywhere though. It might be the culture elsewhere but because Marrakesh is more westernised perhaps that was the difference is my only thought.

Currency wise most places also take card which surprised me. My hotel annoyingly didn't but that seemed rare, so I got a Revolut account and that seemed widely accepted.

On places to go, because so many places are in the Riad style it can be quite hard to judge where to go into as they don't massively look attractive from the outside but inside you are transported to some incredibly nice venues. A friend recommended a bunch of places to us and it made it so so much more comfortable. Happy to share when I've got a moment if useful!

That'd be great ta.

 

[sycophantia]

That'd be great ta.

Yeah well be doing a few trips out of the city, want to see a bit of the Sahara and also a trip into the Atlas mountains.
The plan is some sight seeing, a bit of late Winter sun and also a recce for the future. Morocco is currently very popular with the motorcycle touring community, which is our thing

 

[EpsomWolf]

Firstly I’d say February/March are fantastic months to go. The temperatures are a lovely high teens but with clear blue skys and little wind it’s perfect for doing what you want to do and without the crowds and stickiness to boot.

Agree a week is a stretch for Marrakesh to just sight see, but it very easy to fill that time doing other ‘stuff’. The Atlas Mountains are a very tiring day-trip and best done with a night or two there. Alternatively, you can hire a taxi driver for a full day at a very reasonable price, who can take you out to similar but closer Berber villages, waterfalls etc for an authentic taste of Morocco. It can be a bit daunting haggling with some random driver and there’s always a doubt they’ll be there and do as promised and for the agreed fee too, but it’s worked out perfectly the two or three times I’ve gone that route.

A couple of other things, it’s a brilliant place to hire quads, buggies etc. Again, I suggest haggling and booking a one-to-one as opposed to a group trip. Instead of pootling along in a group of 8, gently visiting villages, dried river beds and stopping for tea, you can roar about like hooligans and have the sort of fun H&S would never allow back home. Not everyone’s cup of tea of course but personally can’t recommend that sort of thing highly enough.

In the end I’d say just strap yourself in and go for it. On the proviso you don’t do anything at all without agreeing a price first you’ll be absolutely fine and have a great time.

 

[sycophantia]

Firstly I’d say February/March are fantastic months to go. The temperatures are a lovely high teens but with clear blue skys and little wind it’s perfect for doing what you want to do and without the crowds and stickiness to boot.

Agree a week is a stretch for Marrakesh to just sight see, but it very easy to fill that time doing other ‘stuff’. The Atlas Mountains are a very tiring day-trip and best done with a night or two there. Alternatively, you can hire a taxi driver for a full day at a very reasonable price, who can take you out to similar but closer Berber villages, waterfalls etc for an authentic taste of Morocco. It can be a bit daunting haggling with some random driver and there’s always a doubt they’ll be there and do as promised and for the agreed fee too, but it’s worked out perfectly the two or three times I’ve gone that route.

A couple of other things, it’s a brilliant place to hire quads, buggies etc. Again, I suggest haggling and booking a one-to-one as opposed to a group trip. Instead of pootling along in a group of 8, gently visiting villages, dried river beds and stopping for tea, you can roar about like hooligans and have the sort of fun H&S would never allow back home. Not everyone’s cup of tea of course but personally can’t recommend that sort of thing highly enough.

In the end I’d say just strap yourself in and go for it. On the proviso you don’t do anything at all without agreeing a price first you’ll be absolutely fine and have a great time.

The quad/buggy thing is likely if available, our friends always do a desert safari when they go to Egypt.

 

[sycophantia]

The quad/buggy thing is likely if available, our friends always do a desert safari when they go to Egypt.

Yeah think a week is a bit punchy but we tend to leave decisions on hotels and timeliness to our ladies. I'm sure we'll find stuff to do, we always have in the past and will definitely look at private hire.

 

[ROVERT47]

Back home and fucking cold.
Have to say, next to a family holiday at Orlando and all the Disney, Epcot stuff, Sugar Bay Barbados was easily the best holiday I’ve ever had, the most friendly and hospitable people I’ve ever been lucky enough to meet.
Already contemplating going again next Jan.