Grans Travel choices

I’m currently looking at travelling the 5 Stans next spring with a small group company. It’s 3 intensive weeks of travelling with simple hotels, yurts and camping. I’m 72 and I suspect that if I don’t do it soon then I may never do it.
I’ve done a few hiking trips in Turkey and Portugal with this company and they were great.
I hope I never lose my wanderlust.

You've certainly been around GrannyGravy13!
I suppose I have too but find myself returning to old favourites - Madeira and Jersey. Just for relaxing holidays. No wish to be intrepid travellers any more

We like parts of Australia, but not others, unfortunately I love the East Coast and DH loves Western Australia 🤦‍♀️

I do not think there are any places that we have visited other than Dominican Republic that we have said we wouldn’t return to. Dubai I can take or leave.

Love all the ski areas in France, Italy, Austria, Andorra and Switzerland. Really enjoy the not so touristy Mediterranean countries.

Loved Brazil the rainforest and of course Copacabana Beach. Thailand (not the tourist destinations), Hong Kong was fascinating. America is just, American.

Kenya was stunning, wasn’t over impressed by Egypt, would go back to Jordan in a heartbeat if there wasn’t the ME situation.

Love the laid back Caribbean Islands.

I know I am very very lucky to have traveled, I hope I still have some adventures left to enjoy.

All time favorite Zambia wildlife was recently on TV, live its just stunning. Switzerland for scenery you just can’t beat, US has so many different experiences, people are lovely just don’t talk politics.
All are experiences I no wish to live in any of them

Where were people's favourite countries visited? I, quite unexpectedly, loved Australia. I was just there for work but absolutely fell in love with the place. I'd love to go back but can't face the flight.

GrannyGravy13

Up close to our tent deck

Wow 😳

MartavTaurus

Now, wine definitely is an experience holiday for me! A whole week in Burgundy took me to heights I'd never been before.

Staying on an actual wine estate might finish me off though!

The wine was top rate and half the price of UK which is a shame because I can’t drink like I used to

Now, wine definitely is an experience holiday for me! A whole week in Burgundy took me to heights I'd never been before.

Staying on an actual wine estate might finish me off though!

I've been to Cape Town several times. For work then family reasons.

Aveline

I've stayed at an animal lodge in Sri Lanka. Just didn't find it very interesting somehow. Elephants are OK but not my favourite animal.
I like the heritage side of life in Jersey. Interesting war time relics and stories.
I've holidayed in lots of places though and am off to CapeTown next month the a Swiss rail holiday in September. They'll be experiences. I enjoy the planning more than anything else I suspect.

Cape Town is lovely, cheap to eat out , Stellenbosch as well where we stayed on an excellent wine estate.

I've stayed at an animal lodge in Sri Lanka. Just didn't find it very interesting somehow. Elephants are OK but not my favourite animal.
I like the heritage side of life in Jersey. Interesting war time relics and stories.
I've holidayed in lots of places though and am off to CapeTown next month the a Swiss rail holiday in September. They'll be experiences. I enjoy the planning more than anything else I suspect.

Well Aveline I also enjoyed Jersey recently - and I'm just shy of 70 😄I think every place is what you make of it and although I would enjoy a safari I don't want it for every holiday.

In Jersey we walked for miles, enjoyed the nature from flowers to birds to animals, walked through stormy waves on the beach and visited some beautiful churches. That wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea either - but I did notice that a lot of the walkers were young adults, not retirees.

Wild animals are great but they are Wild. On the Botswana trip we were charged by a Hippo, thankfully our boat was far enough offshore but he got within 10 ft, they are notoriously bad tempered.

Best viewed from a safe distance.

My DH would love to be up close with the wildlife like those elephants, me not so much now. We should have done it a few years ago, it sounds a bit more tiring these days. 🐘

My favourite holiday experience was on South Island, New Zealand. Though there was a sting in the tail. We took our teenage children swimming with wild dolphins who brushed past us so gently making friends. We then got back on the boat and did whale watching, it was awesome. Followed by seeing basking seals who really did smell fishy!
🐬 🐋 🦭

We had to wear wetsuits to go in the water. As I pulled mine on I felt it pinch my ankle with what I thought was the zip. Except the pin prick wasn't the zip but the bite of a white-tailed spider! 🕷
Several hours later my foot swelled up like a balloon and I couldn't walk. Off to the hospital for strong antibiotics, though luckily the cold water in the sea while dolphin swimming had cleaned the area well.

We were due to return to London a day or two after, but they would only let me fly as far as Sydney in the condition I was. That was nice, a few extra days' holiday, Sydney Zoo (not exactly wildlife), and Bondi beach, thanks to the dreaded 8-legged creature! 🕷
My leg did go back to near normal in 3 days. 🙈

https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202607/medium-ds2a71-img-7024.jpeg%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202607/medium-667jrg-img-7018.jpeg%3C/span%3E

Up close to our tent deck

We have also stayed at Elephant Bedroom Camp, It’s on the bank of the Ewaso Nyiro River, Samburu, Kenya.

It’s an un wired/unfenced group of large tents, with an open dining tent and deck.

The elephants would walk through camp to the river.

Aveline

Oh David49 that sounds my idea of hell! I'm just not that intrepid but good luck to those who are.
I recently told a friend how much I'd enjoyed my holiday in Jersey. She informed me that she's not old enough to enjoy Jersey as a destination - she's 78! Cheek!

I can think of a few others who would think it was hell, would I do it again - if I was younger, at 77 my thirst for adventure is waning, full anti malaria is essential and insurance cost would be high.
Not ready for Jersey yet either!

DH and I still wonder why we chose to drive through three Australian States, in a motor home with two of our children (aged 4 & 9), it seemed like a good idea at the time. The school was supportive of the trip, no fines, just a diary of the 9yr olds travels of the two months.

The 4 yr old cannot remember a thing, and the 9yr old remembers getting to Santa’s grotto and he had gone home 🤦‍♀️

Oh David49 that sounds my idea of hell! I'm just not that intrepid but good luck to those who are.
I recently told a friend how much I'd enjoyed my holiday in Jersey. She informed me that she's not old enough to enjoy Jersey as a destination - she's 78! Cheek!

Sounds great David49.
Explore^ sounds the right description. I'm so pleased the lost baggage was just seen as an inconvenience, not a drama, against the backdrop of your fantastic holiday.

I love hearing about people's special travel memories. So nice to have this type of thread back again, as they got knocked on the head with much scoffing in the past.

I'll join in with mine later, but I have to go out now for a few hours.