Holidays for 'special occasions' - how do you decide where to go?

AmyTurtle

If you want to see the Northern Lights and he's open to a fjord cruise then isn't that the obvious option? P&O do some really reasonable cruises that go to Norway & Iceland and give the opportunity to see the Northern Lights. You can also get off the boat at certain places and hike up a glacier, bathe in hot springs, go quad biking etc. if your husband wants a bit more 'action'. OH and I are saving up for it as I really want to try a cruise and he doesn't do beach holidays - I go away with my mum for sun sea and sand!

arbrighton

gettingtheresometime wrote: »

I do want to see the Northern Lights, and have also suggested a train trip across Canada, going to the Grand Canyon or Cape Verde - of course you mention these as the sort of things I was thinking of and then its 'where I want to go' and that's why it tends to get a little heated to say the least.

I know the best thing to do now is to back off and drop the subject but by doing that I know it will get left and we'll end up going nowhere......

We went to the US this year- Vegas and then drove through to San Francisco. We did splash out on a helicopter trip into the Grand Canyon and then over the strip as night fell. It was stunning. We also drove through Death Valley, up into the mountains in Sequoia (where we got engaged) and then up the coast. Stayed with my Aunt and Uncle for a few days at the end. Really good mix of weather in April and a mix of activities available. I wouldn't bother with Vegas again personally though.

We're about to head off to York for the weekend on the train but some of the best breaks we've had have been cottages in rural bits of the uk e.g. Devon/ Cornwall border, Northumberland and the little moated castle keep island we've booked for our honeymoon next year.
It doesn't have to be abroad to be special....

scrabbly

I wanted something special/different.
I thought the Northern Lights would be special - I didn't want a cruise so 4 of us went to Iceland. It seemed expensive at first but when we added it all up it was quite reasonable (£700 pp with all trips)
The northern Lights didn't appear but we had a fabulous trip and something to really remember. I would thoroughly recommend !

Even preparations were fun - getting the right clothes together was challenging on a budget but we managed - everyone had thermal underwear for Xmas that year !

I can't see how "sitting on a beach" can be called "special" you can do that anywhere.

holidaymkr

My Wife took redundancy and treated me to a once in a lifetime trip to Vietnam via Dubai. We flew,Business class, on Emirates. That meant we were picked up by a Mercedes at home and driven to Heathrow:T We are fortunate enough to holiday regularly, but on a budget, often with, the adequate, Ryanair. So to be collected and dropped off at departures with no hassle about driving/parking etc was the most fabulous start to the holiday. Then you get the Emirates 'treatment' which begins at check in,goes through to the business lounge with amazing food and then the A380, OMG I've never been treated so well. Just to balance the Naysayers :mad: I've been a Martin Lewis Moneysaver for years and am careful with money and this was a special Birthday treat. I'll often read forums where people say, it's not worth going up in class, you're still on the same aeroplane. Wrong,wrong,wrong. If I were rich I'd fly 1st class EVERYTIME. Emirates also pick you up at each airport till you're final scheduled destination. They then collect you to take you back to the departure airport:o. So having been treated like royalty we arrived in Vietnam. I like to travel but was slightly worried by what I might find there in terms of cleanliness of the Hotels and the food quality. The first thing is how fabulous, friendly and amazing the Vietnamese people are. The Hotels were excellent and very reasonably priced so we were able to stay in good quality places at a good price. The service at the hotels was faultless. Best of all were the Cities, everywhere and everyone was amazing. We travelled from the North,Hanoi, all the way down to Saigon, stopping en route. We enjoyed excellent food and saw some amazing sights. At the end of the holiday Emirates brought us home in a Mercedes. A fab end to a fab holiday. My Wife has just reminded me that as I write this it was 2 years ago that we started this holiday. Around this time we were just about to board the Heathrow flight out.:A I wish I were leaving today,I still have fabulous memories of that trip :rotfl::beer:

Gloomendoom

scrabbly wrote: »

I can't see how "sitting on a beach" can be called "special" you can do that anywhere.

Not around here you can't.

jtr2803

I find it genuinely astonishing how many people can't think of places they would love to see! This planet is full of so many beautiful plants, animals, cultures and landscapes that I could probably travel until the day I die and still not see enough!

Do either of you have hobbies you can indulge abroad? Is, cooking a certain type of dish, painting etc?

Mine is wildlife, particularly coral reefs so that's normally a big priority when choosing destinations rather than any old beach will do...

Mayday

And here's us soon to be travelling to Perth Australia to celebrate our 40th WA with our son and his family - including a baby grandson that we haven't met yet.

We will be celebrating on the beach with a picnic - my choice.

Looking forward to it all very much except for the flight out !

Gloomendoom

Mayday wrote: »

And here's us soon to be travelling to Perth Australia to celebrate our 40th WA with our son and his family - including a baby grandson that we haven't met yet.

We will be celebrating on the beach with a picnic - my choice.

Looking forward to it all very much except for the flight out !

Tip from bitter experience... Steer well clear of North Swanbourne Beach if you want to enjoy your picnic.

For somewhere a bit special, I can recommend a visit to Rottnest Island...



Relatively low shark risk too!

Mayday

The picnic will be around the Port Kennedy area - 5-10 mins from where we'll be staying

misty-mitts

For our honeymoon we wandered round Boston, Cape Cod, New England, Niagara & Canada, and it was amazing. Niagara, explored from both the US & Canadian sides really blew us away. We promised ourselves that we would go back there for our 25th anniversary. That is not very far off now, and we are still planning to go back there. Being older and less able now, I'm sure we will have a very different time, but it is a holiday that can be tailored any way you want, and will guarantee some unforgettable memories.