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Advice on winter warmth, please
Comments
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Doshwaster wrote: »I always like to make the most of wherever my travels takes me but that week in Cyprus was one of my biggest travel mistakes. I spent the whole week reading in a coffee shop as it was the only place I could find which was warm.
Anyway, I'm off to Cambodia next week for for some autumnal warmth and cheap beers.
Retiring early at 50, and moving lock, stock and barrel to Cyprus wasn't one of the best decisions I've ever made.....well in the past now I'm pleased to say.
I can't remember whether or not Cambodia is one of your regular destinations. Just in case it isn't, if you're in Phnom Penh for a few days then an excellent full day of d-i-y'ing is to hire a tuk tuk for the day, and visit, in this order......The Killing Fields [remarkable place and very tastefully presented], S21Genocide Museum [remarkable place but completely raw], lunch close to the Museum, Russian Market, back to your hotel for a swim or snooze, then The Foreign Correspondents Club on Sisowath Quay for the Happy Hour between 1700-1900 [arrive a few minutes early and get a seat on the balcony overlooking the rush-hour madness down on the Quay], and finish off with dinner somewhere on Sisowath Quay.
Siem Reap, obviously the Angkor site, hire a tuk tuk. Pub Street after dark is pretty good.
Battambang, the Bamboo train is great fun if it's still running. And hiring a tuk tuk to see the surrounding countryside is a great day out....try a rat kebab from a roadside vendor!0 -
PompeyPete wrote: »Battambang, the Bamboo train is great fun if it's still running. And hiring a tuk tuk to see the surrounding countryside is a great day out....try a rat kebab from a roadside vendor!
It looks like the bamboo train still exists - sort of.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/bamboo-train-back-tracks-battambangNo reliance should be placed on the above! Absolutely none, do you hear?0 -
January / February the coldest wettest months here in CyprusPompeyPete wrote: »Retiring early at 50, and moving lock, stock and barrel to Cyprus wasn't one of the best decisions I've ever made.....well in the past now I'm pleased to say.
I can't remember whether or not Cambodia is one of your regular destinations. Just in case it isn't, if you're in Phnom Penh for a few days then an excellent full day of d-i-y'ing is to hire a tuk tuk for the day, and visit, in this order......The Killing Fields [remarkable place and very tastefully presented], S21Genocide Museum [remarkable place but completely raw], lunch close to the Museum, Russian Market, back to your hotel for a swim or snooze, then The Foreign Correspondents Club on Sisowath Quay for the Happy Hour between 1700-1900 [arrive a few minutes early and get a seat on the balcony overlooking the rush-hour madness down on the Quay], and finish off with dinner somewhere on Sisowath Quay.
Siem Reap, obviously the Angkor site, hire a tuk tuk. Pub Street after dark is pretty good.
Battambang, the Bamboo train is great fun if it's still running. And hiring a tuk tuk to see the surrounding countryside is a great day out....try a rat kebab from a roadside vendor!0 -
Slightly more than your request of three hours flight time is the canary islands as others have suggested.
We visited the Island of La Palma, one of the smaller islands.
It's what I imagine Tenerife and the other big islands were before tourism hit a few decades ago.
Very much slower pace of life on this island.
And is renowned for hiking routes.
So if you want Sun, peace and walking I'd suggest La Palma.
We stayed SC in Los Cancajos, a very short drive from the airport so really cheap in taxi. A good bus service to and from the airport as well as into Santa Cruz, and from there the buses go to all sorts of places around the Island.
We took one across the Island going through the mountain to the other side. Can't recall name but although more modern looking was still really quiet and everything closed for seista.
We also found a tour company,which wasn't particularly cheap, was fantastic.
Price cost the same if two or more went. We had a whole mini van to ourselves. The company even suggested that if you make friends you could agree the cost.
But the trip was fantastic, the gentleman was so proud of his island and it showed. Saw lots and learnt lots x
Does sound to me as if it would fit your requirements.
We flew withEasyjet from LGW0 -
PompeyPete wrote: »Retiring early at 50, and moving lock, stock and barrel to Cyprus wasn't one of the best decisions I've ever made.....well in the past now I'm pleased to say.
I can't remember whether or not Cambodia is one of your regular destinations. Just in case it isn't, if you're in Phnom Penh for a few days then an excellent full day of d-i-y'ing is to hire a tuk tuk for the day, and visit, in this order......The Killing Fields [remarkable place and very tastefully presented], S21Genocide Museum [remarkable place but completely raw], lunch close to the Museum, Russian Market, back to your hotel for a swim or snooze, then The Foreign Correspondents Club on Sisowath Quay for the Happy Hour between 1700-1900 [arrive a few minutes early and get a seat on the balcony overlooking the rush-hour madness down on the Quay], and finish off with dinner somewhere on Sisowath Quay.
Siem Reap, obviously the Angkor site, hire a tuk tuk. Pub Street after dark is pretty good.
Battambang, the Bamboo train is great fun if it's still running. And hiring a tuk tuk to see the surrounding countryside is a great day out....try a rat kebab from a roadside vendor!
I've only been to PP once and that was about 8 years ago on a stop off between Bangkok and HCMC. I did the Killing Fields and the obligatory cocktails afterwards at the FCC but this time I want to explore the city more. I hear that it has changed a lot in the last few years.
After that a few days in Siem Reap. Temples don't do much for me but it looks like a funky place to hang out. I then have a gap in the schedule which I haven't planned yet.
I'm topping and tailing the trip with a couple of nights in Singapore and Bangkok. Never been to Singapore but it's been on my to do list for years. I've been to Bangkok more times than I can remember (probably 8-9) but this will my first visit in 5 years.0 -
Slightly more than your request of three hours flight time is the canary islands as others have suggested.
We visited the Island of La Palma, one of the smaller islands.
It's what I imagine Tenerife and the other big islands were before tourism hit a few decades ago.
Very much slower pace of life on this island.
And is renowned for hiking routes.
So if you want Sun, peace and walking I'd suggest La Palma.
We stayed SC in Los Cancajos, a very short drive from the airport so really cheap in taxi. A good bus service to and from the airport as well as into Santa Cruz, and from there the buses go to all sorts of places around the Island.
We took one across the Island going through the mountain to the other side. Can't recall name but although more modern looking was still really quiet and everything closed for seista.
We also found a tour company,which wasn't particularly cheap, was fantastic.
Price cost the same if two or more went. We had a whole mini van to ourselves. The company even suggested that if you make friends you could agree the cost.
But the trip was fantastic, the gentleman was so proud of his island and it showed. Saw lots and learnt lots x
Does sound to me as if it would fit your requirements.
We flew withEasyjet from LGW
Op didn't want a flight time of max. 3 hours.0 -
Slightly more than your request of three hours flight time is the canary islands as others have suggested.
We visited the Island of La Palma, one of the smaller islands.
It's what I imagine Tenerife and the other big islands were before tourism hit a few decades ago.
Very much slower pace of life on this island.
And is renowned for hiking routes.
So if you want Sun, peace and walking I'd suggest La Palma.
We stayed SC in Los Cancajos, a very short drive from the airport so really cheap in taxi. A good bus service to and from the airport as well as into Santa Cruz, and from there the buses go to all sorts of places around the Island.
We took one across the Island going through the mountain to the other side. Can't recall name but although more modern looking was still really quiet and everything closed for seista.
We also found a tour company,which wasn't particularly cheap, was fantastic.
Price cost the same if two or more went. We had a whole mini van to ourselves. The company even suggested that if you make friends you could agree the cost.
But the trip was fantastic, the gentleman was so proud of his island and it showed. Saw lots and learnt lots x
Does sound to me as if it would fit your requirements.
We flew withEasyjet from LGW
La Palma is another good suggestion but for winter warmth I would advise against staying on the East side. We also stayed in Los Cancajos in March of this year and it was cloudy everyday. Fortunately we had a car and out to see the entire Island and had the chance to spend everyday in glorious sunshine on the West. The island is so well known for the weather split that they make a thing of the massive cloud "waterfall" that happens as the clouds hit the mountains.
It's a marvelous place though, but I wouldn't recommend it without a car.0 -
Pretty unlikely in my experience of a fair few winter trips. Worst case scenario is you'll get diverted to land on the nearby island of Porto Santo and then shuttle across on a smaller plane.
Whilst Porto Santo is close and has a longer runway, it doesn't have the facilities or staff in winter to manage a large number of passengers. The few large hotels close for the winter, so it is rarely used as a divert.
My parents have been stuck in Madeira due to high winds and a closed airport. Their incoming Jet2 flight went to Lisbon for a day, some flights went to Canaries, other flights simply turned around mid route and returned to the UK.0 -
La Palma is another good suggestion but for winter warmth I would advise against staying on the East side. We also stayed in Los Cancajos in March of this year and it was cloudy everyday. Fortunately we had a car and out to see the entire Island and had the chance to spend everyday in glorious sunshine on the West. The island is so well known for the weather split that they make a thing of the massive cloud "waterfall" that happens as the clouds hit the mountains.
It's a marvelous place though, but I wouldn't recommend it without a car.
Some of those smaller islands of the canaries have that black volcanic sand, so it depends whether that bothers you or not.I've been to la gomera where they've got a tropical rainforest .
I have been to one of the islands of lanzarote called la graciosa, it was lovely, unspoilt, quiet , reached by boat, no paved roads.
But once you start talking about the islands, the prices aren't so cheap,package based.0
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