Anniversary trip - destination ideas

strawb_shortcake

Hi all, 

I will also use tripadvisor but was hoping to get a more general view at this point. 

For a notable wedding anniversary in a couple of years time, my Hubby has suggested we do something special and look for a holiday in the Indian ocean. 
We would be travelling early July.

We are happy to combine destinations, 
my preference would be The Maldives, however my other half thinks two weeks would be boring. 

So where would you pick and why? 
Weather is a key factor, doesn't need to be boiling but I don't want 2 weeks of rain. 

I want somewhere so beautiful I'll have to pinch myself daily
My OH would like some sightseeing, water activities, hikes etc.

We aren't posh so somewhere nice but laid back would be perfect. 

Not necessarily limited to Indian ocean but preferred area.
We can do longer than 2 weeks, budget would be around £10k in todays money 

Thank you

eskbanker

The Seychelles would seem an obvious alternative to the Maldives, in terms of somewhere else in that general area but with more to see and do than look at water!

michele-p

Is June the right weather time for the Maldives? I have no idea, but we went to Sri Lanka a few years back, and people often do the two together. That was also an epic trip, we did a loop from Colombo took trains, used drivers, and again thoroughly enjoyed it, but we went in early November to try and get best weather for us (Sri Lanka has 2 monsoon seasons, so sometimes the Norther route is better).

Something completely different from me too, are you Road Trip people? I would love to go to the Maldives, but also worry we'd be bored, we like to road trip and see new things every few days. We did an 18 night trip to the USA in June, starting in Denver, enjoying the amazing Rocky mountains of Colorado, visiting ghost towns and gold mines, then into Utah and visited many national parks, and ended up in Vegas  - flew home from there. It was AMAZING, so many sights to see, hikes, watersports and more. It was just under your budget (including car and spending) with us booking it all ourselves staying at some very nice places along the way.

strawb_shortcake

michele-p said:

Is June the right weather time for the Maldives? I have no idea, but we went to Sri Lanka a few years back, and people often do the two together. That was also an epic trip, we did a loop from Colombo took trains, used drivers, and again thoroughly enjoyed it, but we went in early November to try and get best weather for us (Sri Lanka has 2 monsoon seasons, so sometimes the Norther route is better).

Something completely different from me too, are you Road Trip people? I would love to go to the Maldives, but also worry we'd be bored, we like to road trip and see new things every few days. We did an 18 night trip to the USA in June, starting in Denver, enjoying the amazing Rocky mountains of Colorado, visiting ghost towns and gold mines, then into Utah and visited many national parks, and ended up in Vegas  - flew home from there. It was AMAZING, so many sights to see, hikes, watersports and more. It was just under your budget (including car and spending) with us booking it all ourselves staying at some very nice places along the way.

I think The Maldives is one of those things to pick the right island for the month? 
Sri Lanka and the Maldives does seem an obvious choice, I think the train journey to Ella is meant to be one of the most scenic in the world, but there are several contenders there.

We would like to do the US at some point but would likely be a longer trip. I've been twice before so I think I'd like something that's new to us both, and somewhere the children won't say "but we want to come" 

strawb_shortcake

eskbanker said:

The Seychelles would seem an obvious alternative to the Maldives, in terms of somewhere else in that general area but with more to see and do than look at water!

Thank you, the Seychelles seems to be my OH's preference but not somewhere I know much about. I'm very confident that I'm being bias towards the Maldives as it just seems to be a very unique and ultimate destination in my mind and I need to be open to other destinations 

michele-p

I think The Maldives is one of those things to pick the right island for the month? 
Sri Lanka and the Maldives does seem an obvious choice, I think the train journey to Ella is meant to be one of the most scenic in the world, but there are several contenders there.

Completely understand in the US front, and also a holiday without enticing the children to come too! In Sri Lanka the train journey from Kandy to Ella is beautiful, getting tickets was tricky, but our accommodation helped us get them. We broke it up with an overnight at Nuwara Eliya, which was such a pretty town, going all the way in 1 day would be a lot to take in. Both Ella and Nuwara Eliya seemed great areas for hiking. We had a great morning safari at Udawalawa, even got a glimpse of a leapord, but it did get very crowded. There's also amazing ancient ruins at Polonnaruwa, we got the train there from Colombo. But possibly the North would be better for that time of year - I'm not sure. It would be equally as beautiful though!

JennyDavis

Mauritius is an amazing place and has such a relaxed vibe. edreams has lots of great offers for trips there. I’ve heard that in winter, the weather is quite warm, making it an ideal destination to escape the cold. It sounds like a perfect place to visit if you’re looking for some sunshine and relaxation during the colder months

Voyager2002

I have never been to the Maldives but reports I have heard suggest that it is beautiful but boring.

I lived in the Seychelles for two years and can confirm that it is outstanding for natural beauty, and offers plenty of activities. I think it would be a good choice, but choose your island carefully.

I visited Sri Lanka just before the pandemic: wonderful, full of great things to see and do, but not quite as beautiful as Seychelles.

And an off-beat suggestion: the island of Nossi Be, Madagascar, is supposed to be as beautiful as Seychelles and with unique wildlife (lemurs). Madagascar itself is like an unknown continent, beautiful and interesting. You can fly directly to Nossi Be from London (with a change of 'planes and possible stopover in Addis Ababa).

blindman

strawb_shortcake said:

Hi all, 


We would be travelling early July.

We are happy to combine destinations, 
my preference would be The Maldives, however my other half thinks two weeks would be boring. 

I want somewhere so beautiful I'll have to pinch myself daily
My OH would like some sightseeing, water activities, hikes etc.

We aren't posh so somewhere nice but laid back would be perfect. 

Not necessarily limited to Indian ocean but preferred area.
We can do longer than 2 weeks, budget would be around £10k in todays money 

Thank you

Have a look at We Will Wander web-site.

Lots of ways to choose a destination and some good info.

July in Sri Lanka maybe too hot though, depends on your tolerance.

We went in Feb 2023 and it was too hot at times to sunbathe on the beach, though not every day.  We stayed for 3 weeks and covered the tourist spots and beaches. 

Initially we hired a driver-as our friends told us that was the best way to see the Island, but after 3 days we cancelled him as this was not our way of travelling. We then did our usual thing of DIY on buses\trains\ taxis which we found very easy.

The country is ripe for travelling and there are several options be it budget buses\trains or drivers with cars.
Plenty of variation to see and do from Temples, teeth and Elephants.

Food is cheap and IMHO very tasty, 

The country needs tourism as it was\is recovering from Covid then civil unrest so prices are low and budget accomodtion is easy to find.
It is possible to get here from or go to Malives via Colombo

Maldives.
Overpriced, (Russians and Americans paying through the nose) and over tourism. Pop in for 3 days just to say you have been IMHO.

strawb_shortcake

@voyager hadn't really considered Madagascar but will take a look, seems one of those places I think is for other adventurous people. 

@blindman We spoke to a travel agent that advised against Sri Lanka in July due to rain. She did suggest Singapore and the Maldives but I'm more swayed to Seychelles now. I don't mind the heat in general but Barbados I did find really uncomfortable on one day so I guess it comes down to what sort of heat it is. Will also take a look at the website.

blindman

There are two monsoon seasons in Sri Lanka and TBHO July is limiting you to the east coast. 

Seychelles looks OK in  July Never been so cannot comment