You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
We have had an amazing Christmas present this year, with the caveat that the up to £10k has to be spent on a holiday for Mrs FD, myself and Jnr FD aged 8.
We are looking at July this next year for a max of 3 weeks.
Where would you go and what type of stuff would you do?
So far we are thinking Canada, Vancouver island and across to Calgary (mixture of touristy and get off the beaten track)
If it was just Mrs FD and myself it would be Alaska or Chile. Just not sure Jnr FD could cope with 3 weeks in either place 🙁
So what ideas would you have ?
Canada or Alaska sound good to me. South East Asia might be an option. Some amazing places, friendly people and interesting culture. I think our best big trip was Australia but July wouldn't be great timing wise and 3 weeks isn't enough.
Isn't Alaska mozzie hell inthe summer? Worth checking.
Edit: I've checked, June and July to be avoided.
Faliraki, Greece.
It can be. I've spent 5 summers working at the coast and thanks to the wind it isn't too bad. And further inland it can be cool enough that again it can be ok. However I ALWAYS have a head net and always wear bug spray (always best to buy local stuff) regardless. However I have always come back in one piece. Equally visiting outside of June-August isn't so good as places shut down. August probably just edges it in the balance of weather, wildlife etc.Isn't Alaska mozzie hell inthe summer
It is stunning. Landscape amazing and loads of adventures like whale watching, kayaking, hiking, bears to see, that would be amazing.
Just to mix it up how about a Flotilla holiday. A weeks training then 2 weeks with your won yacht
Look at Neilsens
Caravan in Bogner for a week the rest on...
Coke and hookers / Heroin and rent boys. ( your preference.)
3 weeks at Centreparcs.........
Oh , sorry just saw you only have £10k 
Canada sounds great though
+1 for the Canada plan you have
Revs19723 weeks at Centreparcs.........
Isn't there some weird anal sex clause about Centreparcs though?
3 week tour of Italy and accompanying islands of Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.
Alaska is great, but with that level of cash you could have a pretty awesome holiday in Switzerland too.
Japan - cityscapes to mountains. Ancient temples to electronic madness.
The landscapes are stunning and might keep JNR happier.
Truncated my earlier post, there was a big thread about a similar Canadian trip on here earlier, lots of good advice, one of which is that Vancouver to Calgary is a big distance! If you like outdoor adventures what about South Africa and Botswana and my bucket list destination Argentina
Norwegian Air start flying to Argentina from London in February.
It would break my heart having to spend 10k on something that only lasted three weeks and then was gone....
Probably just me though?
It would break my heart having to spend 10k on something that only lasted three weeks and then was gone....Probably just me though?
Me too, particularly if it was a one off, which for the vast majority of people it would be.
I'm sure you could get 2 excellent holidays at 5K each with a bit of research, maybe more?
Defo Canada though, & I doubt if 3 weeks would cost 10K. Shirley.
I'd say the money I've spent on traveling is the best money I've spent. I wouldn't dream of spending £10k on a car but would happily spend it on a big trip. Different priorities. No judgement, each to their own. Although I agree, I would try to get more than 3 weeks out of it.
Princess cruise ship 12(?) day tour of Norwegian fjords and Iceland, including the fancy excursion trips?
We did that cruise in 2008 (for silly low money, as Mrsgoat's sister worked there at time), I'd love to do it again, because I feel I didn't make the most of it... Weeks after my lower back went and then came down with a really heavy cold. Great way to briefly see both countries for the first time and then a really wet few hours in Belfast on the way home! 😆
Or buy everyone a Canyon Dude (or equivalent in junior size) to do the tour around something like the Grand Canyon in USA?
Princess cruise ship 12(?) day tour of Norwegian fjords and Iceland, including the fancy excursion trips?
Yep, another good idea, stuff to do on the ship for all when at sea too.
& food, loads of foood!
A month living it up in Belize. Diving and snorkelling on the reef, exploring in the jungle, old ruins, creepy crawlies and crocodiles, English breakfasts and afternoon tea, caribbean nosh and mexican fud, and people speak like pirates!
Junior will love it!
With that sort of coin id say Japan. Then depending on how you splurge there or your restrictions I'd go home via hawaii. Somewhere in the USA then back to the UK. This route takes more time and planning and coin, but I couldn't bring myself to fly that far to Japan to just fly back.
What's junFD into as tying in something to his interests might well make it easier as well.
My boy is obsessed by the kids show go jetters so at the moment it'd have to be either Finland/Scandinavia for the Northern lights/orca watching or Oz for the great barrier reef.
Thanks for all the advice, interesting thoughts re midgies and Alaska !
Will look at Japan but Canada looking favourite at the min. Stupid expensive though by the look of it.
I fancy the med thing but already done 2 of the 3 islands but definitely want to take Jnr FD to all 3 at some point!
Will try and find the Canada thread.
Jnr FD likes mountains, camping, canoeing, biking etc 🙂
Camper van tour California, Death Valley, Sequoia National Park? They know how to do national parks in the US, BIG!
[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/tell-me-about-canada-bc-and-vancouver-island ]http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/tell-me-about-canada-bc-and-vancouver-island[/url]
Flights to Canada start at about £400 return, with Air Transat or via Canadian Affair, which is about half what it was when I first went in 2009.
Drive from Vancouver to Calgary can be done in about 11 hours via Lake Louise & Banff if you don’t stop to look at the scenery. To be honest, it’s on top of you so you don’t need to stop 😉 But it is highly recommended. Or You could go via Whistler and Jasper to extend the journey with overnight stays to break it up. Camping, RV or hotels a plenty, not to mention the mountains...
Vancouver Island is worth about a week and I can put you in touch with my sister who has a holiday home for let just outside Parksville on the east coast, about half an hour drive from the ferry terminal at Nanaimo. Tofino is on the opposite coast and according to my BIL is about 3-4 hour drive; we did our whales & wildlife trip from Campbell River, about two hours drive up the east coast from Parksville
Calgary is ok but the traffic will remind you of Leeds. Canmore is very nice, an hour drive west of Calgary, you could make that your base for a few days and visit Calgary without having to stay in the city. Vancouver City is nice around Stanley Park
southern africa to see heffalumps and lions and stuff. Exciting for the adults and the little un
For $17K CDN and an active 8 year old you could have some once in a lifetime experiences in Canada. Things like.
Sea kayaking with killer whales
A helicopter to a backcountry lodge and hiking
My dream is Japan but I live in Canada and would depend how easy the 8 year old is with traveling (strange food etc)
I've decided to go on a world tour this year.
The only problem is I don't know where i'll go the year after!
My boy is a widlife nut so an African Safari would be my/our/his dream.
That screams italian lakes to me. Garda and como. 10k gets mega nice accomodation and loads of trips to dolomites and places like modena..
Flights to Canada start at about £400 return, with Air Transat or via Canadian Affair,
Are they not worse than Ryanair?
That other thread is very interesting reading!
Orient Express or Reading to Waterloo both take 3 weeks.
Canada wouldn’t be my choice for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. (And I love the place, well, BC.) I’d find it too similar to here to be challenging or extra memorable, or give me enough out-there experiences. I’d also question whether there was enough to blow an 8yr old’s mind - they don’t tend to be as wowed by massive landscapes. It it was my money, I’d head to Japan (safe but much more strange). Or SE Asia for a little more adventure. All probably more culturally enriching... imo.
The answer is Japan