Holidays 2025

What’s on people’s actual lists or wish lists so far for next year?

 

Booked so far:

Centre Parcs in Belgium in February

Ben Nevis with my son and some of my mates and their kids in June

Armenia and Cyprus in July - going to Yerevan to investigate the land of my grandmother, followed by a beach job

Montenegro in August - annual Balkan trip to practice the Serbo-Croat

 

Geeece for a wedding in August but hoping to go away in the first part of the year, even if it’s just a weekend away over here somewhere.

 

St Lucia and then Tobago for the nature in February, brief trip to France for a friend’s 60th in June and no doubt our usual trips to Andalusia.

 

South Africa - Feb
Finland - May/June
China - Oct

One week left to select a location for.

 

A week in South Wales in April as I’m running the Newport marathon. Then we’ve booked a week at Kielder Water in Northumberland in August for our second break.

 

Going to be trying snow kiting for the very first time here in Norway in March, then off to Samos later for a Wedding in June.

 

Now that I am (early) retired we're packing in the more strenuous holidays while we're still just about able.
This years highlights were tours of Vietnam/Cambodia and China. Next Year it's tours of India and Australia plus shorter trips to Paphos, Morocco, Munich, Isle of Man, Dubrovnik and Cape Verde. We like to stay at home in the summer but may squeeze another last minute holiday in if the weather is ****.

 

I'm not long back from China and we had an absolutely fantastic time. We did the Wendy Wu grand tour which started off with the major tourist attractions (Tiananmen square, Great wall, Terracotta Warriors, Pandas) and then into some some cities that we'd never heard of but which were all stunning.

 

No ******* idea.

 

A week in Puerto Del Carmen in March, a week in Playa Blanca in September
And maybe somewhere different in May , Greece perhaps.

 

I would really like to go to Barranquilla in Colombia in February for the carnavales. It is the best carnival of Latin America. Better than Rio for many.

But the pockets are empty. Soo maybe not this year, but one day I will get there.

 

We are doing a wildlife tour of the Sichuan province (red pandas, Pallas cat, Tibetan wolf etc hopefully) then contemplating adding a couple of days at the end for the Panda sanctuary at Chengdu (where the tour starts and ends) and a one day bullet train trip to Xi’an primarily to see the terracotta warriors. Would be interested to hear your views of those two “attractions”. Apparently best to go early and expect crazy numbers of people at both?

 

Following our successful driving holiday to Croatia in 2023, we're looking at driving to the north of Scotland, Loch Ness, Isle of Skye etc.

Possibly may go to Peru for Christmas 25, I haven't had a Christmas there since 2016.

 

That'd be certain be a long (and wet) drive!

 

Ibiza in July, which is a whole 30 minute flight from where we live. Daughter got married there in 2023 and this is a bit of a reunion with some of the guests. While I'm on, a big thank you to all who contribute to this forum. We moved to Spain 5 years ago after having a season ticket for just over 50 years and the forum helps to keep me in touch with something I love. We don't get to see games in the flesh so much but came back for Blackburn and West Brom and realised just how much we miss it, so thanks once again!

 

Out of interest, does anyone consider where to travel based on either political regime or climate change issues?

 

Of course!

 

North Korea remains crossed off our list.
As a serious answer, we don’t really consider politics (we have been to Cuba @Clive_ofthe_Kremlin ) or climate change issues. I won’t go to Malta though while they continue to flout the ban on trapping and killing birds!
We do consider “risk” so can’t go to Ethiopia atm.

 

I see you're still able to dress up for it though.

 

Será vale le pena C d/l K.

La Guelaguetza esta en mi lista!

 

Yes, crazy numbers of people at every attraction in China. Pretty much all the tourists are Chinese and they're not averse to pushing and shoving, being tall is a bit of an advantage. We were there in October which is considered off-peak, I dread to think how bad it would be in peak season. Mrs Derby is an absolute Panda fanatic and was a bit disappointed she only got to 7 or 8 of them when she knew there were so many hidden away.

Regardless of how horrendous the experiences might be, I think you've got to do them if you're in China. No point in getting there then spending the rest of your life regretting not doing it.

 

North Norfolk in the summer for two weeks with kids and dog. Possible mid week break in and around Bath in May, just me and the wife. Hopefully a sunshine break in late October, possibly Barbados

 

30th Anniversary this year and the wife wants to do a cruise. Not f***ing happening, any tips on how to get my passport removed?

 

Prison ?

 

but you will go to China!!! Do you know what they do to ducks?

 

Rail trip across Canada…including the ‘Rocky Mountaineer’ and the ‘Canadian’ with stays in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. Something my wife’s wanted to do for ages, and after an exhausting holiday with the grandsons in the Algarve last summer, she decided she wanted to do it now while she is still fit enough. I thought she was being a bit melodramatic but then our daughter-in-law’s mother died unexpectedly 3 weeks ago, and she was younger than my wife, so who knows?
Only 2 weeks after we paid the deposit Jasper burnt down in those wild fires! Hopefully they will have rebuilt it by May.

 

We did Toronto to Vancouver by train, with a great week’s break in the Rockies, some years ago. The Ontario bit is great, as is the Rocky Mountaineer leg, but the bit in the middle is quite boring, as you might expect. We also went to Halifax (and other parts of Nova Scotia) last year. There’s not a lot to Halifax compared to Toronto or Vancouver, but it’s OK for a short stay. We’ve never been to Montreal but friends of ours went last year and really enjoyed it.

 

Yes huge country. After the cities in the East, best to fly into Calgary for the Rockies drive through Banff, Jasper, Whistler, over to Vancouver Island, a spot of whale and bear watching then back to Vancouver to fly home. A great trip.

 

I’m off for my usual two weeks in Tenerife in March stay in the north away from the rowdy mobility scooters in the south, then three weeks in November an 11 day Montreal to New York cruise followed by 11 nights in Orlando, thought better to spend some money than leave it to Angela Raynor . Will be looking for someone to take over the score prediction game next season any vounteers?

 

I would but still don't understand the rules!

 

I absolutely hate the idea of spending any time on those massive cruise ships, stuffing your face 24 hours then turning up en-masse in some tiny town and swamping it for 2 hours.
However, river cruises are a completely different kettle of fish and might be a more palletable option? We did a very reasonably priced trip down the Nile last year and a much nicer (and less reasonably priced) trip up the Mekong earlier this year and both were absolutely fantastic.

 

Yes, the Nile is amazing if you have the right guides to give you the info on the various sites.