UKC

Now that the old year and xmas holidays have been and gone and work looms, it's time to start to dream of 2018! Where would you like to go for your next holiday. I am thinking of an Easter sun rock trip. Hmm where to go, Sicily, Sardinia, Kalymnos, Leonidio, El Chorro, ...? What are you dreaming of?

In reply to Heike:

South Africa, and I'm turning the dream into reality having booked a return flight to Cape Town next month

In reply to Trangia:

Lovely! Sounds great. Is it expensive to go?

In reply to Heike:

Unfortunately, yes. Depending on dates its usually between about £600 and £900 for direct flights or a change at Jo'burg rising to over £1000 at Christmas and Easter, it's 11 to 12 hours, but being in virtually the same time zone (1 or 2 hours difference depending on how it syncs with GMT or BST) so no jet lag. You can find cheaper flights in the £400/£500 mark if you are prepared to fly via Istanbul or some middle eastern countries but that usually takes more than 24 hrs with a long overnight stop over

It's a beautiful country, friendly people, good food and wine, and world class rock climbing and trekking in addition to incredible wild life. They speak English and drive on the left. I'm lucky having family there so I won't have accommodation costs. Shopping and eating out generally a lot cheaper than in the UK. There is a high crime rate, but generally away from the tourist honey pots, this is less of a problem.

In reply to Heike:

Antarctica.

In reply to Trangia:

Oh, sounds expensive, but great. I was quite keen on that for a long time...
but we are time-poor (as well as money poor)

In reply to Heike:

We're thinking seriously about Kyrgyzstan, as per a previous thread.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Good luck! I would love to go back, but I don't think I can persuade my hubby...

In reply to Heike:

Ooh, do you mind my asking where you went and what you did while you were there?

In reply to Heike:

Living in Chamonix so all my friends have to come and visit me!

A via ferrata trip in Austria is on my mind though...

In reply to Ramblin dave:

We went on a glacier system 20 km away from Khan Tengri and tried to do some first ascents, but it was a very hot year and a lot of the approaches were crumbling (seracs, icefalls), so after a few attempts we then walked to Khan Tengri basecamp (20 km over glacier and moraine!!) and tried Khan Tengri, but one after the other of the team fell ill apart from me, so my highpoint was 6000 metres on my last attempt before the other guys had to give up. It was nice anyways to stay overnight in a snow hole at the col. Then we walked back to the pickup point on our first camp and waited for the helicopter which didn't come on the promised day. We had to wait several days and had run out of food....I think I lost 7 kg that holiday ) My partner got an allergic reaction to something whilst we were waiting in addition to Guardia and he also ended up contracting TB from some guy who transported us back hence his lack of keenness to return to Kyrgyztan.