Big Wedding Anniversary Trip
Discussion
We're celebrating our Golden Wedding Anniversary on March 29th, (how Mrs TeeRev has put up with me for fifty+ years and how quickly that time has gone is still a constant source of amazement to me), anyway, a big party has been ruled out in favour of a small close family do and a memorable trip.
I obviously have a few ideas of my own but before I share them with the pistonheads travel advice bureau I would be very interested in hearing about what trips other people have done for big anniversary's, as well as any suggestions for us that might be realistic in this crazy Covid age..
As a clue some of our previous anniversary trips have been; skiing in Courcheval at a slopeside hotel for our 25th, a couple of weeks in Maui for our 30th, flotilla sailing in the BVI's for our 35th, diving in Soma Bay, Egypt for our 40th and a trip to see my wife's best friend in Lanzarote for our 45th.
As a guide we're not bothered about being on holiday for the actual anniversary if something special is only available just before or after and I reckon 10-14 days away would be about right.
The trip doesn't have to involve extreme sports as they are really just keep me amused, Mrs TeeRev would be just as happy to lay on a nice beach or do a bit of sightseeing, I have in my mind a budget of up to around 10k but could stretch a bit further for something really amazing.
Over to you people!
I obviously have a few ideas of my own but before I share them with the pistonheads travel advice bureau I would be very interested in hearing about what trips other people have done for big anniversary's, as well as any suggestions for us that might be realistic in this crazy Covid age..
As a clue some of our previous anniversary trips have been; skiing in Courcheval at a slopeside hotel for our 25th, a couple of weeks in Maui for our 30th, flotilla sailing in the BVI's for our 35th, diving in Soma Bay, Egypt for our 40th and a trip to see my wife's best friend in Lanzarote for our 45th.
As a guide we're not bothered about being on holiday for the actual anniversary if something special is only available just before or after and I reckon 10-14 days away would be about right.
The trip doesn't have to involve extreme sports as they are really just keep me amused, Mrs TeeRev would be just as happy to lay on a nice beach or do a bit of sightseeing, I have in my mind a budget of up to around 10k but could stretch a bit further for something really amazing.
Over to you people!
Doofus said:
We did the Orient Express for our tenth. A couple of days in Venice, after which we collected a 1970 Maserati Ghibli (I was fortunate to know somebody), and spent ten days bimbling around northern Italy and southern France before flying back home.
What did you honestly think of the Orient Express?TeeRev said:
Doofus said:
We did the Orient Express for our tenth. A couple of days in Venice, after which we collected a 1970 Maserati Ghibli (I was fortunate to know somebody), and spent ten days bimbling around northern Italy and southern France before flying back home.
What did you honestly think of the Orient Express?The food was very good, and the bar car was fun, but not cheap. It's a comfortable train as long as you accept that it's 100 years old. There's a dress code, which adds to the fun. And only one toilet per carriage, which doesn't
It was the thick end of ten grand for a three day trip (one night on the train and two in a fancy hotel on the Grand Canal), so only for special occasions, IMO. Having said which, I spent the same again on hotels and meals over the following ten days.
The timing doesn't work for you AT ALL, but we did New England in the Fall for our 10th (which was some years ago).
We flew to Boston and spent a couple of days there, then picked up a Boxster rental car and headed north. We spent 3 nights at the Pitcher Inn in Warren, which was fabulous and had a couple of day trips into Northern Vermont from there. We then drove over the Kancamangus (sic?) highway into Maine and stayed in Kennebunkport at the White Barn Inn.
It really was a fantastic trip.
We flew to Boston and spent a couple of days there, then picked up a Boxster rental car and headed north. We spent 3 nights at the Pitcher Inn in Warren, which was fabulous and had a couple of day trips into Northern Vermont from there. We then drove over the Kancamangus (sic?) highway into Maine and stayed in Kennebunkport at the White Barn Inn.
It really was a fantastic trip.
Maybe not possible with the budget but a trip to South Africa with a safari as well?
Have booked that for wife’s 60th and my delayed 60th.
The New England one I can also recommend
Or a Californian trip either Pacific highway or round into Vegas.
Did SF to Yosemite to Death Valley to Vegas to San Diego and finishing at LA for my 50th - hire a Mustang and it would be even better!
Have booked that for wife’s 60th and my delayed 60th.
The New England one I can also recommend
Or a Californian trip either Pacific highway or round into Vegas.
Did SF to Yosemite to Death Valley to Vegas to San Diego and finishing at LA for my 50th - hire a Mustang and it would be even better!
Thanks very much for the suggestions chaps. I have to admit straight away that after getting properly into research over the weekend my proposed budget seems a bit mean, I was hoping to get away with 10k but now realise that I have got to up it to nearer 15k to get something a bit special.
Unfortunately a driving trip is not on the cards, we did a1500 mile road-trip to Ireland last Summer so I'm sure my wife wouldn't be keen on another one so soon afterwards and to be honest after doing many of them over the years a road-trip for our fiftieth doesn't sound quite "special" enough to me either.
I have been to the Boston/New England area when my son and I went windsurfing in Cape Cod and it's beautiful but I agree that the fall would be the right time for that.
My wife and I rented a drop top Mustang once and did a drive up the coast of Florida, I think that the Pacific Highway would be great but it's not something my wife has ever mentioned, never the less in faint hope I shall put it on my list of possibilities to offer her.
Unfortunately a safari is not of interest, it's not something either of us have ever felt the need to go on, we're quite happy to look at wild animals on the tv or in a zoo but we are much more snow/water/sunshine/beach/boat people.
The Orient Express is right up there on the list of things she would like to do but has never been very high on mine, having said that, today I found a trip that might appeal to both of us. It's fly to Rome for two hotel nights there, a seven day Azamara all inclusive cruise around Italy to Venice, three nights hotel there then the Orient Express home, and it's within the new revised budget.
We've done quite a few Caribbean holidays, both sailing and regular but have never been past Egypt the other way so any knowledge of good places in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the Maldives would be appreciated?
My greatest concern at the moment is probably the same as everyone else looking to book a holiday, what is going to happen with Covid 19 and how that will affect our plans three months down the line, having to cancel after booking the trip of a lifetime would be so disappointing.
Please keep the suggestions and thoughts coming.
Unfortunately a driving trip is not on the cards, we did a1500 mile road-trip to Ireland last Summer so I'm sure my wife wouldn't be keen on another one so soon afterwards and to be honest after doing many of them over the years a road-trip for our fiftieth doesn't sound quite "special" enough to me either.
I have been to the Boston/New England area when my son and I went windsurfing in Cape Cod and it's beautiful but I agree that the fall would be the right time for that.
My wife and I rented a drop top Mustang once and did a drive up the coast of Florida, I think that the Pacific Highway would be great but it's not something my wife has ever mentioned, never the less in faint hope I shall put it on my list of possibilities to offer her.
Unfortunately a safari is not of interest, it's not something either of us have ever felt the need to go on, we're quite happy to look at wild animals on the tv or in a zoo but we are much more snow/water/sunshine/beach/boat people.
The Orient Express is right up there on the list of things she would like to do but has never been very high on mine, having said that, today I found a trip that might appeal to both of us. It's fly to Rome for two hotel nights there, a seven day Azamara all inclusive cruise around Italy to Venice, three nights hotel there then the Orient Express home, and it's within the new revised budget.
We've done quite a few Caribbean holidays, both sailing and regular but have never been past Egypt the other way so any knowledge of good places in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the Maldives would be appreciated?
My greatest concern at the moment is probably the same as everyone else looking to book a holiday, what is going to happen with Covid 19 and how that will affect our plans three months down the line, having to cancel after booking the trip of a lifetime would be so disappointing.
Please keep the suggestions and thoughts coming.
TeeRev said:
My greatest concern at the moment is probably the same as everyone else looking to book a holiday, what is going to happen with Covid 19 and how that will affect our plans three months down the line, having to cancel after booking the trip of a lifetime would be so disappointing.
We've postponed the marking of our twentieth anniversary and two big birthdays until a time that we both feel we can do them justice.TeeRev said:
Thanks very much for the suggestions chaps. I have to admit straight away that after getting properly into research over the weekend my proposed budget seems a bit mean, I was hoping to get away with 10k but now realise that I have got to up it to nearer 15k to get something a bit special.
Unfortunately a driving trip is not on the cards, we did a1500 mile road-trip to Ireland last Summer so I'm sure my wife wouldn't be keen on another one so soon afterwards and to be honest after doing many of them over the years a road-trip for our fiftieth doesn't sound quite "special" enough to me either.
I have been to the Boston/New England area when my son and I went windsurfing in Cape Cod and it's beautiful but I agree that the fall would be the right time for that.
My wife and I rented a drop top Mustang once and did a drive up the coast of Florida, I think that the Pacific Highway would be great but it's not something my wife has ever mentioned, never the less in faint hope I shall put it on my list of possibilities to offer her.
Unfortunately a safari is not of interest, it's not something either of us have ever felt the need to go on, we're quite happy to look at wild animals on the tv or in a zoo but we are much more snow/water/sunshine/beach/boat people.
The Orient Express is right up there on the list of things she would like to do but has never been very high on mine, having said that, today I found a trip that might appeal to both of us. It's fly to Rome for two hotel nights there, a seven day Azamara all inclusive cruise around Italy to Venice, three nights hotel there then the Orient Express home, and it's within the new revised budget.
We've done quite a few Caribbean holidays, both sailing and regular but have never been past Egypt the other way so any knowledge of good places in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the Maldives would be appreciated?
My greatest concern at the moment is probably the same as everyone else looking to book a holiday, what is going to happen with Covid 19 and how that will affect our plans three months down the line, having to cancel after booking the trip of a lifetime would be so disappointing.
Please keep the suggestions and thoughts coming.
The Italian job sounds pretty good to me! Love Rome and Venice.Unfortunately a driving trip is not on the cards, we did a1500 mile road-trip to Ireland last Summer so I'm sure my wife wouldn't be keen on another one so soon afterwards and to be honest after doing many of them over the years a road-trip for our fiftieth doesn't sound quite "special" enough to me either.
I have been to the Boston/New England area when my son and I went windsurfing in Cape Cod and it's beautiful but I agree that the fall would be the right time for that.
My wife and I rented a drop top Mustang once and did a drive up the coast of Florida, I think that the Pacific Highway would be great but it's not something my wife has ever mentioned, never the less in faint hope I shall put it on my list of possibilities to offer her.
Unfortunately a safari is not of interest, it's not something either of us have ever felt the need to go on, we're quite happy to look at wild animals on the tv or in a zoo but we are much more snow/water/sunshine/beach/boat people.
The Orient Express is right up there on the list of things she would like to do but has never been very high on mine, having said that, today I found a trip that might appeal to both of us. It's fly to Rome for two hotel nights there, a seven day Azamara all inclusive cruise around Italy to Venice, three nights hotel there then the Orient Express home, and it's within the new revised budget.
We've done quite a few Caribbean holidays, both sailing and regular but have never been past Egypt the other way so any knowledge of good places in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the Maldives would be appreciated?
My greatest concern at the moment is probably the same as everyone else looking to book a holiday, what is going to happen with Covid 19 and how that will affect our plans three months down the line, having to cancel after booking the trip of a lifetime would be so disappointing.
Please keep the suggestions and thoughts coming.
In terms of booking, make sure you book with a travel agent/company that offers good covid cover .
For bigger and special trips I can recommend Travel Counsellors
Galapagos on their most recent mega yacht "Flora"
https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb/itinerary-sear...
https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb/cruise-ships/c...
https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb/itinerary-sear...
https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb/cruise-ships/c...
TeeRev said:
The Orient Express is right up there on the list of things she would like to do but has never been very high on mine, having said that, today I found a trip that might appeal to both of us. It's fly to Rome for two hotel nights there, a seven day Azamara all inclusive cruise around Italy to Venice, three nights hotel there then the Orient Express home, and it's within the new revised budget.
I can definitely recommend Rome & Venice - but most of all, Azamara in between the two will be a special trip. Doofus said:
TeeRev said:
My greatest concern at the moment is probably the same as everyone else looking to book a holiday, what is going to happen with Covid 19 and how that will affect our plans three months down the line, having to cancel after booking the trip of a lifetime would be so disappointing.
We've postponed the marking of our twentieth anniversary and two big birthdays until a time that we both feel we can do them justice.
We finally made it to Midsummer House in December 2021 though and it was worth the wait.
Hello
Long time reader here, I thought it was about time I made a contribution.
My wife and I grew up with very little money in the family pot, and have been very fortunate to have successful careers that allow us to take some nice holidays. We aren't rich by any means, certainly not by PH standards, but we feel very lucky to be in the position we are in.
A few years ago, with a view to starting a family we decided to go on our 'best holiday ever' before our beautiful 18th month old burden came along
We chose Singapore and the Maldives as a multi stay and I couldn't recommend it highly enough. I'm sure many other on here with more experience can advise, but Singapore seemed to have 'everything'. it was civilised, clean, it felt very safe (the stringent laws ensure this) and within a very short time you could see city/beach/theme parks/ and the most incredible zoo I could imagine. Singapore airlines have now also ruined every future flight I will ever have by treating us in economy class better than many hotels I have stayed in
The Maldives topped it off, all of the accommodation is right on the beach, swimming with turtles, beautiful sea. This is just my 2 cents, but for what its worth I highly recommend it
Cheers
Long time reader here, I thought it was about time I made a contribution.
My wife and I grew up with very little money in the family pot, and have been very fortunate to have successful careers that allow us to take some nice holidays. We aren't rich by any means, certainly not by PH standards, but we feel very lucky to be in the position we are in.
A few years ago, with a view to starting a family we decided to go on our 'best holiday ever' before our beautiful 18th month old burden came along
We chose Singapore and the Maldives as a multi stay and I couldn't recommend it highly enough. I'm sure many other on here with more experience can advise, but Singapore seemed to have 'everything'. it was civilised, clean, it felt very safe (the stringent laws ensure this) and within a very short time you could see city/beach/theme parks/ and the most incredible zoo I could imagine. Singapore airlines have now also ruined every future flight I will ever have by treating us in economy class better than many hotels I have stayed in
The Maldives topped it off, all of the accommodation is right on the beach, swimming with turtles, beautiful sea. This is just my 2 cents, but for what its worth I highly recommend it
Cheers
Welcome to the forum Part_boiled and thanks very much for your contribution, hopefully the first of many.
The Maldives is very much in our minds as a possible, if we went there we were thinking of maybe a couple of days in Dubai or Abu Dhabi on the way out to break the journey up and hadn't thought of Singapore at all, it will be looked into.
Our problem with the Maldives is there are so many islands and it would be important to get the right one, can you recall which one you went to please?
The Maldives is very much in our minds as a possible, if we went there we were thinking of maybe a couple of days in Dubai or Abu Dhabi on the way out to break the journey up and hadn't thought of Singapore at all, it will be looked into.
Our problem with the Maldives is there are so many islands and it would be important to get the right one, can you recall which one you went to please?
Thanks TeeRev
We stayed on the Island of Kuredu which came as recommended by a work colleague. If the Maldives is on your mind I would highly recommend it. It is a single resort island so the whole place is geared towards relaxing and having a nice time.
Singapore was also a colleague suggestion, It had never occurred to me as we were also considering UAE, but it was such a fascinating place, very culturally diverse and yet as a British colony it also felt very familiar. If you do go, a drink on top of the Marina Bay Sands as the sun goes down and the water lightshow starts is unforgettable.
We stayed on the Island of Kuredu which came as recommended by a work colleague. If the Maldives is on your mind I would highly recommend it. It is a single resort island so the whole place is geared towards relaxing and having a nice time.
Singapore was also a colleague suggestion, It had never occurred to me as we were also considering UAE, but it was such a fascinating place, very culturally diverse and yet as a British colony it also felt very familiar. If you do go, a drink on top of the Marina Bay Sands as the sun goes down and the water lightshow starts is unforgettable.
Three years ago we honeymooned at Kanifushi - This is on the same atol as Kuredu, so involves really fun small plane transfer from Male. Slightly different style, quieter than Kuredu, long vast beach, excellent food and refreshments. Maybe more suited to the - shall we say - more mature traveller...
My wife and I sat down yesterday and tried to set out our individual criteria to help narrow down our choices for this trip.
Hers was basically, warm sunshine, good food, romantic and relaxing with some entertainment laid on and the potential to do a bit of light exercise like walking, swimming and snorkelling, mine was pretty well the same except I would like to a bit more sporty stuff like windsurfing, sailing, diving and golf, neither of us were actually too bothered about seeing important sights or ticking boxes of things done or seen.
It turns out that the Rome, Cruise, Venice and Orient Express option wasn't likely to be sunny enough, involved too many changes between planes, hotels, boats and trains and doesn't really tick enough of both our boxes so we've discounted that for now.
We started looking at cruises with and without hotel stays in sunny places, we dismissed the Med as that would probably not be warm enough at the end of March so apart from a Marella one to the Panama Canal from Jamaica, a P & O one out of Southampton and a Seabourn one out of Lisbon to the Canaries nothing much appealed there either.
Last night we moved on to the Maldives and started looking at Part_boiled and abzmike's suggestions of Kuredu and Kanifushi as well as You and Me Cocoon which is where interstellar is off to on Friday, I'm also checking out quite a few other Maldives options on various holiday websites, research continues today and I shall report back on progress later.
Hers was basically, warm sunshine, good food, romantic and relaxing with some entertainment laid on and the potential to do a bit of light exercise like walking, swimming and snorkelling, mine was pretty well the same except I would like to a bit more sporty stuff like windsurfing, sailing, diving and golf, neither of us were actually too bothered about seeing important sights or ticking boxes of things done or seen.
It turns out that the Rome, Cruise, Venice and Orient Express option wasn't likely to be sunny enough, involved too many changes between planes, hotels, boats and trains and doesn't really tick enough of both our boxes so we've discounted that for now.
We started looking at cruises with and without hotel stays in sunny places, we dismissed the Med as that would probably not be warm enough at the end of March so apart from a Marella one to the Panama Canal from Jamaica, a P & O one out of Southampton and a Seabourn one out of Lisbon to the Canaries nothing much appealed there either.
Last night we moved on to the Maldives and started looking at Part_boiled and abzmike's suggestions of Kuredu and Kanifushi as well as You and Me Cocoon which is where interstellar is off to on Friday, I'm also checking out quite a few other Maldives options on various holiday websites, research continues today and I shall report back on progress later.
abzmike said:
Three years ago we honeymooned at Kanifushi - This is on the same atol as Kuredu, so involves really fun small plane transfer from Male. Slightly different style, quieter than Kuredu, long vast beach, excellent food and refreshments. Maybe more suited to the - shall we say - more mature traveller...
Thanks very much for the advice abzmike, we've booked Atmosphere Kanifushi, five nights in a Water Villa and five nights in a Sunset Beach Villa, it looks lovely and perfect for us "more mature travellers".We're having five nights in Dubai first to see the place and to ease the jet lag and then we move on to Kanifushi the day before our 50th wedding anniversary so my wife is a very happy lady.
Would you recommend Pier 6 or the Teppanyaki for our anniversary dinner and are there any other island top tips you can give us?
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