Unexpected windfall...10 days vacation...where would you go?
 

Caveats:Vacation time: Dec 23 - 7-10 days.

Budget: $5000 (not including airfare)

Want warm weather, cultural activities, good food...want to visit a country/city we've never been to..outside of North America.

have been to: Thailand, Vietnam, India, Cambodia, SIngapore, Maldives,China, Egypt, Morocco, Greece, France.

Any suggestions?

I don't wanna play.

No, I'm sorry, I don't have any suggestions.

Rarotonga and Aitutaki! Beautiful and you can do it on your budget easily

Spain.....you can't go wrong. Granada, Cordoba, Sevilla, Madrid, Barcelona!

Ooops..I did not see the time frame - cancel the suggestion.

It seems like you have a positive taste for Asia. I suggest checking out the Philippines...islands like Boracay & Palawan & Dumaguete are spectacular...and can be done quite inexpensively.

Rocco, Michael, am I missing something? Why post only to say you aren't going to participate? Seems rude - better not to post at all - unless I'm missing something.

NKS267 is that budget for one person or for two? If it's for one I'd go to Botswana for a luxury fly in safari - check out Wilderness Safaris amongst others.

Thanks everyone...the budget is for 2 people...

I assume you're posting here because you're considering a trip to Africa?

Are you thinking of safari or something else?

What interests do you have?

Are you intending to go with a tour group or on your own?

Kavey,
As this question has been posted on 4 different boards on Fodors, I don't think the OP really has an idea what he/she wants ;) Just not anywhere in North America or the other destinations listed.

I appreciate that (and had noticed it myself as I clicked on their name when I first read the thread).

But should this board be limited to those who are asking advice only at a certain stage of their planning process or can't we offer a little something to those who are just asking for some low-level, introductory advice on which to base a destination decision.

I can appreciate that people may choose not to answer such a query - perhaps they feel it's unlikely the poster will choose an African destination and that they'd be wasting their time - and maybe they'd be right.

I just don't see where the query merits rudeness, is all.

Don't wanna play? Ignore the post. Simple as, really.

I'd suggest Capetown, wine country (Stellenbosch) and a little of the coast
maybe out to Hermanus and back. However that IS about peak vacation time and summer in South Africa. You would need to hop into planning fast because you would DEFINATELY need reservations for places to stay.

I can't recommend my home town too highly - Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It has everything you could reasonably want.

Patty,

Due to the fact that I did a search and found that NKS267 had posted this question on so many other boards, I did not waste my energy with much of a response. Why should I waste my effort on a person who is just likely going to waste my time.

I really go out of my way to help most people on this board, both on the board and in private e-mail correspondences, but this person did not warrant more than a one sentence response that summed up my feelings...I don't want to play your little game...go away, please.

Rocco,
I think you meant Kavey.

Rocco

That's fair enough but why take the time to post that you aren't going to post? It's rude.

And besides, you could have made the difference and swayed this person into visiting Zambia!

Fair enough not wanting to invest time if you think the chances of it being worthwhile are slim but... just ignore the post then! Why the need to stamp it with your approval or disapproval or presence?

Rocco's reaction reminds me a little on the issue with Mark of TAGA safaris.
Maybe some of us now better understand how TAs sometimes must feel.

Mitch

PS: Rocco, this is not meant against you!

Mitch,
Except we're all here giving advice and expecting nothing in return (well not nothing, but no monetary benefit), and this isn't our profession, so we should feel free to reply or not reply however we want. I chose not to reply, though somehow I've managed to post on this thread anyway! A TA is different, answering a potential client's question is their job (one that I wouldn't want BTW :D )

Interestingly I checked the 3 other threads the OP started and with the exception of the one on the Latin America board which doesn't get much traffic, they all have a lot of replies. Maybe we're just mean on the Africa board ;)

I was too jealous to reply. I know EXACTLY where and how I'd spend that 5k.