GeorgeVilla82 Posted May 24, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted May 24, 2016 Got flights booked for 2 1/2 weeks in Costa Rica at the start of December. Anyone been before and if so, any recommendations? Have also booked to go to Bhutan at the start of next year, but technically that's not for this thread... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 20 hours ago, GeorgeVilla82 said: Got flights booked for 2 1/2 weeks in Costa Rica at the start of December. Anyone been before and if so, any recommendations? Have also booked to go to Bhutan at the start of next year, but technically that's not for this thread... I've been to Bhutan if you need any tips ( though as it's all kinda state sponsored you probably have it all covered) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Polish mountains (Zakopane) and Polish seaside (Gdansk/Gdynia/Sopot) are on the list but I'd like to go somewhere else too. Maybe Croatia or Bulgaria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 (edited) 2 hours ago, StefanAVFC said: Polish seaside (Gdansk/Gdynia/Sopot we picked Sopot for our lads holiday in July better still I sent a polish phrase with the email for everyone to learn before we went , my mate asked a young polish girl in his office what it meant ... he replied that she blushed rather a lot and then she had to whisper the words "penetrate" and "bottom" ... one born every minute Edited May 25, 2016 by tonyh29 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Costa Rica, Bhutan, Croatia and the Polish seaside mentioned so far on this page. Looks like my next trip out will be Berwick Upon Tweed sort of area. Country cottage stylee. I don't really do countryside and I don't really do country cottage stylee. If I pretend we're lying low in a safe house, that should get me through a couple of days. Then I can see myself needing a drive to Edinburgh just to see 'something'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeVilla82 Posted May 25, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted May 25, 2016 9 hours ago, tonyh29 said: I've been to Bhutan if you need any tips ( though as it's all kinda state sponsored you probably have it all covered) Thanks Tony - I might take you up on that closer to the time, if that's OK? What did you think of the country generally? We've booked an 8 day trek from Paro (the airstrip landing looks interesting!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 28 minutes ago, GeorgeVilla82 said: Thanks Tony - I might take you up on that closer to the time, if that's OK? What did you think of the country generally? We've booked an 8 day trek from Paro (the airstrip landing looks interesting!). Yeah feel free to ping any questions over.... As you are landing and getting scared you can console yourself with the knowledge that the take off is even scarier ... If you are heading home via Nepal sit on the right and you get some amazing views of Everest We did a few day hikes during our stay after a while you'll be all monastery'd out but obviously make sure you go to Tigers Nest as that's the famous one and the most spectacular ... Beautiful landscapes as you can imagine , and fresh air , the monks will want to give you sweets and blessings so make sure you have some small notes to put in the box ... Do some hill walking before you go if you can , I'm reasonable fit (well I was then ) but at times I was blowing chunks !! we stayed in Thimpu and had a couple of nights in Paro at the end , both kinda the same though , Thimpu was slightly busier of the two . guides are reluctant to let you go out drinking excessively but if you behave they will soon relent( they are responsible for you so any trouble comes back on them ) and if you really really work on them they will take you to a bar with local women in it ( sorta like a karaoke bar you get in Japan but without the pop socks and dirty old men ) ... Ours took us back to the hotel at midnight and we sneaked out once he'd gone and went to a nightclub until 5am , just as we got back to the hotel he arrived to pick us up to do our morning hike , boy did he make us suffer The women in the nightclubs will come and talk / dance with you as you are a novelty , not in a Thai bar girl way just a curiously way ... be careful though the local men like a beer and at 8% they don't handle it well and can get quite jealous , nothing unpleasant just keep your wits about you ...someone did try and dip my pocket in one of the night clubs so don't think you are in a no crime zone and take the usual safeguards Mild Warnings apart the locals are terrific , i had to sing Imagine at Karaoke with some local lads in a bar in Paro and they paid our bar bill without us knowing and left before we could even thank them if if you can get there then ask about a tour to the red panda brewery , supposed to be all you can drink , alas we didn't have time to find out. one of the most amazing places I've been to though , you'll have an amazing time , 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 On 25/05/2016 at 18:53, GeorgeVilla82 said: Thanks Tony - I might take you up on that closer to the time, if that's OK? What did you think of the country generally? We've booked an 8 day trek from Paro (the airstrip landing looks interesting!). I've just realised you are a female Ignore all the bits in my post about the local women and chatting them up ..unless that's your thing of course , in which case ..look out for jealous men Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeVilla82 Posted May 27, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted May 27, 2016 31 minutes ago, tonyh29 said: I've just realised you are a female Ignore all the bits in my post about the local women and chatting them up ..unless that's your thing of course , in which case ..look out for jealous men Haha, I wouldn't expect anything less in your destination reports Tony! Have passed them on to my other half as useful info :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 according to hot uk deals its a scorcher! turkish airlines (through opodo or skyscanner) doing gatwick to istanbul flights for £60 between october and february just booked 3 days there, hotels look really cheap too, think the whole trip will cost me about £250-£300 for 2 people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YGabbana Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 according to hot uk deals its a scorcher! turkish airlines (through opodo or skyscanner) doing gatwick to istanbul flights for £60 between october and february just booked 3 days there, hotels look really cheap too, think the whole trip will cost me about £250-£300 for 2 people [emoji3] Beautiful City with plenty to see and the food is fantastic, thats a bargain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 On 25/05/2016 at 09:51, StefanAVFC said: Polish mountains (Zakopane) and Polish seaside (Gdansk/Gdynia/Sopot) are on the list but I'd like to go somewhere else too. Maybe Croatia or Bulgaria. Get yourself down to Zdiar in the nearby (ish) Slovakian Tatras and go to the Ginger Monkey. Greatest hostel of all time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 16 hours ago, villa4europe said: according to hot uk deals its a scorcher! turkish airlines (through opodo or skyscanner) doing gatwick to istanbul flights for £60 between october and february just booked 3 days there, hotels look really cheap too, think the whole trip will cost me about £250-£300 for 2 people Is the price drop anything to do with recent troubles there? Could be a good time to take advantage because that looks extremely low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giro Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 Tokyo was amazing, wow what a place 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC_Hitz Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 Is the price drop anything to do with recent troubles there? Could be a good time to take advantage because that looks extremely low. You'll love Istanbul. Don't be scared of anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 3 day itinerary? that said i'll probably do one day of "must see" stuff and 2 days trying to convince the missus to take a stroll down interesting looking side streets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 42 minutes ago, villa4europe said: 3 day itinerary? that said i'll probably do one day of "must see" stuff and 2 days trying to convince the missus to take a stroll down interesting looking side streets was 2008 when I went but we covered all of this with 4 days , so you'll be fine with 3 in Istanbul ... if she is a bit nervous then leave your Mrs by the pool and go and see some of the amazing sites DAY 1 (THU) 21 AUGUST: ARRIVAL – ISTANBUL Arrival in Istanbul Ataturk Airport at 13:40 from Damascus and look for a sign with your name .Transfer to your hotel and overnight. You will want to visit the Topkapi Palace and Harem on your own (there are self-guiding devices available or you can find a guide on the spot) and you should be there by 15:45 latest (within short walking distance of Hotel). Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market (open until 19:00 and you can use the tramway to get from one to the other – Kapalicarsi stop is grand bazaar and Sirkeci stop is for Spice Market) Overnight DAY 2 (FRI) 22 AUGUST: ISTANBUL – IZMIR – EPHESUS – CANAKKALE Transfer to the Istanbul Airport at 6:30 for flight to Izmir at 8:30. Arrival at 9:35 and look for a sign. You will be picked up and tour Ephesus, which was one of the largest and most interesting ancient cities of Asia Minor. The tour of Ephesus includes the Library of Celsius, Temple of Hadrian, Agora and fantastic Greco-Roman theater. (The Terrace Houses are optional and due an extra entry fee). We will also visit the house where The Virgin Mary allegedly spent her last days, and the Temple of Artemis, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Return around to Selcuk and transfer to the bus station. Long distance coach to Canakkale and upon arrival transfer to your hotel. . *You receive your bus tickets from your guide. DAY 3: (SAT) 23 AUGUST: CANAKKALE – TROY – GALLIPOLI – ISTANBUL 8.45 Depart from Canakkale to visit the legendary site of Troy, with its nine levels of civilization. City of Helen, which was famous in Homer’s Iliad. We will cross the Dardanelles by ferry and have lunch then head to Gallipoli. We will visit: Kabatepe Museum, which contains relics from the campaign including original diary extracts and letters, Brighton Beach, the intended landing place. Lunch and swimming, Beach Cemetery on the southern tip of Anzac Cove, the landing place of the first wave of Australian and New Zealand troops and home to up to 30,000 troops during the campaign, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, site of the successful attack and capture of Turkish trenches by the Australians during the August offensive, Johnston’s Jolly where you will visit the original Allied and Turkish trenches and tunnels, The Nek, Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial, captured by the New Zealanders during the August offensive. Continue to Istanbul and late night arrival around 23:30. DAY 4: (SUN) 24 AUGUST: ISTANBUL IMPERIAL AND ASIA TOUR 8:10 – 8:45 Departure from your hotel. Today we will visit the Saint Sophia (Haghia Sofia) which was built by the emperor Justinian in the 6th century A.D and stands over much older remains of a church. See beautiful mosaics of biblical scenes and the Byzantine emperors and empresses. (On Mondays we see the Chora Church instead). We continue to the Blue Mosque, which was built in the 17th century and is the only imperial mosque with 6 minarets. Then we see the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in the Palace of Ibrahim Pasha, who was grand vizier to Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. We walk to the Hippodrome, a stadium and meeting place in Byzantine times. See the Serpent Pillar from Delphi and the Egyptian Obelisk, also the fountain of Wilhelm. Explore the Grand Bazaar, which was over 4000 shops full of treasures (Closed on Sunday). We will have lunch then drive across the Bosphorus Bridge and head for the Camlica Hill viewpoint over Istanbul where you can also see the Princes’ Islands and the Marmara Sea. We continue to the elegant and sumptuously furnished summer Palace of Beylerbeyi and then we visit the Maiden’s Tower, which is located on an island in the Bosphorus and is the place of many a romantic tale and legend. Return to your hotel around 17:30. Overnight DAY 5: 25 (MON) AUGUST – DEPARTURE Pick up from the hotel at 8:00 for flight to Sophia departing at 11:00. B. we did a cruise along the Bosphorus in there somewhere as well , that has a commentary and points out some of the decent stuff , we even saw a couple of dolphins whilst we were at it ! the tours involve them picking you up by mini bus and taking you to the main coach area and off you go , then when your done , a mini bus takes you back ... it's run with a military procession I've never seen in a tourist industy before or since .. Saying that , I was back there last year on my way to Iran and we travelled around by metro and bus for pretty much everything , the transportation system there is top notch , the bus only lanes to the outskirts make it miles quicker than taxi , buses can get a little hot and crowded during summer causing lots of fainting women during Ramadan !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 She's not nervous, she just doesn't find ropey looking alleyways that I think might provide a shortcut as appealing as I do! I like to try and find that mix between the big tourist stuff and getting amongst it, I like to walk off in the direction that I think something's in, worst case scenario you'll find something interesting even if it's not what you intended, I get lost a lot but consider it fun... To be fair to her no way will she sit by a pool all day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villakram Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 I've a conference in Istanbul in August and in addition to having to sign a waiver, I also have to submit a security plan to a committee to approve... 'cause of the turrurists, jeez! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vancvillan Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 @choffer and @NoelVilla - if you're heading to Vancouver and have any questions, fire them my way. I've been living here for ten years, and love the place so much that me and my business partner made a book about it (www.soit.is). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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