Be Excellent To Each Other

I going to a wedding in Cyprus in the summer, and will be spending a week at an all-inclusive hotel. My +1 is a bit of a minger, though.

You're going with Craster?

Yup.

Only some of his forms are minging.

Ah, a week in the sun probably playing Factorio in the bar.

...

... ...

Well now you've gone and done it.

I remember the first holiday I went on after buyingt a Nintendo DS.

On the first day I got half a tan from lying in one position.

Just come across 'The Basetrip'. Looks to be useful site, giving key information about holiday destinations, such as average costs, power adaptors, and weather. Bookmarked.

Apparently beer is 46% cheaper in Split, Croatia, than in Oxford.

That website has informed me that I don't need to take a power adaptor to Cyprus this summer. Good work, that website!

Oddly, it doesn't mention anything about languages.

I have checked a few and it does

Oh, okay. You'd expect them to say "X% of people speak [the language you're visiting from]" though.

Doing nothing this year

Our new baby is a bit of a nightmare, screams most of the day and night, nothing wrong with him he just has very bad wind.

Health Visitor told my wife that long babies (which apparently he is) that have fast delivers are more prone to this.

Was planning a week in Wales with my parents but cancelled it as its not really fair to subject them to a screaming baby for a week.

Also having to take the next 5-10 Wednesdays off work as holiday to give my wife a hand as she has both kids at home that day.

Still on the bright side, weather is set to be like Spain for the next 10 days were we live!

YOU JUST HAVE TO TALK S L O W L Y AND QUITE LOUDLY FOR FURRINERS TO UNDERSTAND YOU, AS EVERY BRIT KNOWS.

Longbaby.com

That's what they said about Olly - he had CMPI.

My wife is breastfeeding and cutting out some dairy from her diet to see if there is a change.

I'm not suggesting he has the same thing (bla bla not a doctor) but if she wants to trial an exclusion diet to see if it helps she'll need to cut out all dairy.

Hivemind: has anyone used an outdoor activity holiday firm before? I'm kind of tempted to go hiking in the Atlas Mountains (or something similar) next year and think I'm probably better off doing it through an organised group rather than going solo.

Guy at work used one to hike to Everest base camp said it was really well done and the people he went with were great. He had to be flown down by helicopter some way from base camp as he couldn't handle the altitude but other than that it was a great trip!

Which company?

Pffh, you don't want actual important information do you? Why would you need that?

I'll find out for you

Thanks Ashfish! Any more?

Whilst this Guardian article falls into the usual 'make Guardian readers feel guilty for something they all do' trap, the argument about tourism destroying places for locals is something I've often been grappling with and feeling guilty about.

I like to go to historic towns because of the history and the sights. I don't want to feel that I've wandered onto a film set yet at the same time if everything is turned over to bars and restaurants with little actual life or business going on then that's kind of what these places are.

But I still go and do it and contribute to the problem because I want to see these places and so do millions of others. Yet whilst the Radcliffe Camera would make for an ace Wetherspoons, it's because it's being used for its intended purpose that makes it that much more interesting to visit but I get why in other places they've become bars etc so locals can earn a living.

In short, I'm a self-hating tourist, but will never call myself 'a traveller'. Arghh... just go and have fun people.

I've always found Tinkers Rucksack to be reliable for adventure holidays. Some of the staff are proper weird though.

Paid my balance yesterday for my guided trek up Mount Toubkal in Morocco in September. About three days up and two down. Looks pretty reasonable although it's been a very long time since I've done anything at altitude. I'm also spending a few days in Fez and Marrakech beforehand. Looking forward to it - first new continent since 1995!

Anyone been to Morocco?

Yup. I was in Marrakech a few weeks ago.

I really didn't like it there, I'm afraid. Although the quad bike excursion I did was cool.

What didn't you like?

Bad dates.

#WhipWhipWhip

Ask my wife. She went.
Also, I am shit at quad bikes. Couldn't get used to it not counter steering and having to weight the back wheel all the time. My brain kept trying to make it ride like a MotoX bike.

Actually, this. The way they treat animals (and each other) is horrific.

Will do.



How the hell do you cope with the Rover?

It has a wheel, not handlebars, and front wheels are driven.

This is something I haven't come across in my guidebooks. Thanks for warning me of this.

Also, it's kind of dry, but not really. In Marrakech at least, you can go to the top floor of most touristy places and they'll serve you alcohol - you can ask at the door, they won't be offended. They will, however, lie through their teeth, so you'll have to wait until you actually have the beer in your hand before you know if they do or not, so make sure not to order anything else but your drinks when you first arrive (which they'll try to get you to do). Kosybar near the Market Square had alcohol while we were there.

Speaking of the Market Square, prepare to be swamped with people who want your money. Don't dance to music, don't look at snakes or (beaten up) monkeys unless you want to pay someone. Get used to saying "no mercy" to a lot of people (the watch guys were especially persistent).

Taxi drivers (and everyone else) will put their price up massively because you're white - you can normally haggle them down to around half of what they start at, which will still be triple what natives of the city pay, but it's only about £3 anyway, so try not to let it bother you.

Apparently, the coffee to drink is a "nous nous".

Do take a wander around the streets though, just so you can be amazed at how beautiful all the shops are, how maze-like it is, how they can ever make a living when every third shop sells exactly the same thing, and how they manage to squeeze cars up market streets.

Much appreciated. Thanks for this Grim....

My only knowledge of Marrakech is from the old Amiga game Titus The Fox.

This year
Denmark (swos)
Egypt (diving)
vlieland(kids)

And marrakech is fun but indeed irritant at times..
don't go for the leathering shops..

*Jealous* this is something I really want to do again.

We've already been to Venice this year. In September we're heading to South Carolina for a week then down to Savannah for another week. Looking forward to it and the photography opportunities.

Umm... where did my reply go? Stupid Microsoft Edge.

Thanks for the tip. I'm not particularly interested in seeing or smelling tanneries so I think I should be able to avoid the more obvious traps.

Just looked Vlieland up. Seems a nice place for a chilled weekend. Is it popular?

Great stuff! I've only been to South Carolina once, back when I was nine. All I can remember is a hurricane, and jumping up down on Fort Sumter without knowing why it mattered.

I was in Marrakech and Agadir about 15 years ago, and the biggest recommendation that i can give is that you have a guide. If you don't, at least pay some cash to some local you find at least likeable and trustworthy to show you around, otherwise you'll get harassed all the time. I payed to a young guy not far from my hotel to show me around and he was very cool.

Don't try to buy drugs, unless you're very sure about it. Really, just don't. Most hash comes from Morocco, but this is something you're better of not even trying.

Haggling is part of the culture, and it can get really fun. At first, since i'm more north european looking i was getting double the prices that my dark skinned cousin was getting. But i got the hang of it. I think i was getting addicted by the end. I bought 4 chess sets, shit tons of ceramic plates....just because.

First day i went to make small talk with some local teenagers (in Agadir), and there was a night club in front of them. There was some girls coming in and i said something like "moroccan girls hun? Very good looking". The boy said they were all prostitutes. I thought he was just being reactionary. Later i went into the disco and he was right. One of them offered my cousin 3000€ to marry him. Don't know how much has changed since then, but it's not normal for groups of girls to go out at night into discos, it seems.

Roads are good, at least were when i was there. So there's plenty of chances for a road trip. The country is safe. Even though some guys can get really persistent. And at the time i had long blonde hair so i got it pulled by kids for some reason.

Their couisine is absolutely divine. Just go to whatever looks more local. Don't be a british and go to the british pub. (sorry for the stereotype)

Thanks for this!

I'm very happy i can actually do it.. after breaking my hip in april ..last thuisday passed my paid freshup with flying colors .. now just have the medical statement later today).. I really felt liberated in the water..

to make you even feel more jealous here's the boat i'll be cruising the red see on to dive https://www.liveaboard.com/nl/diving/eg ... gL0A_D_BwE

Vlieland tries to be not popular.. they maxed out the number of tourists on a low number, to avoid feeling like an overcrowded tourist trap.. really nice..

(still have to book this though, so might change at the last minute)

Very nice! I've never fancied doing a live aboard though, I enjoy having a walk around the nearest town at night. For a tourist destination Sharm is actually bloody lovely (although the diving is better in Hurgarda imo).

I;ll be a few days in sharm too, so best of both world i hope, since live aboard allows you to go farther/ be earlier at the famous sites)

Oh indeed! It definitely has it's plus points.

Joan's and I have just booked to swim with whale sharks. I'm crossing everything that he loves it and I can get him booked in to do his scuba diving qualifications when we get back.

I honestly feel scuba diving is overrregulated.

You just don't have the bottle for it