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Cheap package deal/self organised trip somewhere? (1 Viewer)

P

Pitta Patter

Well-known member
I'm looking at booking something but not wanting to spend too much at the moment, probalby around £1k. Completely flexible on the dates. I was looking at around a 2 week trip either a package deal or self travel around a small country employing a local guide where necessary perhaps.

Places I was looking at but by no means restricted to are these:-

Goa
Sri Lanka
Cuba/Jamaica
Guatemala
Beidahie/Taiwan
Capetown area
Morocco

I would welcome companions/suggestions on any of these or potentially other trips.
 
Hmm I might be interested if there were some good mammal and birding possibilities. Would probably have to be some time towards the end of the financial year though or into next year as I already have a 3 week trip in south Africa in September. Although next year I hope to visit Brazil again.
 
Pitta Patter said:
I'm looking at booking something but not wanting to spend too much at the moment, probalby around £1k. Completely flexible on the dates. I was looking at around a 2 week trip either a package deal or self travel around a small country employing a local guide where necessary perhaps.

Places I was looking at but by no means restricted to are these:-

Goa
Sri Lanka
Cuba/Jamaica
Guatemala
Beidahie/Taiwan
Capetown area
Morocco

I would welcome companions/suggestions on any of these or potentially other trips.
Click to expand...

Gambia would be a cost effective destination, doubt you couldn't do many of these for a grand if that includes flights? Maybe Goa and Morocco would fall within that bracket.

Goa can be done by hiring taxi driver guides who know sites but not birds, Sri Lanka will require transport and guide as would the other places mentioned.

A
 
Currently looking to get a group for Peru later in the year but looking increasingly unlikely to get the numbers in which case, I will need a plan B so I'll keep an eye on this thread.
 
Jos Stratford said:
If shop about for a flight (+/- UKP 360-370 return flight), Cape Town would just about, or at least nearly.
Click to expand...

Factor in a car, food and accom, doubtful it can be done....I suppose you could camp as we did on our first Southern Africa trip.


A
 
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Agree, tight, but doable:

Flight c 430 eur
Two-week car rental c150 eur
Accommodation c300 eur (if at backpackers)

= about 880 euro (760 pounds)

Plus food, petrol etc. Will be above 1000 UKP probably, but not necessarily miles above. Worth considering for such a staggering destination.
 
When I looked at flights to cape town, most of the cheapest ones were routing via those airports when you can't now take electronics as carry on, or they were insanely long! We are going Norwich via schipol to cape town and back via Johannesburg, schipol to Norwich. On the way out we leave on the 6 am flight and get in that evening. Not cheap, but hopefully saves a lot of hassle!
 
kittykat23uk said:
When I looked at flights to cape town, most of the cheapest ones were routing via those airports when you can't now take electronics as carry on, or they were insanely long! We are going Norwich via schipol to cape town and back via Johannesburg, schipol to Norwich. On the way out we leave on the 6 am flight and get in that evening. Not cheap, but hopefully saves a lot of hassle!
Click to expand...

I have a flight in two weeks also via Schiphol, very convenient and just a 55-minute transfer in Schiphol, 430 euro.
 
andyadcock said:
Gambia would be a cost effective destination, doubt you couldn't do many of these for a grand if that includes flights? Maybe Goa and Morocco would fall within that bracket.

Goa can be done by hiring taxi driver guides who know sites but not birds, Sri Lanka will require transport and guide as would the other places mentioned.

A
Click to expand...

Hi Andy,

It's me, Kevin. The £1k figure was just a figure plucked out of the air really so not set in stone. I was looking mainly at having a cheaper holiday than say another £3.5k trip to Peru and more of a rest rather than a full on, must see everything approach, though I'm sure I could be persuaded. I have already done the Gambia. I personally wouldn't go back or recommend it having since done Ghana.
 
Jos Stratford said:
I have a flight in two weeks also via Schiphol, very convenient and just a 55-minute transfer in Schiphol, 430 euro.
Click to expand...

I would be very worried about a 55 minute transfer at Schipol - it is the only airport I have ever missed a connection and at the same time have had (my ex-wife's) luggage misdirected.

Steve
 
Funny, it's one of the few airports where I would'nt be too concerned with such transfer times, as opposed to CDG or Heathrow, but I guess it's always down to one single bad experience, which will never be forgotten.

In Madrid I've had a 4 hour layover, where my backpack still didn't make it onto the next flight :)
 
Jens Thalund said:
Funny, it's one of the few airports where I would'nt be too concerned with such transfer times, as opposed to CDG or Heathrow, but I guess it's always down to one single bad experience, which will never be forgotten.

In Madrid I've had a 4 hour layover, where my backpack still didn't make it onto the next flight :)
Click to expand...

Yes, from memory it's a smallish airport?

The new airport in Rome is huge and I've had to scurry a couple of times.

I've generally beenn exceptionally lucky, only had a bag mislaid once and that was by Lufthansa and I was coming home so it wasn't really a big issue. Lufthansa also have the worst food IMO, my wife was once given a meal that was covered in mould.
 
Last edited:
Jos Stratford said:
Two-week car rental c150 eur
Click to expand...

I never managed to find a car rental at 11 eur/day.

More general question: how do you guys keep the cost of car rental down? I presume some clever tricks with buying insurance separately? How do you factor a personal liability insurance?
 
jurek said:
I never managed to find a car rental at 11 eur/day.

More general question: how do you guys keep the cost of car rental down? I presume some clever tricks with buying insurance separately? How do you factor a personal liability insurance?
Click to expand...

You can't do car hire cheaply if you want to incraese insurance cover.

We paid about £10 per day in Africa, the longer hires tend to be cheaper and it of course depends where you are, South America can be very expensive..


A
 
kittykat23uk said:
When I looked at flights to cape town, most of the cheapest ones were routing via those airports when you can't now take electronics as carry on, or they were insanely long! We are going Norwich via schipol to cape town and back via Johannesburg, schipol to Norwich. On the way out we leave on the 6 am flight and get in that evening. Not cheap, but hopefully saves a lot of hassle!
Click to expand...

Which countries en-route to Africa, don't allow electronic carry on?

Lufthansa via Frankfurt is our usual route.

Very convenient for us if we travel from different starting points i.e my wife from Russia and me from the UK as we can travel on the same flight from Frankfurt onwards.



A
 
andyadcock said:
Which countries en-route to Africa, don't allow electronic carry on?

Lufthansa via Frankfurt is our usual route.

Very convenient for us if we travel from different starting points i.e my wife from Russia and me from the UK as we can travel on the same flight from Frankfurt onwards.



A
Click to expand...

The ban has been widely reported: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39343971

E.g. Flights via turkey and Egypt are affected but Dubai is not.
 
Hi,
Peninsular Malaysia is very cheap. You can go to Taman Negara and Bukit Fraser. In BF is best if you go with other people to share costs, but TM can be done solo. I made Kerala solo and was also cheap.
Eugeni
 
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