The world is the mollusc of my choice... Help!

[f4f3]

Son and Heir and I have been doing the maths and the geography of doing the drive to Morocco and back in two weeks instead of three (he can't get away for three weeks anymore, and truth to tell neither can I).

We've worked out that we'd be driving 4,500 miles, that 3,000 of that would be in England, France and Spain, and that we'd be paying around £700 for petrol and £200 for ferries, before we add on rooms, food, tolls etc. I reckon somewhere between £2k and £3k, and that we'll be driving for 7 or 8 hours, most days.

So, while we can still do that, we got to thinking about what we could do instead. Diving holidays were mentioned (we're both PADDI open water certified, although we'd need refreshers), outward bound in the UK (we're both fairly fit, but not marathon runners), safari, India (ruled out since we're leaving on the 15th, making it pretty hard to get visas) and SE Asia, or any combination thereof.

We're both used to independent travelling, and won't balk at getting a cheap flight and working out the rest as we go along. One of the advantages of going somewhere cheap would be able to get separate rooms, but it's not a huge deal.

So let me plunder the wisdom of the F-list - what would you recommend?

Comments

[psychochicken.livejournal.com]

I think you should retain the road trip idea, perhaps making it a fly-drive though so you're doing all your driving somewhere interesting. There's the traditional US-of-A road holiday - cheap rooms applenty, cheaper petrol and no ferries...

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Good idea, fly-drive is appealing (I was just on a Moroccan site for just that). Probably not the US, since we've both spent quite a bit of time there, and it has to be somewhere that will let a 25 year old drive the car...

[made-of-paradox.livejournal.com]

US will let 25-year-old drive. It's the under-25s that they don't want driving the rental cars. (Those, and some of the polio survivors....)

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

I'm so not the right person to ask. With £3000 to spend, I'd have a week in a B&B in Norfolk and spend the rest on shoes.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

So noted :)

[hano.livejournal.com]

Personally I'd get the train. You can if you wish train it all the way from Glasgow via Eurostar all the way down to Algeciras, get the ferry across to Tangiers and again train your way around Morocco.I did this a few years back and thought it a great way to get to it. I don't know how you feel about trains though.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

I don't have a huge problem with trains - I did Vegas to Chicago a while back. Not sure about SaH. I'll go have a noodle around seat61.com. Thanks!

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

This looks like fun...

http://www.seat61.com/Morocco.htm#Approximate%20fares

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

It's monsoon season in SE Asia.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

And Ramadan.
Bugger.

[rhade-rad.livejournal.com]

Well there is always B-Road Britain (did you see any of the Robbie Coltrane series/)including Isle of Man & Ireland. Not as exotic but you could explore some history/mythology and activities. Driving on A & B roads is more interesting and challenging that M-ways and usually less traffic.

For instance ruric took parthenia14 touring round sites in Wales mentioned in The Dark is Rising on a long day trip from Anglesey.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

I do quite a bit of that already, although mostly in Scotland. Mikey and I had a four day road trip over Easter taking in Mull, Skye, Harris and Lewis. Which was enormous fun. Two weeks though? Hmm, not sure...

[nicnac.livejournal.com]

BonaireBonaireBonaireBonaireBonaireBonaireBonaireBonaire

Not that I'm biased or anything.

Diving heaven. The two of you can collect your pick up truck (usually included as part of the accommodation cost), fill the back with tanks, load your gear and head off the day - the whole west side of the island is one big shore dive. Lovely, bath temperature warm water. Great viz. No being bossed around by DMs or crowded onto cattle boats with 30 other people. The sheer luxury of this was brought home to us last December when we booked a few dives whilst in Sharm *shudder*. The island has great restaurants too. Obvs you can book a refresher course for your first dip back in.

Outward bound in the UK-wise, Jim has very good things to say about these people.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

That looks like paradise...

[kapusta-volante.livejournal.com]

firstly, best entry title ever!
i agree with the person who said train travel. also, why not central/eastern europe! or portugal! or...OOH! why not KYRGYZSTAN! north korea? you really shouldn't ask me these sorts of questions.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Train travel seems to be the way to go... with some sneaky flights thrown in...

[meredyth-13.livejournal.com]

Well, fares are dead cheap to Aus right now - and it's winter, so not stinger season. You could always dive on the reef, and then do a driving tour from Nth Qld down to Syd or Mel (I would recommend Melb ;) ). There's a great backpacker's network here if you want to keep costs down, and as a guide, you can generally cover 900 - 1000 km a day as a direct drive, so if you're sightseeing that should at least give you an idea of how far you could get. Actually, this is one time of the year you can dive in the tropics and ski on our snow fields in the same period.

No visas needed, and the language isn't too hard to work out.

:D

*flies flag for local tourism*

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Very, very tempted. Although it is somewhere I want to visit with unblinkered.

[unblinkered.livejournal.com]

Awwwww.....you say the nicest things. :D

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

Turkey.

Istanbul, Troy, a lovely town somewhere in the centre that looks like a painting...is mostly carved out of a rock...take a train, do some hot balooning, have fun. :)

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Have fun. Hmm, now why didn't I think of that?

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

Because you are stooopid.
Obviously.

:)

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

I had a fantastic time at an Argentinean dude ranch. The pampas are gorgeous and the food is amazing. It's winter there now, but Buenos Aires has about the same climate as Los Angeles, so that is not a serious deterrent. You could spend several days at an estancia and then fly up to the Argentine wine country for a bit.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

One day I will drive end to end through the Americas. But, as Aragorn would say, this is not that day...

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

Driving in Yucatan and Quintana Roo freaked me right the heck out. And in Buenos Aires, there is a yellow signal before the green so that you can rev up your motor to get a good start. I say this as someone who is not a wussy driver, overall. I drove in Rome for four years, and I've now had a car full time in Manhattan for a year. But those Latin Americans have a special spirit. Also streets like this.