Travel plans 2024

[antycbr]

Just finalised my April South America trip with my partner - LA mainly booked on QF points even as a NB on QF I scored 2 J on LA for the long sectors...

• SYD-AKL (LA Y) - 2 night stop - driving to Tauranga as I've seen almost all of the rest of the North Island that's driveable from AKL
• AKL-SCL (LA J) - 1 night SCL
• SCL-PMC (LA Y) - bound for Puerto Varas for 1 night
• Crcue Andino - combination of buses and ferries across the Andes to BRC + 3 nights in Bariloche
• BRC-MDZ (AR Y) - depends if the new Argentinean president has privatised it by then and they are on strike - then 3 nights Malbec tasting
• MDZ-AEP (FO Y) - Flybondi (love the name of this ULCC !) to Aeroparque in Buenos Aires which I havent been to before + 4 nights in BUE
• Buquebus Francisco (First Class) to MVD - the fastest scheduled ferry service in the world (270km in 2h45 at 105km/hr) and a good Tasmanian product
• MVD-SCL (LA Y) + 1 night SCL
• SCL-SYD (LA J)

Been a while since I've been on a non direct aisle access J configuration (thank you AC, SQ, VA 777 post refit and A330, CI and EY) so we have booked the two middle seats in row 4 both ways.

In December, Argentina's inflation rate exceeded that of Venezuela at more than 200% per annum (makes ours look like chicken feed!). No one wants ARS, only USD or EUR.

Plus doing Virgin Voyages to Burnie (!!!) next month. No offence to Burnie, but I think it's about the ship rather than the woodchipper.

 

[luxury-lizard]

• Jan - Australian Open (4 days) - with group of 10 friends - flying VA back of the bus
• Feb - 4 day Virgin Voyages cruise (Sydney - Burnie - Sydney) - just for a lark
• April/May - Majorca, Canary Islands (+ Ponant cruise around the Canaries), Southern Spain - SQ J award to BCN, then QR J/F home (AA award ticket)
• July - 2 weeks Cook Islands (will purchase NZ J)
• Sept - South Africa Safari then Mauritius (SQ J award to JNB, then Air Mauritius to MRU then MRU-PER in J on an AC award) - then QF J back to SYD (AA award)
• Still working on a 2024 finale

 

[Tiki]

March - Philippines, several islands for birdwatching
April - USA-Guyana-Peru-Türkiye-Doha-BNE includes LIM-PTY-IST-GZT in J using CP and TK - UA award

Not sure about the latter half of the year. I desperately need a new car so may be road trips depending on budget.

 

[Ade]

Come onnnnn, visit some new places!

I have been thinking about this and thought about it as I was typing my post! Jeezo! I need to visit other places, there are so many places to visit in the world ... I agree. I have to expand my travel destinations ... I have been thinking about it and work/business keeps me travelling in & out of India ... but IT IS about time I start exploring other places.

 

[Seat0B]

Major revision to my 2024 (and '25) travel plans. I had a RTW on Star Alliance booked and paid for - here. It was going to be a last big trip by air, filling in a few gaps, notably Ethiopia and Montenegro area. After long thought, I'm going to cancel it, as such long trips with much shuttling about are getting beyond me - my arthritic foot means I can't range all over the cities as I like to do and my sleep issue means I'm cactus for at least 3 days after a major time zone change, and after about 3 weeks of travelling.

So its going to be shorter trips hereon in, and more cruising.

Still filling in gaps: Booked a Caribbean cruise over Christmas this year on SilverSea, which will probably be coupled with a Finnair or LH type 'round the world' airfare where I'll at least see some Christmas markets in Europe beforehand and maybe do a bit more in southern Europe. Can't really avoid USA - Miami needed to fly to start and end of cruise - so I'll have to get a B1/B2 visa, unfortunately.

Probably will also do an Intrepid 'Premium Namibia' small group tour in August.

Having done Antarctica, it now has to be an Arctic cruise, probably on Ponant in mid 2025 (SS doesn't have any low Single Supplement fares that I can see, although my TA is working on it). Svalbard; would like to do Greenland as well, but can't see a suitable itinerary.

I look forward to all these TRs @RooFlyer

 

[Brucetiki]

For me, I'm going overseas for the first time since I was 11 (and, therefore, first time voluntarily )

There is a link between that trip many decades ago and the upcoming trip in that I'm going to Singapore, which was a stopover on our journey back as a kid.

I think that 5 hours in Changi airport turned me into the av geek I am today

 

[Subharpoon]

2004 Big Mediterranean cruise cancelled due to mobility issues. I hear you @OATEK !
No long flights anymore so:

Feb-Melbourne 4 days for ODI cricket match against West Indies
Mar-Penang 7 days
May- Nusa Dua 11 days, Singapore 5 days
Jun- Gold coast 7 days
Aug- Sunshine Coast 7 days
Nov- Palm Cove 7 days, Port Douglas 7 days
Dec- Gold Coast 7 days.

 

[Flyfrequently]

For me, I'm going overseas for the first time since I was 11 (and, therefore, first time voluntarily )

There is a link between that trip many decades ago and the upcoming trip in that I'm going to Singapore, which was a stopover on our journey back as a kid.

I think that 5 hours in Changi airport turned me into the av geek I am today

Looking forward to a trip report @Brucetiki !

 

[GG13]

May - Perth, Sydney, Melbourne
Jun - Kuala Lumper
Aug - Penang
Oct - Taiwan

might add bali and 1 more trip to KL sometime in Nov or Dec

 

[Flyfrequently]

May - Perth, Sydney, Melbourne
Jun - Kuala Lumper
Aug - Penang
Oct - Taiwan

might add bali and 1 more trip to KL sometime in Nov or Dec

Welcome to AFF @GG13
Happy travels

 

[drron]

A warm welcome @GG13 . Hope you stick around.

 

[DejaBrew]

Welcome aboard @GG13

 

[RooFlyer]

Still filling in gaps: Booked a Caribbean cruise over Christmas this year on SilverSea, which will probably be coupled with a Finnair or LH type 'round the world' airfare where I'll at least see some Christmas markets in Europe beforehand and maybe do a bit more in southern Europe. Can't really avoid USA - Miami needed to fly to start and end of cruise - so I'll have to get a B1/B2 visa, unfortunately.

Probably will also do an Intrepid 'Premium Namibia' small group tour in August.

Think I've finally got it all nailed down. Have had the TA booking flights, tours and accom frantically the past 2 weeks. Great scope for a 'travel mistake thread' entry.

Hokkaido in June, coming back via the HKG lounge crawl. No skiing @Seat0B

Africa in August - three nights at a game lodge in Madikwe Private game reserve in northern RSA, then a 10 day 'Premium Namibia' tour with Intrepid.

Finnair 'simple' RTW in December/January. German and Australia Christmas markets, then to for a few days in Barbados before joining a SilverSea cruise of southern Caribbean; few nights in Colombia, then home via DFW.

I have to renew my US B1/B2 visa just to transit the place to get to and from the cruise.

Domestically - there will be a few visits to Brisbane from Hobart to visit family, a Rockford Stonewaller Lunch in the Barossa followed by AFF '24 in Brisbane in October and I'm sure there will be more ...

 

[tgh]

After a fairly stressful week , we are now visiting grandies in sfo in apr/may ….. via FortLauderdale to Sfo on the Silver Nova.
Ship is booked solid and we were super lucky to grab an ok cabin.
The airfares and travel insurance were seriously major challenges but now mostly done and dusted.
Some of the Insurance quotes were quite amazing.. one major player wanted 10k...

 

[clifford]

I have no travel plans for 2024 (or 2025 for that matter), only ticketed flights (business class):

Mar: CBR-MEL-BKK-LHR (VA-TG-BR), LHR-TIA (BA), TIA-ATH-FCO (A3), BRU-ARN-MMX (SN-SK), CPH-HEL-BKK (AY), BKK-SIN-SYD (TR).

Apr: CBR-MEL-ZQN_AKL-TRG (VA-NZ), AKL-SYD (JQ).

May: SYD-BKK-IST-MAN (TG-TK), LGW-SKG-ATH (BA, GQ), ATH-DOH-ADL-MEL-CBR (QR, VA).

Jul: SYD-MNL-AUH-GVA (QF-EY), GVA-LHR (BA), BOH-MLA (FR), MLA-IST-VIE (TK), VIE-ZRH-GVA-FCO-AUH-MNL (LX-AZ-EY), MNL-SYD-MEL-CBR (QF).

Then I got tired of typing... My motto is do it while you can.

 

[drron]

Will be interested to see what you think of Madikwe Reserve. We stayed there in 2017 at the Mackanyane lodge which was part of the sanctuary lodges group then. We have a cruise ending in capetown in 2026 and was thinking about returning. mackanyane is now a stand alone operation and aiming at groups with exclusive use. We loved the place so interested in the other lodges.

 

[MARTINE]

I have no travel plans for 2024 (or 2025 for that matter), only ticketed flights (business class):

Mar: CBR-MEL-BKK-LHR (VA-TG-BR), LHR-TIA (BA), TIA-ATH-FCO (A3), BRU-ARN-MMX (SN-SK), CPH-HEL-BKK (AY), BKK-SIN-SYD (TR).

Apr: CBR-MEL-ZQN_AKL-TRG (VA-NZ), AKL-SYD (JQ).

May: SYD-BKK-IST-MAN (TG-TK), LGW-SKG-ATH (BA, GQ), ATH-DOH-ADL-MEL-CBR (QR, VA).

Jul: SYD-MNL-AUH-GVA (QF-EY), GVA-LHR (BA), BOH-MLA (FR), MLA-IST-VIE (TK), VIE-ZRH-GVA-FCO-AUH-MNL (LX-AZ-EY), MNL-SYD-MEL-CBR (QF).

Then I got tired of typing... My motto is do it while you can.

Looks like the cat sat on your keyboard (with CAP LOCK on)

 

[Pushka]

We are firmed up for 2024. In June. Flying to Bali on QF for two nights, then a CX flight to London, transiting in HK for a night. Then a flight to Faro Portugal for a week Airbnb stay with the UK family. DIL wants to cook. Her mum and I looked at each other in horror - she's a fine cook but we just want to hang out in restaurants and not bother with all the kerfuffle that comes with eating at home. Then a flight to Barcelona with son in tow, he will go to a wedding for his best mate and we will have three nights together which we are looking forward to in Barcelona. We've been to Barcelona several times but it's a first for him. MrP spent weeks there in the Olympic Village for the 1992 Olympics so he knows the place backwards. Then off on a 9 night cruise on Celebrity (we like Celebrity) then back on CK to Bali for 6 nights then Jetstar for their direct day time flight to Adelaide. Having done this back in September it's a fine flight on the Neo.

 

[jase05]

My motto is do it while you can.

Unfortunately work keeps getting in the way and still another 10 years probably before I choose to retire early

 

[Pushka]

Unfortunately work keeps getting in the way and still another 10 years probably before I choose to retire early

Ha. Someone in our household doesn't understand what retirement means! So I have to keep dragging him away and booking months in advance so it sticks in his diary. Consequently I've also got 2025 sorted for two cruises. Hmmm. Must tell him about the April one to Japan.