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-   -   So what's everyone up to for the 5 days?? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/sand-pit-116/so-whats-everyone-up-5-days-927064/)

TheShed Aug 8th 2019 7:38 am

So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 
Me and Mrs Shed having finally sorted everything in the new villa are just going to chill and enjoy watching Frank (the chaotic dog that made us move from an apartment) run himself loopy around the garden. And a nice BBQ feast with some friends to celebrate my birthday :).

Anyone got any exciting plans?

Pongo Aug 8th 2019 8:17 am

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 
Switzerland, because UAE isn’t expensive enough!

MAV_DXB Aug 8th 2019 9:05 am

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 
Thailand for golf and beer

nottmbantam Aug 8th 2019 9:07 am

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 
Back to Blighty for three weeks. DIY stuff on the house, football, see family and friends, and general lounging about. Although I do not posses a lounge suit.

scrubbedexpat141 Aug 14th 2019 6:37 am

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 
Cyprus with some buddies for golf, beer and fun.

Feel like a broken man in the office today.

jam25mack Aug 19th 2019 7:23 am

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 
Was in Kathmandu with the Mrs. Possibly the only place where flights were reasonable. Decent chilled trip. Love Kathmandu as its just a hot mess.

scrubbedexpat141 Aug 19th 2019 7:46 am

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 

Originally Posted by jam25mack (Post 12724637)
Was in Kathmandu with the Mrs. Possibly the only place where flights were reasonable. Decent chilled trip. Love Kathmandu as its just a hot mess.

Really want to go for a quick weekend, is it worth it? Pretty sure last time I looked the flight times were dog shit and made it not worth it for a couple of nights.

jam25mack Aug 19th 2019 8:05 am

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 

Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 12724647)
Really want to go for a quick weekend, is it worth it? Pretty sure last time I looked the flight times were dog shit and made it not worth it for a couple of nights.

Alrighty Scamp....

It depends what you're into really. Flights were 1,500 dibs over Eid. Flew on FlyDubai - 4Hrs. Landed around midnight (which I don't mind). Flew out at a similar time. There are alternative times though. Stayed in a 4* for 3 nights and a 5* for 3 nights. Ratings were optimistic. Worked out around 500 a night although those really were (with the exception of 1 or 2 places) the upper end of the scale. You can get decent, simple digs for a lot less.

As for the city, for a few days then yeah I'd say its worth it. You have temples and cultural shizzle if that is your bag or its actually just a nice place to eat, drink, smoke ;-), gamble (there are a few casinos) and be merry, there some pretty sweet bars there in a chilled out rustic (non-shiny Dubai) kind of way. Shopping is as expected, elephant pants, locally made hemp products, mountaineering gear, sculptures, carvings, wicked art and trinkets...... all of which are relatively cheap.

If you want to do any activities you'll need longer, at least 5 days I'd say as that's about the shortest proper hike you can do and things like rafting are mainly done down in Pokara which is at the other end of the country from Kathmandu and a five hour drive on shitty roads, although you can fly for repetitively cheap.

I've first went about 8yrs ago and had a ball and it has cleaned up quite a bit in the touristy areas (if you can call them that) but it doesn't take long until you are out of that bubble and in the sticks with awful roads etc.

All that said, it's still one of my favourite places to go but I like places which are unique and don't take themselves too seriously. A hot mess really does describe the places well. The people generally speak decent English, like a chat and a joke and are on the whole very friendly and not like other parts in Asia where all they are wanting to do is extract cash from you.

So.... as I said at the top, its epic, but it's not for everyone.

scrubbedexpat141 Aug 19th 2019 8:31 am

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 
Thanks mate. I like a hot mess and I like a bit of rough and ready, as long as there's a nice hotel at the end of the day.

Day trip to Everest and bowl around the city - there kind of the things I want to tick off. I really just want to see Everest and appreciate it. Hiking around too much is not really my bag and I've got no issues with it being a shameless tick off the list to see it (and just generally soak it in) because that's what it is. Is that possible or too ambitious in a 2-3 day trip?

Temples and shizzle, yes, keen, always. Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

weasel decentral Aug 19th 2019 9:20 am

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 

Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 12724673)
Thanks mate. I like a hot mess and I like a bit of rough and ready, as long as there's a nice hotel at the end of the day.

Day trip to Everest and bowl around the city - there kind of the things I want to tick off. I really just want to see Everest and appreciate it. Hiking around too much is not really my bag and I've got no issues with it being a shameless tick off the list to see it (and just generally soak it in) because that's what it is. Is that possible or too ambitious in a 2-3 day trip?

Temples and shizzle, yes, keen, always. Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

Not possible to day trip to Everest from Kathmandu for hiking. You can do a flight around Everest with Buddha air twin prop planes, which is great on a clear day and if it's not clear they will book you on the next day's flight so try do it early on your stay.

jam25mack Aug 20th 2019 8:03 am

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 

Originally Posted by weasel decentral (Post 12724700)
Not possible to day trip to Everest from Kathmandu for hiking. You can do a flight around Everest with Buddha air twin prop planes, which is great on a clear day and if it's not clear they will book you on the next day's flight so try do it early on your stay.

Yup, we looked at booking the flight (500 odd dibs if I recall). There are 2 or 3 outfits doing it, however, I read a few reviews which said the planes were pretty old and the windows scratched and hazy so we didn't bother in the end. We also considered a private helicopter flight which comes in at 4,500 dibs. I told the mrs that if I did well in the casino we'd do it. Turns out I didn't do well in the casino...... so we didn't.... :rofl:

scrubbedexpat141 Aug 20th 2019 8:55 am

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 

Originally Posted by jam25mack (Post 12725086)
Yup, we looked at booking the flight (500 odd dibs if I recall). There are 2 or 3 outfits doing it, however, I read a few reviews which said the planes were pretty old and the windows scratched and hazy so we didn't bother in the end. We also considered a private helicopter flight which comes in at 4,500 dibs. I told the mrs that if I did well in the casino we'd do it. Turns out I didn't do well in the casino...... so we didn't.... :rofl:

That's what I'm talking about.

weasel decentral Aug 20th 2019 1:05 pm

Re: So what's everyone up to for the 5 days??
 

Originally Posted by jam25mack (Post 12725086)
Yup, we looked at booking the flight (500 odd dibs if I recall). There are 2 or 3 outfits doing it, however, I read a few reviews which said the planes were pretty old and the windows scratched and hazy so we didn't bother in the end. We also considered a private helicopter flight which comes in at 4,500 dibs. I told the mrs that if I did well in the casino we'd do it. Turns out I didn't do well in the casino...... so we didn't.... :rofl:

Buddha air was decent, crystal clear views plus you can all take turns to go into the cockpit also. There were maybe 6 on board, and to be honest i think the old twin props add to the experience.

Though the helicopter is big pimpin'. (i hear 1 hour max on the ground at base camp before the altitude sickness kicks in)


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