I return home to Swansea at least once a year, catch a few games and let my young ‘uns bond with the extensive family and friends I still have there. Last summer we spent two weeks in August in different cottages down the Gower. It was fantastic! kids loved it, the clean air, warm dry weather, beautiful beaches and really friendly nature of the people, it was all very difficult to leave. My Dad was a small shopkeeper in Skewen, so whenever I’m back we always buy local and try to support local businesses. Even got married in Ilston 10 years back and brought about 30 Chinese with me (my wife’s family). I’ve been travelling for 25 years, what I wouldn’t give to move back, but sadly there’s no work in my biz in Swansea.
Not even to our 6 European games?? Plastic. Travel broadens the mind --- and given some of the posters of here we need more foreign travel not less
Another Skewen boy! I grew up in Skewen and so did our Chairman Huw, I'm now living on the Gower and enjoying the Gower life, took a bit of time to get into the community but not got a bad word to say, other than the rubbish the valley boys leave at the end of the summer, 10 skips the National trust had to pay for last year at £250 per skip, I would like to see Swansea City Council work with the National Trust in sorting this out, on the spot fines, for aberdude and his mates.............. I do go abroad and prices are extortionate where ever you go theses days, France, Italy, Greece, and Spain are no longer cheap, so Holidaying back home is not so bad in my view. Last year I went to Saint Raphael in the South of France, but I also had some fine mini breaks in North Wales, West Wales, Torquay and Dartmouth in Devon. Ivor has the right approach when travelling, and mixing with the locals is the right way to go, you also benefit from getting to know where the locals eat and drink, plus the cultural exchange is something to be savoured!............... Wales is a beautiful country, and I'm on a pilgrimage once a month, exploring it's secret places with weekend hotel breaks, and I can recommend it, especially with the kids almost grown up.
you guys are lucky and can go overseas for basically sfa. this year I have been to Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia, and bali - WHY - cos its cheaper than holidaying at home, ps going to Perth in a few weeks, meeting up with Lauds. next year already booked a trip, flying to Singapore, cruising to Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, WHY cos its cheaper. Govt tourism boards need to get their heads out of their asses and realize this
I last went to Cambodia about 10 years ago, it was pretty basic then and had only just opened up, there wasn;t really anything you'd associate with a tourist industry at that time. it has a changed a lot since then i'm told. Phnom Penh was depressing but important to witness places like Tuol Sleng, Cheong Ek killing fields etc to realise that despite our difficulties we're privileged, just make sure you leave it behind when you exit. Siem Reap and the temples are wonderful, but if you get templed out, then take a trip up the tonle sap lake, there's some tour operators in siem reap who can arrange a trip on a rickety cabin boat for a few days with the option to stay in the villages with the indigenous folk, it's a great experience. Vietnam is more comfortable and organised but nowhere near as developed as the likes of Bali and Thailand. Hoi An and Hue in the centre are favourites, but also Sapa in the northern mountains. other than that Ho Chi Minh is ok for 2 days - check out the Cu Chi tunnels, Hanoi's good for 3 or 4 days. Haven't got into Laos yet, but on the to do list.
I spent a month in the Philippines from end of December to end of January and it was horrible to come back to the awful awful weather here. I'm really happy I went away - I wish it could have been longer. I spent 11 months here in Wales and 11 months worth of money here. The fact people go abroad for a few weeks is their perogative. Just sounds like greed to moan that money is going out of the country because people actually want to experience another country when the government is already getting our taxes and the supermarkets getting a huge chunk of everyones income for the rest of the year.
I've pretty much covered Europe in my travels except for Albania, but I have to say the Greek islands and the Greek way of life is right up my street, though Tourism has got a real hold now and prices have sky rocketed, when I used to back pack through the Islands, Thomson and Going places were nowhere to be seen. I used to just get a flight out there (£100 Return) and find a room for just £3.50 per night, those were the days when you could buy an Amstel for 100 drachmas (30p), or a 500 ml Bottle of retsina for about the same price, and the only tourists you'd come across is the odd one or two German back packers, mostly girls. Breakfast was about £1.00 (350 Drachmas), but once Greece joined the Euro prices steadily went up. You could easily live on £20.00 per day for food and room? rooms these days are anything from £50.00 up, and beer is 3.50 euro. The Greek ferries are great for island hopping. Besides Crete being the largest and most diverse of the islands, a flight to Santorini will get you just 2 to 3 hour ferry away from the Cyclades, with the Beautiful islands of Naxos and Paros, there are many more small back islands and my favourite is the fabulous island of Koufonisia, it has no roads, just a few donkey tracks and there are only one or two vehicles on the island for transporting goods from the small fishing harbour to the couple of restaurants and shops a few hundred yards away, it will take you just one day to walk around the island, of course this is a remote island, so getting to it is only for the seasoned traveller, but what you are welcomed with is breath takingly beautiful, and you eat what is caught that day from the sea, the only visiters to this island are the very few yachts that anchor quietly in it's crystal waters, the sea is warm, crystal clear and turquoise, and the sand white and fine, and lastly the Greek welcome from this very small island community is something else, it is on my bucket list to return one day soon to share it's delights with a few very close friends, who will appreciate it's tranquil and quiet beauty. What a beautiful planet we live on!.......... Here is a link to Koufonisia : http://www.greeka.com/cyclades/koufonisia/
