Active holidays for the over 50s

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Active holidays for the over 50s

34 posts & 19 voices | Started 12 months ago by mrsconsequence | Latest reply from Trekster

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mrsconsequence - Member

My mother is hunting for an active holiday, she's nearly 60 and the thought of a Saga holiday is her worst nightmare!

She has been on many walking holidays with organised groups but gets bored of walking everyday, she wants to do other activities like mountain biking, rock climbing, abseiling, horse riding, paragliding, go karting (especially go karting!!), etc. Not quite white water rafting though! But she might ha.

Anyone know of websites that offer this level of excitement for over 50s? For holidays and for general funness??

Posted 12 months ago #
Esme - Member

Plas y Brenin offer multi-sport weeks for £375 - which is pretty good value considering the quality of instruction, and full-board accommodation

Posted 12 months ago #
philconsequence - Member

haha speed demon and adrenaline junky!

Posted 12 months ago #
BigJohn - Member

I'm nearly 60 and I'm hoping to go to Vassiliki in Greece with either Club Vass or
Neilson

Both have great mountain biking and windsurfing with excellent tuition for all levels, all thrown in as part of the price.

Neilson has loads of multi-activity holidays at other resorts too.

Posted 12 months ago #
CaptainFlashheart - Member

I was about to recommend Neilson as well!

They do Beachclubs, which are great to try all sorts of things (Mainly water based, so wakeboard/waterski/sail/windsurf and then a little land stuff too, mountain bikes, tennis and beer)

Really good people, both in terms of staff and customers. Highly recommended.

Posted 12 months ago #
mrsconsequence - Member

Wow these sound perfect!!! I'll tell her about these few recommendations. Thank you! I do hope she finds something cos she is having nightmares about Saga!

Posted 12 months ago #
johnners - Member

Exodus have a few multi-sport holidays in their catalogues, give them a look too. There's no upper age limits, and if she's got any doubts about how rigorous the offerings are ring them up and talk it through.

Posted 12 months ago #
mrsconsequence - Member

Do any of these offer over 50s only groups holidays? My mum would be travelling on her own and she is pretty shy, I don't think she'll be too comfortable trying all these activities in front of a group of 20-30 year olds... and she won't feel too comfortable trying to socialise either.

Posted 12 months ago #
MoreCashThanDash - Member

I thought SAGA stood for Sex And Games for the Aged......

Posted 12 months ago #
patentlywill - Member

Saga do do some active holidays - see eg Saga walking or she could try Inn travel or dare I say it the ramblers, for a more "mature" age range, but to ge honest as one nearer 60 than 50 by a few days, I'd thoroughly recommend Neilson & Exodus; each time I've been with Mrs PW the have been a significant proportion well in their 60s.

Sorry missed bit about doing more than walking - inn travel may be worth a look but otherwise I'd suggest Neilson

Posted 12 months ago #
stevomcd - Member

I'd suggest just getting in touch with an operator of a holiday she's interested in and asking them to suggest a suitable week. A pretty large percentage of our guests go in the "noticeably older than me" category which means 40+ (I'm 32 even if I look 12...)

We ask guests for DOB info when they book, so we can usually suggest a suitable week if anyone particularly wants to find/avoid a particular age group.

Posted 12 months ago #
muppetWrangler - Member

Worth knowing that Neilson don't charge a single person supplement. I've been on quite a few Neilson holidays and there have always been a one or two folk of your Mother's generation.

Posted 12 months ago #
BigJohn - Member

Neilson clients tend to be a middle class middle aged bunch.

Posted 12 months ago #
totalshell - Member

more cash than dash is spot on , randy sods these coffin dodgers ( i hope as i near 50..)

Posted 12 months ago #
Repack Rider - Member

I'm 65. I didn't realize I was in an "over-the-age-of" category.

My idea of an "active holiday" is shredding the downhill that gave me my user name.

Posted 12 months ago #
BigButSlimmerBloke - Member

Try scuba diving, around £350 for PADI certification, then wreck diving, holidays in the med and egypt with kit hire. I started with a "Try Dive" and that got me hooked. can be a bit steep (around £70) but if you then go on to do PADI certification with the same people, you might get a discount.

EDIT - now I think of it there's a PADI referral system, where she can do the dull stuff (pool and theory) here then the cool stuff (open water dives) someplace else, like malta or egypt.

Posted 12 months ago #
BigJohn - Member

If I wanted to learn to dive I would do it all in Central America (Honduras, Blue Hole in Belize etc.) Cheap and hot and fun.

Posted 12 months ago #
BigButSlimmerBloke - Member

A pool's a pool. Would you spend money on a hotel so you can spend time in a pool just like one here? Or sit in classroom doing theory and watching videos? Pool and theory sections are valid for 12 months and the open water dives can be done on a referral.
Also, some places do pool and theory on a one evening a week night class basis, so no holidays being burned up on the dull stuff. And you haven't committed to a full course when you find out diving's maybe not for you after all.

Posted 12 months ago #
BigJohn - Member

Yes but they're not too fussed about the safety stuff in C.America so it won't take too much time.

Posted 12 months ago #
BigButSlimmerBloke - Member

They might not be but I am.

Diving's fun.
Death by drowning probably isn't.

Still nothing like some diving expertise from someone who doesn't actually dive, is there?

Posted 12 months ago #
mrsconsequence - Member

Thanks for all the suggestions, I've passed them on and she's ordered few brochures and half decided on one. She's not too into diving though, she gets panicked enough snorkelling. Swimming is her one weakness

Posted 12 months ago #
NZCol - Member

A pool's a pool.

Not true when learning to dive, i did all my pool work in a 10m deep pool in Port Macquarie which makes learning to dive a bit more realistic.

Posted 12 months ago #
BigButSlimmerBloke - Member

Good point Col, there's no (or at least very little) pressure build up in a school pool. My point was that there's little point in spending money on travelling someplace nice and exotic to do the theory/pool elements of a PADI course when you'll end up with the same facilities as here. 10m pool might well be better than a 3m pool here, but that's only relevant if you're going somewhere there's a 10m pool. And if there's a classroom element, why travel round the world to sit in a classroom?

Posted 12 months ago #
The Southern Yeti - Member

What rubber for getting into over 50's stuff?

Posted 12 months ago #
clubber - Member

BigJohn - Member
Neilson clients tend to be a middle class middle aged bunch.

Well that's certainly one of the sections but IME it's more a middle class mix of late 20s and upwards to 60s and even 70s bunch.

I've been on 5 Neilson holidays now. they've all been brilliant. I can personally recommend Ortakent (Turkey), particularly for the sailing and Sivota (less wind so good for learning wind sports). Mtbing at both along with Kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, tennis and various other things. The hotels are good, food's fantastic, bars are fun, staff are excellent. What's not to like?

PS I don't work for them

Posted 12 months ago #
CaptainFlashheart - Member

The hotels are good, food's fantastic, bars are fun, staff are excellent. What's not to like?

PS I don't work for them

Agreed. And I don't either!

Sivota's ace for wakeboarding/waterski. Oh, and Andreas - Legend.

Posted 12 months ago #
clubber - Member

Yes he is... though he was suffering after doing the swim in the Triathlon on the last day about four weeks ago. His waterskiing though is just stunning - didn't even consider that half the things he can do were even feasible...

Forgot to mention the wakeboarding/waterskiing. Silly good value when you consider it's included in the price of the holiday. Mind, my neck has only just about recovered from my traditional final day faceplant.

Posted 12 months ago #
CaptainFlashheart - Member

traditional final day faceplant.

It's not just your tradition....!

CFH, two times Wipeout of the Week winner at the Anastasia, once at Sivota.

Posted 12 months ago #
clubber - Member

Nice work...

Posted 12 months ago #
gusamc - Member

tell her to have a look at Spice (Activity group company - it does holidays), I **think** the average age has gone up to about 50ish - as members have stayed with the club

Posted 4 months ago #
philconsequence - Member

cheers gusamc... will alert mrsconsequence to the refreshed thread

Posted 4 months ago #
mamadirt - Member

I'm 65. I didn't realize I was in an "over-the-age-of" category.

Me neither Charlie

Get her a BMX, MrsC

Posted 4 months ago #
Trekster - Member

Very near 60 and heading to the Alps for a bit of biking in July. The grey hair tends to fool some people

Posted 4 months ago #