Hi there.
I have a surprise holiday booked for my husband's 50th Birthday in October. He doesnt want any fuss
He doesnt know a thing but last april 2008 i booked a holiday to the ICD in the Dominican Republic Carribean, his brother and his wife are also coming along with us, with the help of my son's i managed to pay the balance just before christmas and now i have spending money for trips and Golf for him.
This will be the first time we have been abroad, and i tried to get a passport for him without him knowing (Yes he did sign it but he didnt know what he was signing ) but he had to have a stupid interview which spoilt the total surprise bit, my brother in law has had to make up a golfing trip (Men only obviously, i dont have a pssport ) to somewhere warm just so that he can pack the right clothes and have a bit of spending money himself.
I have found a luggage courier to collect mine and my SIL suitcases a couple of days before we leave and deliver them to the hotel which is perfect, we will drive to gatwick the day before flight and drop them off at hotel and say our goodbuys and they can book into the hotel he will think me and my S-I-L are just driving back home but we will be parking the car by this time they should be in their room and we will check in. we can keep in touch with them with B-I-L mobile phone and meet then at gatwick in the morning. I hope it all goes to plan, it will be awsome i cant wait to see his face.
I am not excited mind you. (Much)
All the best on what ever you choose to do.
Lyn x

im off to el gounna for my 50th, with my friends hoping to go on a hot air baloon,to celebrate

Lyn , you really have gone to incredible lengths to keep it a secret, sounds fantastic

El Gouna looks great , a balloon trip will be very special too

Hi Shirley V

I am 50 next year, and my lovely son is paying for us both to go to Jamaica, I have for as long as I could remember wanted to go to Jamaica and be there on my 50th Birthday, so roll on next year.

I hope your holiday is great what ever you choose.

Miss Pink , Jamaica is absolutely fantastic, I love the place , enjoy

Hi Shirley V

Where did you stay, we are going to Montego Bay staying at the Hotel Riu right on the beach, it looks fab, pretty new hotel so I understand.

Any tips for me, apart from totally chilling out, enjoying the rum, reggie and glorious sunshine
x

Believe me Miss Pink you will so love Jamaica, we stayed at the Riu in Negril, it was lovely , to be honest we didn't do a lot except chill, drink dirty Bananas (lovely banana n Rum drink) , eat , eat and eat (believe you me the food in Riu hotels is excellent) , we were only there for a week so didn't stress out just chilled, the airport at Montego Bay was good for shopping, we bought Blue Mountain coffee and Havainas flip flops and lots of jerk chicken sauce and rum

Shirley V, Oh my goodness it's sounds too good to be true - like I said I have dreamed of this for so long now, may seem daft the fact that I long for next years holiday but I am. At least once a week, I look in the brochure or on the web to look at pictures, yep I admit it I am so sad...

Did you have any problems with crime etc, whilst I am not worried at all honestly, people have been trying to put me off saying there is so much crime there, and I would be better off going to spain where I am safe. But I think there are bad areas whereever you go, and I have waited to be 50 to go to ~Jamaica for so long lol. My son has booked the Premium Seats too so travel in comfort

I have personally had no problems with crime of any sort in Jamaica, and I have to admit we didn't leave the hotel a great deal , however, my sister went to Jamaica with her 2 children and stayed in a self catering property, so was not confined to a hotel, she went on lots of trips and she ate out every night, the only thing that happened was that she was offered some weed, a polite no was enough , so I wouldn't worry too much.

Thank you so much, wasn't really concerned, but nice to know.

hi lynsgotasecret....what a coincidence....my name is lyn too....and Ive been sorting a surprise 50th for my hubby too....he hasnt got a clue and we fly out to gran caneria in 4 weeks...for a week all inclusive...2 of our boys are coming with us.....I was so busy sorting things out for my sons wedding in rhodes in august that I forgot it was his 50th this year ....so was all done in a rush...his passport just needed renewing so was no problem.....

he wasnt going to wedding as staying home to look after son with aspergers who didnt want to go , and all the animals ....one of the lads usually sort the animals when we go away but he was best man ....so hubby wasnt expecting any hols this year....

hubby was taking us airport any way for the flight to rhodes for the wedding...so we have spun him a yarn about wedding being brought forward ....told him it was accidentaly booked over a greek bank holiday so no weddings and so big rush and only spaces left are first week in july.....he was a bit upset when he realised we would be away on his 50th but I told him couldnt be helped and promised him some extra cash to go for a meal and a drink with his mates....he thinks all the packing is to go to wedding in rhodes...have even packed his cases and he hasnt noticed ....

Ive booked the airport parking for the week....we have a 7.30am flight which means 4am check in .....have told him because of the security you cant drop off out side airport now and so have booked parking for that night ....he plannrd on visiting relatives who live near the airport after dropping us off.....so Ive told him too early to go after dropping us off and as long as he takes his passport he can go to the departure lounge with us to see us off.....then go collect the car to go visit family...

if all goes to plan he wont know untill we go gates for boarding the plane....I always deal with booking the car in at car park and with check in....so he wont think there is anything unusual going on...

both me and the lads are loving it....was a rush job and the best I could manage in the time I had and the cash I could get together.....but weve never had such fun planning a holiday before....and were all really looking forward to seeing his face

Hi lyn TWEETY PIE
This is just so bazzar our stories are so similar, you have got it planned perfectly, you were lucky with his passport, we were hoping hubby would be one that didnt have to have an interview for his and it would have been a huge surprise but darn goverment in their wisdom have decided everyone has to have one (total waste of time and money) so we had to make up another story LOL.
I would love know what his reaction was when you come home.
Thanks for sharing your surprise i have loved reading it with a big smile on my face,
Hubby keeps looking over and saying what are you smiling about If only he knew.
Have a great holiday
Lyn

hi lyns gotasecret......will let you know how it goes....and you must let me know how yours went too...4 weeks to go for us ....his case is packed just need to go through it and do a bit of ironing before we go...I will have 4 cases but there should only be 3 of us going to the wedding in rhodes....so I have been moaning about how you only get 15kgs now for hold luggage and you have to pay more for an extra 5kgs if you want it ....he said thats all we got last time we flew ryanair....I said atleaste we are lucky as we get an extra 5kgs as a perk cause were part of a wedding party, its for clothes for the wedding .... said we probably paid for it somewhere in the price but atleast I havent had to pay for it on top .....I then said we were pooling the allowance and taking a case just for the clothes ect for wedding ...so they dont get crushed up amongst the other stuff.....good idea he said....4th case now covered ....but I might have a harder job getting into heaven ......tweetie

HI Tweety LOL
Thats Another thing you have covered. has he not noticed his clothes are missing.
I wish we only had 4 weeks our is about 17 weeks i think, i know its 123 sleeps SAD.

Lyn

Hi Lyn ....have pm'd you.....no he hasnt noticed clothes missing ....I bought him some new light weight summer pants and and shirts to match...he loves his jeans for going out nights on holiday and as its going to be hotter place and time of year than we usually go they would have been no good to take ....so got him new very light weight casuals ....

one day I went shopping for some light weight smart pants for teenage lad to take to wedding trip in rhodes..., and he was with me....I was looking at these nice pants and he said " he (meaning my teenager ) wont wear them.... more my type of stuff I really like them " to which I replied " need sort out **** first for wedding so need watch the cash flow "......... then went back another time and bought 3 pairs in different colours to pack for hubby.

When it came to shirts no problem ....the casual shirts out now are suitable for all ages...and he likes to think he is trendy....he also thinks he's really tuned into what the teenage son likes ....so when out shopping was asking him his opinion about shirts for teenage son for rhodes....I purposely targeted shirts which would match colour wise to the pants I had previously bought for him....those he picked out are now safely packed in his case along with the pants...

I have cases I keep in spare room where I store away holiday clothes like shorts sandals ect ....which we dont use except for holidays.....so most other stuff he needs has come from there....I am always buying socks and undies which land up in spare room draws stored till needed....so used some of them.....

I have pinched a few shirts from his wardrobe.....and a pair of pants....but as theres a lot squeezed in there he wont notice whats gone.....

Your hols will come soon .....time seems to speed up the closer you get....and you just get busier and busier trying to get sorted in time...

hi lyns got a secret....as promised letting you know what happened....everyone who knew had their own little bit of fun with him....my neice who lives not far from the airport promised him a full english breakfast after he'd seen us off on plane...daughter who also lives in manchester made all kinds of plans with him to do nice things for the rest of the day.....friend who knew made sure nothing got planned here for him but made his own arrangements with him, for him to go out with him and his wife for a slap up meal ect , and then back to local pub to celebrate with rest of his mates....everyone was winding him up about wasnt he jealous of us going to rhodes and saying how lonely he was going to be for a week on his own.

All went to plan...neice even came down on a visit and kept him out amusing the kids while I ironed his case of clothes ect....as we got nearer and nearer to going he got crabbier and crabbier with us despite telling every one he wasnt bothered.....

Quick word with people at car park while he unloaded the cases about not asking where we were going when he was there and why...and to take no notice if he said we were only parking overnight kept things going smoothly....good job as when they took keys to park car he told them no need to move it as would be back in a few hours...so they left it till we went.

He put all 4 cases on the belt at check in for me ....the little lie about as long as he had his passport he could come through security to see us off worked a treat to....he did ask "dont I need a pass to show" when he saw others being checked....I told him theyd given him one in his passport to show just to see us off ...

I gave him his bag to get screened...just said " here give us a hand chuck that in that tray for me" and he did......he was the only one of us had to take his shoes off and get searched.....I even gave him a plastic liquids bag to carry through...told him we had a bit to much so he could take some through for us

We went and got papers drinks for plane ect....and worked our way towards the gates...popping in and out of shops ...then finaly settling down reading the papers not far from the gates....papers read ect he was getting itchy for a cigarret....so we went down to where gates are looking for a smoking area....he finnaly asked a man raffling a car where the smoking area was....he got told no smoking once you went through check in....he told the man "but I havent checked in just seeing these off"....man was puzzled but as hubby walk off to keep looking I told the man quickly surprise 50th hol and he still dont know he's going....man smiled.

In the end he was getting fed up and told us he was going as needed a cig....so I told him the only way he could get some nicotine was to put a patch on....he said didnt need a patch needed a cig and no reason why he couldn't just go back through the security and have one ....said he wanted to see neices hubby before he left for work as well.....said he couldnt do that as he was coming with us...accused us of just wanting to keep him there and he was fed up and needed a cig...he'd helped us and we didnt need him anymore so he was going....told him he was coming on plane with us and did he want a patch or not....the lads were laughing....so he told us we werent funny and were taking the ****.....so I asked him where did he think we were going ....he said greece somewhere...I told him no gran caneria....he said didnt know place for wedding had changed too.....so I told him not going wedding its still in rhodes in august.....were taking you grand caneria for your 50th....and your coming on the plane with us....he is a bit nervous about flying and he said Im not going on a plane....so I said well were going are you coming , do you want a patch or not....he looked shell shocked and said dont want a patch need go toilet....and off he went off toilet.....10 minutes later came out apologised for being bad tempered...said was shocked...and needed to get his head round it....was worried about all the plans with other people and letting them down....so one by one went through them all and telling him they all knew and had been winding him up...soon had very happy hubby ....who had a great holiday ....great night out on his birthday....and lots of laughs with his friends about winding him up....hope yours goes as well lynsgotasecret...tweetie

Hi tweetie.

It sound like it all went absolutly perfectly, My mouth aches smiling and giggling whilst reading through your message. (Quietly mind you, hubby in other room LOL)

A secret right through to the end how perfect.
I hope mine goes as well as yours did.
So glad you all had a fab time, I think you need a big pat on the back.

Talk again soon, and i will let you know how ours went in October.

Lyn xx

Miss pink my dream destination as always been Jamaica so promised myself i would go for my 50th which is in 18 months time and i cant wait

Tweetie Pie its sounds as though it went wonderfully well, you are really brilliant for doing all that, glad it worked so well for you

Miss pink my dream destination as always been Jamaica

I am going next April, so will do a review when I get back hopefully it will be as brilliant as I hope and can write oodles of good things. Where are you planning to stay?