From the 11th June to the 11th July the World Cup takes place in South Africa and for some this can seem like a very long month.
So for those looking to avoid the football (though we can’t guarantee it), here are ten destinations which didn’t qualify for the World Cup:
With a strong folk culture and rich history, Bulgaria has a lot on offer with impressive mountains, Roman and Byzantine ruins, small fishing villages, modern purpose built resorts, endless sandy beaches as well as over 500 natural springs.
Croatia has thousands of miles of unspoilt coastline, along with picturesque towns and fishing villages, historic harbours, stunning mountain ranges and over 1000 small islands many of which are uninhabited – perfect for zero football coverage!
Malta is a group of islands situated in the Mediterranean just south of Sicily; its three main islands consist of Malta (the largest), Gozo and Comino. The islands are steeped in culture and heritage with temples, palaces, cathedrals and forts as well as being the ideal settings to some of Hollywood’s blockbusters such as Gladiator, Troy and Munich.
The popular destination of Cyprus has so much to offer its visitors regardless of interests and age, not only is the island blessed in year round sunshine it has glorious beaches, great bars and restaurants as well as being rich in cultural heritage.
With miles of golden beaches as well as the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, Tunisia not only offers the ideal football exclusion zone but also the perfect destination for a relaxing holiday.
With all the amazing sights from the pyramids in Cairo to the Valley of the Tombs in Luxor, as well as some of the best dive sights in the world around Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt has plenty to keep you pre-occupied.
The seven Emirate states a land of luxury and indulgence, it offers endless golden beaches, desert dunes as well as great shopping opportunities whether in one of the numerous souks or one of the mega-malls in Dubai.
Irie! As they say in Jamaica. The largest English speaking island in the Caribbean has it all. You’ll be feeling fine on this island with a whole host of things to do & see. Whether its beach based, water based, bird watching, hiking, golfing or just taking in the atmosphere, Jamaica has got the lot! Climb the waterfalls at Dunns River, sample the local Rum, get married on a beach or laze the day away on your sun lounger. Perfect!
Part of the Dutch Antilles islands this small island is just 30km in length and just a short distance of 25km from the coast of Venezuela. With superb white sandy beaches, it’s an idyllic place to soak up the sun, enjoy a water sport or the lively evening entertainment found in the main resorts.
The stunning Maldives, home to the most colourful marine-life and with over 1200 islands most of which are unoccupied, makes the ideal football free getaway.
Posted : Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 12:48
Anyone going to Cyprus to avoid the World Cup is in for a nasty surprise. The resorts are geared to British and Northern European tourists (ie. Germany, Netherlands, Denmark – all of whom qualified) while most of the rest of the country will be fanatically supporting Greece…
U guys have obviously no idea what you are talking about! I lived in Malta for 6 months and people are huge fans of football there! You can’t find a bar/pub/nightclub without TV screens to watch football games. There is no national team so the country splits in two: 1 half supports Italy and the other half supports England (because of the influences remaining from colonial times). What’s more the expat community is huge and then almost every country in the world is represented and supported in this little island. I really HAD to write this because advising people to go to Malta to avoid the world cup is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard! 🙂
Hi La Frange,
The list is “tongue in cheek”, I don’t think there’s anywhere in the world where you could avoid the World Cup for the next month.
@ Chris: Sure, or maybe in a countryside farm without electricity! But Malta is probably one of the Top 10 spots to enjoy the World Cup actually, that’s why I could not stay quiet reading these lines. I am sure you won’t blame me for bringing a bit of my experience in this country 🙂
Malta (my 2nd home) is not the best choice to escape the World Cup because the locals are football crazy. I would expect a giant screen in every bar across the island!