# Travel Thread



## GabeTravels

Don't know where the old thread went.

Just got back from a weekend in Paris. (For those who don't know, I work for an airline).

Love how this picture came out:






I've got almost 3 weeks off in February. Right now the plan is a trip to the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Palau, and Japan.

I may postpone that and do a trip to Egypt, Israel, and Jordan instead. Or Thailand and Cambodia. Lots of options.

Going to the Philippines for 4 months for work in March. Should be fun to explore that part of the world.


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## GermanNuck

Paris is so beautiful. (Sometimes it's pretty dirty though)

If you go to Egypt try not to spend to much time on the Sinai. Pretty dangerous for tourists right now.


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## Cody Webster

Heading to Vail at the end of February, super stoked


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## Jumptheshark

here is an overview of what I have booked so far

outside UK

March 12 to 14 NYV
March 14 to 22 Costa Rico
22 to 24 NYC

back to London

April 5th to 10th Paris



May 6th to May 20 st petersberg russia


July 20th to 25th Milan


August 6th to 20th I drive ti Poland


October 20th to November 3rd Egypt


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## Quid Pro Clowe

Going to Sacramento tomorrow. I'm so giddy.


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## KingLB

Clowe Me said:


> Going to Sacramento tomorrow. I'm so giddy.




Said no one ever.


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## GabeTravels

Just got back from 2 days in Italy! One in Florence, one in Rome.

I took a couple hundred pictures, including many with my nice SLR, but here's a few of my favorites I took with my phone:

*Piazzale Michelangelo*





*Trevi Fountain*





*Pantheon*


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## John Price

okay


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## Satan

This is not a travel blog


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## RayP

Satan said:


> This is not a travel blog






Are you whining about someone talking about their travel in a thread dedicated to discussing travel?


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## Satan

RayP said:


> Are you whining about someone talking about their travel in a thread dedicated to discussing travel?


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## Jumptheshark

Satan said:


> This is not a travel blog




Still on everyones no fly list?


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## Satan

Lord J T Shark said:


> Still on everyones no fly list?


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## John Price




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## Hansen

Florence is my home away from home


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## Yung Rotini

Lord J T Shark said:


> Still on everyones no fly list?



Old man made a funny


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## irunthepeg

I wanna fly to San Fran in spring to visit a buddy out there, maybe for a week or so.


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## GabeTravels

Back from a long weekend in Ireland.

I thought Dublin was pretty mediocre, but yesterday we took a car through the countryside out to the Cliffs of Moher.

Absolutely stunning...






Then I went out to the edge and sat down for a bit...long way down:






Definitely one of the most beautiful things I've seen.


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## GabeTravels

Double post...stupid hotel internet.


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## Dr Pepper

Wait, how long were you there? 

I can't fathom going to Europe for less than a week. 

Great pics though....reminds me of the Cliffs of Dover.

EDIT: Nvm, just noticed your first post. Sweet gig!


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## chupanibre

What camera do you use? Fantastic photos in this thread by the way. You should start a travel blog somewhere.


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## bombers15

Cashing in my Aeroplan points this summer and going around the world.

Morocco, Spain, Italy, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. More places than that actually if you include 24hr layovers that I created. May as well see Hong Kong for a day, amirite?


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## Dog

bombers15 said:


> Cashing in my Aeroplan points this summer and going around the world.
> 
> Morocco, Spain, Italy, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. More places than that actually if you include 24hr layovers that I created. May as well see Hong Kong for a day, amirite?




Go to Laos


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## Buck Aki Berg

My girlfriend is interning in Israel for two weeks in May - we're meeting in Istanbul for a few days, then going up to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.


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## airbus1094

Buck Aki Berg said:


> My girlfriend is interning in Israel for two weeks in May - we're meeting in Istanbul for a few days, then going up to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.




Kazakhstan eh, where abouts, Almaty?


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## George Binks

Just booked my trip to Denver in April


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## GabeTravels

chupanibre said:


> What camera do you use? Fantastic photos in this thread by the way. You should start a travel blog somewhere.




I've got a Canon T5i but I also use my iPhone for a lot of photos, like the Ireland and Italy ones.


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## Buck Aki Berg

airbus1094 said:


> Kazakhstan eh, where abouts, Almaty?




Definitely Almaty, possibly Astana if time permits. Definitely want to get out into the wilderness, too - going east toward the Chinese border looks gorgeous!


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## RussianRifle27

Are you a flight attendant?


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## airbus1094

Buck Aki Berg said:


> Definitely Almaty, possibly Astana if time permits. Definitely want to get out into the wilderness, too - going east toward the Chinese border looks gorgeous!




There honestly isn't much to see in Astana, you can cover it all in a day and there's nothing but steppe around it. So, I would tell you to go only if you really have extra time. The south of the country really is amazing, just be careful with visas and permits (don't forget a 10000kzt note can solve a lot of problems). I hope you enjoy the visit, feel free to pm me if you have any questions.


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## GabeTravels

RussianRifle27 said:


> Are you a flight attendant?





Nope I work in Sales and Training.


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## Tyler Foli

Re: your first post. Is the work being done on Trevi Fountain done? I was in Rome last June and it was all fenced off and you could barely see any of it.


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## Dr Pepper

^Damn, that's unfortunate. I was there a few years back, and saw two proposals. It's very nice, and also very crowded.


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## Stjonnypopo

Modo said:


> ^Damn, that's unfortunate. I was there a few years back, and saw two proposals. It's very nice, and also very crowded.




It's pickpocket central because of how crowded it is too. Beautiful though.


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## RayP

Flying into Spokane for a triathlon in Idaho... and then driving to Seattle for a few days, and then driving to Portland for a few days, with a day trip to Tillamook. Very excited.


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## Tyler Foli

Modo said:


> ^Damn, that's unfortunate. I was there a few years back, and saw two proposals. It's very nice, and also very crowded.




Tell me about it.


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## Jumptheshark

added a weekend trip to Paris this weekend


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## GabeTravels

DBU said:


> Re: your first post. Is the work being done on Trevi Fountain done? I was in Rome last June and it was all fenced off and you could barely see any of it.




It is! Was completed this fall. So happy that it's done.


I MAY (assuming I can get my passport back from the visa agency) be able to take a trip to Palau before I head to the Philippines for work.

Been high on the list for a while now.


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## Plural

We came back from three week trip from Dominican Republic little less than a month back.

I was thinking of doing one weekend trip in April, somewhere in Europe. But after that, I have to start looking at the East. Maybe Singapore/Vietnam would be nice. Anyone have any experience from there?


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## GabeTravels

TAnnala said:


> We came back from three week trip from Dominican Republic little less than a month back.
> 
> I was thinking of doing one weekend trip in April, somewhere in Europe. But after that, I have to start looking at the East. Maybe Singapore/Vietnam would be nice. Anyone have any experience from there?




I've done Tokyo a bunch, Bangkok and Phuket for a week last year, and 14 hours in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

I hear great things about Singapore and Vietnam both. Had a friend do Vietnam and Cambodia last year and he said it was the best trip he's ever done.


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## Buck Aki Berg

airbus1094 said:


> There honestly isn't much to see in Astana, you can cover it all in a day and there's nothing but steppe around it. So, I would tell you to go only if you really have extra time. The south of the country really is amazing, just be careful with visas and permits (don't forget a 10000kzt note can solve a lot of problems). I hope you enjoy the visit, feel free to pm me if you have any questions.




Thanks for the insight! I don't expect there to be a lot for us to do in Astana, but just wandering around and taking in the manufactured grandeur of the city will be interesting. It looks like they were trying to recreate Bucharest's Bulevardul Unirii, but with glass and steel instead of trees and bricks. There's nothing like it anywhere near where I'm from


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## zombie kopitar

I am at the airport right now. Sitting at a gate that isn't the one I need to be at.


True story


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## PanthersHockey1

MSPGabe said:


> I've done Tokyo a bunch, Bangkok and Phuket for a week last year, and 14 hours in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
> 
> I hear great things about Singapore and Vietnam both. Had a friend do Vietnam and Cambodia last year and he said it was the best trip he's ever done.




I'm going to Tokyo in May. Any recommendations for food/drink?


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## Raider917

has anyone been to easter island? ive been looking into going.


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## ColonialsHockey10

Flights booked for this year:

-Liberia (for work)
-Giving myself a nice 5 day layover in Ghana for fun afterwards

- Booked a Botswana & Zimbabwe safari last night too at a separate time.

- London for work in July
- Spending a few days in Istanbul afterwards

Wild year of traveling.


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## LeafsNation75

This August I'm taking my annual trip to Orlando, Florida. Made my Walt Disney World reservation this past December and a few days ago made my Hotel reservations at various Hampton Inn and Fairfield Inn & Suites locations along Interstate 75 since I drive down.


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## Thucydides

Doing a long trip starting late May. Going to hike /camp from Moscow, Russia taking a train to the Pamir mountains , through Uzbekistan , Turkmenistan , Kazakhstan , and finally Tajikistan. Still on the fence about doing the Wakkan Corridor through northern Afghanistan. And then going to spend a month in Thailand/Cambodia. Spent some time in Cambodia this past November and absolutely loved the place.


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## ColonialsHockey10

stingo said:


> Doing a long trip starting late May. Going to hike /camp from Moscow, Russia taking a train to the Pamir mountains , through Uzbekistan , Turkmenistan , Kazakhstan , and finally Tajikistan. Still on the fence about doing the Wakkan Corridor through northern Afghanistan. And then going to spend a month in Thailand/Cambodia. Spent some time in Cambodia this past November and absolutely loved the place.




Please report back on the first leg of this trip. Highly intrigued.


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## Sniper99

irunthepeg said:


> I wanna fly to San Fran in spring to visit a buddy out there, maybe for a week or so.




Take in a Giants game?


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## DoyleG

Concluding a stay in Madrid with previous stops in Bilbao and Barcelona.

Next up is the South of Spain (Sevilla, Gibraltar, Cetua) followed by ending my trip in Lisbon.


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## GabeTravels

Just got home from a weekend in Seoul.

Was supposed to be back to Tokyo with a friend, but full flights meant a quick change of plans, so it was off to South Korea for the first time.

Neat city...but I enjoy Tokyo way more.

I also filled my passport...without realizing it. I thought the last couple pages in the passport would work for Visas and Stamps. Sadly, they don't, they are endorsement pages.

That means I need to expedite a passport this week (preferably same day), so that I can send it off for my Philippine Work Visa.


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## SladeWilson23

I have always wanted to go back to my native country.


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## Dr Pepper

I was looking at a cheap vacay in Istanbul, much to the horror of my parents who thought they'd never see me again. 

Sure enough, terrorist bombing in Ankara over the weekend. They'd probably slash my tires if it meant keeping me from going to the airport.


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## Buck Aki Berg

Modo said:


> I was looking at a cheap vacay in Istanbul, much to the horror of my parents who thought they'd never see me again.
> 
> Sure enough, terrorist bombing in Ankara over the weekend. They'd probably slash my tires if it meant keeping me from going to the airport.




It seems like most of that stuff in Turkey is staying in the capital and points east. With the exception of the bombing back in January (which looked quite targeted, when you look at who was killed), I think Istanbul is pretty safe.

Istanbul's a gorgeous city; I wouldn't write it off if you really want to see it.


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## Plural

Definitely visit Istanbul if you have the chance. Obviously you don't have guaranteed safety no matter where you travel. But with common sense, you should do just perfectly fine there. I've heard it's gorgeous too. Definitely one of my "go to places" at some point. But it's still pretty far down on my list.


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## Rob Brown

Last year in terms of travel outside Canada for me was Las Vegas, San Francisco (for work, personal time too), Chicago (for work, personal time too), London and then Berlin.

Only have a trip to Tampa to visit my buddy in May booked so far this year, but thinking of London again this fall to visit my sister then Amsterdam and potentially Iceland and Copenhagen.

Really in that traveling mindset right now. Need to get out of Toronto for a bit.


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## Jumptheshark

view of where i am staying in costa rica


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## ChiGuySez

Modo said:


> I was looking at a cheap vacay in Istanbul, much to the horror of my parents who thought they'd never see me again.
> 
> Sure enough, terrorist bombing in Ankara over the weekend. They'd probably slash my tires if it meant keeping me from going to the airport.



Parents? Live with mommy and daddy?


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## ap3x

Seems like he got some that still care about him.  Feelin' him, same story with a friend of mine who wanted to go abroad to Istanbul for half a year. 
Parents freaked out and he's going to Australia now. Not the worst alternative.


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## Buck Aki Berg

Okay, maybe you should hold off, Modo..

Istanbul shopping area hit by suicide bomber

This was a five-minute walk from where I was staying in Istanbul.


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## Bjorn Le

No where in Turkey is really safe right now.


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## HisIceness

Has anyone here ever traveled I-10 in West Texas? Always been intriguing to me for some reason.


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## Buck Aki Berg

HisIceness said:


> Has anyone here ever traveled I-10 in West Texas? Always been intriguing to me for some reason.




I've done I-40 from Barstow to Flagstaff, which is very similar.

American pop culture had given me the same desire to travel a desert highway that you seem to have; it was just as fun as I expected it to be


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## HisIceness

Buck Aki Berg said:


> I've done I-40 from Barstow to Flagstaff, which is very similar.
> 
> American pop culture had given me the same desire to travel a desert highway that you seem to have; it was just as fun as I expected it to be




I'd like to take a western and rocky Mountain road trip one day. Been dying to visit the Four Corners.


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## Jumptheshark

I am very sunburned in Costa Rica right now

been 90+ everyday I have been here


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## Buck Aki Berg

So Kazakhstan's been cancelled. Flying into Vienna and out of Bucharest, and have two weeks in between.

For those of you in or near eastern Canada, everything on Turkish airlines out of Montreal to western Europe is dirt cheap if you're travelling in late May or early June.


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## Dr Pepper

ChiGuySez said:


> Parents? Live with mommy and daddy?






Not quite, bud. 

They do care about me, though. 

Maybe having loving parents is a foreign concept for you, and if that's the case.....my apologies. 



Buck Aki Berg said:


> Okay, maybe you should hold off, Modo..
> 
> Istanbul shopping area hit by suicide bomber
> 
> This was a five-minute walk from where I was staying in Istanbul.




Yeah, it's a risk I'm better off not taking, I think.


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## GabeTravels

Argentina suspended the reciprocity fee for US Passport holders today!

Previously they had charged $160 for a 10 year "visa" for entry.


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## Tyler Foli

Going to SF for the first time in June


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## Summer Rose

DBU said:


> Going to SF for the first time in June




San Francisco is just one big ZOO


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## fan75

Thinking of going to Reykjavik in May for a few days... cheap tickets now from MTL. Is it worth it?


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## UsernameWasTaken

Lord J T Shark said:


> I am very sunburned in Costa Rica right now
> 
> been 90+ everyday I have been here




I love Costa Rica - where did you go? 



MSPGabe said:


> Argentina suspended the reciprocity fee for US Passport holders today!
> 
> Previously they had charged $160 for a 10 year "visa" for entry.




Yay! Argentina is beautiful. Buenos Aires is one of my favourite cities in the world (and if you have time take a day trip to Colonia, Uruguay). The wine region is also nice. 



fan75 said:


> Thinking of going to Reykjavik in May for a few days... cheap tickets now from MTL. Is it worth it?




My cousin has been there recently and she loved it.


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## DoyleG

MSPGabe said:


> Argentina suspended the reciprocity fee for US Passport holders today!
> 
> Previously they had charged $160 for a 10 year "visa" for entry.




Somebody began to realize how counter-productive such charges are.

Chile used to have such fees until they realized it was causing more harm than good.


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## DonskoiDonscored

Unless plans changing I'll be in Berlin for a few days in the summer.

I don't really, travel much, but I'd like to in the future. Switzerland is next up on my bucket list.


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## ap3x

fan75 said:


> Thinking of going to Reykjavik in May for a few days... cheap tickets now from MTL. Is it worth it?






UsernameWasTaken said:


> My cousin has been there recently and she loved it.




According to what I've heard, it's totally worth it. Know some ppl that are pretty keen on it. 



Joakim Ryan said:


> Unless plans changing I'll be in Berlin for a few days in the summer.




Let me know if u need any advice or recommendations.


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## GabeTravels

Going to DC for the Cherry Blossoms tomorrow.


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## DonskoiDonscored

ap3x said:


> Let me know if u need any advice or recommendations.




Will do when the date gets closer, thanks!


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## stealth1

I am heading to Las Vegas for the 3rd time in the last 2 years. I personally love going there as there is still lots I haven't seen yet. I don't gamble much at all, I just enjoy the atmosphere of the city. This time I plan on going on taking a tour of the Grand Canyon and maybe the Hoover Dam. 

I know not everyone likes Las Vegas and its not for everyone. I will say the only thing I never understood is the bad rap that a lot of people make about the Vegas. A lot of people think its just a city to gamble and drink. Its one big party the whole time you are there.


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## RayP

I wouldn't mind going to Vegas to hit up the restaurant scene, but beyond that there isn't much about it that catches my eye. A trip to the Grand Canyon is a must for me one day, though.


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## Cody Webster

Heading to Charleston in two weeks for a bachelor party

Might be heading to Chicago for a few days in May as well


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## RayP

charleston is one of my favorite cities. lots of great food and great whiskey cocktails, some good beer bars too. edmund's oast is my favorite.


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## Cody Webster

RayP said:


> charleston is one of my favorite cities. lots of great food and great whiskey cocktails, some good beer bars too. edmund's oast is my favorite.




Is Edmund's Oast a beer bar? Probably will be looking for some good beer bars rather than whiskey cocktails 

Unfortunately, we aren't staying in downtown Charleston, we're staying in Isle of Palms


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## RayP

Cody Webster said:


> Is Edmund's Oast a beer bar? Probably will be looking for some good beer bars rather than whiskey cocktails
> 
> Unfortunately, we aren't staying in downtown Charleston, we're staying in Isle of Palms




yes, edmund's oast is primarily a beer bar, but also a great restaurant to get a fine dining type of meal at, or even an amazing burger (albeit probably a bit overpriced). cocktails are as good as they get as well. 

they also have a few bar bites that are only offered at the bar. very nice outdoor seating area too, and more spacious than anything you'll find anywhere else that i'm aware of. 

love the place.


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## Jumptheshark

Just got back from Costa Rica and now I plan for Saint Petes


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## CrazedZooChimp

Going to Japan next month, anyone have any suggestions for places outside of Tokyo and Kyoto I should try to go (or day trips from those)?


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## Jumptheshark

CrazedZooChimp said:


> Going to Japan next month, anyone have any suggestions for places outside of Tokyo and Kyoto I should try to go (or day trips from those)?




I would avoid Tokyo like the Plague unless you are either rich or on an expense account


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## ScottishCanuck

CrazedZooChimp said:


> Going to Japan next month, anyone have any suggestions for places outside of Tokyo and Kyoto I should try to go (or day trips from those)?




How long do you have there?

Nara from Kyoto. Takes about 45 minutes on the local train I think and there's loads of cool temples and shrines. And tame deer. If you have a couple of days spare I liked Hiroshima as well, and Miyajima was great.

As for the comment above, Japan is only as expensive as you want it to be. There are affordable places in Tokyo if you bother to look hard enough, and while I wouldn't live there (Tokyo - I'd move to Kansai in a heartbeat) it's well worth a visit. 

Personally I love Osaka. There's not as much to see as there is in Tokyo, but the people are far friendlier and more likely to strike up a conversation with you. And the food there is great. And the bars... I miss Japan.

I've been twice since October and I'm thinking of going back in August before I go back to university and have to deal with being a broke student for a year. I'm learning Japanese right now and I like having the opportunity to use it.


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## ColonialsHockey10

Lord J T Shark said:


> I would avoid Tokyo like the Plague unless you are either rich or on an expense account




You have got to be kidding me, blasphemy!

Tokyo is incredible, and the yen is weak right now so it is very very affordable. Cheaper than New York, as a resident.


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## KareemTrustfund

I'm only interested in traveling to countries with flexible abortion laws. And by flexible abortion laws, I mean countries that make abortion against the law. I want a super ethnic family filled with all colors of the rainbow.


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## ColonialsHockey10

CrazedZooChimp said:


> Going to Japan next month, anyone have any suggestions for places outside of Tokyo and Kyoto I should try to go (or day trips from those)?




Nara is beautiful - take a day trip from Kyoto. Deer roaming around everywhere, very bikable, and the massive Buddha temple are incredible.

Book a temple-stay in Koyasan and spend 1.5-2 days on the mountain for a very traditional and cultural experience. The graveyard is unbelievable, and very creepy! I suggest spending the night so you can do the early morning monk ritual, and because it is about a 3 hour commute from Kyoto (on the dot, Japan transit is rarely every delayed, even a minute).

Himeji is another awesome day trip from Kyoto. Beautiful castle with a great view, and close by.

Kinosaki is a great Japanese onsen, or hot spring, town. I wouldn't recommend unless you're really really craving a hot springs night. It's expensive and a bit out of the way.

All of these places, as amazing as they are, pale in comparison to Tokyo though. You can spend 2 weeks there alone.


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## GabeTravels

Couldn't make it to DC, flights filled up.

Getting my passport back from the visa service tomorrow. Excited to finally have everything I need for my Cebu, Philippines work trip! Leaving in 10 days and will be gone until the end of July.

Going to St. Louis on Friday, Arches National Park on Saturday, and maybe Cleveland for the Red Sox Opening Day on Monday.


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## Plural

Are you going to be in Philippines for 4 months?


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## GabeTravels

TAnnala said:


> Are you going to be in Philippines for 4 months?




Yes on a temporary work assignment.


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## Hansen

Unfortunately only going to Toronto this summer, gotta study for LSAT


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## RayP

Just booked my flights home from Portland. It was 7500 miles cheaper to fly First Class than it was Economy Comfort on the way home, on the same exact flight. Not sure what the deal with that is but I'll take it.


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## John Price

Why did RayP ask me about Mount Rainier

Is he planning on a visit


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## Cody Webster

Charleston this week.

Rumor has it, an HF legend will be there that weekend as well


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## DonskoiDonscored

Cody Webster said:


> Charleston this week.
> 
> Rumor has it, an HF legend will be there that weekend as well




Yea it's TJ isn't it.


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## Cody Webster

HaleyDestroyedNurse said:


> Yea it's TJ isn't it.




No..


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## Dr Pepper

Hansen 36 said:


> Unfortunately only going to Toronto this summer, gotta study for LSAT




Whaddaya mean, "unfortunately"?


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## AstrophysicalJet

My next trip is actually to Ekaterinburg for work... 

After that, New Caledonia for vacation.


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## RayP

just booked a trip to Park City, UT for september! 


can't wait!!


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## John Price

RayP said:


> just booked a trip to Park City, UT for september!
> 
> 
> can't wait!!




Are you going to Mt rainier


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## Zaiden Shogun

ix when will you travel to Nunavut


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## GabeTravels

ImGoingNucks said:


> My next trip is actually to Ekaterinburg for work...
> 
> After that, New Caledonia for vacation.




In the Urals? That's a hell of a work trip.

I leave for Cebu City, Philippines in a few hours. Via LA and Tokyo. 5 hour layover in Tokyo. Assuming we get in on time, I'm going to drop my carryons in a locker and go grab some Ramen at my favorite place in Narita-shi.


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## Jumptheshark

One month till I am in Russia


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## AstrophysicalJet

MSPGabe said:


> In the Urals? That's a hell of a work trip.
> 
> I leave for Cebu City, Philippines in a few hours. Via LA and Tokyo. 5 hour layover in Tokyo. Assuming we get in on time, I'm going to drop my carryons in a locker and go grab some Ramen at my favorite place in Narita-shi.




Yup, it is. My field takes me to alot of strange places, some better than others. btw, im going to the The Institute of Metal Physics if anyone needs to know.

But travel in Russia can be a pain in the ass, especially east of Moscow, which is pretty much the whole country.
No one understands an ounce of English(Luckilly, my colleague is of Russian decent and speaks Russian), and timetables are non existant. 


What are you doing in Cebu? Not exactly a holiday destination? All the people I know there, who are non Filipino, are in telemarketing.


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## ColonialsHockey10

5 days until my Liberia and Ghana trip!


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## AstrophysicalJet

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> 5 days until my Liberia and Ghana trip!




Hope you come back alive 

I can only speak for white people, but as a white person in Ghana, I felt very much in danger.


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## TheDanceOfMaternity

Yo so me and gf are hoping to go somewhere in Europe in July. I have a budget for about 7-10 days. Since we are in always cold Estonia she wanted somewhere warm and on the water, although I might be able to convince her to go someplace with a lot of nature like Norway, Ireland or Iceland

So yeah I got

Norway
Iceland
Ireland
Croatia/Slovenia
Greece
Israel
Portugal

Anything pop out as particularly good or bad?


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## Dog

TheDanceOfMaternity said:


> Yo so me and gf are hoping to go somewhere in Europe in July. I have a budget for about 7-10 days. Since we are in always cold Estonia she wanted somewhere warm and on the water, although I might be able to convince her to go someplace with a lot of nature like Norway, Ireland or Iceland
> 
> So yeah I got
> 
> Norway
> Iceland
> Ireland
> Croatia/Slovenia
> Greece
> Israel
> Portugal
> 
> Anything pop out as particularly good or bad?




Ireland was great


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## AstrophysicalJet

TheDanceOfMaternity said:


> Yo so me and gf are hoping to go somewhere in Europe in July. I have a budget for about 7-10 days. Since we are in always cold Estonia she wanted somewhere warm and on the water, although I might be able to convince her to go someplace with a lot of nature like Norway, Ireland or Iceland
> 
> So yeah I got
> 
> Norway
> Iceland
> Ireland
> Croatia/Slovenia
> Greece
> Israel
> Portugal
> 
> Anything pop out as particularly good or bad?





Norway - Beautiful, but very reminiscant of B.C., and crazy expensive. 
Iceland - Awesome, but not for 7-10 days.
Ireland - Like it, but dont expect any good weather. If you go, visit Howth, Galway, and Wicklow mountains, Braveheart was filmed there.

Croatia/Slovenia - LOVE both places. Croatia, SPLIT/Dalmatia in particular is something else in summer. Slovenia has some awesome hot springs and some of the most intense mountains in Europe. - Equally as much nature as Norway, Iceland or Ireland.




































Greece - Only ever liked Crete, but be carefull, some places dont have ATM's that work anymore, and alot of places dont accept any plastic at all. 

Israel - Never been, mostly because I do alot of work in the ME, and if I went to Israel, id be denied access to some of those countries and prolly loose my job. 

Portugal - Madeira is a piece of heaven.

If I were you, id do Croatia/slovenia, and possibly drive there from Germany if you can. Such a beautiful ride.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

ImGoingNucks said:


> Hope you come back alive
> 
> I can only speak for white people, but as a white person in Ghana, I felt very much in danger.




Do you travel often?

Everything I have read about Ghana says that it is very safe - just stay vigilant. I read the same thing about Morocco, yet i felt totally fine walking through the medinas at 2 in the morning.

Hell, Semester at Sea stops in Ghana because it's considered "Africa for beginners".

Liberia is a different story, but I'm going for business and am staying at the nicest hotel and will have a driver for meetings.


----------



## TheDanceOfMaternity

ImGoingNucks said:


> /snippity




Those are fantastic pictures! Thanks!


----------



## AstrophysicalJet

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Do you travel often?
> 
> Everything I have read about Ghana says that it is very safe - just stay vigilant. I read the same thing about Morocco, yet i felt totally fine walking through the medinas at 2 in the morning.
> 
> Liberia is a different story, but I'm going for business and am staying at the nicest hotel and will have a driver for meetings.




Yeah, I travel alot tbh. both for pleasure and business.

Never been to Liberia, have been warned too many times about that place, its like total anarchy! Seriously, be carefull!

Ghana, at least for me, was a bizare experience. They didnt want to kill me, but all white people have money in their minds, this means they grab you, holler at you, and want money from you all the time.

At one point driving through Accra, we were stopped 5 times and had to pay tolls, that were non existent, and we dared say no.

We had to use a native driver, or we would have never made it to our different destinations. 

However, I was using a bit hyperbole, I never felt my life was in Danger. Only place Ive evet felt that my life was in REAL danger, was in Nigeria!

For me, Gambia is Africa for beginners, that or Tanzania.

Never felt anything but safe in Morocco though! And the food, omg the food!



TheDanceOfMaternity said:


> Those are fantastic pictures! Thanks!




Np buddy, if you have any questions just pm me.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

ImGoingNucks said:


> Yeah, I travel alot tbh. both for pleasure and business.
> 
> Never been to Liberia, have been warned too many times about that place, its like total anarchy! Seriously, be carefull!
> 
> Ghana, at least for me, was a bizare experience. They didnt want to kill me, but all white people have money in their minds, this means they grab you, holler at you, and want money from you all the time.
> 
> At one point driving through Accra, we were stopped 5 times and had to pay tolls, that were non existent, and we dared say no.
> 
> We had to use a native driver, or we would have never made it to our different destinations.
> 
> However, I was using a bit hyperbole, I never felt my life was in Danger. Only place Ive evet felt that my life was in REAL danger, was in Nigeria!
> 
> Never felt anything but safe in Morocco though! And the food, omg the food!
> 
> 
> 
> Np buddy, if you have any questions just pm me.




Thanks for the more detailed response. We have a really cool project with the World Bank that sends our analysts all over Africa and SE Asia, and when I volunteered I never expected to get Liberia (probably the worst country they are sending people along with Sierra Leone, the DRC and Nigeria).

But that's kind of why I am excited, getting to travel to a place nobody I know will ever go to. Monrovia looks very raw. I'll go to Kenya and Tanzania at some point anyway, and am seeing Botswana and Zimbabwe later this year.

Interesting to hear about Ghana, especially because I will be staying alone. Everything I have read says getting around is a cake walk (compared to its neighboring countries) but I will definitely be on the lookout.

Morocco is something else! Honestly got tired of the food after a little while though. Two weeks of tagine gets old real fast.


----------



## AstrophysicalJet

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Thanks for the more detailed response. We have a really cool project with the World Bank that sends our analysts all over Africa and SE Asia, and when I volunteered I never expected to get Liberia (probably the worst country they are sending people along with Sierra Leone, the DRC and Nigeria).
> 
> But that's kind of why I am excited, getting to travel to a place nobody I know will ever go to. Monrovia looks very raw. I'll go to Kenya and Tanzania at some point anyway, and am seeing Botswana and Zimbabwe later this year.
> 
> Interesting to hear about Ghana, especially because I will be staying alone. Everything I have read says getting around is a cake walk (compared to its neighboring countries) but I will definitely be on the lookout.
> 
> Morocco is something else! Honestly got tired of the food after a little while though. Two weeks of tagine gets old real fast.




That sounds like a really cool job  Nigeria was really scary, I thought id come home in a casket.

Seriously, dont just take my word, I can be a bit paranoid at times, and I think I just really felt overwhelmed by all the people wanting to get at me all the time. and they are very touchy feely, which I am the farthest from! So maybe I am the extreme.

We were there to assist with some physics related stuff at the Ahafo mines, and maybe that played a part in the way we were treated. Outside Accra, I found Ghana to be nice.

I was only in Marocco for 2 days, so maybe thats why I never tired of it 

If you ever go to SE Asia, ask away, that is my fav. part of the world by far for so many reasons!


----------



## GabeTravels

ImGoingNucks said:


> Yup, it is. My field takes me to alot of strange places, some better than others. btw, im going to the The Institute of Metal Physics if anyone needs to know.
> 
> But travel in Russia can be a pain in the ass, especially east of Moscow, which is pretty much the whole country.
> No one understands an ounce of English(Luckilly, my colleague is of Russian decent and speaks Russian), and timetables are non existant.
> 
> 
> What are you doing in Cebu? Not exactly a holiday destination? All the people I know there, who are non Filipino, are in telemarketing.




16 week work assignment. My company's opening a call center there and I'm assisting getting folks trained. Single entry visa which means no weekend trips to Singapore or Indonesia, but plenty of islands to explore while in the Philippines.


----------



## AstrophysicalJet

MSPGabe said:


> 16 week work assignment. My company's opening a call center there and I'm assisting getting folks trained. Single entry visa which means no weekend trips to Singapore or Indonesia, but plenty of islands to explore while in the Philippines.




Believe me, there is plenty to see in the Phillipines! 

Such a beautiful place!


----------



## GabeTravels

Just experienced my first medical diversion in 600,000 lifetime flight miles. Also first Trans-oceanic diversion. 

Sitting on the ground in Anchorage. 

They've taken the person to a hospital. 

Refueled and just waiting on the flight release.


----------



## AstrophysicalJet

MSPGabe said:


> Just experienced my first medical diversion in 600,000 lifetime flight miles. Also first Trans-oceanic diversion.
> 
> Sitting on the ground in Anchorage.
> 
> They've taken the person to a hospital.
> 
> Refueled and just waiting on the flight release.




Hope the person is ok!

And hope the rest of your flight is uneventfull


----------



## Plural

TheDanceOfMaternity said:


> Yo so me and gf are hoping to go somewhere in Europe in July. I have a budget for about 7-10 days. Since we are in always cold Estonia she wanted somewhere warm and on the water, although I might be able to convince her to go someplace with a lot of nature like Norway, Ireland or Iceland
> 
> So yeah I got
> 
> Norway
> Iceland
> Ireland
> Croatia/Slovenia
> Greece
> Israel
> Portugal
> 
> Anything pop out as particularly good or bad?




Croatia is a great place. Split is awesome city and home for perhaps the best tapas restaurant ever. It's called The Paradox. It's affordable too. Wine collection is great and th cheese collection with their duck is awesome.

Rent a cat and drive down to Dubrovnik. Really awesome sights. The road goes through the coastline hih in the mountains and takes few detours around the countryside. You will definitely love that drive. About 4 hours.

Norway is awesome in the north. Again, rent a car and drive to StrÃ¶msÃ¥. The cold and majestic feel those roads give you is something else.


----------



## Plural

MSPGabe said:


> Just experienced my first medical diversion in 600,000 lifetime flight miles. Also first Trans-oceanic diversion.
> 
> Sitting on the ground in Anchorage.
> 
> They've taken the person to a hospital.
> 
> Refueled and just waiting on the flight release.




Wow. Hope the person will be fine. It's pretty scary. Few months back we were flying from Philly to Manchester and alomst dead middle in the Atlantic ocean when one woman had a incident. She suffered some kind medical attack. The crew asked it there were any doctors on board and as some here know, my fiancee is a doctor. She went to help but there was like 4 doctors volunteering and she was the youngest and didn't meddle because the more experienced M.D's were there.

It happened just few rows behind us. It was bit scary to be honest. Obviously not for me, but to think that there was no way of getting her to medical care before we land in Manchester.


----------



## GabeTravels

7 hours of video in 14 seconds. Nice sunrise this morning.


----------



## GabeTravels

So...I got to swim with Whale Sharks a couple days ago! Amazing experience.

Video is coming as soon as my editing software cooperates, but here's some pictures in the meantime...


----------



## Dr Pepper

That is so cool.


----------



## RayP

Damn... I'm jealous. We were suppose to do that a few years ago, but some storms ruined it from happening. Where abouts did you do it at?


----------



## GabeTravels

Oslob, Cebu, Philippines.


----------



## RayP

MSPGabe said:


> Oslob, Cebu, Philippines.




Just googled that real quick and just about every picture that comes up is of people swimming with them, and what looks be awfully close to an island at that. Looks amazing. The trip we were going to do required a somewhat lengthy boat ride if I remember correctly.


----------



## GabeTravels

RayP said:


> Just googled that real quick and just about every picture that comes up is of people swimming with them, and what looks be awfully close to an island at that. Looks amazing. The trip we were going to do required a somewhat lengthy boat ride if I remember correctly.




One of the biggest attractions out here, to be sure. Took about 3 hours drive from Cebu City to the southern tip of Cebu Island. Worth every second. From there it's a 5 minute paddle out away from shore, but that's it.

Going back again a few more times in the next 15 weeks I think. Everyone that's coming for a visit wants to swim with them, haha.

I'd highly recommend doing it anywhere you can.


----------



## RayP

Hotel rates reasonable there?


----------



## GabeTravels

Work's paying for mine, so I actually don't know. We got a negotiated rate.


----------



## RayP

gotcha... i've always heard that country as a whole is pretty cheap to visit, once you get there at least... but never looked into prices myself.


----------



## GabeTravels

24 hour time lapse from my window. 4 seconds/hour.


----------



## Buck Aki Berg

Just picked up tickets to see an opera adaptation of _King Lear_ at the Hungarian State Opera at the end of May. Mrs. Berg and I are meeting in Budapest for our anniversary (she's spending the preceding two weeks in Israel), before moving on to Romania.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Just got home from my Liberia and Ghana trip - 2 weeks and change. Where is my "I survived West Africa" shirt?

Nucks - I can see why Ghana would be intimidating to some. I never felt unsafe but the things you mentioned definitely happened. 

Took a Tro Tro to Cape Coast and it was horrible - cheap but uncomfortable as hell. Found a driver to take me to Kumasi and he walked around the central market with me. That is probably the only place I would have felt unsafe if I were alone. The "how do you spell your name?" bracelets routine really started pissing me off too. Beautiful country still.

Botswana and Zimbabwe in 4 weeks. Poor planning on my part.


----------



## GabeTravels

Have a three day weekend upcoming here in Cebu. Just bought plane tickets to Boracay... Beautiful pristine beaches. $100 round trip. 

Looking forward to it. 

Also going back on Wednesday and doing whale sharks again, and may do some canyoneering at Kawasan Falls.


----------



## GabeTravels

Uh...i injured myself today (not badly, don't worry) doing something EPIC. Video coming in a few hours!

In the meantime, here's footage (finally) from the Whale Shark excursion I did a few weeks ago!



EDIT:

I jumped off of a waterfall today! 50 feet!! Landed a bit badly and bruised my tailbone pretty good. Will hurt for a few days. Still worth it!


----------



## Jumptheshark

6 days till I am in st petersberg


----------



## Firestorm

My girlfriend and I are planning to come to Montreal for Victoria Day weekend (come into Montreal on the Friday and leave on the Monday). Would it be worth visiting Quebec City also? How long would we need there (1 or 2 nights extra)?

Thank you in advance.


----------



## UsernameWasTaken

Firestorm said:


> My girlfriend and I are planning to come to Montreal for Victoria Day weekend (come into Montreal on the Friday and leave on the Monday). Would it be worth visiting Quebec City also? How long would we need there (1 or 2 nights extra)?
> 
> Thank you in advance.




Where in Canada are you from? 

And I'm not clear on your chronology - are you going to Montreal on Friday, heading home on Monday and thinking you'll squeeze QC in during those days? (if so...forget it). 

Or are you leaving Mtl on Monday and thinking about going to QC for a couple of nights? If so, I'd suggest it. 

If you wouldn't otherwise go to QC, I'd say visit there. Unless you want to visit elsewhere in the region, I think two nights would be good: 

Day 1 - wake up in Montreal - head to QC (Night 1)
Day 2 - wake up in QC - have a full day there (Night 2)
Day 3 - leave. 

But...like I said above...you can't go to Mtl on Friday, plan to leave Mtl on Monday, and decide to swing by QC in the process.


----------



## GabeTravels

I posted pictures from my first whale shark swim, here's a few from the second. MUCH better light/clearer water this time. 
Sharks were much more active too...got very close!































I absolutely love my GoPro. Incredible quality...these were all just screengrabs from the video. Heading to Boracay tomorrow for a couple days, going to get some great snorkeling in I hope.


----------



## dogbazinho

I may be going to Spain in a year. Where should I go?


----------



## EchoesoftheEighties

Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore in 3 weeks


----------



## Dog

EchoesoftheEighties said:


> Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore in 3 weeks




Nice


----------



## GabeTravels

Just back from the island of Boracay, Philippines.

Best beach I've ever been to...and stunning sunsets...








EchoesoftheEighties said:


> Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore in 3 weeks




Where in Thailand? Malaysia seemed cool, but I was only there 14 hours on a layover.


----------



## Hossa

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Just got home from my Liberia and Ghana trip - 2 weeks and change. Where is my "I survived West Africa" shirt?
> 
> Nucks - I can see why Ghana would be intimidating to some. I never felt unsafe but the things you mentioned definitely happened.
> 
> Took a Tro Tro to Cape Coast and it was horrible - cheap but uncomfortable as hell. Found a driver to take me to Kumasi and he walked around the central market with me. That is probably the only place I would have felt unsafe if I were alone. The "how do you spell your name?" bracelets routine really started pissing me off too. Beautiful country still.
> 
> Botswana and Zimbabwe in 4 weeks. Poor planning on my part.




I lived in Ghana for a bit and never really felt unsafe except one late night arrival in Kumasi as well. Taking a tro tro on a highway is nerve-wracking, and probably the most unsafe thing you can do, but it's all part of the experience. 

Were you able to push further west past Cape Coast and Elmina? There are some amazing secluded beaches like Butre closer to Cote D'Ivoire.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Hossa said:


> I lived in Ghana for a bit and never really felt unsafe except one late night arrival in Kumasi as well. Taking a tro tro on a highway is nerve-wracking, and probably the most unsafe thing you can do, but it's all part of the experience.
> 
> Were you able to push further west past Cape Coast and Elmina? There are some amazing secluded beaches like Butre closer to Cote D'Ivoire.




Unfortunately I was only in Ghana for 6 days, so didn't have a chance to push any further west. I heard there were some unbelievable places down that way though. My hotel was 20 mins past Elmina and that was the furthest west I went.

Really beautiful country though, and from a development standpoint I think it can serve as a model for what some of its neighbors can aspire for in the near-term. It has a long way to go itself though!


----------



## Habsfunk

Firestorm said:


> My girlfriend and I are planning to come to Montreal for Victoria Day weekend (come into Montreal on the Friday and leave on the Monday). Would it be worth visiting Quebec City also? How long would we need there (1 or 2 nights extra)?
> 
> Thank you in advance.




It's not worth it. You could make it a day trip, but you'll spend about three hours driving each way, and you're better off spending that time enjoying Montreal. See Quebec City another time.

If you're looking to do it as an extra, add at least two days to your trip.


----------



## Plural

MSPGabe, I'm so jealous of your life. We (me and my fiancee) try to travel as much as possible but in the end, work takes so much time that we can fit 2-3 trips per year and even that takes a lot of planning. I guess you made a good choice in your career path. 

This autumn we are going to go to Perugia Province, Italy. We'll rent a car and drive around the countryside. Really looking forward for it. At summers, we usually work like crazy to get as much holiday days as possible.


----------



## EchoesoftheEighties

MSPGabe said:


> Where in Thailand? Malaysia seemed cool, but I was only there 14 hours on a layover.




Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Phuket. Then Kuala Lumpur and Singapore for a few days.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Has anyone been to Istanbul recently?

I'm going to London in July for work and a friend and I are planning on going to Istanbul for 3-4 days.


----------



## Buck Aki Berg

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Has anyone been to Istanbul recently?
> 
> I'm going to London in July for work and a friend and I are planning on going to Istanbul for 3-4 days.



I was in Istanbul for a week and a half at the start of January (missed the bombing near the Blue Mosque by about three days...).

Absolutely gorgeous city, and all things equal I'd definitely recommend it, but I'm not so convinced of how safe it is these days - my girlfriend isn't the type to be swayed by that sort of thing, and even _she's_ saying she wouldn't go now...


----------



## GabeTravels

TAnnala said:


> MSPGabe, I'm so jealous of your life. We (me and my fiancee) try to travel as much as possible but in the end, work takes so much time that we can fit 2-3 trips per year and even that takes a lot of planning. I guess you made a good choice in your career path.
> 
> This autumn we are going to go to Perugia Province, Italy. We'll rent a car and drive around the countryside. Really looking forward for it. At summers, we usually work like crazy to get as much holiday days as possible.




I'm very fortunate. I get to work in the industry I love, and it comes with incredible benefits and opportunity. I try and take full advantage.

This Philippines opportunity has been incredible. Being picked out of hundreds of people interested was very humbling.

The entirety of Italy is tremendous, you'll have a great time!



EchoesoftheEighties said:


> Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Phuket. Then Kuala Lumpur and Singapore for a few days.




Phuket is great! Try and do a tour of the Phi Phi Islands!


A few more pictures from my recent Whale Shark/Waterfall excursion...


----------



## EchoesoftheEighties

Yeah I'm doing a boat tour of the Phi Phi Islands

supposed to be amazing


----------



## GabeTravels

Hey all. Been a few weeks.

Still loving the Philippines...sad there's only 3 weeks left before heading home. Went to Bantayan Island the past two days. Hard to imagine a more beautiful place:





















ALSO! Started a travel blog. Been a little slow on the posting...but here ya go:

https://gabetravels.net


----------



## John Price

What's with the Phillipines and their new anti drug president


----------



## Jumptheshark

16 days till I spend 2 week driving from London to and around Germany, Poland, France, Belgium, Netherlands and the Ukraine


----------



## fan75

I'm going to Colombia and coming back have a 22 hour overnight layover in Panama City. 

Who's been there? where should I stay? What should I do (in one night)? Where should I avoid?


----------



## Janks

Just got back from Toronto. Sadly with work, I only get to travel to Houston (where a majority of my audit clients are).


----------



## Dog

I'm in Bali right now


----------



## RayP

Finally made it up to the PNW for the first time. Hit up Mt. Rainier of course, as well as a ton of other spot. Pardon my amateur at best photography skills. 






Good spot to stop for a beer and take in these views. 






Also made it out to National Olympic Park.


----------



## Buck Aki Berg

^ Very jealous that you got a clear day to see Mount Rainier. I never saw the thing on my first trip to the PNW, and it was only clear enough on the last day of my second trip to see it. Floored me.

...and Olympic Park is a damn gem. Did you get into the rainforests at all? It's otherworldly in there.


----------



## RayP

It was overcast and real foggy in the morning, but entirely clear and not a cloud in the sky by 11. 



We got into them a little bit but not as much as we'd have liked, only had one day there.


----------



## ecemleafs

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Has anyone been to Istanbul recently?
> 
> I'm going to London in July for work and a friend and I are planning on going to Istanbul for 3-4 days.




How'd u enjoy turkey?


----------



## ecemleafs

Did a cruise to grand turk and the Bahamas 2 weeks ago. Was alright. Wasn't at any port long enough to get enough out of each place. Would recommend just flying to an island or 2 and doing stuff at ur own pace on ur own time.


----------



## ecemleafs

I'm going to Kentucky end of august for a long weekend. Doing the Kentucky bourbon trail and some other things that pop up like maybe a craft beer thing. Should be fun


----------



## Dog

Currently visiting irunthepeg in Winnipeg


----------



## HisIceness

ecemleafs said:


> I'm going to Kentucky end of august for a long weekend. Doing the Kentucky bourbon trail and some other things that pop up like maybe a craft beer thing. Should be fun




Hmm, I've always wanted an excuse to visit Kentucky


----------



## crump

In Boston for a day. Near MIT. Recommendations?


----------



## HisIceness

Fenway Park?


----------



## Jumptheshark

So I have 14 days off in the End of October and here are my plans

4 days 3 nights Dubrovnik Croatia(where they film Game of Thrones)
4 days 3 nights in Rome Italy
4 days 3 nights in Barcelona spain


----------



## GabeTravels

Vacation at the end of October...

Looking at flying into Tirana, and driving up through Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and ending in Slovenia.

Either that or doing Gdansk, Poland, and the Baltics.

Any recommendations either way?


----------



## DoyleG

MSPGabe said:


> Vacation at the end of October...
> 
> Looking at flying into Tirana, and driving up through Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and ending in Slovenia.
> 
> Either that or doing Gdansk, Poland, and the Baltics.
> 
> Any recommendations either way?




What route would you consider taking through the Balkans?

Passport controls are in still in effect until you reach Slovenia.


----------



## Lonny Bohonos

MSPGabe said:


> Vacation at the end of October...
> 
> Looking at flying into Tirana, and driving up through Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and ending in Slovenia.
> 
> Either that or doing Gdansk, Poland, and the Baltics.
> 
> Any recommendations either way?




Do the ferry through the Croatian Islands. It's super nice and about 8 hours. I went from Hvar island to Dubrovnik on it. Split is nice as well in Croatia. 

Mostar is really nice in Bosnia as is Sarajevo. 

I never made it to Montenegro unfortunately.

Poland is also awesome and I have been to Latvia and Estonia which I really liked.

Given the choice I would probably do Croatia, Bosnia again.


----------



## Buck Aki Berg

MSPGabe said:


> Vacation at the end of October...
> 
> Looking at flying into Tirana, and driving up through Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and ending in Slovenia.
> 
> Either that or doing Gdansk, Poland, and the Baltics.
> 
> Any recommendations either way?




The Balkans are gorgeous. You'll love it.


----------



## Panteras

Today I will drive for 4 hours and finish a roadtrip I started 5 days ago. Left Miami and will arrive to Seattle. I stopped by Nashville, St Louis, Badlands National Park, Mt Rushmore. Places I spent the night where Atlanta, St Louis, Sioux Falls, Billings, and Spokane. It's been a hell of a roadtrip.


----------



## Habsfunk

Bosnia is absolutely beautiful. I took a bus from Dubrovnik to Sarajevo and spent a few days there in 2001. I still fondly remember the bus stopping at a small restaurant perched on a mountainside high above a valley dotted with small homes and farms. There was a stream flowing through the restaurant and it was being used to rotate pigs on a spit over a fire. It was only a few years after the end of the war and the signs were still very apparent, with bullet holes in buildings all over the city.

I want to go back to see how it's recovered and to visit more of the country.


----------



## ChiGuySez

1 week in Paris. Sok. Preferred most other large cities to Paris. Louve was amazing. 2 days there was not enough. Well deserved rep. LV is about 35% less than the US. Refund on VAT tax. Immigration lines were awful. Allow minimum 1 hour to get through. Bag check security at most tourist places was a joke. Open your bag, they take a brief look and you can then pass through. Pastries, French cannot make a bad pastry.


----------



## Jumptheshark

ChiGuySez said:


> 1 week in Paris. Sok. Preferred most other large cities to Paris. Louve was amazing. 2 days there was not enough. Well deserved rep. LV is about 35% less than the US. Refund on VAT tax. Immigration lines were awful. Allow minimum 1 hour to get through. Bag check security at most tourist places was a joke. Open your bag, they take a brief look and you can then pass through. Pastries, French cannot make a bad pastry.




the Bon Bon people can


----------



## Dr Pepper

Hey, I smuggled some macarons out of CDG, without issue. 

You're right about the Louvre, although I did find the Mona Lisa to be underwhelming when I finally got to it. Massive crowd around it, of course, and to be honest I expected a bigger painting. 

I guess compared to the massive paintings you see on your way to the centerpiece, it's downright miniscule by comparison, and this affected my initial opinion of it. 

Still a fond memory overall, though, one of many I have of Europe.


----------



## ChiGuySez

Mona Lisa was underwhelming and you're right, they did have a massive line of people going to see it but a must see at least once.

Pro tip... Take the subway to the Louve stop. Exits underground. Go past first security and they have a small tobacco/drink shop... City something. I think City Lights. They sell Louve tickets. No up charge and no date stamp meaning you can go that day or next day/s. Single entry though. Line for security is much shorter underground. Main entrance upstairs is very long. You pass the shopping area before getting to the entrance. Got some mustard at Maille. Worlds best mustard. Literally hundreds of varieties.

Dont eat in the Louve resturants or at the food court outside. Beyond horrible quality food and at the museum its a complete rip off price.


----------



## DoyleG

Habsfunk said:


> Bosnia is absolutely beautiful. I took a bus from Dubrovnik to Sarajevo and spent a few days there in 2001. I still fondly remember the bus stopping at a small restaurant perched on a mountainside high above a valley dotted with small homes and farms. There was a stream flowing through the restaurant and it was being used to rotate pigs on a spit over a fire. It was only a few years after the end of the war and the signs were still very apparent, with bullet holes in buildings all over the city.
> 
> I want to go back to see how it's recovered and to visit more of the country.




Many of the buildings still have the bullet holes in them when I visited over the summer. Spent a lot of time in the old market area of the city and walking around all the landmarks on a Sunday.


----------



## Panteras

so I got around to making it to Seattle yesterday. Walked around all day, lot of amazing food at the Pike Market. Did the Spaceneedle. Then met with coworker and some of his friends and did some bar-hopping. Overall just a lovely city. I need to go back and keep exploring.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Flight officially booked to Taiwan in October and booking Israel for December soon! Crazy year of travel:

Liberia
Ghana
Botswana
Zimbabwe
Zambia
U.K.
Croatia
Bosnia
Taiwan
Israel

Has anyone here been to Taiwan? Any recommendations of things to see/places to visit?


----------



## Bizarro Bandwagoner

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Flight officially booked to Taiwan in October and booking Israel for December soon! Crazy year of travel:
> 
> Liberia
> Ghana
> Botswana
> Zimbabwe
> Zambia
> U.K.
> Croatia
> Bosnia
> Taiwan
> Israel
> 
> Has anyone here been to Taiwan? Any recommendations of things to see/places to visit?




Where do you work? That's nuts for one year if you're not working for an airline.


----------



## Panteras

has to be for work or something because no one in their right mind would go to the 1st 5 countries in his list for a vacation lol


now that I think about it, this year has been crazy for me of travel within the USA.

Utah
Georgia
Tennessee
Kentucky 
Missouri
Iowa
South Dakota
Wyoming
Montana
Washington

oh yeah and next week I fly out to South America


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

I was in Liberia/Ghana and UK for work, each country for a week. Croatia/Bosnia was with coworkers for a week after London, since they had already paid the cross-Atlantic flight, I was able to get round trip tickets for 200 bucks.

Botswana is an unbelievable country! Probably the most stable in Africa, and likely the safest too. Would highly recommend it - six of my friends and I went on a safari and camped out in the parks. A little scary at first, especially when you have to pee in the middle of the night but there are hyenas and lions right outside your campsite, but it was probably the best trip I have ever been on - plus you can drink in the parks. 

We went to Zimbabwe and Zambia for 5 days after and stayed in airbnbs around Victoria Falls/Livingstone.


----------



## GabeTravels

So my friend and I may be changing course.

Looking at possible Goa and Agra, India, with a stop in Bangkok along the way.


Or we're looking at New Zealand, specifically Auckland and Queenstown.

Decisions, decisions...


----------



## Panteras

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> I was in Liberia/Ghana and UK for work, each country for a week. Croatia/Bosnia was with coworkers for a week after London, since they had already paid the cross-Atlantic flight, I was able to get round trip tickets for 200 bucks.
> 
> Botswana is an unbelievable country! Probably the most stable in Africa, and likely the safest too. Would highly recommend it - six of my friends and I went on a safari and camped out in the parks. A little scary at first, especially when you have to pee in the middle of the night but there are hyenas and lions right outside your campsite, but it was probably the best trip I have ever been on - plus you can drink in the parks.
> 
> We went to Zimbabwe and Zambia for 5 days after and stayed in airbnbs around Victoria Falls/Livingstone.




ahh didn't know that about Botswana. I hear good things about Namibia, great deserts and low population as well as stable. Other than SA that's the only interest in sub-Saharan Africa I've had.

I forget Victoria falls is shared by those 2 crapholes, I'm sure that whole area is where most people visit and it's safe/touristy etc. try airbnb in Lusaka/Harare  no thank you


----------



## Panteras

MSPGabe said:


> So my friend and I may be changing course.
> 
> Looking at possible Goa and Agra, India, with a stop in Bangkok along the way.
> 
> 
> Or we're looking at New Zealand, specifically Auckland and Queenstown.
> 
> Decisions, decisions...




that's just so different lol I guess it depends what you guys are looking for. Never been to either but my buddy went to NZ said Auckland although a lovely city is kinda sleepy for being the capital and biggest city..I mean again, we're from Miami so... but yeah that's what he said. Nothing too crazy or write home about. I'd say to go to NZ it's about it's natural beauty. I hear the south island has some of the most amazing scenery.

While India is about the exotic/adventurous and history. I for one love Indian food so would also be a culinary trip for me if I ever go there.

Yeah decisions, 2 very different locations lol


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Panteras said:


> ahh didn't know that about Botswana. I hear good things about Namibia, great deserts and low population as well as stable. Other than SA that's the only interest in sub-Saharan Africa I've had.
> 
> I forget Victoria falls is shared by those 2 crapholes, I'm sure that whole area is where most people visit and it's safe/touristy etc. try airbnb in Lusaka/Harare  no thank you




Yep, Namibia is definitely very similar to Botswana in that regard (Botswana is actually least populated per square foot on the continent) - we were actually considering Namibia instead of Victoria Falls, but it's in kind of a precarious position where you can't use Windhoek as a home base, so it made more sense to go to Vic Falls. Namibia looks incredible though, and you have a better chance of seeing a rhino there (nearly impossible in Botswana unless you go to a special reservation).

Definitely wouldn't go airbnbing in Harare or Lusaka! My coworker went to Harare for the same project that sent me to Liberia, and while it's much wealthier than Monrovia (everything is), there's wayyyy more political uncertainty going on over there. This whole cash shortage going on now actually began when we were in Victoria Falls, which kind of acts like a bubble - it would have been way more of an issue if we were in the capital.

Hoping to go to Rwanda, Uganda or DRC next year for this project and go gorilla trekking for a few days afterwards, but we shall see.


----------



## RayP

MSPGabe said:


> So my friend and I may be changing course.
> 
> Looking at possible Goa and Agra, India, with a stop in Bangkok along the way.
> 
> 
> Or we're looking at New Zealand, specifically Auckland and Queenstown.
> 
> Decisions, decisions...




Go to Queenstown, you won't regret it. 


Auckland.... meh. Best prat about Auckland was we took a shuttle from there to go to this - 

http://www.waitomo.com/black-water-rafting/Pages/default.aspx


----------



## Plural

January 6th me and my fiancee will be heading for a short getaway to Gambia/Senegal. Never even been to the continent of Africa before. Looking forward of seeing the wild-life, local villages and maybe experience some exotic food.


----------



## Lonny Bohonos

MSPGabe said:


> So my friend and I may be changing course.
> 
> Looking at possible Goa and Agra, India, with a stop in Bangkok along the way.
> 
> 
> Or we're looking at New Zealand, specifically Auckland and Queenstown.
> 
> Decisions, decisions...




Goa sucks in my opinion. At least if you have ever been to somewhere like Thailand. Beaches are dirtier and the people are less friendly and fun.

Having spent a fair amount of time in India due to work and my better half being from there it is a place to go so 1) see the historic sites etc 2) to see the chaos/hyperactivity (ie if you are into photography there are few places better for photography people).

That's why I don't think Goa works so well. It tries to be this relaxing destination and within India it is but there are far better places to chill in the world.


----------



## Lonny Bohonos

Got back from a week in Georgia last weekend. 

What a fantastic place. Out of 50 countries visited it's in the top 3 for me.

Fantastic people especially with our little 3 year old.

Stunning natural beauty.

Good wine and cheap.

As a "foodie" the cuisine is up there with the best such as Indian, Thai and Italian. Lots of variety and unique dishes.

Will try to upload some photos.


----------



## Lonny Bohonos

Ushguli, Svaneti Region.


----------



## Franck

TAnnala said:


> January 6th me and my fiancee will be heading for a short getaway to Gambia/Senegal. Never even been to the continent of Africa before. Looking forward of seeing the wild-life, local villages and maybe experience some exotic food.




The only thing I know about Gambia is that middle aged women go there and have sex with male prostitutes pretending that they are having a holiday romance.


----------



## Lonny Bohonos

Franck said:


> The only thing I know about Gambia is that middle aged women go there and have sex with male prostitutes pretending that they are having a holiday romance.




Sounds like Bali.


----------



## Buck Aki Berg

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> I was in Liberia/Ghana and UK for work




How'd you like Ghana? I might be there in April (is a sentence I never thought I'd say)


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Buck Aki Berg said:


> How'd you like Ghana? I might be there in April (is a sentence I never thought I'd say)




Where in Ghana will you be?

It's OK...a lot safer and more developed than other west African countries. This is especially noticeable in Accra. Totally fine to walk around in Accra and Cape Coast during the day by yourself, even better if you're with a group. 

Weather is brutal though - unbearable heat that I have never experienced before. I was there in April like you and the weather was 95-100F with 70-90% humidity. You're going to be perpetually covered in sweat.

Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle are really amazing, and that entire city is dripping culture. Kakum National Park is an hour north of there and is really cool too, especially the canopy bridges if you're not afraid of heights. The beaches in Ghana are also beautiful - big beachfronts lined with palm trees.

If you enjoy traveling and have never been to that part of Africa I think you will enjoy yourself, even if you're there for work. It's a lot different than NYC where I live and it was a great experience.


----------



## Hansen

Have next to no interest in Africa outside of going to Egypt maybe


----------



## HisIceness

Sorry if its been discussed already but anyone been to Panama?


----------



## Jumptheshark

HisIceness said:


> Sorry if its been discussed already but anyone been to Panama?




25 years ago


----------



## Panteras

HisIceness said:


> Sorry if its been discussed already but anyone been to Panama?




I went last November with a colleague/friend of mine from Japan. We work in the maritime logistics business so was logical even though was for vacay. Just spent 3 days in Panama City. Nothing to write home about in my opinion. But I'm sure Panama itself has great natural things to offer if you're into jungles and such. Costa Rica has better natural things to offer.

Anyways, I literally just got back to the states from Easter Island Chile. Passed my bday there, was on my bucket list. Spent 6 nights which was more than enough for the island but not for a chick that I met there I wanted to bang so bad. But at least I got couple of hugs and a hell of a lot of flirting and we became friends on facebook


----------



## TheTimTamSlammerMan

Hansen 36 said:


> Have next to no interest in Africa outside of going to Egypt maybe




Egypt was ok. South Africa is dope.


----------



## fan75

HisIceness said:


> Sorry if its been discussed already but anyone been to Panama?




I was there in Panama City for 24 hours in August.


----------



## Alexander the Gr8

I've been to Cancun, Barcelona and Valencia this summer. I really liked Spain, but I was mostly at the beach or on the mountains, didn't have the time to do cultural stuff, especially in Cancun. My favourite of the three cities is Barcelona.


----------



## Panteras

Eazy for Kuzy said:


> I've been to Cancun, Barcelona and Valencia this summer. I really liked Spain, but I was mostly at the beach or on the mountains, didn't have the time to do cultural stuff, especially in Cancun. My favourite of the three cities is Barcelona.




ohh dude going to Chichen Itza is a must, or at least Xcaret or Tulum, I didn't get to go to Tulum but the other 2 were awesome. I mean having been born in the Caribbean and been to several places in the Caribbean beaches wasn't even on my top list in Cancun anyways. But I guess I'm spoiled in that regard.


----------



## UsernameWasTaken

Panteras said:


> ohh dude going to Chichen Itza is a must, or at least Xcaret or Tulum, I didn't get to go to Tulum but the other 2 were awesome. I mean having been born in the Caribbean and been to several places in the Caribbean beaches wasn't even on my top list in Cancun anyways. But I guess I'm spoiled in that regard.




Chichen Itza is awesome - a must see. 

Tulum is beautiful - and there is a beach area right there where you can go swimming. 

I haven't been to Xcaret. 

I love Cancun...any underrated place to visit. I think sometimes people think it's just sort of a trashy party place or something, but it's actually extremely nice. So is Mexico in general. The news stories make it seems very scary but it's probably my favourite 'warm weather' destination. Puerto Vallarta is also lovely...Cabo's great, too - but I like Cancun more because it's easier to swim off the beach there. 

Where in the Caribbean were you born? and, ha ha, is it properly pronounced caRIBbean or caribBEan?


----------



## Alexander the Gr8

Panteras said:


> ohh dude going to Chichen Itza is a must, or at least Xcaret or Tulum, I didn't get to go to Tulum but the other 2 were awesome. I mean having been born in the Caribbean and been to several places in the Caribbean beaches wasn't even on my top list in Cancun anyways. But I guess I'm spoiled in that regard.




We only stayed 5 days there. I was with 3 of my best friends, and it was right after my final exams, so we were partying every night and enjoying the sun as much as possible. 

Next time we travel together though, we agreed that we would like to visit more cultural sites than we did in Mexico. We saw a lot more stuff in Spain since we stayed 10 days instead of 5, but next time I'm going to push my cultural activities forward. Partying is fun, but discovering new places and cultures is just as fun.


----------



## Jumptheshark

Just booked my trip to the real world championships in Paris next year. Tix Â£250 hotel Â£500


----------



## Panteras

UsernameWasTaken said:


> Chichen Itza is awesome - a must see.
> 
> Tulum is beautiful - and there is a beach area right there where you can go swimming.
> 
> I haven't been to Xcaret.
> 
> I love Cancun...any underrated place to visit. I think sometimes people think it's just sort of a trashy party place or something, but it's actually extremely nice. So is Mexico in general. The news stories make it seems very scary but it's probably my favourite 'warm weather' destination. Puerto Vallarta is also lovely...Cabo's great, too - but I like Cancun more because it's easier to swim off the beach there.
> 
> Where in the Caribbean were you born? and, ha ha, is it properly pronounced caRIBbean or caribBEan?




Yeah I liked Chichen Itza. Xcaret was one of the coolest "attraction parks" (don't even know what to label it) I've ever been to. I recommend it. I should've gone to Tulum.

I was born in Cuba, left when I was 9. In English to me it's the CaRIBbean lol




Eazy for Kuzy said:


> We only stayed 5 days there. I was with 3 of my best friends, and it was right after my final exams, so we were partying every night and enjoying the sun as much as possible.
> 
> Next time we travel together though, we agreed that we would like to visit more cultural sites than we did in Mexico. We saw a lot more stuff in Spain since we stayed 10 days instead of 5, but next time I'm going to push my cultural activities forward. Partying is fun, but discovering new places and cultures is just as fun.




it's all good man, I totally feel you. I don't think I would've gone to Chichen Itza if I was with 2 friends either lol even now that I'm 30 and have had the opportunity to travel to more places and I feel more experienced and more interested in cultural/nature things. Sometimes you travel somewhere with the intention of doing something in specific and that's part of traveling and vacation as well.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Just returned from my trip to Taiwan. 

Magnificent country, I loved every second I spent here. Friendly people (although the lack of English was worse than even Japan), beautiful scenery and clean, modern cities. Taipei is like a hybrid of Tokyo and Hong Kong, although not as great as either in my opinion. It has bigger mountains than Hong Kong, but all of the humidity as well unfortunately, brutally hot.

Visited two other cities around the island, as transport is easy with the high speed railroad, and they were equally as great. Taroko Gorge had amazing hiking through rain forests with temples nestled against cliff faces.

The best part of Taiwan though, was without a doubt the food. Incredible night markets and everything is delicious, even the weirder things. If anyone is interested in visiting, let me know if you have any questions.


----------



## ChiGuySez

Taipei. Scooter city. All the cars have scooter scrapes on each side except for the black government (maybe asian mafia) vehicles. At intersections, they'll go between each row of cars and wont stop if they scrape your vehicle. POS city really.


----------



## GabeTravels

Well, we didn't end up doing the Balkans or the Baltics. Didn't end up going to NZ (too expensive) or India (too much to plan).

We flew into Zurich and drove up to Balzers, Liechtenstein, before driving down and spending the night in Lucerne.

Balzers was absolutely beautiful, as was the drive through the Alps to Lucerne...











The next day we drove and spent the day in Basel. Neat little town, what you'd expect.







Flew up to Paris and spent one day in the city. Weather was gloomy but towards the end of the day the sun peeked out at just the right time.








Then we rented a car and drove to Normandy. Did Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery. Incredibly powerful and moving.






Wanted to do Mont St Michel but it was just too much driving. We stopped in Caen on the way back to Paris. Beautiful little town.

Had a great time. Explored France outside of Paris for the first time which was nice, and crossed off two new countries. Likely won't go back to either Switzerland or Liechtenstein anytime soon...VERY expensive.

I then had an extra few days so I flew from Paris via Hong Kong back to Cebu...doing my first Round the World trip. Spent 3 days there before heading home.

...Not 24 hours after getting home work tells me I'm heading back to Cebu at the end of the week for 16 days. :p


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

How have you found the safety in the Phillipines?

My friends and I want to go there for our yearly trip (did safari this year), but a few are having reservations after some of the comments the president has made about the US. I personally think it would be totally fine so long as we stayed in the northern part of the country, but would love the opinion of someone who has lived there for extended time.


----------



## GabeTravels

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> How have you found the safety in the Phillipines?
> 
> My friends and I want to go there for our yearly trip (did safari this year), but a few are having reservations after some of the comments the president has made about the US. I personally think it would be totally fine so long as we stayed in the northern part of the country, but would love the opinion of someone who has lived there for extended time.




Duterte's rhetoric isn't something to be worried about. The country is incredibly positive towards Westerners. What you have to be worried about is Abu Sayyaf. They've been aggressive in kidnapping Westerners for ransom, and beheading them.

Stay away from Mindanao, the southern island to be sure. 


Being here for work, we get Corporate Security briefings pretty regularly. Mindanao has always been off limits. 

Visayas, the central islands where I'm at (in Cebu), has been fine and I've never for a moment felt unsafe. Recently however, the State Department has issued an advisory for traveling to Southern Cebu (which is stunning and well worth seeing) because there have been concerns about Abu Sayyaf moving farther north. In response the Philippines have been stationing police at common tourist attractions.


I would recommend the Philippines in a heartbeat. An amazing, beautiful country. Not too familiar with Luzon (where Manila's at) in the north, but I can't recommend the Visayas region enough. The western island of Palawan is pretty consistently ranked the best island in the world. Swimming with whale sharks is one of the Top 5 things I've done in my life.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Anyone been to Jordan?

Just extended my Israel trip 3 days to go. Will probably stay in Aqaba and then see Petra and Wadi Rum. Can't wait!


----------



## Panteras

gopro vids I shot this past September in Easter Island.

First video is a time lapse did some editing, the other is in Rano Raraku which is the quarry my fav. place in the whole island, and the last one just me driving around the coast, sorry for the shaky camera work


----------



## GabeTravels

Super jealous you did Easter Island. I've wanted to do that trip for a while...

How long were you there? I've looked at pairing it with a trip to either Tahiti or Santiago. Doesn't seem like there's a ton to do.

Speaking of time lapse...I've had my GoPro in the window of my hotel room since I got here 12 days ago. Leaving Cebu in a few days, looking forward to seeing the results. 

Gonna have to speed it up though, as even just one photo per minute will be something like 7 minutes of video.


----------



## Panteras

MSPGabe said:


> Super jealous you did Easter Island. I've wanted to do that trip for a while...
> 
> How long were you there? I've looked at pairing it with a trip to either Tahiti or Santiago. Doesn't seem like there's a ton to do.
> 
> Speaking of time lapse...I've had my GoPro in the window of my hotel room since I got here 12 days ago. Leaving Cebu in a few days, looking forward to seeing the results.
> 
> Gonna have to speed it up though, as even just one photo per minute will be something like 7 minutes of video.




yeah was for my 30th bday lol so I wanted to do a bucket list place. I was there for 6 days. Days can go by real quick when you're just out exploring and stuff, I did archeological and hiking tours and as you can see in my vid also rented a car , I took my leisurely time to relax and take the place in instead of just going to a site for 10 mins and taking a pic and leaving. But certainly can be something better paired with another trip. I met a lot of interesting people from all over the world, most of them were just passing by for like 2-3 days and doing something else in South America.

Yes there's a weekly fight from Tahiti so you can pair it with that.

holy fk dude 12 days? lulzwut! so you've had it hooked up that whole time? these things get hot just for 20 mins of shooting, how has it not burned up yet?


----------



## DoyleG

Panteras said:


> Anyways, I literally just got back to the states from Easter Island Chile. Passed my bday there, was on my bucket list. Spent 6 nights which was more than enough for the island but not for a chick that I met there I wanted to bang so bad. But at least I got couple of hugs and a hell of a lot of flirting and we became friends on facebook




Similar circumstances to me when I visited there years ago.


----------



## Panteras

DoyleG said:


> Similar circumstances to me when I visited there years ago.




haha I was surprised for such a small place there's a lot of good looking women there. Met lot of people that have stayed there because they met someone. Very interesting place. When did you go?


----------



## GabeTravels

Panteras said:


> holy fk dude 12 days? lulzwut! so you've had it hooked up that whole time? these things get hot just for 20 mins of shooting, how has it not burned up yet?




Not sure, hahaha. I've got it plugged in to the wall and it's been quite cool.


----------



## Hossa

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Where in Ghana will you be?
> 
> It's OK...a lot safer and more developed than other west African countries. This is especially noticeable in Accra. Totally fine to walk around in Accra and Cape Coast during the day by yourself, even better if you're with a group.
> 
> Weather is brutal though - unbearable heat that I have never experienced before. I was there in April like you and the weather was 95-100F with 70-90% humidity. You're going to be perpetually covered in sweat.
> 
> Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle are really amazing, and that entire city is dripping culture. Kakum National Park is an hour north of there and is really cool too, especially the canopy bridges if you're not afraid of heights. The beaches in Ghana are also beautiful - big beachfronts lined with palm trees.
> 
> If you enjoy traveling and have never been to that part of Africa I think you will enjoy yourself, even if you're there for work. It's a lot different than NYC where I live and it was a great experience.




I was there in 2007, and glad to hear most of what I experienced remains true.


----------



## GabeTravels

Circumnavigated the earth for the first time.

Passed 600,000 and 700,00 lifetime miles.

Visited 27 airports, of which 11 were new (Florence, Cozumel, Dublin, Seoul, St Louis, Cebu, Boracay, Manila, Zurich, Basel, Hong Kong).

Crossed off 6 new countries this year (Mexico, Ireland, South Korea, Philippines, Switzerland, Liechtenstein).

Flew 6 new airlines (KLM, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Cathay Pacific, Asiana, Korean).


Got 18 days off of work coming up. This weekend I'm doing Mazatlan, Mexico...but then after that...I'm not sure.

Wanted to head back to the Philippines for a week or so, but it doesn't look like that'll work.

If it falls through, I may embark on a trip that I've wanted to do for years now...it's crazy and a little stupid...but it'll be fun. Stay tuned.


----------



## John Price

In Spain


----------



## Jumptheshark

G F O P said:


> In Spain




stay the **** away from the UK!!!!!


----------



## Plural

Flying Oulu-Helsinki-Banjul tomorrow. The Gambia. My first time in African country. We're there for one week with my fiancee. 

We're going to a tour to see the countryside and visit few local schools. We asked what we could bring as presents for the kids and were told to just bring paper and pencils. I dug up all my old empty concept papers and bought few bundles of led-pencils to take with me.

Excited to see how people live there. I've been around but never in a place where money is so scarce as there. I bought some Gambian currency from our local Forex and found out that the largest bill they have is 200 and that is the equivalent of 4.5€. Average income across the country is around 50€ per month. 

As I've told few times before, my fiancee is a doctor and she always handles the medical stuff before we go abroad. This time we needed yellow fewer vaccination and malaria medicine. This malaria stuff is heavy, I hope I can handle it for the reminder of our vacation. One pill per day for 16 days total.

I'm really interested in renting a boat to try some deep sea fishing, but I haven't really decided yet. Depends on what kind of opportunities I can find. 

I'll post something about the trip when I get WiFi there and if I don't find connection, I'll post when back home. Really stocked to go! I feel like I'm long overdue for a holiday!


----------



## Plural

MSPGabe said:


> Circumnavigated the earth for the first time.
> 
> Passed 600,000 and 700,00 lifetime miles.
> 
> Visited 27 airports, of which 11 were new (Florence, Cozumel, Dublin, Seoul, St Louis, Cebu, Boracay, Manila, Zurich, Basel, Hong Kong).
> 
> Crossed off 6 new countries this year (Mexico, Ireland, South Korea, Philippines, Switzerland, Liechtenstein).
> 
> Flew 6 new airlines (KLM, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Cathay Pacific, Asiana, Korean).
> 
> 
> Got 18 days off of work coming up. This weekend I'm doing Mazatlan, Mexico...but then after that...I'm not sure.
> 
> Wanted to head back to the Philippines for a week or so, but it doesn't look like that'll work.
> 
> If it falls through, I may embark on a trip that I've wanted to do for years now...it's crazy and a little stupid...but it'll be fun. Stay tuned.




Wow, this is awesome stuff. I've read your things in this thread and I envy you. Keep us posted!


----------



## Jumptheshark

MSPGabe said:


> Circumnavigated the earth for the first time.
> 
> Passed 600,000 and 700,00 lifetime miles.
> 
> Visited 27 airports, of which 11 were new (Florence, Cozumel, Dublin, Seoul, St Louis, Cebu, Boracay, Manila, Zurich, Basel, Hong Kong).
> 
> Crossed off 6 new countries this year (Mexico, Ireland, South Korea, Philippines, Switzerland, Liechtenstein).
> 
> Flew 6 new airlines (KLM, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Cathay Pacific, Asiana, Korean).
> 
> 
> Got 18 days off of work coming up. This weekend I'm doing Mazatlan, Mexico...but then after that...I'm not sure.
> 
> Wanted to head back to the Philippines for a week or so, but it doesn't look like that'll work.
> 
> If it falls through, I may embark on a trip that I've wanted to do for years now...it's crazy and a little stupid...but it'll be fun. Stay tuned.




I did that about 15 years ago in a 10 day period

Ft Lauderdale to LA to Seattle-bus to Vancouver for a court case-12 hours later back to Ft Lauderdale the same way

8 hours in Ft Lauderdale to NYC 8 hours to London England for just about 48 hours

london to Singapore to Perth for 72 hours then back to England


----------



## Panteras

MSPGabe said:


> Circumnavigated the earth for the first time.
> 
> Passed 600,000 and 700,00 lifetime miles.
> 
> Visited 27 airports, of which 11 were new (Florence, Cozumel, Dublin, Seoul, St Louis, Cebu, Boracay, Manila, Zurich, Basel, Hong Kong).
> 
> Crossed off 6 new countries this year (Mexico, Ireland, South Korea, Philippines, Switzerland, Liechtenstein).
> 
> Flew 6 new airlines (KLM, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Cathay Pacific, Asiana, Korean).
> 
> 
> Got 18 days off of work coming up. This weekend I'm doing Mazatlan, Mexico...but then after that...I'm not sure.
> 
> Wanted to head back to the Philippines for a week or so, but it doesn't look like that'll work.
> 
> If it falls through, I may embark on a trip that I've wanted to do for years now...it's crazy and a little stupid...but it'll be fun. Stay tuned.




nice man, awesome stuff. What place stood out for you the most? I know that's a tough question lol

by the way how did you make that map, is it on a site? or you just did everything yourself?

yeah I have 3 weeks vacation starting April 1st. So I have some ideas. Thinking Iceland, there's direct flights from Seattle where I live right now, and for under 1k which is a good deal. Flight is supposed to be only around 7 hrs which is not bad at all.

One place I'm probably going for sure in August is Alaska on a cruise.



Plural said:


> Flying Oulu-Helsinki-Banjul tomorrow. The Gambia. My first time in African country. We're there for one week with my fiancee.
> 
> We're going to a tour to see the countryside and visit few local schools. We asked what we could bring as presents for the kids and were told to just bring paper and pencils. I dug up all my old empty concept papers and bought few bundles of led-pencils to take with me.
> 
> Excited to see how people live there. I've been around but never in a place where money is so scarce as there. I bought some Gambian currency from our local Forex and found out that the largest bill they have is 200 and that is the equivalent of 4.5€. Average income across the country is around 50€ per month.
> 
> As I've told few times before, my fiancee is a doctor and she always handles the medical stuff before we go abroad. This time we needed yellow fewer vaccination and malaria medicine. This malaria stuff is heavy, I hope I can handle it for the reminder of our vacation. One pill per day for 16 days total.
> 
> I'm really interested in renting a boat to try some deep sea fishing, but I haven't really decided yet. Depends on what kind of opportunities I can find.
> 
> I'll post something about the trip when I get WiFi there and if I don't find connection, I'll post when back home. Really stocked to go! I feel like I'm long overdue for a holiday!




wow, I gotta say, I'm more interested in knowing how and why there is a direct flight from Helsinki to Banjul 

Not in a million years would I fathom Gambia as a place to take a vacation. I hope you enjoy it and have a great time in whatever it is there is to do there. Looking forward to your account of the place and pictures.



jumptheshark said:


> I did that about 15 years ago in a 10 day period
> 
> Ft Lauderdale to LA to Seattle-bus to Vancouver for a court case-12 hours later back to Ft Lauderdale the same way
> 
> 8 hours in Ft Lauderdale to NYC 8 hours to London England for just about 48 hours
> 
> london to Singapore to Perth for 72 hours then back to England




respect, holy fk  
I drove from Miami to Seattle this year 

I think that's what I might end up doing mostly this year, just road trips I have several spots in Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming I want to visit.


----------



## Lshap

And now for the bottom dregs of travel: Being stuck in an airport overnight. 

West Palm Beach to Philly mid-afternoon, Philly back home to Montreal, arriving at 10pm. The connecting Philly crew didn't arrive until 10:30pm, we boarded and sat waiting in queue, and were then told it was too late and the flight was cancelled. 

So here I am, no frikkin sleep, sitting in Philadelphia International Airport. 

Why not go to a hotel? The new flight departs at 6:00am. By the time we (yes, me, wife and two teenage sons) booked a hotel, found a cab and checked in, it would've been around 1:00am. Had to be back to the airport by 4:00am. Totally ridiculous. 

Why not find a quiet spot, stretch out and sleep? Tried that. The goddamn airport speakers blast music 24/7 and they can't turn it off.


----------



## GabeTravels

Panteras said:


> nice man, awesome stuff. What place stood out for you the most? I know that's a tough question lol
> 
> by the way how did you make that map, is it on a site? or you just did everything yourself?




The map's from a website called FlightDiary.net.

Mine's flightdiary.net/mspgabe

Uhhh...favorite singular city? Florence blew me away.

But i spent almost half the year in Cebu, Philippines. It's affected me more than any other place I've been. (And I've got a girlfriend there now, haha).

Looks like I'm gonna be heading back there next weekend. Probably looking to stop in Hong Kong for a day or two on the way. 

Epic, crazy trip that I teased will have to wait... :p


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Just spent 2 weeks in Israel and Jordan.

Petra....holy **** that place is amazing. Coolest place I have ever been maybe. Wadi Rum (where The Nartian was filmed) was the most beautiful desert I have ever seen too. Jordan should be a must on everyone's travel bucket list.

11 countries in 2016. Petra was a great way to end an absolutely crazy year of travel.


----------



## GabeTravels

Got back from Mazatlan, Mexico on Tuesday. Beautiful place. Stayed at an older all inclusive with direct beach access...was beautiful. Went parasailing for the first time...tons of fun!











Heading back to Cebu tomorrow...getting to spend 12 hours on the ground in Hong Kong..looking forward to checking it out.


----------



## John Price

Twelve hours isn't a lot.


----------



## Harry Goldfarb*

Headed to Nicaragua next week for close to two months. Rented a sweet place right outside of San Juan del Sur. Anyone have any tips for the country or must see or do recommendations?


----------



## John Price

Harry Goldfarb said:


> Headed to Nicaragua next week for close to two months. Rented a sweet place right outside of San Juan del Sur. Anyone have any tips for the country or must see or do recommendations?




No. ARE you in Montreal.


----------



## Harry Goldfarb*

G F O P said:


> No. ARE you in Montreal.



Not right now. I'm in Vancouver. Headed to Las Vegas on Saturday.


----------



## RayP

Harry Goldfarb said:


> Headed to Nicaragua next week for close to two months. Rented a sweet place right outside of San Juan del Sur. Anyone have any tips for the country or must see or do recommendations?




Why there for 2 months?


----------



## John Price

Harry Goldfarb said:


> Not right now. I'm in Vancouver. Headed to Las Vegas on Saturday.




Okay


----------



## Harry Goldfarb*

RayFIN said:


> Why there for 2 months?




Surf, yoga, beaches, girls, hiking, diving, travelling.


----------



## John Price

Harry Goldfarb said:


> Surf, yoga, beaches, girls, hiking, diving, travelling.




This is good and all but how will you raise capital to spend two months away abroad.


----------



## RayP

Harry Goldfarb said:


> Surf, yoga, beaches, girls, hiking, diving, travelling.




Fair enough. I guess it's just not somewhere I'd consider going for more than a week, personally. Especially if I'm taking 2 months off. If I'm taking 2 months off, I'm going to a handful of places. New Zealand is probably the only place I'd spend an entire 2 months at.


----------



## Harry Goldfarb*

G F O P said:


> This is good and all but how will you raise capital to spend two months away abroad.




I am flush with capital. I also work wherever I am.


----------



## Harry Goldfarb*

RayFIN said:


> Fair enough. I guess it's just not somewhere I'd consider going for more than a week, personally. Especially if I'm taking 2 months off. If I'm taking 2 months off, I'm going to a handful of places. New Zealand is probably the only place I'd spend an entire 2 months at.




I'm not taking time off. This is how I live. I go different places and live there for a couple months at a time.


----------



## John Price

Harry Goldfarb said:


> I am flush with capital. I also work wherever I am.




Alright lol


----------



## RayP

Harry Goldfarb said:


> I'm not taking time off. This is how I live. I go different places and live there for a couple months at a time.




Neat.


----------



## John Price

I would rather someone immerse themselves in culture like our good friend Harry than visit somewhere for work for eight or nine hours before leaving to another place. 

I'm sure Harry could also circumnavigate the world but it wouldn't take him a day or two. Guy could take a year or more. That's a good lifestyle. 

Nothing against other people's lives but I just feel that spending twelve hours somewhere and moving on is too rushed. That was basically Spain and Germany. One day to go through a city. Then on the bus, on to the next place. Then two hours there. Then bus. Then hotel. It's good for speeding though a country but you never immerse yourself in culture.


----------



## GabeTravels

G F O P said:


> I would rather someone immerse themselves in culture like our good friend Harry than visit somewhere for work for eight or nine hours before leaving to another place.
> 
> I'm sure Harry could also circumnavigate the world but it wouldn't take him a day or two. Guy could take a year or more. That's a good lifestyle.
> 
> Nothing against other people's lives but I just feel that spending twelve hours somewhere and moving on is too rushed. That was basically Spain and Germany. One day to go through a city. Then on the bus, on to the next place. Then two hours there. Then bus. Then hotel. It's good for speeding though a country but you never immerse yourself in culture.




The 12 hours is an overnight layover. Better that than nothing. I'll get a chance to get a taste of the city. 

Short trips definitely aren't for everyone, but they're the norm in the airline industry. I'd rather spend my weekends checking out different cities around the world than sitting at home. 

Would I like to spend more time in some places? Sure. I'm dying to go back and spend some more time in Tuscany, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy my 26 hours there.


----------



## Dog

Harry Goldfarb said:


> Headed to Nicaragua next week for close to two months. Rented a sweet place right outside of San Juan del Sur. Anyone have any tips for the country or must see or do recommendations?




Why Nicaragua though

Why not Costa Rica


----------



## college hockey

Weber said:


> Why Nicaragua though
> 
> Why not Costa Rica



Nicaragua is fantastic and much cheaper than Costa Rica.


----------



## Rob Brown

Anyone ever been to Zurich? Anywhere else in Switzerland that would be more highly recommended?


----------



## Dog

college hockey said:


> Nicaragua is fantastic and much cheaper than Costa Rica.




What I can get to Costa Rica for much cheaper


----------



## RayP

Weber said:


> What I can get to Costa Rica for much cheaper




Never looked into flights to Nicaragua, but flights from ATL are stupid expensive for how short a flight it is. I know there are more things that play into it, but I can't imagine I'll go anytime soon until flights do drop. Too many comparable places to CR at like half the cost to get to.


----------



## swimmer77

Lshap said:


> And now for the bottom dregs of travel: Being stuck in an airport overnight.
> 
> West Palm Beach to Philly mid-afternoon, Philly back home to Montreal, arriving at 10pm. The connecting Philly crew didn't arrive until 10:30pm, we boarded and sat waiting in queue, and were then told it was too late and the flight was cancelled.
> 
> So here I am, no frikkin sleep, sitting in Philadelphia International Airport.
> 
> Why not go to a hotel? The new flight departs at 6:00am. By the time we (yes, me, wife and two teenage sons) booked a hotel, found a cab and checked in, it would've been around 1:00am. Had to be back to the airport by 4:00am. Totally ridiculous.
> 
> Why not find a quiet spot, stretch out and sleep? Tried that. The goddamn airport speakers blast music 24/7 and they can't turn it off.




LMAO

Did the above a couple of weeks ago......in Philly. Go to a hotel? Nope.....get there like you said at 1:00 although wouldn't have had to be back at the airport until 6:00.

Don't know where that quiet place - was surprised frankly at how noisy and active it was. Didn't think it would be deserted by any means but crap. 

Priority was closeness to a rest room. At least there was a coffee shop open too. I'm not a great sleeper anyway so whatever.


----------



## Thucydides

I am also headed to Nicaragua next week. Heading to Belize , Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Month trip. Just a few days in Belize to go snorkelling , lay on a beach, 2 weeks in Nic and 2 weeks in Costa Rica . Pumped.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Travel plans for 2017 slowly falling into place:

May: Rwanda and South Africa for work for a week each, but will take off some time in both. If anyone has any recommendations for gorilla trekking companies in in Rwanda, please let me know!

July: London for a week for work. Will be taking time off afterwards and am deciding between Ireland/Scotland, Norway and Portgual.

September: Group trip with friends. Floating out idea still but looking more and more likely it will be the Phillipines.

Should be another great year of travel!


----------



## Mightygoose

Wrapping up hotel and supplier inspections in Central Europe. Finally made it out to Budapest which was great even in the winter which isn't bad since it's not crowded.

Also returned to some favourites Innsbruck, Salzburg and Vienna. Got to finally ride the later's U Bahn! Going onwards to Munich tomorrow but won't have time to ride it.


----------



## college hockey

Weber said:


> What I can get to Costa Rica for much cheaper



I should have specified food and accommodations are much cheaper. I just got back from Nicaragua on Wednesday, but I used award miles for the flight so I didn't have to price it out. I know a lot of people fly into Liberia to save money on the flight and then go up to Nicaragua.


----------



## Dog

RayFIN said:


> Never looked into flights to Nicaragua, but flights from ATL are stupid expensive for how short a flight it is. I know there are more things that play into it, but I can't imagine I'll go anytime soon until flights do drop. Too many comparable places to CR at like half the cost to get to.




Wow lmao, its cheaper for me to go to Costa Rica or Nicaragua from YYT than it is for you to go from Atlanta.


----------



## RayP

Weber said:


> Wow lmao, its cheaper for me to go to Costa Rica or Nicaragua from YYT than it is for you to go from Atlanta.




But it's the worlds busiest airport!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I can get a cheaper flight home from Chicago to Tampa, with a layover in Atlanta and just going home from there than I can if I were to purchase a direct flight from Chicago to Atlanta.


----------



## bluesfan94

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Just spent 2 weeks in Israel and Jordan.
> 
> Petra....holy **** that place is amazing. Coolest place I have ever been maybe. Wadi Rum (where The Nartian was filmed) was the most beautiful desert I have ever seen too. Jordan should be a must on everyone's travel bucket list.
> 
> 11 countries in 2016. Petra was a great way to end an absolutely crazy year of travel.




Petra and Jordan generally are near the top of my list. 

This past year I traveled less than normal, especially because I'm including the trip that spanned 2015/16 as part of 2015. 

My travel was pretty much limited to my annual vacation to Idaho in the summer and a trip this winter that took me to Amsterdam, Florence, Rome, Edinburgh, and Boston. Only Edinburgh was new for me, although i hadn't really seen Boston. That said, I was only there a couple days and most included heavy drinking as I was visiting a good friend for New Years with a couple other friends.

This year will be interesting. Going to Michigan in March to ski. And then this summer I'm not sure yet. Mostly depends on where I get a summer job as a 1L. I might end up spending a month studying in Madrid and then working in Europe, not sure yet. I also may be going to Costa Rica for New Years as my friend (one of the ones who went with me to Boston) is joining the Peace Corps and being placed in Nicaragua. That would be my first Latin America country, surprisingly.


----------



## bluesfan94

Rob Brown said:


> Anyone ever been to Zurich? Anywhere else in Switzerland that would be more highly recommended?




I've never been to Zurich, but I really liked Lucerne


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Rob Brown said:


> Anyone ever been to Zurich? Anywhere else in Switzerland that would be more highly recommended?




Zurich is really beautiful but so so so expensive. I would recommend Lucerne or Zermatt instead. Zermatt is a great mountain town.


----------



## GabeTravels

Lucerne is awesome.. As was Basel. Also really enjoyed Balzers, Liechtenstein, about 90 minutes outside of Zurich.


----------



## Sheppy

Heading back home (St. John's) for the Brier in a few weeks with some buddies who have never been, so that will likely turn into a complete **** show.

Back to work for a week on the 15th of March, then off to Orlando for Wrestlemania 33... I'll be there for 8-9 days

Houseboating at Shuswap May 18-22nd (Never been, so this will be another complete gong show)

I rarely ever use up my holidays. So i figure i will use them this year... I have 36 days or something to use.


----------



## darko

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Travel plans for 2017 slowly falling into place:
> 
> May: Rwanda and South Africa for work for a week each, but will take off some time in both. If anyone has any recommendations for gorilla trekking companies in in Rwanda, please let me know!
> 
> July: London for a week for work. Will be taking time off afterwards and am deciding between Ireland/Scotland, Norway and Portgual.
> 
> September: Group trip with friends. Floating out idea still but looking more and more likely it will be the Phillipines.
> 
> Should be another great year of travel!





If you are going to Phillipines it'd be worth checking out Thailand or Vietnam. Or both.


----------



## Dog

Sheppy said:


> *Heading back home (St. John's) for the Brier in a few weeks with some buddies who have never been, so that will likely turn into a complete **** show.
> *
> Back to work for a week on the 15th of March, then off to Orlando for Wrestlemania 33... I'll be there for 8-9 days
> 
> Houseboating at Shuswap May 18-22nd (Never been, so this will be another complete gong show)
> 
> I rarely ever use up my holidays. So i figure i will use them this year... I have 36 days or something to use.




George street


----------



## Jumptheshark

just booked March 16th to 30th in Thailand


----------



## GabeTravels

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> September: Group trip with friends. Floating out idea still but looking more and more likely it will be the Phillipines.




Can't say enough good things about the Philippines. 

Bidding my vacation for work. Going sometime in September/October to South Africa (may try and hit Lesotho), Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Hoping to get 3 weeks off with swapping shifts plus the vacation. 3 days in Cape Town, 2-3 in Pretoria/Johannesburg/Lesotho, 3 in Kruger, then flying up to Livingstone and doing Victoria Falls.

Not sure on routing yet...obviously working for an airline I can fly for next to nothing...but those South Africa flights are damn difficult to get on, and I don't want to fly 18 hours in a middle seat. I may actually be paying for a ticket...if I can find a good deal. I have some miles to use one way, and buying a one way out of that part of the world is surprisingly affordable, even for Business Class. I've seen a $1200 Business Class fare on Emirates, and that includes a free stopover in Dubai.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

darko said:


> If you are going to Phillipines it'd be worth checking out Thailand or Vietnam. Or both.




Been to Thailand before. Would love to go to Vietnam, but ~2 weeks is definitely not enough time to hit both the Philippines and another SE Asian country.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

MSPGabe said:


> Can't say enough good things about the Philippines.
> 
> Bidding my vacation for work. Going sometime in September/October to South Africa (may try and hit Lesotho), Zambia and Zimbabwe.
> 
> Hoping to get 3 weeks off with swapping shifts plus the vacation. 3 days in Cape Town, 2-3 in Pretoria/Johannesburg/Lesotho, 3 in Kruger, then flying up to Livingstone and doing Victoria Falls.
> 
> Not sure on routing yet...obviously working for an airline I can fly for next to nothing...but those South Africa flights are damn difficult to get on, and I don't want to fly 18 hours in a middle seat. I may actually be paying for a ticket...if I can find a good deal. I have some miles to use one way, and buying a one way out of that part of the world is surprisingly affordable, even for Business Class. I've seen a $1200 Business Class fare on Emirates, and that includes a free stopover in Dubai.




Will let you know if I have any questions on the Philippines.

Likewise, let me know if you have any questions about Vic Falls. If you're willing to spend a little cash you can have an amazing 3-4 days there. Make sure you go white water rafting (it's crazier than any rafting I've done in the states) and even though the gorge swing looks terrifying make sure you do it!

Also, not sure if you've ironed your plans out yet but would definitely recommend driving across the border and doing Safari in Botswana at Chobe and Moremi over Kruger.


----------



## Lshap

swimmer77 said:


> LMAO
> 
> Did the above a couple of weeks ago......in Philly. Go to a hotel? Nope.....get there like you said at 1:00 although wouldn't have had to be back at the airport until 6:00.
> 
> Don't know where that quiet place - was surprised frankly at how noisy and active it was. Didn't think it would be deserted by any means but crap.
> 
> Priority was closeness to a rest room. At least there was a coffee shop open too. I'm not a great sleeper anyway so whatever.




Man, you have my sympathy! And yeah -- the frikkin loud music at Philly International, the cleaning crew, plus the various stranded passengers trying to sleep or wandering the floor like the undead. Overnight in an airport feels like the Twilight Zone. I learned the airport issues free overnight packs with a pillow and blanket, because I guess this happens almost every night. Philly also has a sleep space with private rooms that you can rent for one or four hours. They're almost the price of a hotel room. My wife and kids took a room and got a couple hours of sleep; I stayed up and vented on HF.


----------



## HolyGhost

Heading to Bangkok in a few weeks with the wife--any suggestions?


----------



## fan75

I'm trying to plan a 3 week Euro trip in the fall... looking to land in Edinburgh or London and leave from Stockholm (most likely) or Copenhagen.

What cities would you suggest? I already did Reykjavik, Paris and Amsterdam last year in an 8 day span.

Open to anything but would like to include Barcelona and Berlin. Been researching everything from Spain and Italy, to Latvia and Lithuania.


----------



## Dr Awesome

fan75 said:


> I'm trying to plan a 3 week Euro trip in the fall... looking to land in Edinburgh or London and leave from Stockholm (most likely) or Copenhagen.
> 
> What cities would you suggest? I already did Reykjavik, Paris and Amsterdam last year in an 8 day span.
> 
> Open to anything but would like to include Barcelona and Berlin. Been researching everything from Spain and Italy, to Latvia and Lithuania.




8 day span? Did you travel in one of those vacation groups?


----------



## LetsGoIslanders

Here's a miserable travel report:

I helped my father move my parents' belongings from Fairfax, VA to Overland Park, KS. last weekend. He got two 26 foot Penske trucks. One for me to drive, one for him. He had already done the trip once when my mother got a job teaching in Overland Park over the summer and got an apartment. Their house in Fairfax sold and he's moving to the apartment until their house is built on a golf course nearby Overland Park.

Notes from traveling I-70 in a Penske Truck:

-Demand a diesel version of the 26 foot truck. My father's first trip was in a diesel truck and it got 13 miles to the gallon. Our V-10 gasoline Ford-based trucks got 5.4 miles to the gallon.

-Driving a 26 foot truck is like sex for the first couple times. You need to be guided in. My Dad, who has driven a 26 foot truck before had to help me navigate through gas pumps and parking lots. 

-Driving through the Appalachians on 70 is hellish. It's just up and down and constant turns around mountains. It's miserable. 

-Unlike 16-wheelers, these trucks don't have air suspension. You feel EVERY bump on the road. If you hit a pothole or a major defect in the road, your clip with your phone will inevitably fly off the vent. 

-We stopped to eat lunch and refuel in Morgantown, WV, home of WVU. I've been to Tuscaloosa, Ocala, Auburn, and Athens. Morgantown is probably the most redneck place a major college is located in.

-I'm pretty good with navigation and directions, the roads around Kansas City are ****ing confusing -- and I've gone there a few times.


----------



## RayP

Booking flights to Portland over Memorial Day weekend and flights to San Francisco at the end of July this week.


----------



## fan75

Dr Awesome said:


> 8 day span? Did you travel in one of those vacation groups?




No I planned it myself, I did basically 2 days in each city (country in the case of Iceland, as we drove around the sites in the Golden Circle).


----------



## GabeTravels

fan75 said:


> I'm trying to plan a 3 week Euro trip in the fall... looking to land in Edinburgh or London and leave from Stockholm (most likely) or Copenhagen.
> 
> What cities would you suggest? I already did Reykjavik, Paris and Amsterdam last year in an 8 day span.
> 
> Open to anything but would like to include Barcelona and Berlin. Been researching everything from Spain and Italy, to Latvia and Lithuania.




Rundown of the places I've visited (that you haven't) with quick comments.

Dublin is mediocre IMO, but the Cliffs of Moher were awesome.

Brussels is pretty good, but I've heard Bruges is better, or Ghent.

Really enjoyed Switzerland and Liechtenstein. We flew into Zurich but didn't spend any time there, instead driving to Balzers and Lucerne, before heading to Basel.

If you're looking for something a bit less touristy, Ljubljana, Slovenia was stunning. Didn't get a chance to see Lake Bled, but I hear great things.

Frankfurt wasn't that interesting, but I enjoyed Munich a lot. Granted, I was only there for the Christmas Markets, but there's tons to see. We also took a day trip via bus to Salzburg, which was beautiful but could be seen in a day or so.

My favorite country in Europe though has got to be Italy. Florence, Venice, and Rome are all incredible, and cheap and fast trains mean you could easily see all three. Venice probably only needs 2-3 days unless you're going to explore the surrounding islands. Florence and Rome have tons to see.


----------



## Dog

MSPGabe said:


> Rundown of the places I've visited (that you haven't) with quick comments.
> 
> *Dublin is mediocre IMO*, but the Cliffs of Moher were awesome.
> 
> Brussels is pretty good, but I've heard Bruges is better, or Ghent.
> 
> Really enjoyed Switzerland and Liechtenstein. We flew into Zurich but didn't spend any time there, instead driving to Balzers and Lucerne, before heading to Basel.
> 
> If you're looking for something a bit less touristy, Ljubljana, Slovenia was stunning. Didn't get a chance to see Lake Bled, but I hear great things.
> 
> Frankfurt wasn't that interesting, but I enjoyed Munich a lot. Granted, I was only there for the Christmas Markets, but there's tons to see. We also took a day trip via bus to Salzburg, which was beautiful but could be seen in a day or so.
> 
> My favorite country in Europe though has got to be Italy. Florence, Venice, and Rome are all incredible, and cheap and fast trains mean you could easily see all three. Venice probably only needs 2-3 days unless you're going to explore the surrounding islands. Florence and Rome have tons to see.




Dublin is very mediocre, not much great about it IMO


----------



## GermanNuck

As someone who has been living in Dublin for almost 3 years I have to step up for Dublin. The city isn't great in terms of sightseeing points and tourist attractions but you just have to soak up the cities atmosphere and try to blend in with the people. So yeah, wouldn't visit Dublin for a day but mediocre is no word to describe Dublin!


----------



## Lonny Bohonos

I dunno I spent a year in Ireland most of it in Galway with 3-4 months on the Mizen Head peninsula in West Cork. Dublin suck really. Even with the atmosphere. As a tourist you are far better off heading straight to Galway. 

Galway is or at least was when I was there a quaint little city with lots of small family owned pubs (though the super pubs had started making inroads back in 2001).

Galway is close to Cliffs of Moher, the Buren, the islands and Connemara and Gaeltacht (gaelic speaking area).


----------



## Panteras

hey guys, just some pics I took while trying out my new camera last night.

this is in Diablo Lake, WA. In the North Cascades NP.














by the way, has anyone here ever been to Ethiopia? Seems like a very interesting place with cool history, saw the Anthony Bourdain No Reservations and was speaking to an Uber driver from there, got my interest between there and Iceland as far as international places to go to next.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Beautiful pics! If anyone is interested I have a bunch of great pictures from my travels last year. Would be happy to share.

Never been to Ethiopia, but it is very very high in my bucket list. The religious history there is crazy, it has great food, and it's very safe allegedly.

I was potentially going to go in September with a bunch of my friends, but we ultimately decided logistics for 8 of us in Ethiopia is just not doable at an affordable price. My friends that are meeting me in rwanda after my work trip are going to fly there for 2 days to see the Ark of the Covenant (alleged burial place of the Ten Commandments), but I'm not going with them because I think that's a ridiculous excursion. Would rather see everything Ethiopia has to offer at once.


----------



## RussianRifle27

Anyone know of what type of jobs allow you to travel often?


----------



## Jumptheshark

RussianRifle27 said:


> Anyone know of what type of jobs allow you to travel often?




salesmen and other businesses

or go to Meetup.com

create a travel group--start to small trips in your area and then build from there

there is one woman(she is a nasty piece of work) she more or less spends all her time traveling via booking trip for 10 to 16 people with a heavy mark up--you have to book her packages and that allows her to travel for free.--out of 52 weeks out of the year---she travels 40 of them--most people in her group are too stupid to realize how over price the tours she books are.


----------



## EchoesoftheEighties

Most likely touring Germany in May as my sister has a summer internship there. That should be fun


----------



## Panteras

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Beautiful pics! If anyone is interested I have a bunch of great pictures from my travels last year. Would be happy to share.
> 
> Never been to Ethiopia, but it is very very high in my bucket list. The religious history there is crazy, it has great food, and it's very safe allegedly.
> 
> I was potentially going to go in September with a bunch of my friends, but we ultimately decided logistics for 8 of us in Ethiopia is just not doable at an affordable price. My friends that are meeting me in rwanda after my work trip are going to fly there for 2 days to see the Ark of the Covenant (alleged burial place of the Ten Commandments), but I'm not going with them because I think that's a ridiculous excursion. Would rather see everything Ethiopia has to offer at once.




yeah sure, always interested in travel pics. Yeah supposed to be safe considering the area and countries that surround it. 
That's what I'm interested on, the history but also the country side from what I've seen is utterly amazing. I'll probably end up going to Iceland before I go there though. I live in Seattle now and tickets are under 1k and it's just 7 hour flight.. which is nothing. 


I'm also doing a week long cruise to Alaska in September. Never been on a cruise which is crazy being that I lived pretty much all of my life in Miami lol


----------



## GabeTravels

Excellent photos.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

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## ColonialsHockey10

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## ColonialsHockey10

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## ColonialsHockey10

Handful of my favorites. HF wouldn't let me upload some of the other gems - file size too large.


----------



## Panteras

great pics, where was that Milky Way pic at?


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Panteras said:


> great pics, where was that Milky Way pic at?




Makgadigadi Salt Pans in Botswana.


----------



## Jumptheshark

found a new way for my co-workers to think I am crazy

When I get off of work Thursday morning--I head straight to the Airport and head to Thailand for 14 days--when I come back, my flight is supposed to arrive at about 5pm London time and I will head straight to work after a 13 hour flight and 14 days in Bangkok


----------



## GabeTravels

Spent the afternoon walking around Stanley Park before the Bruins game tonight.


----------



## Sniper99

I found out tonight I"m going to Phoenix the week of my birthday March 28th-April 3rd

Lots of sports to check out that week. Caps and Blues in town, Clippers and Rockets, Dbacks pre-season/home opener. This is my 1st time checking out this city and area. I'll be getting at least one round of golf in, what else is good to check out there? shopping, sight seeing, bars etc.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Jumptheshark

Currently at Heathrow waiting for a trigger plane


----------



## GabeTravels

Sadly due to some family commitments I may not be able to do South Africa/Zambia/Zimbabwe after all in September/October.

In an unrelated note, I'm 5 months from my 30th birthday. I have 18 states to visit to hit 50/50. Gonna try and knock that out before I turn 30.


----------



## Hossa

Panteras said:


> by the way, has anyone here ever been to Ethiopia? Seems like a very interesting place with cool history, saw the Anthony Bourdain No Reservations and was speaking to an Uber driver from there, got my interest between there and Iceland as far as international places to go to next.




Lived there for a couple of years. Very complex country with some remarkable sights, unique culture and fascinating politics and history. From a tourism perspective, it's also one of those places where there are multiple different regions worth a visit, so you have to really decide where you want unless you have plenty of time. Recent political developments are notable though, and the government's eventually going to crumble, IMO.


----------



## Lonny Bohonos

Hossa said:


> Lived there for a couple of years. Very complex country with some remarkable sights, unique culture and fascinating politics and history. From a tourism perspective, it's also one of those places where there are multiple different regions worth a visit, so you have to really decide where you want unless you have plenty of time. Recent political developments are notable though, and the government's eventually going to crumble, IMO.



And super hot women. The best.


----------



## Dolemite

Sniper99 said:


> I found out tonight I"m going to Phoenix the week of my birthday March 28th-April 3rd
> 
> Lots of sports to check out that week. Caps and Blues in town, Clippers and Rockets, Dbacks pre-season/home opener. This is my 1st time checking out this city and area. I'll be getting at least one round of golf in, what else is good to check out there? shopping, sight seeing, bars etc.
> 
> Thanks in advance.




Grand Canyon, Sedona, Prescott (the best meadery in the world is there).


----------



## Bee Sheriff

Sniper99 said:


> I found out tonight I"m going to Phoenix the week of my birthday March 28th-April 3rd
> 
> Lots of sports to check out that week. Caps and Blues in town, Clippers and Rockets, Dbacks pre-season/home opener. This is my 1st time checking out this city and area. I'll be getting at least one round of golf in, what else is good to check out there? shopping, sight seeing, bars etc.
> 
> Thanks in advance.




Definitely Scottsdale for shopping. Glendale obviously for sports. Not much for sight seeing. Maybe do a hike one day? I'd really just reccomend doing city stuff


----------



## Bee Sheriff

Dolemite said:


> Grand Canyon, Sedona, Prescott (the best meadery in the world is there).




Those are all ways out from Phoenix


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Who has spent time traveling SE Asia?

My September plans have changed, and we have pivoted away from the Philippines to SE Asia. Currently, our top choice is Vietnam, but for anyone that has been to these countries, which would you recommend out of:

Vietnam
Cambodia
Myanmar

for ~12 days? Thailand is off the table because I spent some time there years ago.

Any advice would be much appreciated!


----------



## Jumptheshark

If I ever go back to Thailand--two days in Bangkok and then a B-line to the Islands


----------



## Took a pill in Sbisa

Have our honeymoon booked in late September, four weeks in Europe. Land in London, spend a bit less than a week around England, then heading to Munich for Oktoberfest, then start an 8 day Contiki tour from Amsterdam-Berlin-Prague-Vienna.

We have about a week to get from Vienna back up to London and hoping to see Italy, France (and maybe Spain).
Looking for suggestions on places to see long the way. We're not all that interested in the super touristy things like the Louvre, the fountain in Rome, etc.
Also would it be better/more economical to take trains or to hire a car?


----------



## BrimFullofAsham45

Took a pill in Sbisa said:


> Have our honeymoon booked in late September, four weeks in Europe. Land in London, spend a bit less than a week around England, then heading to Munich for Oktoberfest, then start an 8 day Contiki tour from Amsterdam-Berlin-Prague-Vienna.
> 
> We have about a week to get from Vienna back up to London and hoping to see Italy, France (and maybe Spain).
> Looking for suggestions on places to see long the way. We're not all that interested in the super touristy things like the Louvre, the fountain in Rome, etc.
> Also would it be better/more economical to take trains or to hire a car?




Eight days to see Amsterdam-Berlin-Prague-Vienna will be hectic, and travel is somewhat long between those cities to boot. After that, you will probably want to relax. The better idea is to take the short train ride from Vienna to Budapest, and divide the rest of your time between there and the Croatian coast. If you want, Venice is is reasonably short bus ride from northern Croatia. Budapest is a great city and your money will go far there.


----------



## Lonny Bohonos

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Who has spent time traveling SE Asia?
> 
> My September plans have changed, and we have pivoted away from the Philippines to SE Asia. Currently, our top choice is Vietnam, but for anyone that has been to these countries, which would you recommend out of:
> 
> Vietnam
> Cambodia
> Myanmar
> 
> for ~12 days? Thailand is off the table because I spent some time there years ago.
> 
> Any advice would be much appreciated!




Hmm 12 days is a stretch to be honest.

I have been to most SE Asian countries bar Philippines which I was planning to do this year but thats off the table. And sadly I decided not to do Myanmar back in 2005 when I was there.

I have spent 2 weeks in Cambodia, 3 in Vietnam, 5 weeks total in Thailand and 4 weeks in Laos. Plus a couple in Borneo, Bali and about a week in mainland Malysia. A month in Singapore as well.

So you have the option of modern city state in Singapore to very rural undeveloped Laos.

What do you want to see?

If it was up to me I would probably do 2 weeks Myanmar since I havent been there or 2 weeks in Cambodia sinceI missed the northern provinces which are supposed to be untouched and stunning. But thats what I am into when I travel.

Thailand probably offers the best mix of rural traditional sights with modern relax you ass off.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Lonny Bohonos said:


> Hmm 12 days is a stretch to be honest.
> 
> I have been to most SE Asian countries bar Philippines which I was planning to do this year but thats off the table. And sadly I decided not to do Myanmar back in 2005 when I was there.
> 
> I have spent 2 weeks in Cambodia, 3 in Vietnam, 5 weeks total in Thailand and 4 weeks in Laos. Plus a couple in Borneo, Bali and about a week in mainland Malysia. A month in Singapore as well.
> 
> So you have the option of modern city state in Singapore to very rural undeveloped Laos.
> 
> What do you want to see?
> 
> If it was up to me I would probably do 2 weeks Myanmar since I havent been there or 2 weeks in Cambodia sinceI missed the northern provinces which are supposed to be untouched and stunning. But thats what I am into when I travel.
> 
> Thailand probably offers the best mix of rural traditional sights with modern relax you ass off.




Unfortunately we have a couple of inexperienced travelers with us so opted to not do Myanmar. We went ahead a did a vote and will be going to Vietnam.

I have a rough idea of what places we will visit, but let me knock w if you have other suggestions!


----------



## Lonny Bohonos

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Unfortunately we have a couple of inexperienced travelers with us so opted to not do Myanmar. We went ahead a did a vote and will be going to Vietnam.
> 
> I have a rough idea of what places we will visit, but let me knock w if you have other suggestions!




Vietnam should be good. Its relatively easy to travel as its long and not wide so you basically just go up the entire country.

I was there in 2005 so I am not sure how much it changed since then.

One thing I did note is the Vietnamese were more aggressive towards tourists or less open than in Thailand, Laos or Cambodia. I had heard this before I went from many people I knew who went there. I was told it was "tiring" constantly having to fight for everything.

I had a couple of crazy hair raising experiences there with locals as they tried to scam me. Something I never have had anywhere else. 

The hill tribe people were a breath of fresh air and I did meet lots of nice open Vietnamese but much less so than in the other countries.

Not sure if they still have it but back then you could get a one-way, hop-on/hop-off bus ticket from Saigon to Hanoi or the reverse. Was like $20USD. But they drop you off at the "tourist hub", basically where all the hotel touts wait for you to accost you. lol

Just walk away and find you own non-overpriced place to stay.

And I would recommend spending a few days in the Mekong delta as well as the Sapa, hill tribe area of the North.


----------



## GabeTravels

Checking out the Tulips in Kukenhof this weekend. Should be fun.


----------



## Took a pill in Sbisa

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Unfortunately we have a couple of inexperienced travelers with us so opted to not do Myanmar. We went ahead a did a vote and will be going to Vietnam.
> 
> I have a rough idea of what places we will visit, but let me knock w if you have other suggestions!




Recommend a homestay in Mai Chau (he's on Airbnb). You catch a bus from Hanoi and it's a few hours, and end up in a little village of about 30 bamboo houses and literally no other tourists. They take you through the village, to the rice fields where the women are working (and you can have a go at planting rice), and they take you to the local waterfalls where the kids play in the afternoon. My partner and I had an awesome time playing with them and getting into splash fights. At night all the girls from the village came over in their costumes and did their traditional minority dance for us and taught us a few moves at the end. The next day we hopped on the back of their motorbikes and they took us to a cave and another village where we met another local family. Was the best food we had for our entire trip as they feed you the whole time you're there.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Thanks for the Vietnam suggestions everyone.

Less than two weeks until my 3-week Cape Town and Rwanda trip!


----------



## Hossa

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Who has spent time traveling SE Asia?
> 
> My September plans have changed, and we have pivoted away from the Philippines to SE Asia. Currently, our top choice is Vietnam, but for anyone that has been to these countries, which would you recommend out of:
> 
> Vietnam
> Cambodia
> Myanmar
> 
> for ~12 days? Thailand is off the table because I spent some time there years ago.
> 
> Any advice would be much appreciated!




I just left Myanmar after living there for more than three and a half years. Loved it, feel strongly attached to the country. Also visited Vietnam and Cambodia while I was living in the region. 

I could write all day about Myanmar, although September may still be a bit rainy (although quieter for tourists). Bagan is one of the coolest places I've ever been, and Inle Lake is lovely as well, while Yangon is a fascinating city with amazing colonial architecture. But bigger picture, the country is fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable. The nicest, most genuine country I've ever been to, and it's not too late to see it before it really changes (although it's changed considerably in the past four years). 

Vietnam and Cambodia are both great, and it depends what you're looking for. Cambodia is primarily Siem Reap/Angkor Wat + Phnom Penh, whereas Vietnam deserves more time and can be cut up into a wide range of itineraries. If you're looking to spend all 12 days in one place, I'd say Vietnam over Cambodia, but Myanmar over both.


----------



## Jumptheshark

heading to paris for the world championships and the driving to Poland in August


----------



## Thucydides

Heading to Albania, Montenegro, Croatia & Bosnia & Herzegovina in 3 weeks. First time to the Balkans.


----------



## digmor crusher

MSPGabe said:


> Rundown of the places I've visited (that you haven't) with quick comments.
> 
> Dublin is mediocre IMO, but the Cliffs of Moher were awesome.
> 
> Brussels is pretty good, but I've heard Bruges is better, or Ghent.
> 
> Really enjoyed Switzerland and Liechtenstein. We flew into Zurich but didn't spend any time there, instead driving to Balzers and Lucerne, before heading to Basel.
> *
> If you're looking for something a bit less touristy, Ljubljana, Slovenia was stunning*. Didn't get a chance to see Lake Bled, but I hear great things.
> 
> Frankfurt wasn't that interesting, but I enjoyed Munich a lot. Granted, I was only there for the Christmas Markets, but there's tons to see. We also took a day trip via bus to Salzburg, which was beautiful but could be seen in a day or so.
> 
> My favorite country in Europe though has got to be Italy. Florence, Venice, and Rome are all incredible, and cheap and fast trains mean you could easily see all three. Venice probably only needs 2-3 days unless you're going to explore the surrounding islands. Florence and Rome have tons to see.




My last 3 trips were:

Philippines
Italy
France/Germany

Thinking of Slovenia for trip next year so good to hear.


----------



## Panteras

So I'm in Whistler...are there any Canadians here or is everyone from UK, Australia, or New Zealand here? Lmao wtf


----------



## Jumptheshark

Panteras said:


> So I'm in Whistler...are there any Canadians here or is everyone from UK, Australia, or New Zealand here? Lmao wtf




I worked 2 seasons in Whistler--first crew were all Aussies--about 1/4 into the season the manager of the crew told me he had to let me go--when I asked why he said that the 5 Aussies had a mate coming over and was in need of a job and if he did not give him a job the 5 would jump to a different site--Ended up working on the slope--but yeah--Since the late 80's mostly Aussie are in whistler


----------



## Cory Trevor

Paris next week for five days. $390USD Roundtrip from Boston on Air France, direct flights. Couldn't say no!


----------



## Cory Trevor

digmor crusher said:


> My last 3 trips were:
> 
> Philippines
> Italy
> France/Germany
> 
> Thinking of Slovenia for trip next year so good to hear.




Heard the same about Slovenia. After Spain it will be my next. 

You been to Dubrovnik? Would also like to go there.


----------



## Dying Alive

Booked a vacation for early September. Two days in Reykjavik and then 15 days on the west coast of Ireland, starting in Galway and ending in Cobh.


----------



## digmor crusher

Cory Trevor said:


> Heard the same about Slovenia. After Spain it will be my next.
> 
> You been to Dubrovnik? Would also like to go there.




No, it was a tossup between Slovenia and Croatia. However, seeing they are close to each other, who knows, may do both.


----------



## GabeTravels

Just got back from a week in Japan. Much of it was spent in Tokyo with a few friends who had never been before, so we did the typical tourist sites.

Before they arrived though, I spent 2 nights in Sapporo. Was lucky enough to see the cherry blossoms bloom. Very neat trip.


----------



## Muston Atthews

Went on a road trip in March.

Started in Toronto and made a stop in North Carolina for 2 nights for a Canes/Leafs game and then went on to Florida to watch Leafs/Panthers Leafs/Tampa and a Jays spring training game. It was spring break/st pattys so safe to say it was lit. My buddy pulled a full 24 hrs on the way back from Florida to Toronto


----------



## Vikke

Was just looking for a thread like this. 
Just booked my first solo travel. Landing in Bangkok September 3, not sure what I'm going to do though. Planning to be away for 7-8 months in Sout East Asia.


----------



## GabeTravels

Vikke said:


> Was just looking for a thread like this.
> Just booked my first solo travel. Landing in Bangkok September 3, not sure what I'm going to do though. Planning to be away for 7-8 months in Sout East Asia.




Phuket is tremendous. 
Enjoyed Kuala Lumpur for the short time I was there.
Really, really love the Philippines.


----------



## Jumptheshark

Cory Trevor said:


> Paris next week for five days. $390USD Roundtrip from Boston on Air France, direct flights. Couldn't say no!




Just got back from Paris

the place has gotten worse over the past few years


----------



## Thucydides

Currently in Albania. Beautiful country and cheap! Great beaches . rented a car and drove through most of it. 

Next is montenegro, Croatia , and then Bosnia.


----------



## RayP

jumptheshark said:


> Just got back from Paris
> 
> the place has gotten worse over the past few years




That's what I constantly hear about it from my older friends who have taken multiple trips over the last 10-20 year. Makes me a little sad I never made an effort to go before, because how they describe what it's turned to it just doesn't sound enjoyable. Especially with the effort it would require to get there from the States.


----------



## Lonny Bohonos

stingo said:


> Currently in Albania. Beautiful country and cheap! Great beaches . rented a car and drove through most of it.
> 
> Next is montenegro, Croatia , and then Bosnia.



Nice. Totally interested in Albania. Might put that on the list for this year.


----------



## Incubajerks

RayFIN said:


> That's what I constantly hear about it from my older friends who have taken multiple trips over the last 10-20 year. Makes me a little sad I never made an effort to go before, because how they describe what it's turned to it just doesn't sound enjoyable. Especially with the effort it would require to get there from the States.




How they describe Paris?


----------



## Soliloquy of a Dogge

2nd time in my life I've been back to my home.

Didn't want to come during rainy season but couldn't pass up another trip considering the circumstances. First day here and we couldn't have asked for a better break in the weather... hoping it's a good omen lol.


----------



## John Price

Nice


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Soliloquy of a Dogge said:


> 2nd time in my life I've been back to my home.
> 
> Didn't want to come during rainy season but couldn't pass up another trip considering the circumstances. First day here and we couldn't have asked for a better break in the weather... hoping it's a good omen lol.




Where is this?


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Just got back from my 3 weeks in Africa.

Cape Town doesn't need any explanation. I was put off a little by the safety, but the city is incredible. Soooo much to do - reminded me of where I went to school in Boulder, Colorado, except on the water.

Rwanda blew my mind though. Kigali is the cleanest city I've ever been to, including cities in Asia, US and Europe. Friendly people, amazing weather, so safe and the gorilla trekking was arguably the coolest experience I've ever had. Being so close to a silverback gorilla is something else.


----------



## Jumptheshark

RayFIN said:


> That's what I constantly hear about it from my older friends who have taken multiple trips over the last 10-20 year. Makes me a little sad I never made an effort to go before, because how they describe what it's turned to it just doesn't sound enjoyable. Especially with the effort it would require to get there from the States.




Paris used to have a good music community but over the past ten years more and more cafes have been banned from playing live music and there is now restrictions on street performers that now has many performers bi-passing Paris all together


----------



## PanthersPens62

Soliloquy of a Dogge said:


> 2nd time in my life I've been back to my home.
> 
> Didn't want to come during rainy season but couldn't pass up another trip considering the circumstances. First day here and we couldn't have asked for a better break in the weather... hoping it's a good omen lol.



Beautiful pics.


----------



## Soliloquy of a Dogge

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Where is this?




Freetown, Sierra Leone. Have family here so we'll probably end up spending the next week or so in Salone and then head off to visit Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana as well where we'll spend a few days in Abidjan and Accra before heading home. 



ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Just got back from my 3 weeks in Africa.
> 
> Cape Town doesn't need any explanation. I was put off a little by the safety, but the city is incredible. Soooo much to do - reminded me of where I went to school in Boulder, Colorado, except on the water.
> 
> Rwanda blew my mind though. Kigali is the cleanest city I've ever been to, including cities in Asia, US and Europe. Friendly people, amazing weather, so safe and the gorilla trekking was arguably the coolest experience I've ever had. Being so close to a silverback gorilla is something else.




Glad to hear you had an excellent trip. Never been to Eastern or Southern Africa but Zambia, Tanzania and South Africa are high on my have-to-visit list. Rwanda sounds especially intriguing and a place I'll definitely have to add now as well.


----------



## Soliloquy of a Dogge

PanthersPens62 said:


> Beautiful pics.




Thanks PP62. Haven't seen you around much lately. Saw you were on the Discord server though. Get online once in a while, would ya?


----------



## PanthersPens62

Soliloquy of a Dogge said:


> Thanks PP62. Haven't seen you around much lately. Saw you were on the Discord server though. Get online once in a while, would ya?



LOL maybe when I have a few days off I'll check it out.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Soliloquy of a Dogge said:


> Freetown, Sierra Leone. Have family here so we'll probably end up spending the next week or so in Salone and then head off to visit Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana as well where we'll spend a few days in Abidjan and Accra before heading home.
> 
> 
> 
> Glad to hear you had an excellent trip. Never been to Eastern or Southern Africa but Zambia, Tanzania and South Africa are high on my have-to-visit list. Rwanda sounds especially intriguing and a place I'll definitely have to add now as well.




Let me know if you need any suggestions for Ghana, was there last year along with Liberia. I love West Africa, but he heat right about now is unbearable there. I was literally covered in sweat perpetually.

Yes, Central/Southern Africa are great. Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia are all beautiful. I would also recommend Rwanda to anyone, it's a shame that most people just associate it with the genocide and assume it's unsafe. It's the fastest growing economy on the continent.


----------



## CokenoPepsi

Going to Las Vegas and LA for a week at the start of June looking forward to it.. so much to do.


----------



## Sniper99

Dolemite said:


> Grand Canyon, Sedona, Prescott (the best meadery in the world is there).






Voyager said:


> Definitely Scottsdale for shopping. Glendale obviously for sports. Not much for sight seeing. Maybe do a hike one day? I'd really just reccomend doing city stuff




Phoenix was amazing. I didnt go to Grand Canyon or Sedona or any places like that. I golfed about and hour north west of Phoenix. Majority of the trip though was in the Phoenix area.

Walked ASU campus grounds. Beautiful scenery
took in a Dodgers-Padres spring training game the afternoon I got there.
Went and caught Caps/Coyotes on my birthday, took in Dbacks Opening Day (there is a regular baseball game and then there is OPENING FREAKING DAY!!) What an experience. I then walked down the street and took in Rockets/Suns. It was a cool experience I suppose as where I live we dont get live NBA games but no James Harden killed that a little.

I golfed twice. Went to a whole bunch of bars and stuff, tried out a lot of craft beers, hardly had any of the usual big name brand beers. 

I'd definitely do Phoenix again.


----------



## Soliloquy of a Dogge

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Let me know if you need any suggestions for Ghana, was there last year along with Liberia. I love West Africa, but he heat right about now is unbearable there. I was literally covered in sweat perpetually.
> 
> Yes, Central/Southern Africa are great. Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia are all beautiful. I would also recommend Rwanda to anyone, it's a shame that most people just associate it with the genocide and assume it's unsafe. It's the fastest growing economy on the continent.




Yeah, unbearable is a good adjective to describe the heat here during rainy season. I find myself already having trouble dealing with the humidity. Last time I was here during early February and it was much more enjoyable. 

Only have intermittent internet here, sorry for the delayed response. Thanks for the offer. Definitely interested in any suggestions you have when it comes to Ghana - in Accra itself or elsewhere.

So far we've only got a few things planned. We're going to head to Kakum National Park as well. Wanted to check out the Volta region since that was highly recommended to us but not sure if we'll have the time to pull that off.

With regard to Rwanda, it's pretty incredible to hear how far the country's come in such a short time since the genocide. I've heard people refer to it as the Switzerland of Africa a couple times but had no idea it had recovered economically to the degree that it has or that a city like Kigali was so forward thinking and progressive. Tells you a lot about the leadership and resiliency of the Rwandan people when you hear these rave reviews about the country.


----------



## Jumptheshark

Since my next job does not start till September

I am thinking about spending July and August in South East Asia


----------



## Soliloquy of a Dogge

I don't wanna come home


----------



## Jumptheshark

so sorted out my summer travel

june 22nd head to Thailand---Do the south east asia circle

Thailand-Cambodia-Vietnam-Laos-Burma

Fly back to London August 1st, August 3rd spend three weeks driving around Poland-Latvia-Lithuania- Belarus-Ukraine.


----------



## Vikke

87 days until takeoff...


----------



## X66

jumptheshark said:


> so sorted out my summer travel
> 
> june 22nd head to Thailand---Do the south east asia circle
> 
> Thailand-Cambodia-Vietnam-Laos-Burma
> 
> Fly back to London August 1st, August 3rd spend three weeks driving around Poland-Latvia-Lithuania- Belarus-Ukraine.




I was in Thailand a few months back.

If you're staying on the coastal parts or on islands, rent a moped and drive around, it's a blast.


----------



## KingLB

Friend got an internship in Hong Kong. Going to visit him for a week. Decided to add a week in Toyko solo and Macau while we are out there. 

Need ideas for what to do?!


----------



## John Price

VACATIONS LIE. Culture tells us to spend an entire year saving for a week to escape our life. We call it vacation. Even with my ability to travel as often as I please, something doesn't feel right. Vacations are meant to be new, they are meant to be fun, but they are not meant to be better than your normal life. I've been all around the world, and I would never trade travel for what I have at home. Life isn't about the 50 vacations you'll take while you're on this planet. It's about the 25,000 days between them. Stop creating a life that you need a vacation from. Instead, move to where you want to live, marry who you want to marry, start what you want to start, and create the life you desire today. This isn't rehearsal people. This is YOUR life.


----------



## Plante

G F O P said:


> VACATIONS LIE. Culture tells us to spend an entire year saving for a week to escape our life. We call it vacation. Even with my ability to travel as often as I please, something doesn't feel right. Vacations are meant to be new, they are meant to be fun, but they are not meant to be better than your normal life. I've been all around the world, and I would never trade travel for what I have at home. Life isn't about the 50 vacations you'll take while you're on this planet. It's about the 25,000 days between them. Stop creating a life that you need a vacation from. Instead, move to where you want to live, marry who you want to marry, start what you want to start, and create the life you desire today. This isn't rehearsal people. This is YOUR life.




If only life was that easy


----------



## Jumptheshark

X66 said:


> I was in Thailand a few months back.
> 
> If you're staying on the coastal parts or on islands, rent a moped and drive around, it's a blast.




I was there in March for 2 weeks and knew then it was not enough time


----------



## Jumptheshark

so I have planned out most of my trip In South east asia from June 23rd to july 31st

Bangkok from June 23nd to 26th
Chiang Mai from 27th to about July 5th(large area to see)
Slow boat to Laos from the 6th to the 9th
Louang Prabang(Laos) July 9th to 11th
Vientiane 12th
back into Thailand take a trip in and around Khan Kaen and heading down towards Pattaya--spend about 3 days heading down to pattaya (give or take)
Pattaya from about 16th to 20th 
Bangkok 21st
night train to Surat Thani
From 22nd to 29th Ko Tao-Ko Pha Ngan-Ko Samui(I have been to Samui before so I may just stick to the two islands
30th--night train back to Bangkok
July 31st fly back out


but as anyone knows--when you are in south east asia--you sometimes go where the wind blows you


----------



## RayP

jumptheshark said:


> so I have planned out most of my trip In South east asia from June 23rd to july 31st
> 
> Bangkok from June 23nd to 26th
> Chiang Mai from 27th to about July 5th(large area to see)
> Slow boat to Laos from the 6th to the 9th
> Louang Prabang(Laos) July 9th to 11th
> Vientiane 12th
> back into Thailand take a trip in and around Khan Kaen and heading down towards Pattaya--spend about 3 days heading down to pattaya (give or take)
> Pattaya from about 16th to 20th
> Bangkok 21st
> night train to Surat Thani
> From 22nd to 29th Ko Tao-Ko Pha Ngan-Ko Samui(I have been to Samui before so I may just stick to the two islands
> 30th--night train back to Bangkok
> July 31st fly back out
> 
> 
> but as anyone knows--when you are in south east asia--you sometimes go where the wind blows you




Would love to see some pictures if you felt like sharing any after, or as you go along this trip.


----------



## Jumptheshark

RayFIN said:


> Would love to see some pictures if you felt like sharing any after, or as you go along this trip.




if I figure out how to post them I will(some one will need to explain how I upload photos here from my hard drive--me old--internet thing not my friend sometimes)

back in Uk now for 24 hours--driving to Poland tomorrow

funnest part of my trip was accidentally going into Vietnam. I was drinking in Laos and the bar shut down at midnight--one of the locals I was drinking with said a bar by his house was still open--so me and 5 other guys all jumped into his bamboo boat and headed across the very small river to the other bar. Turned out it was on the Nam side of the river--opps--did not have my passport on me and I did not have a visa either

ninja edit

I can do it via twitter
@jtshark71


----------



## John Price




----------



## Jumptheshark

G F O P said:


>





couldnt post the beach and poool one eh


----------



## Jumptheshark




----------



## Jumptheshark

more to come


----------



## Jumptheshark




----------



## Jumptheshark




----------



## Jumptheshark




----------



## Jumptheshark




----------



## Cameron Page

In September, it will be my first travel in Europe and Spain is the lucky one! Good thing that I found this page so I can have a little know how when I go there. I have on my list is Bonanza Rock which I read as well in https://www.canaryislandsinfo.co.uk/el-hierro/things-to-do/, I'm so excited!
Thanks Hazel for this page! Love it!


----------



## Vikke

Closing in on three months since I left Sweden. 25ish days in Thailand, a month on Bali and now a month in Malaysia. Heading to singapore in six hours, then to Phnom Penh after. Having a blast traveling solo.


----------



## Plural

Vikke said:


> Closing in on three months since I left Sweden. 25ish days in Thailand, a month on Bali and now a month in Malaysia. Heading to singapore in six hours, then to Phnom Penh after. Having a blast traveling solo.




Sounds awesome. Have fun on your trip!

We're leaving in less than two weeks from Finland. Me and my fiancee will fly to Bangkok at 18th Dec. to attend a family members wedding. We plan on seeing Kanchanaburi and River of Kwai including the death railway. At 28th Dec. we fly to Melbourne to meet up with friends and all five of us will spend new years + January in Australia. New Years in Melbourne, then Great Ocean Road, Fall Creek ski resort, Sydney, coastal towns, Brisbane. We'll meet some of my fiancees relatives in Brisbane, vote in Finnish presidential elections, leave our car and fly to Cairns. We'll spend a week there. Rest of the crew flies back to Finland and I and my fiancee go to Indonesia. Cairns- Denpasar flight is booked for 26th (IIRC) January. We'll catch our breath for few days in Ubud and then we'll start backpacking through Sumatra. 25th (IIRC) February we'll fly from Jakarta to Singapore and have few luxury days before we get back to the north.

Any good tips on Bali/Indonesia?


----------



## Vikke

I stayed for close to a week in northern Bali at lovina beach. Calm, great snorkeling spots and dolphins every morning. The drive there was pretty as hell, too. Had a great view of the volcano that erupted recently, it was on alert when I was there but I felt very safe all the time. 

Try to get a few days on Lembongan if you can, its about an hour with speed boat from Bali. Beautiful island with a lot of stuff to see.


----------



## John Price




----------



## Vikke

G F O P said:


>




Never understood why people do that. I mean, you have a ticket which means you have a f***ing seat on the plane.


----------



## shoeshine boy

Vikke said:


> Never understood why people do that. I mean, you have a ticket which means you have a ****ing seat on the plane.




pretty much what Herbstreit said, people are crazy for overhead bin space now that most airlines charge you to check a bag. my last few flights have been on Southwest and overhead bin space has been plentiful. I'd say the other airlines need to wise up and at least give passengers ONE checked bag for free but let's face it, they're not giving up the BILLIONS they're raking in with these fees.


----------



## Vikke

shoeshine boy said:


> pretty much what Herbstreit said, people are crazy for overhead bin space now that most airlines charge you to check a bag. my last few flights have been on Southwest and overhead bin space has been plentiful. I'd say the other airlines need to wise up and at least give passengers ONE checked bag for free but let's face it, they're not giving up the BILLIONS they're raking in with these fees.



Sure, but there are size limits for carry-on so it really shouldn't matter either way?


----------



## TheDanceOfMaternity

Just booked 12 days in Greece in August! I know it's hot as shit but I didn't expect it to be so cheap so I don't care. It's for a honeymoon and I have never been before, so I don't mind doing a bit of a "greatest hits" tour. My plan was to fly into Athens and ferry down to Santorini and Crete before taking a tiny flight back up to Athens, but if anything is underrated and reachable please let me know!


----------



## deepdark

TheDanceOfMaternity said:


> .. but if anything is underrated and reachable please let me know!




Thassos!
especially for a honeymoon, very chill island..
crete and santorini can be crowded with tourists, and by tourists I mean germans.

edit: still beautiful islands and beaches tho


----------



## GabeTravels

Been a while since I've posted here.

Did a quick trip last fall to Karlovy Vary, Czcech Republic. Beautiful city I will return to...only had a day and a half there.






Also got to fly the inaugural Airbus A350 flight on Delta. No standby travel for this one...I booked a seat when the route was first announced to travel in Delta's new Suites. A fantastic experience.






In December, Delta retired their 747's...the last US Airline to fly them. Delta did 4 farewell flights for employees, and I was lucky enough to get one of the seats. We flew Detroit-Paine Field-Seattle. We got to get up close and personal with the plane, and my friend snapped this photo.


----------



## buddahsmoka1

GabeTravels said:


> Phuket is tremendous.
> Enjoyed Kuala Lumpur for the short time I was there.
> Really, really love the Philippines.




The Philippines is legit. I just spent a month and a half in Manila and enjoyed it a lot.


----------



## Jumptheshark

I feel named right now

Process of renewing my passport meaning I can not wake up and bugger off on plane or something warm


----------



## Jesus comma Brodin

Hey all, just finding this thread after a few years on the forums and all. I am an American and a consultant that travels 7 months out of the year. I am currently in the UK after spending a few weeks in Jordan and other middle Eastern countries and the last 3 days in Spain. Last year I flew ~312,000 miles and am flying Friday to the Zurich and then off to the Middle East for a few weeks. 

I digress, I love talking AV and comparing notes on planes and best business class seats and using points. Was wondering however if anyone had any experience flying the business class on Royal Jordanian in their 787? I haven't flown it other than short hops and while I am not huge on Sky Team but I sort of want to give it a shot.


----------



## Jumptheshark

Vikke said:


> Never understood why people do that. I mean, you have a ticket which means you have a ****ing seat on the plane.





A few weeks ago i flew to Sweden and avoided the rush to board so I was one of the last to board. All I had was my carry on back pack. When I got to my seat the over head luggage rack was full. Stewedes told me I would need to check my bag. When I asked the guys in my row if it was their bags they a said no. The bags belonged to someone 10 rows away. 

Too make a long story short they took his bags to the hold because he had 3 fair sized bags. Seen it happen a few times to others where they had to check their bags due to over head racks being full. 

That is the only reason I can think people queue up so quickly


----------



## RayP

jumptheshark said:


> A few weeks ago i flew to Sweden and avoided the rush to board so I was one of the last to board. All I had was my carry on back pack. When I got to my seat the over head luggage rack was full. Stewedes told me I would need to check my bag. When I asked the guys in my row if it was their bags they a said no. The bags belonged to someone 10 rows away.
> 
> Too make a long story short they took his bags to the hold because he had 3 fair sized bags. Seen it happen a few times to others where they had to check their bags due to over head racks being full.
> 
> That is the only reason I can think people queue up so quickly




It's sad this needs to be policed, but I really wish it was. Nothing more frustrating than seeing someone toss their bang in an overhead bin and then walk 15-20 more rows deep to their seat. I normally get on the plane pretty early too, and still see this when you know the bins back there haven't even been touched yet. I mean FFS, why??????


----------



## Jesus comma Brodin

Flying the Emirates A380 Business on Tuesday for 14 hours, one of the best experiences.


----------



## hangman005

Took a trip to Narnia today..... ok I took a wrong turn and got trapped in a cupboard for 4 hours.


----------



## Jumptheshark

some tweets from Belfast

Rockies hockey bar


----------



## Jumptheshark

Going to have fun next week

Next monday I start in Bath at 7am head into London for a 11 am meeting at noon I catch the train to Liverpool spend the night and next day there then at 6 pm I grab a train to Bristol and the back to bath


----------



## Jesus comma Brodin

jumptheshark said:


> Going to have fun next week
> 
> Next monday I start in Bath at 7am head into London for a 11 am meeting at noon I catch the train to Liverpool spend the night and next day there then at 6 pm I grab a train to Bristol and the back to bath




How is Bristol for a day trip? The lady and I are always trying to find some new places to go from London.


----------



## GabeTravels

Looks like I'm doing a week in Morocco in a couple weeks.

Fly into Fes via Paris, 2 nights there before taking a train to Marrakech. Then doing a 3 day Sahara tour including stargazing, before returning to Marrakech.


----------



## darko

hangman005 said:


> Took a trip to Narnia today..... ok I took a wrong turn and got trapped in a cupboard for 4 hours.




Aslan is cool.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Figured as I would bump this as my big few months of travel are coming up.

- End of May: will be in Uganda for work and then will be crossing into DR Congo to hike Mt Nyiragongo. Little nervous for the second part but got to do it while I’m over there — I blew it last year not going when I was in Rwanda

- July: London for work, then will be going with some coworkers to Norway and Copenhagen

- September: 2 weeks in Sri Lanka. 9 of us have signed up for a 10-day tuk tuk race around the southern half of the island

Should be a good summer.


----------



## John Price

Man I just returned from a 2 week excursion to Europe it was nice


----------



## John Price

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Figured as I would bump this as my big few months of travel are coming up.
> 
> - End of May: will be in Uganda for work and then will be crossing into DR Congo to hike Mt Nyiragongo. Little nervous for the second part but got to do it while I’m over there — I blew it last year not going when I was in Rwanda
> 
> - July: London for work, then will be going with some coworkers to Norway and Copenhagen
> 
> - September: 2 weeks in Sri Lanka. 9 of us have signed up for a 10-day tuk tuk race around the southern half of the island
> 
> Should be a good summer.




We had about a 5 minute wait at Customs in Newark on Thursday night and I kept thinking about your claim about a 3 hour wait at TSA to get into the airport and I kept thinking how full of crap your story was


----------



## John Price

GermanNuck said:


> Paris is so beautiful. (Sometimes it's pretty dirty though)
> 
> If you go to Egypt try not to spend to much time on the Sinai. Pretty dangerous for tourists right now.




Paris is nice. Didn't see no museums though but we did a lot of walking.


----------



## John Price

irunthepeg said:


> I wanna fly to San Fran in spring to visit a buddy out there, maybe for a week or so.



how your southwest trip


----------



## Nickmo82

Jesus Brodin said:


> How is Bristol for a day trip? The lady and I are always trying to find some new places to go from London.




It has a good zoo, if you're in to zoos. Clifton suspension bridge is nice. Nice waterside area of old warehouse-turned-shops/restaurants. There are a few museums and a so-so cathedral. If you like name-dropping things, you can walk about and find Banksy pieces around the city.


----------



## Conrad McBenis

HFBCommenter said:


> Paris is nice. Didn't see no museums though but *we *did a lot of walking.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

HFBCommenter said:


> We had about a 5 minute wait at Customs in Newark on Thursday night and I kept thinking about your claim about a 3 hour wait at TSA to get into the airport and I kept thinking how full of crap your story was




Don’t remember ever posting that, but I’ve had some pretty brutal customs experiences. No BS in those stories - entirely dependent on time. I waited in customs in Israel for 2 hours when I was there last year. It was a total shitshow.

Yet ironically I came into JFK with a big fat Democratic Republic of Congo stamp (at a time when there was an Ebola outbreak) and they waved me right through. No rhyme or reason.


----------



## John Price

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Don’t remember ever posting that, but I’ve had some pretty brutal customs experiences. No BS in those stories - entirely dependent on time. I waited in customs in Israel for 2 hours when I was there last year. It was a total ****show.
> 
> Yet ironically I came into JFK with a big fat Democratic Republic of Congo stamp (at a time when there was an Ebola outbreak) and they waved me right through. No rhyme or reason.




Yeah okay man.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

HFBCommenter said:


> Yeah okay man.




Did I also pee in your Cheerios? Because I don’t remember doing that either.

What’s with the attitude?


----------



## John Price

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Did I also pee in your Cheerios? Because I don’t remember doing that either.
> 
> What’s with the attitude?




I don't got no attitude. I just found it rather humorous your claim about that extremely long TSA line. That is it. HAve a nice day.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

HFBCommenter said:


> I don't got no attitude. I just found it rather humorous your claim about that extremely long TSA line. That is it. HAve a nice day.




Got it, so because you didn’t have a long experience once it can’t be true. I’m not allergic to peanuts, so nobody is!

New normal: 4 hours to get through airport customs


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Has anyone been to Sri Lanka?

I spent two weeks there in September for a Tuk Tuk race. I think it was the best country I’ve ever been to. Amazing history and the friendliest people I’ve ever met.


----------



## Hockey Outsider

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Has anyone been to Sri Lanka?
> 
> I spent two weeks there in September for a Tuk Tuk race. I think it was the best country I’ve ever been to. Amazing history and the friendliest people I’ve ever met.




I'd like to visit Sri Lanka. My wife thinks I'm crazy. The biggest issue for me is the food - I don't do well with spices.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Hockey Outsider said:


> I'd like to visit Sri Lanka. My wife thinks I'm crazy. The biggest issue for me is the food - I don't do well with spices.




Why does she think you’re crazy? It’s a very safe country - felt safer there than nearly anywhere else I’ve been (other than East Asia)! Coincidentally it was voted Lonely Planets top place to travel in 2019 today.

The best places to visit in 2019 - Lonely Planet

The spice is definitely a concern, but for what it’s worth, I don’t tolerate spice that well and it was fine. We ate street food half the time because we had to cover so much distance each day and we’re constantly getting lost in or Tuk tuks. It has a little kick, but nothing overwhelming like I expected.

Let me know if you need any tips. I’d highly recommend it!


----------



## Jumptheshark

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Don’t remember ever posting that, but I’ve had some pretty brutal customs experiences. No BS in those stories - entirely dependent on time. I waited in customs in Israel for 2 hours when I was there last year. It was a total ****show
> Yet ironically I came into JFK with a big fat Democratic Republic of Congo stamp (at a time when there was an Ebola outbreak) and they waved me right through. No rhyme or reason.





when I fly into the US I try to avoid flying into any airport in New Jersey or New York

it is like they can not wrap their collective heads around the fact some people do travel a lot

last time in Newark airport I was stuck in the little white room because I had a Schipol stamp in my passport--it was the tail end of of passport life so I had been too about 60 countries in 5 years and it was full of stamps--I was treated like I committed a crime because I like to travel

I just got a new passport so I may take a trip to the states--my passport that just expired has stamps from Russia, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and a few other places raise the radar of US custom guards


----------



## John Price

jumptheshark said:


> when I fly into the US I try to avoid flying into any airport in New Jersey or New York
> 
> it is like they can not wrap their collective heads around the fact some people do travel a lot
> 
> last time in Newark airport I was stuck in the little white room because I had a Schipol stamp in my passport--it was the tail end of of passport life so I had been too about 60 countries in 5 years and it was full of stamps--I was treated like I committed a crime because I like to travel
> 
> I just got a new passport so I may take a trip to the states--my passport that just expired has stamps from Russia, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and a few other places raise the radar of US custom guards




It took 5 minutes to get through customs at Newark.


----------



## Jumptheshark

HFBCommenter said:


> It took 5 minutes to get through customs at Newark.





I get stopped everytime


----------



## Hockey Outsider

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Why does she think you’re crazy? It’s a very safe country - felt safer there than nearly anywhere else I’ve been (other than East Asia)! Coincidentally it was voted Lonely Planets top place to travel in 2019 today.
> 
> The best places to visit in 2019 - Lonely Planet
> 
> The spice is definitely a concern, but for what it’s worth, I don’t tolerate spice that well and it was fine. We ate street food half the time because we had to cover so much distance each day and we’re constantly getting lost in or Tuk tuks. It has a little kick, but nothing overwhelming like I expected.
> 
> Let me know if you need any tips. I’d highly recommend it!




She's into more "conventional" destinations - her top three choices are Japan, France and Italy (I've already visited the latter two before we got married and I'd rather see new countries first).

Was your visit self-planned, or were you part of a group? Assuming you don't speak Sinhala or Tamil, how difficult was it to get by with English? Thanks!


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Hockey Outsider said:


> She's into more "conventional" destinations - her top three choices are Japan, France and Italy (I've already visited the latter two before we got married and I'd rather see new countries first).
> 
> Was your visit self-planned, or were you part of a group? Assuming you don't speak Sinhala or Tamil, how difficult was it to get by with English? Thanks!




Got it - Japan is incredible as well!

I was in Sri Lanka for 15 full days, with seven other friends. The first five days we planned ourselves and visited the cultural heart of the island (Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Dambulla). It’s very easy to get around - riding the trains is one of the most famous things to do in Sri Lanka, but you can always hire a car for dirt cheap (relative to most countries). The island is pretty small, so traveling long distances isn’t a big deal. Overall it was a breeze planning.

The second half we signed up for a Tuk Tuk race around the sourthern half of the island with an adventure tour group called Large Minority. It was incredible but very intense and extremely dangerous (the traffic is nuts, so imagine handling that if you’ve never driven a vehicle with a clutch and gears, on the left side of the road nonetheless) so not for everyone. They handled all the lodging, we were just required to get from A to B everyday (using a map, no phones allowed, and challenges to complete along the way). It would not have been difficult to plan though.

The people are unbelievably friendly. We didn’t know Sinhalese or Tamil (were given a useless phrase book for the race) and were constantly asking for directions. If you say hello to them and ask if they speak English in Sinhalese they will go out of their way to help you, even if they can’t speak English. However, a decent amount of the population spoke English, and depending on where you are the island can be pretty touristy, so you’ll always be able to find someone to talk to.

It’s also incredibly safe. Wouldn’t worry at all about that.


----------



## Thucydides

Anyone been to Oman?


----------



## Jumptheshark

stingo said:


> Anyone been to Oman?





years ago--it was safe and fine as long as you understand their laws and customs


I think it is still a crime for a single couple to share a room


----------



## ScottishCanuck

HFBCommenter said:


> We had about a 5 minute wait at Customs in Newark on Thursday night and I kept thinking about your claim about a 3 hour wait at TSA to get into the airport and I kept thinking how full of crap your story was




It's almost as if people can have different experiences depending on how many flights are arriving, the time of day, or just how lucky they get with the timing.

An almost impossible concept to grasp apparently.


----------



## Jumptheshark

ScottishCanuck said:


> It's almost as if people can have different experiences depending on how many flights are arriving, the time of day, or just how lucky they get with the timing.
> 
> An almost impossible concept to grasp apparently.





also what passport you have and how often you travel.

A few people I know suggest because I do so much travelling and to countries that have reputations this does help my case


----------



## Jumptheshark

looks like I will be spending March in Thailand-Cambodia-Laos and Vietnam


----------



## John Price

ScottishCanuck said:


> It's almost as if people can have different experiences depending on how many flights are arriving, the time of day, or just how lucky they get with the timing.
> 
> An almost impossible concept to grasp apparently.




Mobile passport son


----------



## Jumptheshark

HFBCommenter said:


> Mobile passport son





not many yanks have trouble GETTING into the US, son


----------



## John Price

son


----------



## Jumptheshark

for those of you state side

There are some early reports there could be some great cyber Monday specials coming up


----------



## John Price

Just returned from italy


----------



## Kevs Security

Just returned from italy


----------



## John Price




----------



## Cody Webster

Utah next week


----------



## John Price

Delta pulls napkins encouraging passengers to slip their number to their 'plane crush'


----------



## Conrad McBenis

I am going to Tehran, Iran for work in June. I am actually kind of excited. Not really nervous because I will have guides/handlers with me at all times.


----------



## John Price

The Crypto Gal said:


> I am going to Tehran, Iran for work in June. I am actually kind of excited. Not really nervous because I will have guides/handlers with me at all times.



have fun


----------



## Jesus comma Brodin

Bump this thread. 

Looking for off the beaten path European trips. I am running out of ideas as I've done just about as much as I can. Most recently was Latvia, Estonia and Arctic Circle, Finland. 

Any tips appreciated.


----------



## Blackmon

Going to Boston in May, and can't wait to get there. Driving straight to Bar Harbour for a few days as soon as we land, then heading down to see Salem, then spending 3 days in Boston before heading back to Edmonton for a week, then going to Iqaluit for a week, Cape Dorset for a week, and finally home after that.


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Anyone been to Ethiopia?

I’ll be there and Tanzania in May for work, but am traveling around Ethiopia for a week after. We’re still ironing out our itinerary (doing the Northern route) and id love some recommendations. Seems nobody can agree on what the best things to do in Ethiopia are.


----------



## Conrad McBenis

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Anyone been to Ethiopia?
> 
> I’ll be there and Tanzania in May for work, but am traveling around Ethiopia for a week after. We’re still ironing out our itinerary (doing the Northern route) and id love to recommendations. Seems nobody can agree on what the best things to do in Ethiopia are.




Try the local cuisine:

Dirt
Bugs


----------



## Hockey Outsider

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Anyone been to Ethiopia?
> 
> I’ll be there and Tanzania in May for work, but am traveling around Ethiopia for a week after. We’re still ironing out our itinerary (doing the Northern route) and id love some recommendations. Seems nobody can agree on what the best things to do in Ethiopia are.




What's your itinerary in Tanzania?


----------



## ColonialsHockey10

Hockey Outsider said:


> What's your itinerary in Tanzania?




Not very exciting. I’m there for work - spending the weekend in Zanzibar (stoked) for fun and then I have meetings in Dar all week.

Ethiopia is where I’m taking extended time off after my project. Ive ironed out an itinerary, but information is pretty spotty for a lot of the spots online. Don’t know how feasible the logistics of my trip are.


----------



## Islesfan2019

Anyone been to Tijuana Mexico? Is it as corrupt or dangerous as people like to say it is? I'd like to visit, but would also like not to be beheaded or hassled by cops for money.


----------



## John Price

Islesfan2019 said:


> Anyone been to Tijuana Mexico? Is it as corrupt or dangerous as people like to say it is? I'd like to visit, but would also like not to be beheaded or hassled by cops for money.




ask @Hammettf2b


----------



## TJ Hooker

I'm in California.


----------



## Hammettf2b

Islesfan2019 said:


> Anyone been to Tijuana Mexico? Is it as corrupt or dangerous as people like to say it is? I'd like to visit, but would also like not to be beheaded or hassled by cops for money.



Yes, getting hassled by cops for money is still very common. Especially if you are in your own car and they see USA plates.


----------



## JMCx4

My wife & I are making our first visit to The Maritimes in May, 12 days built around the Memorial Cup tourney events in Halifax. Still have some serious daily excursion planning to do in the next month, but we're really looking forward to seeing whatever we can squeeze in.


----------



## Hockey Outsider

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Not very exciting. I’m there for work - spending the weekend in Zanzibar (stoked) for fun and then I have meetings in Dar all week.
> 
> Ethiopia is where I’m taking extended time off after my project. Ive ironed out an itinerary, but information is pretty spotty for a lot of the spots online. Don’t know how feasible the logistics of my trip are.




Zanzibar is a crazy place (in a good way). I felt safe walking around Stone Town, but you'll be hassled by touts. Definitely check out the Forodhani evening fish market and don't be afraid to haggle.

I've never been into lounging on the beach, but time permitting, see if you can visit one of the resorts on the eastern side of the island. Pristine white sand beaches, and a complete change of pace compared to Stone Town.


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## ColonialsHockey10

Hockey Outsider said:


> Zanzibar is a crazy place (in a good way). I felt safe walking around Stone Town, but you'll be hassled by touts. Definitely check out the Forodhani evening fish market and don't be afraid to haggle.
> 
> I've never been into lounging on the beach, but time permitting, see if you can visit one of the resorts on the eastern side of the island. Pristine white sand beaches, and a complete change of pace compared to Stone Town.




Thanks for the tips!

I’m very excited, Stone Town has been on my bucket list for a long time. Very prepared to be hassled endlessly.

Did you take the ferry to the island? I plan on taking it and have been reading mixed reviews. Unfortunately I’ll be lugging around a big piece of luggage with suits and two weeks worth of clothes, so am hoping it’s not too chaotic.


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## Hockey Outsider

ColonialsHockey10 said:


> Thanks for the tips!
> 
> I’m very excited, Stone Town has been on my bucket list for a long time. Very prepared to be hassled endlessly.
> 
> Did you take the ferry to the island? I plan on taking it and have been reading mixed reviews. Unfortunately I’ll be lugging around a big piece of luggage with suits and two weeks worth of clothes, so am hoping it’s not too chaotic.




I didn't - I flew to and from the island. I can't comment on the ferry. I'm sure that if you keep an eye on your bags you'll be fine.


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## Fongule

Ive traveled to every state in the east coast for work and think I’m fancy, until I can here haha. Besides the Caribbean’s, Canada, and my home country of South Africa I’ve only been to Argentina and Italy, really would like to see Australia and Sweden


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## Gash

I agree with you so much about travel. Think it is something that everyone must experience at one point in their lives. It opens you up to so much more with experiences, people, culture, and much more. Thanks for sharing your views and congrats on leaving the hustle lifestyle. I plan to visit Greece. What the best / cheapest way to travel in Greece? Has anyone used Athens Taxi before?


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## Jumptheshark

So. Originally I was going to to to Austria and Czech republic for 10 days--but with the Pound taking a beating my cost was going up and up. I looked at how much it was going to cost me for those ten days and went to myself "I can go somewhere warmer"--So I rebooked for south east asia for 28 days for how much that trip was going to cost me


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## John Price

k


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## heatnikki

I love Italy and Spain the most. Right now I'm planning my trip to Valencia, Spain. It's gonna be awesome trip, I want to visit all local destinations and legendary stadium Mestalla (I'm a football fan). I've already checked all info about things to do on worldstadia.


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