Has anyone here like, travelled a lot?

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mad1

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Angie Jolie lover from Belfast Norn Ireland. I LO
yea so just wondering, are you someone who has been pretty adventurous, been to a LOT of cities, etc.

where is the best place you visted?
where is the worst?
was it interest or, well, boredom that made you up and go? :D
On your own whole time? with mate/mates whole time? or bit of both?




it really is okay if no-one answers this, there might be none or just one of you!

:wink:
 
I was a tour guide/assistant art professor in Florence Italy for the last 3 years with my university...I grew up there so I stayed to see friends and family over the summer but still travelled all up and down the country. So far in 3 years i've seen about 40+ Italian cities and towns, mostly for churches, artwork, and of course food and wine.

This past summer I went with my best friend to Istanbul, Turkey, because I'm he and I are into Byzantine culture. We climbed an ancient Roman aqueduct (a scary story in itself) did an amazing Turkish bath, took a cruise up the Bosphorus, and spent hours inside the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque (my first time in a Mosque and I was thoroughly impressed)

I've also been to Paris, drove down through the south of France (Provence) and spent 3 days in Salzburg Austria (Mozart!!) and Prague which I believe next to Istanbul is probably the most under-rated city, its absolutely spectacular.

Next summer i'm making plans to return to Italy, maybe take up my old job again, and i'm also talking to my travel buddy about possibly doing Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Greece.

Unfortunately I really can't say i've seen much of the United States. I went to Alaska in 2000, and took a family camper trip and did the Gulf Coast to New Orleans and then travelled to North Carolina for summer camp when I was 12. Other then that lived a few years in New York which is still one of my favorite cities, and made trips to see family in Los Angeles. I guess this summer while i'm tied down here for school, I want to "re-discover" America.
 
:wave:

it been decdes for most of my big trips.....
when I had money I was too scared to fly much, so I couldn't go over the water to Europe/Asia/ Africa etc

SO I took one trip by bus (like a eurorail pass - 2 weeks unlimited :yippie: travel) across the USA- concentrating on the Southwest route Arizona & New Mexico and visiting the Navajo & Hopi nations (in NE arizona).

Also saw the Grand Canyon (but not near sun set or sunrise when the colors really, really come out on the rock formations), a bit of the Painted desert, 2 other canyons. plus ( the incredible) Monument Valley.

If you like the look of the high desert & canyons then THOSE are splendid areas to go to. Utah also have alot of rock formations.
You also get to visit and experience - unlike some of the Native-American Tribes that totally got pushed off their lands-- the Hopi & Navajos do live in some of the areas they've lived in for over a 1,000 years.

going by bus or train you get to see the landscape change which was fascinating.

I had ALSO a great time visiting San Fransico. Hope to viait aGAIN SOME DAY. I even heard some local punk bands of that time (79). :D
VISITED A COUSIN IN LA (FUN, BUT I'D BEEN STUCK WITHJ OUT A CAR (II DON'T DRIVE) sorry on the caps....

Then the next trip I stopped again in Alberquerque and visited my some friends of my dad. then I went up to SOuth Dakota (saw Mount Rusmore and the early work on Geronimo Mountain from a special get-together , and visited my cousin Denver who took me on a motorcycle up into The Rocky Mountains!

On our way up to the Rockieswe also stopped off at Red Rocks ! But this was ? 4- 6 years BEFORE U2 played there..... but it was beautiful!:heart:


I have also visited Philly, Boston & Washington DC. Dc is the city I've visited the most.
And the rare jet trip to Georgia - Altanta & Athens .... way back.

a realtive gifted me w a vacation, so 2 yrs back i finally got back on a jet and finally got over SOME water & visited San Juan/ Puerto Rico. Lovely Hotel. Old San Juan is quite fascinating And the gorgeous teal/turquoise water is:love::love: dreamy!

my "advice"??
... read up/google up where you think you'd like to go.
SAve up - i did ( except that special trip) .... plan some things/ leave room for some happy, unexpected occurrences or places to suddenly take off to from where you are.

Also see if there are places your interests would take you....
like I hope to visit chicago b/c I love Architecture and it has some of the best in the USA. :) I enjoy politics & some History so I've been to DC a bunch of times.

I love the high-desert landscape so I went parts of the south west.
and as you are doing here--- ask people!

See if you can also stay a bit w friends or relatives you like!

and if you get some ideas over time--- come back and tell us what you're thinking of doing. :hyper: :D
i
 
Best - Cinque Terre, Italy
Worst - Las Vegas

Most of my travelling was with at least one friend, if not a group.
 
yea so just wondering, are you someone who has been pretty adventurous, been to a LOT of cities, etc.

where is the best place you visted?
where is the worst?
was it interest or, well, boredom that made you up and go? :D
On your own whole time? with mate/mates whole time? or bit of both?




it really is okay if no-one answers this, there might be none or just one of you!

:wink:

I love travel!! :love:

Best places were probably London, Dublin, Paris, South Africa and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Worst? No such place exists. :wink: I've done a lot of travel, and have enjoyed every place I've been to.

All of my travel has had a purpose of some sort. I went to Europe on a university exchange, so it was very easy for me to go to other countries while I was there. I've done charity work in Russia and South Africa. Within North America I have gone to visit family/friends, gone on vacation with family, or just on roadtrips to discover new places.

I've always gone with at least one friend/family member, although I have flown alone to certain places and met up with people when I arrived.
 
where is the best place you visted?
I hate this question, lol. I loved so many places for so many reasons. I'm going to go with London, England. Honolulu is a close second.

where is the worst?
Many parts of Florida, except the Keys.

was it interest or, well, boredom that made you up and go?
New people, weather, food, experiences. History, family, friends.. BEACH.

On your own whole time? with mate/mates whole time? or bit of both?
Both. I love to spend the time with friends, but I also like to wander.
 
where is the best place you visted?

Paris but I also love Dublin, Nice, London and Madrid. Every time I go to Amsterdam I like it more and more, too.

where is the worst?

Hmm, I haven't been anywhere I didn't really enjoy. Sanremo in Italy was probably the most boring place but it was so hot we didn't get any further than the beach where we sat drinking all day.

was it interest or, well, boredom that made you up and go?

I had to go to two countries as part of my degree. Everywhere else we just felt like exploring or would see which places we could get to by bus and train and then take a day trip there.

On your own whole time? with mate/mates whole time? or bit of both?

I was with Salome in Spain in 9 months, in France with about 20 other people from university and Salome or family everywhere else I've been to.
 
where is the best place you visted?
Too many to name, but I do have fond memories of Hawaii, England and Zanzibar. I love the beach so this is where Hawaii and Zanzibar score points. England was with family and we had a lot of fun in London.

where is the worst?
Mumbai, India. I went as a kid and I still remember it.... not fondly.

was it interest or, well, boredom that made you up and go?
Interest, family, etc....

On your own whole time? with mate/mates whole time? or bit of both?
Both. Family and friends are important but I also like to explore alone. Picture taking is done best alone :wink:
 
Oooooohhh good questions. I travel a fair amount (6-8 times per year), about half for work, half for fun. I'm going to Mongolia for July. You can see that I started that thread here below.VVV

where is the best place you visited?

Best Country--New Zealand. Beautiful place, wonderful people. I've been there 4 times now and would love to visit even more.

Best City--toss up between Sydney and Vancouver. Both beautiful and diverse. I've been to Sydney twice and Vancouver once, but I am planning on attending the Winter Olympics in 2010.

where is the worst?

Sorry, HOUSTON! Florida (the whole state) is a close second, dirty cities, selfish people, poor infrastructure. Sorry, that's been my experience.

was it interest or, well, boredom that made you up and go?

My wife and I had our big "awakening" trip to NZ in 1998. After that trip, we quit our jobs, started our own company and have been independent ever since. Many friends of ours had recommended NZ. We had never traveled outside the U.S., so NZ was a safe, comfortable familiar destination. It's a fabulous place that made us want to see more of the U.S. and the world. It's expensive to travel, and better when you are young, so you have to commit and go for it.

On your own whole time? with mate/mates whole time? or bit of both?

Like I said, my wife and I are great travel companions. We mostly will go places together, but sometimes we meet up with friends.

I have to say to that I like traveling to big cities as much as rural/camping type travel, either one suits me.

My ultimate plan is to save up for a sail boat and tour around the world that way for as long as we can.
My ultimate destination to visit is the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia--tigers, bears, giant eagles and volcanoes. That would be amazing!


Mark
 
This is a great thread! I :heart: to travel!


Where is the best place you visted?
Tahiti-Bora Bora which was breathtakingly beautiful, picture post card perfect vacation with the perfect balance of rest & relaxation sitting on the pristine beach both night and day and fun activities as well. I also loved the beautiful Scottish Highlands and more than 40 shades of green in Ireland!

Where is the worst?
Not really a "worst" because I look at every place I visit with fairness and an open mind. Every place on earth has it's unique Pros and Cons.

Was it interest or, well, boredom that made you up and go?
Hobby and interest. I love to travel!

On your own whole time? with mate/mates whole time? or bit of both?
Both. I enjoy a balance of alone time and time with a good travel partner or group.
 
Best (abroad): Paris, no contest. I went back and lived there for six months, and it still haunts my dreams. The only place aside from Los Angeles that I could see myself living for the rest of my life.

Best (U.S.): New Orleans. I can't believe RedRocks listed this as worst. This city rules in terms of music, food, and a culture that is the most unique in the entire country, a strange brew of French, Southern, and Africa culture. They created jazz and jambalaya. Enough said. Also, I went through most of Wyoming a couple years ago and my god is that state beautiful.

Worst (abroad): Of the 8 or so cities in Italy I visited, I found Genova the least interesting. I remember a group of us staying in the hostel went into town, got bored, and then just came back to drink and do drugs. Also not a huge fan of Barcelona, which everyone seems to love. I liked the food a lot but the nightlife scene was a little cheesy for me.

Worst (U.S.): I did an extensive amount of traveling through my last job, and I probably had the most uneventful time in Columbus, Ohio. I don't like the midwest anyway for the most part, and I grew up in Chicago. Also, Florida pretty much sucks, and despite having one of the best indie rock bars I've ever been to in my life (the Bar-BQ), Orlando in particular is like tourist overload and garish. Sorry, YLB.

I traveled abroad completely out of interest, and can't wait to have the $$ to go again. I doubt that I will be going anywhere in the future that doesn't involve some kind of film project, though.

I've traveled alone a couple times (most of my Italy trip), but that came about more through circumstance (people who TOTALLY flaked) than intention. I really don't like being by myself.
 
India is without a doubt my favorite country to travel in, though I'm biased because my studies/work have revolved around it for almost two decades now. Kerala and Himachal Pradesh are deservedly famous for their beauty and Rajasthan for its historical sites. My favorite cities there, all small-to-medium-sized by Indian standards, are probably Udaipur, Varanasi and Kochi. It's true that the really large cities can feel overwhelming and not much else for many tourists; with the exception of Delhi, which has a medieval Old City as well as the architecturally impressive federal government center, they're really quite young cities, dominated by the unappealing look of turbo-paced urban development on a budget. But no problem--this is a country so large and diverse you could fit virtually all of Western Europe into it, so there's so much else to see besides just the megacities and handful of predictable package-tour staples (Taj Mahal, Jaipur, Khajuraho).

I've traveled more in India than anywhere else, including my own country (US), but I've done some fairly whirlwind tours of lots of other places. I loved Guilin, Hangzhou and Hong Kong in China; Kyoto in Japan; and Bangkok. Rome, Lisbon and London are probably my favorites of the European cities I've seen, and Italy and Greece my favorites of the European countries I've visited. I also love to hike, and the Hautes-Pyrenees (France) is my all-time favorite destination so far for that. My favorite US cities to visit are probably San Francisco, New York City, and Washington DC; Hawaii is probably my favorite state, again especially because of the hiking. Charleston and New Orleans should not be missed if you're interested in Southern history and culture.

I've honestly never had a through-and-through lousy tourism experience anywhere. In my opinion, if you do your homework before you go, there's simply no excuse for winding up someplace that holds no interest for you, or finding that you allotted too much time to an otherwise unappealing place which happens to have one or two sites of interest.

Pretty much all my international travel has been tacked onto studies abroad (as a college and grad student) or work-related trips (conferences, research) since then. I just haul out my backpack and my hostel guide and see whatever I can of the area with whatever time and money I have left. I definitely prefer to travel with friends or family if they're on hand--for me, it's more fun to have someone(s) to share the experience with--but I can enjoy myself well enough on my own too.
 
India is without a doubt my favorite country to travel in, though I'm biased because my studies/work have revolved around it for almost two decades now. Kerala and Himachal Pradesh are deservedly famous for their beauty and Rajasthan for its historical sites. My favorite cities there, all small-to-medium-sized by Indian standards, are probably Udaipur, Varanasi and Kochi. It's true that the really large cities can feel overwhelming and not much else for many tourists; with the exception of Delhi, which has a medieval Old City as well as the architecturally impressive federal government center, they're really quite young cities, dominated by the unappealing look of turbo-paced urban development on a budget. But no problem--this is a country so large and diverse you could fit virtually all of Western Europe into it, so there's so much else to see besides just the megacities and handful of predictable package-tour staples (Taj Mahal, Jaipur, Khajuraho).

I've traveled more in India than anywhere else, including my own country (US), but I've done some fairly whirlwind tours of lots of other places. I loved Guilin, Hangzhou and Hong Kong in China; Kyoto in Japan; and Bangkok. Rome, Lisbon and London are probably my favorites of the European cities I've seen, and Italy and Greece my favorites of the European countries I've visited. I also love to hike, and the Hautes-Pyrenees (France) is my all-time favorite destination so far for that. My favorite US cities to visit are probably San Francisco, New York City, and Washington DC; Hawaii is probably my favorite state, again especially because of the hiking. Charleston and New Orleans should not be missed if you're interested in Southern history and culture.

I've honestly never had a through-and-through lousy tourism experience anywhere. In my opinion, if you do your homework before you go, there's simply no excuse for winding up someplace that holds no interest for you, or finding that you allotted too much time to an otherwise unappealing place which happens to have one or two sites of interest.

Pretty much all my international travel has been tacked onto studies abroad (as a college and grad student) or work-related trips (conferences, research) since then. I just haul out my backpack and my hostel guide and see whatever I can of the area with whatever time and money I have left. I definitely prefer to travel with friends or family if they're on hand--for me, it's more fun to have someone(s) to share the experience with--but I can enjoy myself well enough on my own too.

Have you been to Gujrat at all? I'm a Gujrati, my family is from the Kutch area :)
 
Also not a huge fan of Barcelona, which everyone seems to love.

Definitely agree with this. I went a lot when I lived in Spain but never really liked it. It's fun to go on St. George's day though - that was a nice experience. Everyone I know who has been raves about it and I know two people who lived there and went straight back again after university. I always wonder if it was a bit boring because I liked where we were living a lot more and it was much better in comparison.

I expected the place to look different from what I imagined. I remember looking for the Casa Batllo and we were sitting on a bench thoroughly baffled about where it was because according to our map we were right beside it. We were standing opposite it the whole time. I had always imagined the building to be really impressionable but we had been walking past it and never noticed. :doh:

Paris was much, much, much, much better than I ever imagined. :heart: I am trying to convince the man we should get the train down there this week. He's been telling me that we're going to go since last August :rolleyes:
 
Hawaii is probably my favorite state, again especially because of the hiking.

Which islands have you visited? And do you mostly do day hikes?

I've been to Hawaii several times (including Vertigo :rockon:), but it was mainly to visit my wife's Grandmother and to hit the beach. I'd love to do more hiking there.


Mark
 
Have you been to Gujrat at all? I'm a Gujrati, my family is from the Kutch area :)
Yes, when I was in Pune as a grad student I had a friend and classmate who was from Bhuj and invited me along on a visit home during break. That was a very charming town (though I'm afraid badly damaged by the Gujarat earthquake in 2001; haven't been there since) and while there, we drove around to some of the villages in the Greater Rann, which is really a spectacular area. (I think I might've needed a permit to do that, can't remember anymore.) As an undergrad I'd also visited Ahmedabad, a fun city with some interesting mosques and markets and also a good base for visiting (by bus) the temple complex at Palitana, which is beautiful.

I've also always wanted to visit the national park in Junagadh (Gir), but haven't gotten around to that yet. :hmm: I think you may be the first person with roots in Kutch whom I've encountered outside India--it's not a very populous area.
Which islands have you visited? And do you mostly do day hikes?
Kauai, the Big Island, Maui, and Oahu. The former two are my favorites, but they're all beautiful. My brother-in-law lives in Hilo so I have family there too.

We mostly do day hikes there, yes--it's nice to have that option in Hawaii because it rains so much. My top recommendations would be, go to Kauai and hike Waimea Canyon and Koke'e (they're right next to each other) and the Na Pali coast (for that you pretty much have to camp, but oh Lord is it worth it), and/or go to the Big Island and hike Volcanoes National Park and the Waipio Valley area, with an evening excursion to the top of Mauna Kea for sunset, stargazing and maybe, if you're lucky, a spectacular view from above of Kilauea fountaining.
 
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best places:
01 all of New Zealand... just the best!!!
02 Chile (Patagonia, crossing the andes to Bariloche/Argentina, Valparaiso, NP Huerquehue)
03 Brazil (the island morro de sao paulo, salvador de bahia, paraty)
04 Cape Verde Islands
05 Rarotonga/Cook Islands
06 Canarian Islands (La Palma, Cran Canaria)
07 Greek Islands (Amorgos, Naxos etc.)
08 Königssee (Bavaria)
09 Rügen Island (Baltic Sea)
10 Prague
i very much like travelling. it always gave me a lot of energy.
 
since i've never travelled out of the country (though that will change this summer), my responses won't be as interesting as everyone else's. :)

best: so far, i've liked chicago and new orleans the best. chicago, to me, is a nice big city but it's not overly intimidating or anything. plus there's lots to do there. and new orleans is a great city, with a nice vibrant culture. perhaps it's because i live in memphis so i've been exposed to a lot of the cajun culture, to me it's just such a great city. beautiful architecture, nice people, great food. i was there a year after the hurricanes, it'd be nice to see how the city's improved since then.

the worst city so far has been hot springs. there's just fuck all to do there. that's what happens when you try to plan some city that's not too far away but you don't have the internet to do research. not to mention the weather was horrible the whole time we were there.

also, i'm glad to see how many people are listing new zealand as a top pick. i'll be there this summer and although i know i'll have a great time, it's just reassuring i won't just like the company, but will also like the country. :)
 
close to home, i'd definitely advocate wellington in summer. beautiful city, you can walk almost anywhere.

i'd also say the southern alps, and the south island west coast have to be seen to be believed. it's real frontier country over there, and so beautiful at the same time.

can't say i ever really dug christchurch, and i know i'm not the only one who thinks that. it's a very odd place, but it does have some attractions.

places like taupo and rotorua, and the desert road are also spectacular.

having spent most of my life in auckland, i really don't care for the place, but it gets rave reviews from everyone i know who visits, so it can't be all bad.

worst place i've been in new zealand has to be lower hutt. i swear to god, everyone had an extra finger, toe or head.

in australia, i lived in sydney but it was some time ago. it's very nice, if you're in the right areas, and the harbour is to die for. the fact that everyone says melbourne is better means it must be a hell of a place. canberra gets a bad reputation, but if nothing else the drive from sydney is nice. i also loved the blue mountains national park, katoomba and also the central coast.

at the same time i also enjoyed the gold coast in queensland. it was nice, if not very touristy. hang away from surfer's paradise - closer to palm beach/currumbin and you've got a very nice area. i can't say i felt much love for the time in spent in brisbane.

let's see...further away, i loved inverness and kirkcaldy in scotland. i also have fond memories of glasgow and edinburgh. i'd love to go back to scotland and the uk in general. i don't know how i felt about london - it was almost exactly 10 years ago and it was hard for 11 year old me to take it all in, but i'd love to try it again. i'm not fond of the super sized cities, but i wasn't overawed.

the united states. here's where i have an opinion contrary to the rest of the world. i was there only a few months ago and spent time (albeit very little) in california, utah, arizona and a lot of time in tennessee.

one thing i will say right off the bat - the entire time i was in the states i didn't meet one asshole. everyone was as nice as you could imagine. the only person i didn't care for was the woman from california on one of my planes who was more interested in her iphone than saying hello to the guy who had to stand up to let her get to her seat. the people come across as genuinely friendly, and everywhere i was i felt completely welcome and i look forward to moving to the states later this year.

i spent the majority of my time in memphis, and it seems like a nice little city. it kinda feels like a more colourful auckland, albeit slightly rougher around the edges. nashville also seemed nice. i'm not in a rush to go back to los angeles, twice i've been there (albeit limited time again) and twice it didn't feel like my favourite place. i'm trying to think of these places sans the company, which may distort my view a bit.
 
Ive been to almost every state In the U.S. on tour with my band, but my real goal is to get to India, I want so much to go
 
by three months from now i'll have lived in 6 countries.

i'm not bragging, i'm just saying that i'm better than all of you.
 
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