What Was Your best Vacation?

[Rambler]

For us it was probably the vacation to London last year for our 25th anniversary. We stayed at the Sherlock Holmes hotel, and walked to just about all the museums and attractions. We were exhausted at the end of each day, but delighted at the same time.

We go to Hawaii often, and as Hankster mentioned, I am also a bit of a history buff, particularly WWII and then particularly what the Japanese refer to as the Pacific War. We don't visit the relics of the war every time we go, but when we do, I am often overcome with emotion, sadness that the forebears of my family and my wife's family had to fight each other so violently. ...That said, we love the environment in Hawaii, the beauty, the slower pace of life, the chance to unwind a bit...its all wonderful.

R

 

[tuixiu]

Backpacking thru Vietnam, with side-trip to Cambodia.

 

[freebird5825]

Easy one to answer.

1996 - 6 days on the island of Crete followed up by 3 days in Athens. It was another one of those tagalong trips for me.

Everywhere I went, the locals immediately spoke to me in Greek. I had learned a few polite greeting phrases ahead of time. Then I said (in English) that I was American born and was never taught the language of my ancestors. But I knew the alphabet from college studies and could read simple signs. Definitely the right thing to say.

 

[bbbamI]

...oh and my second best vacation destination....my house. The food is great, the bed is comfy and I don't have to stand in line.

 

[REWahoo]

...oh and my second best vacation destination....my house. The food is great, the bed is comfy and I don't have to stand in line.

And you can hold your very own stampede...

 

[Moscyn]

There's been so many and is difficult to choose. The most recent is always the best given my failing memories. Went to South New Zealand in February this year. Drove in a rented car and stayed in golf resorts. It is so quiet and peaceful in NZ and the scenery is remarkable. Food and wine is so mouth watering. We also stayed in a guesthouse run by a Swiss chef and of course the food is delicious. Of course, golf was excellent and the courses are so scenic that one gets distracted easily.

 

[Fireup2020]

2008 Carnival de Quebec. Went on a ski trip with our ski club - bussed up Wednesday, skiied on Thursday, walked around old city Quebeq, brunch, massages, partied with ski club on Friday, Saturday - did everything snow related at the festival (mechanical bull riding, human foosball, zip line, tobagganed down the big hill near Le Frontenac, slides, tubed down hills, ate beaver tails, froz maple syrup, etc) Bussed back on Sunday. The BEST 5 day vacation ever! (followed by a 5 day pack mule trip in the high country of Yosemite - but that was a family trip, so a different flavor of fun!)

 

[tuixiu]

But I knew the alphabet from college studies

Heh.

"Where's the party tonight?"

"Uh, I think it's at that one frat house with the triangle and the X on it"

"Okay, cool."

 

[Orchidflower]

Enjoyed any vacation, but the place I loved the most as it was unique: Morocco.

Best place I'd want to live permanently: Amsterdam.

In America I had probably the best traveling experiences in San Francisco, but for sheer beauty on a trip you can't beat the Tetons.

 

[Brat]

The animal life on the islands make them feel almost mystical. And the snorkeling is superb (you do need a shorty wetsuit). We took a fairly pricey trip (INCA) on a smallish yacht that could carry up to 18 passengers. The food was great, the cabin was luxurious and the guide was very professional. Everything worked perfectly. You can check out a boatload of photos from our trip if you are interested.

I know a lot of people who have toured the Galapagos on larger boats and have also found it to be a trip of their lifetime.

As of this year the park is limiting the number of guests on a boat. I think 18 is now the max.

 

[Brat]

I have two favorite vacations:

1980 to China with a bunch of architects and city planners. The group met with City Planners in one major city where they asked how skip development was handled in the US - who paid for infrastructure. Our folks asked about multi-story family housing, they said any height beyond shouting distance of grand mother didn't work out well. It was fascinating to see that within a profession the issues are similar. Our guide was a Columbia U grad student (from West Linn, OR of all places) majoring in Education with a focus on developing nations. His adviser's brother was the Minister of Education in China.

Four years ago we rented small camper vans and toured New Zealand and Australia. We must go back as when we headed north from Three Corners to Darwin we encountered flooded roads and a car-park that was out of gas and full of mosquitoes. After re-treating back to Three Corners we headed east to Cains.. the road turned to gravel and Willy-Wiley's tossed us around a couple times. What an adventure!

 

[donheff]

As of this year the park is limiting the number of guests on a boat. I think 18 is now the max.

I couldn't find anything about that on-line. It would destroy most of the tour operators. If suspect there is a new limit it may be to the maximum size of a group on land, not on a boat.

 

[Brat]

I couldn't find anything about that on-line. It would destroy most of the tour operators. If suspect there is a new limit it may be to the maximum size of a group on land, not on a boat.

We were there last year and it was my understanding that they were limiting the size of the group. Huge impact on tour operators.

 

[donheff]

We were there last year and it was my understanding that they were limiting the size of the group. Huge impact on tour operators.

That doesn't surprise me - they were talking about further limits when I was there. The larger boat operators will have to break there passengers into smaller groups and shuttle them to alternative shore locations or break them up in time more (e.g. some groups hiking while others snorkle or more hanging around on the boat waiting for your time slot). That will have a big effect on the operators. Sounds like small boats will be even more advantageous since they will be better able to effectively schedule excursions.

 

[GusLevy]

My girlfriend and I have fallen in love with the South Pacific since it allows us to enjoy some of the things that we both love to do: Hiking, snorkeling, experiencing simple cultures and, of course, sun and food. My favorite vacation has been our trips to French Polynesia. The Tahitians are very nice people and not as jaded with tourists as the Hawaiians are, for example. Many tourists bypass the main island Tahiti for the fantasy islands such as Moorea and Bora Bora but I really enjoyed the natural ruggedness of the interior of the Tahiti in addition to the Old World French outpost feel of Papeete with it's French Colonial architecture and shipping port - I feel like I go back in time about 100 yrs when I am in Papeete.

Moorea is probably my favorite island in the world. The feel of the island immediately grabbed my spirit given it's size, it's beautiful interior, it's amazing waters and lagoons, and the fact that it does not feel commercialized while having all the amenities that a traveler wants. We always rent a "buggy" to travel around that small island when we are there and it makes the experience feel like being a kid in a fantasy playground - only better because we have the money now to actually enjoy it.

The beauty of Bora Bora is hard to put into words. The island has got to be the most beautiful one in the world. The water is so blue-green that it appears artificial. It is a place where I can literally do nothing all day on one of the over-the-water huts and absolutely have a perfect day. The snorkeling experience was greatly diminished due to a storm a few yrs ago but there are still enjoyable spots on the island. One of the greatest experiences of my life was to go down to the ocean floor in one of those Jacque Cousteau diving helmets and feed the fish with bread: They would all act like hesitant puppies but once the first one took a piece of bread the entire neighborhood of fish would swim all around you to get a piece. A huge puffer that literally looked like a puppy was very hesitant to grab a piece of bread so when it finally lunged in to grab a piece it was so sloppy that it ended up biting my hand instead: The scar is my favorite vacation memento to this day.

 

[Moemg]

The beauty of Bora Bora is hard to put into words. The island has got to be the most beautiful one in the world. The water is so blue-green that it appears artificial. It is a place where I can literally do nothing all day on one of the over-the-water huts and absolutely have a perfect day. The snorkeling experience was greatly diminished due to a storm a few yrs ago but there are still enjoyable spots on the island. One of the greatest experiences of my life was to go down to the ocean floor in one of those Jacque Cousteau diving helmets and feed the fish with bread: They would all act like hesitant puppies but once the first one took a piece of bread the entire neighborhood of fish would swim all around you to get a piece. A huge puffer that literally looked like a puppy was very hesitant to grab a piece of bread so when it finally lunged in to grab a piece it was so sloppy that it ended up biting my hand instead: The scar is my favorite vacation memento to this day.

Have you done the shark feeding in Bora bora ? That was one of my favorite but scary experiences .

 

[GusLevy]

Have you done the shark feeding in Bora bora ? That was one of my favorite but scary experiences .

Yes, the shark feeding experience was incredible. I love the ocean and water but am regrettably not the best swimmer in the world so the initial moments were tense for me - I stayed very close to the boat! To me sharks are the ultimate animal form so to see them in a natural environment was unforgettable.

 

[Bob1958]

We've been to Hawaii and a bunch of the Caribbean Islands, but tops was probably Lake Tahoe. A week hiking the surrounding mountains, visiting historic Viriginia City, fishing the lake and enjoying the scenery.

 

[kaudrey]

Each trip has standout moments, so it's hard to pick one. Some experiences:

Alaska: we hiked and camped for 4 days in Denali plus did a week long cruise out of Vancouver and spend a few days in Seward (hiking the ice field was an adventure!). I like that by camping deep in the park, we experienced things few people get to.

Last summer we hiked/camped in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons - Yellowstone was just amazing to me. It is definitely one of my favorite places.

Other places/trips I loved: touring around Spain on my own; Italy with my aunt (Florence was my favorite); a wedding in northern Greece follow by a trip to a few of the Greek islands; learning to surf (a little) in Costa Rica (and hiking the volcano); Haleakala at sunrise in Hawaii; hiking/camping through Arizona and Utah (we both love Zion)...

I, like others, am always ready to say that the best trip is the next one! We are working on this summer's trip, and are all over the map (literally). We keep throwing out new ideas - hiking Maccu Picchu; touring Eastern Europe; Glacier National Park and Banff...next year we hope to go on safari or to New Zealand...

 

[Free To Canoe]

The nice to think about good travel experiences because it brings it back to life.
It is also kind of a challenge to try to communicate the experience through words.

The one DW and I remember most fondly was a 2 week visit to Queensland, Australia. It is nice to visit an exotic land. I don't know where to start to describe it. Our kind of place.

 

[73ss454]

A cruise on a 4 masted ship to the Greek Isles and Italy. Normally I don't like cruises but this was very laid back with no schedules to eat and no dancing waiters.

 

[Alan]

Our best vacation was a month long holiday in Queensland, Australia in '89.

Our 2nd best vacation was a month long holiday in Queensland, Australia in '97.

 

[REWahoo]

Our best vacation is the next one.

 

[grasshopper]

Sea kayaking in the Sea of Cortez. Very primitive camping on the beach, but sorta like Out of Africa. A power boat went ahead set up camp on different places. We paddle up tents are up, cerveza is cold, and dinner being served. Sea turtle watching, whale watching, snorkeling, bird watching, and plenty of muscles used.

Oh did I say I was on permanent vacation?

 

[rescueme]

Best? Hard to choose just one. Here's my top three:

1. Switzerland (loved it, especially the Glacier Express). DW will be back there in September for her 2nd time around (I'm staying home with the puppies)...
2. Australia (yes, I know it's a big country; let's say the "right side - North to South); IOW, not Western Australia (maybe next time).
3. France (many times - different areas)...

While my DW is currently traveling, with her "travel buddy" (girls running wild, in the spring, in the South), I would answer (for her), Egypt. She was there in September (yes, including Cairo - before all hel* broke loose).

Regardless of the unrest and the poor conditions for the "common man/woman", it did impress her.