Anyone got any travel planned?

[BTravlin]

We are staying at the Agape Cottages at Cane Garden Bay. We have been to Tortola several times but never stayed on the island. Any recommendations for things to do on the island would be appreciated.

I'd drive the Ridge Road from one end to the other and stop and see the sites along the way. Sage Mountain Park is the highest point in the BVI and has some good hiking trails with killer views of the surrounding islands. Mt. Healthy is another park off the Ridge Road. O'Neal Botanical Gardens in Road Town is a nice place to visit on about 3 or 4 acres in the center of town. If you like snorkeling, I would pack a lunch and some drinks and then rent a boat to go snorkeling at the Indians. It is out in the Sir Francis Drake Passage but easy to get to in a runabout. Awesome snorkeling. Also, take the ferry over to Virgin Gorda and explore the Baths and enjoy the beach there. If you like to party and are there on a full moon then make sure you go to the Bomba Shack. Supposd to be a heck of a party but we've not been there on the full moon. Have a great trip!

P.S. If you scuba dive don't miss the Wreck of the Rhone, one of my favorite dives.

 

[travelover]

The same as a traveler does at any other place I guess.

What does a "travelover" do anywhere?

For some people, travel means sitting on the beach sipping a cold drink. Others are tromping through the woods with binoculars and swatting mosquitoes while looking for their 197th bird species. Others are volunteering at an orphanage.

In a place like Panama, I guess I can see many possibilities.

 

[Moemg]

It is a cruise, and we really have not made any plans for the excursions. Let me know if you have any good ideas.

We went to Panama on a cruise last year and took a tour with " My friend Mario " . They were highly rated on Cruise critic . Great tour to the canal , walking the rain forest and a historic fort . They were better and less expensive than the cruise tours.

 

[Robert the Red]

I'm starting to plan a trip to Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand area for next year.
But, currently, trying to decide when to just visit Sedona an hour and a half away..ha!

I strongly recommend you fit in a trip to Angkor Wat and around (Siem Reap, Cambodia). Of all the places I've been, this is easily tops on my list to re-visit:

The Angkor area contains many intricate temples and other sites, and takes a minimum of 3 days to see. We stayed at Two Dragons hostel, which was clean and inexpensive (and the food was delicious!). The Tales of Asia website in the hostel link also contains a lot of good info about traveling in SE Asia.

 

[Rustic23]

In 1972 I saw Angkor at least once a week, however I never got to see it from the ground. Got shot at a few times from there, but it was one of the places that was strictly off limits to shoot back so we always viewed from a distance.

 

[REWahoo]

In 1972 I saw Angkor at least once a week, however I never got to see it from the ground. Got shot at a few times from there, but it was one of the places that was strictly off limits to shoot back so we always viewed from a distance.

While you were viewing Angkor out of your windscreen in 72, this was the view out of mine. Shooting back was also a no-no...but since we were unarmed and [-]scared sh!tless[/-] unafraid it wasn't really a problem.

 

[travelover]

While you were viewing Angkor out of your windscreen in 72, this was the view out of mine. Shooting back was also a no-no...but since we were unarmed and [-]scared sh!tless[/-] unafraid it wasn't really a problem.

So, what is a propaganda village?

 

[REWahoo]

So, what is a propaganda village?

This is how Wikipedia describes it:

The official position of the North Korean government is that the village contains a 200-family collective farm, serviced by a childcare center, kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, and a hospital.[10] However, observation from the South suggests that the town is actually an uninhabited Potemkin village built at great expense in the 1950s in a propaganda effort to encourage South Korean defection and to house the PRK soldiers manning the extensive network of artillery positions, fortifications and underground marshalling bunkers that abut the border zone.[3][4][11][12] Though no visitors are allowed, it is the only settlement in North Korea within direct eye- and earshot of the Korean DMZ.

The village features a number of brightly painted, poured-concrete multi-story buildings and apartments, many apparently wired for electricity – these amenities represent an unheard-of level of luxury for any rural Korean in the 1950s, north or south. The town was oriented so that the bright blue roofs and white sides of the buildings next to the massive DPRK flag would be the most distinguishing features when viewed from across the border. Scrutiny with modern telescopic lenses, however, reveals that the buildings are mere concrete shells lacking window glass or even interior rooms,[11][13] with building lights turned on and off at set times and empty sidewalks swept by a skeleton crew of caretakers in an effort to preserve the illusion of activity.[14]

 

[Rustic23]

Yea, I have some time seeing that view also.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Thanks, REW. And can I say that any opportunity to see the wonderfully descriptive term "Potemkin Village" is a good one!
I'd not heard of this and appreciate your illuminating post.
And your (and others) military service!

 

[Martha]

It might be worth taking the ferry over to Port Aransas one day - good restaurants in town and you're likely to see dolphins crossing the ship channel.

Audrey

I am staying in Port Aransas. It is great for birding, walking, kayaking, and eating. Rae, if you see this, go to the tourist info center (bear left at the lights when you leave the ferry) and they will give you maps or directions to the birding hot spots. The birding center is the best.

 

[Zoocat]

I'm going to Ecuador next month, the Amazon and then the Galapagos. I hope to see the elusive pink Amazonian dolphin and also frolic in the ocean with penguins and seals in the islands. I've been to the Galapagos once before on a 4 day cruise and it was much too short so this time for seven days. What a luxury!

 

[travelover]

I'm going to Ecuador next month, .........

I went to Ecuador in 2009 and really loved it, especially the Amazon. DW and I are going to Peru in July and are making a special effort to have much more time in the Amazon. Unless you fly, you burn up a lot of your tour's time just getting anywhere in the motorized canoes.

 

[Zoocat]

I went to Ecuador in 2009 and really loved it, especially the Amazon. DW and I are going to Peru in July and are making a special effort to have much more time in the Amazon. Unless you fly, you burn up a lot of your tour's time just getting anywhere in the motorized canoes.

Peru is BEAUTIFUL!!! Are you going to the ruins?

I am looking forward to the canoe trip up the river. Only 2 hrs. Getting there is half the fun.

 

[travelover]

Peru is BEAUTIFUL!!! Are you going to the ruins?

I am looking forward to the canoe trip up the river. Only 2 hrs. Getting there is half the fun.

I was to Machu Picchu in 1998 on a much too hectic tour. We are planning on spending a week in Cusco / Sacred Valley / MP this time.

Two hours isn't bad for a canoe ride. In Manu you can rack up much longer rides, which gets old.

 

[sailfish]

I am going on a panama canal trip from Miami to San Diego at the end of April. Anyone else going?
I
Sounds like a good trip,

 

[kcowan]

We have been to Italy a number of times, but this will be our first time in Florence, oddly enough. Based on the reviews, we booked at the Hotel Orto de' Medici, which is near the Piazza San Marco.

Make sure you take a day trip to San Gimignano and Lucca! Hire a driver. We were there in September.

 

[Retire2013]

Nothing exotic, just 3 days later this month to Dallas, Texas, to surprise my older sister on her 60th birthday. I am planning the event with her daughters. I am sure she will cry from happiness. My sister is very sweet, sentimental and hard working.

 

[TromboneAl]

Lena will soon be visiting her folks in Sweden, since her dad is not doing well. Jenny is going to meet her there. I'd go, but I'm just not willing to put up with the long trip and flying hassles (5 separate planes to get there).

While Lena's gone, I might go on a camping/biking trip.

 

[Gumby]

Make sure you take a day trip to San Gimignano and Lucca! Hire a driver. We were there in September.

Thanks. We'll definitely look into it. We hired a car and driver for the Amalfi Coast last year and were very pleased with the experience.

 

[Moscyn]

Just got back from North Island New Zealand (was in South Island last year). I must say South Island has more majestic scenery. We played golf, drove around and went for sight seeing, wine and dined and visited some friends who retired there. I am amazed at the very large retirement community in New Zealand. My friends were telling me the benefits of retiring there and that the NZ government gives NZD250 per week to each NZ citizen who have stayed there for 10 years (I think there are other conditions too but it seems that they are quite easy to satisfy). So, this couple we know say that they can't even spend all of the NZD500 per week they receive and thus have not tapped on their retirement nest.

 

[harley]

I looked into retiring to NZ in a lot of detail. It's very difficult to do, especially for Americans. Unless you have connections and a lot of money, the best you can get is a 6 month visitor's visa, and they make you leave for 6 months out of the year. I don't remember all of the details, but it was pretty overwhelmingly difficult. I doubt it's changed, as we are less popular there now than we used to be.

 

[aaronc879]

Leaving this evening for my 2 week vacation to Florida. Looking forward to escaping the cold, snow, and ice. It'll be in the single digits for a high here and it'll be well into the 60's in Florida

 

[donheff]

Going to Maui and Kauai in the morning. Aloha.

 

[Moscyn]

I looked into retiring to NZ in a lot of detail. It's very difficult to do, especially for Americans. Unless you have connections and a lot of money, the best you can get is a 6 month visitor's visa, and they make you leave for 6 months out of the year. I don't remember all of the details, but it was pretty overwhelmingly difficult. I doubt it's changed, as we are less popular there now than we used to be.

I read from the NZ newspaper on retirement growth numbers for last year, apparently British tops the list but there seem to be strong growth coming from the Chinese from China.