Travel? Favourite countries?

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AussieKurt
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Travel? Favourite countries?

Post by AussieKurt »

Not sure if there's a travel thread but where are your favourite places to go? Where have you been? Put up some pictures?

Gashouse
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Re: Travel? Favourite countries?

Post by Gashouse »

most of my foreign travel has been in eastern Asia when my wife and I lived in Japan. Of the places we visited, Thailand was by far our favorite. We loved living in Japan, too, but that felt different than "visiting".

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AussieKurt
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Re: Travel? Favourite countries?

Post by AussieKurt »

Gashouse wrote:most of my foreign travel has been in eastern Asia when my wife and I lived in Japan. Of the places we visited, Thailand was by far our favorite. We loved living in Japan, too, but that felt different than "visiting".
I'm probably going to Japan at the start of next year. Hints/tips?

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lukethedrifter
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Re: Travel? Favourite countries?

Post by lukethedrifter »

45/50 US states
USVI/BVI
8/10 Canadian provinces plus Yukon Territory
Mexico
Chile/Argentina/Falkland Islands
Antarctica
Ireland
England/Wales
France
Spain
Andorra
Turkey
Ukraine
Romania
Bulgaria
Greece


Almost had a trip lined up to go to Japan to be on a TV show and get made fun of. Sadly, fell through.

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CardsofSTL
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Re: Travel? Favourite countries?

Post by CardsofSTL »

Luke's been everywhere.

Mostly traveled the USA and Canada. Been to Germany, Iraq, S. Korea, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia...that wasn't for vacation though.

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AussieKurt
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Re: Travel? Favourite countries?

Post by AussieKurt »

CardsofSTL wrote:Luke's been everywhere.

Mostly traveled the USA and Canada. Been to Germany, Iraq, S. Korea, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia...that wasn't for vacation though.
Looks like we are/have been in a similar workforce

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CardsofSTL
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Re: Travel? Favourite countries?

Post by CardsofSTL »

AussieKurt wrote:
CardsofSTL wrote:Luke's been everywhere.

Mostly traveled the USA and Canada. Been to Germany, Iraq, S. Korea, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia...that wasn't for vacation though.
Looks like we are/have been in a similar workforce
Perhaps; a lifetime ago it seems like now.

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heyzeus
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Re: Travel? Favourite countries?

Post by heyzeus »

Spain's my favorite place. Either Andalucia or the Costa Brava in the northeast.

Tips for Japan: Study the Tokyo subway map in advance. It is stunning how many lines there are. Also, some lines are operated by different companies, so a ticket for one won't work on the other. Definitely go to as many izakayas as you can. Stay at least one night in a traditional hotel with the tatami mats and paper sliding walls. Go to a traditional onsen (hot spring bath). Go to as many sights from Lost In Translation as possible (like the bar on the 50th floor of the Hyatt where the lounge singer performs)

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Re: Travel? Favourite countries?

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heyzeus wrote:Spain's my favorite place. Either Andalucia or the Costa Brava in the northeast.

Tips for Japan: Study the Tokyo subway map in advance. It is stunning how many lines there are. Also, some lines are operated by different companies, so a ticket for one won't work on the other. Definitely go to as many izakayas as you can. Stay at least one night in a traditional hotel with the tatami mats and paper sliding walls. Go to a traditional onsen (hot spring bath). Go to as many sights from Lost In Translation as possible (like the bar on the 50th floor of the Hyatt where the lounge singer performs)
This is good advice. I can share other specific ideas and suggestions, depending on where you're going to go. I'm most familiar with Tokyo, Kyoto, and the Mt. Fuji area.

General - touristy/famous sites will be crowded, especially on weekends or holidays. For example, the hear/see/say no evil temple was borderline not worth it because it was so crowded. That said, sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised. When we visited the Kamakura area with the huge budda statue, it wasn't really crowded at all. Also, the touristy sites in Kyoto weren't too crowded.

Tokyo specific - Shinjuku station at rush hour is amazing to just sit back and watch for a bit. Also, the Tsukiji fish market is a unique experience.

Get tickets to a day of sumo. tournaments are 2 weeks long every other month (Jan, Mar, May...). Three tourneys in Tokyo, and I don't remember where the others are.

Kyoto - neat mix of history and a modern city. not nearly as many flashing lights at Tokyo or Osaka, but can still be very fun.

Nara was the capital before Kyoto, but it's still a very small city. Still attracts plenty of tourists, but due to the city still being pretty small, it has retained a lot of old charm. Decent peak into more historical/traditional life outside of the big cities, but with interesting history and cultural sites as well.

Mt. Fuji can be frustrating. You can be at the base of the mountain and not see a damn thing of the mountain, even if it's otherwise a nice day. But the lakes around Fuji are pretty and if you have a clear shot of Fuji, it's gorgeous. In the summer (well it's safest in summer), you can climb up the mountain all night and then watch the sunrise from the top. It's a popular summer activity and something most Japanese folks try to do at least once in their life. Just watch the signs on the way down or you might end up on the wrong side of the mountain and need someone to help you bushwack around the mountain while they tie ribbon on trees to help them find their way back (honestly didn't happen to me, but maybe to someone I'm married to).

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ghostrunner
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Re: Travel? Favourite countries?

Post by ghostrunner »

Went to Europe about 15 years ago for a couple months. Spent a few days in each of these:

Lisbon, Portugal
Evora, Portugal
San Sebastian, Spain
Barcelona
Nice, France
Nimes
Florence, Italy
Rome
Venice
Interlaken, Switzerland
Munich, Germany
Vienna
Prague
Berlin
Amsterdam
Paris

The Southern leg up through Interlaken was easily the best part. Much better food and the people are more fun in the South.

San Sebastian, Florence, and Venice are the favorites, then the rest. Interlaken was fun because it was so different. It's a beautiful view everywhere you look, and I've never seen mountains like that. One of the only times I can remember feeling awed in that way.

Paris was great too, we just didn't have the time to do everything we wanted.

Rome was the biggest disappointment. Great food, but it kind of just felt like being in any big city. The ruins and the Coliseum are just kinda ok. Nimes, France actually has a better variety of intact Roman architecture. There's a smaller coliseum that's still used, a temple, and a big aqueduct outside of town. Very walkable too. Rome is definitely not.

In general, the more walkable the better. If I went back or took a similar trip I'd probably stick mostly to smaller cities.

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