Cool Vacation Ideas

[Bearakistan]

Does anyone have any places that they EXTREMELY recommend? This is really just a random question, but me and my family are the type of family that kinda just picks a place, the cheapest flight, and cheapest hotel and then goes there and does adventurous stuff.

Yeah so type away!

P.S. - Generic places like London, Paris, Grand Canyon are really cool and you can talk about them but it be purty darn cool to hear about some exotic places.

[Alfonia]

If you're one of those people who like to spend way too much time out in the nature, you could always come here (scandinavia! yay!)

Be prepared though, Norway is very very expensive... a small pizza is like 10-15 US Dollars there... it's horrible! But the country is nice, especially if you like mountain trekking.
Iceland is pretty obvious, they've got all the glaciers and stuff, never been there myself but I've heard it's great.
Sweden is a lot cheaper than those two countries, and is a great country to visit if you want natural experiences (you know camping out in the forest etc.), but the nature is quite varying with mountains and stuff in the north. I'd suggest some fishing and canoeing but hey, that's if you like that kind of stuff that is.

There aren't any really big cities in the scandinavian region, the biggest being Copenhagen followed by Stockholm, though there should still be things to be seen around here. Due to the new bridge there's only a short ride by train from Sweden to the Danish capital, so I think you should visit Denmark and Sweden if you come here.

The currencies is a problem, Sweden uses the swedish krona, the danes have their krona and the norwegians have their krona, these are however only usable in their home country (but in areas around the borders a norwegian currency unit would probably work in sweden etc.). The original idea was that there would be one scandinavian currency, but this failed, and when the possibility of adopting the euro came up, both Denmark and Sweden said no... However i think euros work pretty well here, at least in bigger cities and towns, but i can not guarantee this. It should be noted that Finland uses the Euro, Finland is also a great place to visit.
Norway is a very rich country (they have the highest standard of living in the world), and they benefit from not joining the EU, and therefore they are not members.

OK, so as for the obvious question, the climate. I realize that warm weather isn't exactly the first thing you think about, scandinavia must seem awful cold, but the weather is actually quite pleasant during the summer, thanks to the currents in the atlantic ocean.

Uhm... I kinda chose to describe my home because it's mildly exotic and I know it pretty well... But there are loads of places to visit! France is lovely, even though they don't know how to make a decent breakfast (that was driving me mad last time i was there).

[Gluuland]

Im just gunna list places, you contact me if you want more info....

London, Paris, Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Alaska, New Zealand, Seattle, Chicago, Yellowstone, etc....

How long would your vacation be?

[Bearakistan]

Alf: Wow scandanavia sounds great. I used to have a few friends who lived in Finland back at the International School I went to in India. They all described in much the same way as you and it sounds like theres lots of things im interested in over there.

Glu: Unfortunately this sounds kinda stupid but I've been to more than 70% of the places you listed. However I still would love to go to Hawaii or Alaska, they would be a lot easier to get to than Scandanavia. Alaska might even be cool to go to by cruise ship, although that pretty darn generic.

Anywho, the trip is pretty much hypothetical, but whats happening is that me and my family are running on a high chance of moving next winter. We would leave wintry NYC region for the equatorial climate of Kenya. I know thats pretty crazy but, my family is a traveling family. So yeah, the trip would probably be over a summer vacation of some sorts.

[Gluuland]

What about Switzerland, Germany, Tanzania, Rome/italy, peru, antarctica?

[Bearakistan]

Tanzania sounds absolutely amazing, safaris around that area (including Kenya) would be so amzing jsut because theres such an abundance of wildlife.

Switzerland and Germany interest me much less.

I know this sounds pretty weird, but i find third world countries to be much more intriguing and places that i find myself much more comfrotable in. Maybe its because i lived in one, but i feel like the connection with the people you meet there is much greater.

[Gluuland]

True.... I know a tour guide who loves going to Peru and the Galapagos Islands... What do you like: good scenery? adventure? Mt. Kilamanjaro is cool....
Ive havnt been to any third world countries yet...
I want to go to the Amazon, Tanzania, South Africa, New Zealand&Australia, Antarctica and others......
Can you give me any suggestions? ;D

[Bearakistan]

This place seems really remote but it really isnt...

THE MALDIVES

It is seriuosly one of most beautiful places I've ever experienced. It is right of the southern coast of Sri Lanka and its a chain of about 1100 islands. half of them each have one hotel on them and the other are inhabited by native people. The water is the clearest ever are there are so many fish to see when your snorkel and geez, just everything is beautiful there.

Nearby is Sri Lanka, which also picturesque. There were lots of interesting activities to do there like go to a sea turtle hatchery and releazses the hatchlings into the ocean. There was snorkeling there as well.

One last recommendation for now is Phuket in Thailand. Phuket is a very touristy area, which is a turnoff but on the other hand if you jsut want to get away and relax, it is a perfect place. Sitting on the deck of a hotel drinking pineapple juice in 80 degree weather is just so nice, you know what i mean.

All of the above places were horribly struck by the tsunami and it seems that every hotel i stayed at was washed away.

As for your other suggestions such as South Africa, i lived there for 3 months. All my friends want to go to Australia and so do i! It seems like the coolest place ever...

[Boolari]

The Japanese Tea Gardens in San Francisco, Ca, USA. I'm going there this summer, hehe.

Also, any place with an ocean... *wistful sigh*

[Gluuland]

I know! DEATH VALLEY!!! Sry, boo, no ocean......
Its 120 degrees, but there are water puddles with things swimming in them......

[TheSensitiveNewAge]

Monteverde. Costa Rica.

The town was founded by Quakers during the 1940s getting away from the war. To get to town, you have to spend the better part of a day on a bus or car because the dirt roads are a mean to limit tourists. Once in the town, there are horseback riding tours through the jungle, a dairy plant with good ice cream, a frog zoo, and the coolest stuff is on the top of the trees. There are cable car rides and suspended bridges to move through the trees. However, the coolest thing was zip-lining over valleys from the tops of mountains. Moneverde is about 5-7 hours from La Fortuna, which is underneath the volcano Arenal. Arenal erupts daily and can be seen from a hot spring resot place. An active volcano at night is awe-inspiring. The exchange rate favors the dollar and after the exchange prices are still good because labor is cheap. Medical services are pretty good, most of the doctors are trained in the US. Also, a few days away on Costa Rica's east coast is Puerto Viejo, which is basically Jamaica in Latin America. The people there speak English.

[Bearakistan]

This is sooo !#$(&%@#$)%*ing weird!

You know how I'm going to Costa Rica this summer, well I( spend four days in Monteverde AND i hike up Volcano Arenal!

When I'm there, i'll think of you!

[jennifergns]

Visiting of Egypt.

[Free Guns For All]

Let me just spin this globe and pick a random spot.




Bolivia.

[jennifergns]

Bolivia is a too poor country.

[Free Guns For All]

Did you not read my method of picking?

[Echolilia]

Enough sleep. That's vacation enough.

[La Vida De Sangre]

I'd sooo like to see Italy.

[Walabamba]

Dec 22, 2010 18:01:44 GMT -5 @jennifergns said:

Bolivia is a too poor country.

It may be a poor country but it's amazing none the less. I was there when I was 14 with my parents and my sister. We stayed in Peru for about 3 weeks and then went to Bolivia for about 2 weeks as well. Peru is an amazing place, probably tops even most of the European countries and cities I've visited, maybe not Venice though.

[Free Guns For All]

Time for another random country.




Tasmania.

[Echolilia]

Mars.