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Topic: vacation destination suggestions
| Author | Message |
| sue ellen mischke | Posted – 6/13/2008 5:18:43 PM | show profile The Donna Chang has not been on a real vacation in about four years. She has decided to go somewhere for two weeks in the fall/winter. Europe is out. Any suggestions? I want to go somewhere unique, exotic, safe and affordable. I realllllllly want to go to Argentina or Chile and then take a cruise to Antarctica, but I have a feeling I am too skittish and city-ish. Help The Donna Chang? |
| Mag Girl | Posted – 6/13/2008 5:32:24 PM | show profile I really loved Puerto Rico when I went recently. It was awesome - they also have one of thebest bioluminescent bays in the world. You can twinkle while you swim... |
| newyorker | Posted – 6/13/2008 5:37:17 PM | show profile travel around asia: Hong Kong, Bangkok, Phuket, Bali, Singapore, etc. Two weeks can cross several countries, |
| KC4 | Posted – 6/13/2008 5:47:40 PM | show profile I'd go with Argentina - that time of year should be nice and summery there, I think. I also hear it's pretty affordable - steak and red wine every night, that sort of thing. And Buenos Aires is very metropolitan. Or maybe the Galapagos Islands? I just went on a safari through the Serengeti, which was a mind-blowing experience. You'd have to be up for a little camping, though. |
| Mag Girl | Posted – 6/13/2008 6:05:16 PM | show profile Oh- and Turkey is fabulous and still affordable. Go to Istanbul and then spend time on the Med. coast in little resort towns. Fabulous food, great, friendly people and LOTS of history. |
| Agirlwalksintoabookstore... | Posted – 6/13/2008 7:32:19 PM | show profile Believe it or not, I've actually cruised to Antarctica! This was back in 2000. We spent a few days in Argentina and Chile before heading down. It really depends on if you're a boat person/ don't mind huge swells; when we were crossing the Cape down there at the bottom of South America, swells were over 15 feet high. My mom was so seasick that she didn't leave her cabin for days. On the other hand, we often got the opportunity to go onto land and explore. The penguins down there are amazing. And ditto on the fact that South America is a good place to go--not too expensive, good food. Asia is also awesome--my family and I lived in Singapore for about four years, and I've been backa couple of times since. Its a tiny, overlooked city, but well worth going to. Its also on the equator, so its 80s degrees year round. Downside, though: it rains intermittently, and without warning. And the rain is weird because you can be driving down a highway and it will be raining on one side and dry on the other. But Singapore is definitely a clash of cultures--the natives vs. the Chinese vs. the remnants of the English community. I was born in Japan, and Tokyo and Kyoto are also awesome. Tokyo is one of the safest cities I've ever been in--my parents actually allowed my sister and I to walk around unattended when we were kids. Tokyo's an interesting city because you get that traditional Japanese culture mixed with the very new and different. The only downside is that Tokyo is COLD in the dead of winter (though not snowy). If you go there, go in October/ November. There are just too many places to go! It makes me want to pack up and jetset. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 6/13/2008 11:02:33 PM | show profile Two weeks is not a lot of time and it's a 10-hr flight from NYC (you're in Chicago, right?) to Buenos Aires. I have heard nothing but raves about it. I'd spend 2 weeks in Argentina; one in BA and one riding around the pampas. Mexico is fantastic and affordable; Mexico City for a week and maybe Oaxaca or Guadalajara or Taxco/Acapulco for a week. You can travel around by bus -- safe, fast, cheap. I agree about Asia, but again.....with only 2 weeks you've got 15+ hrs each way flying time and 3 days at each end to not feel sick with jet lag as your body clock is 12 hours different from home. Japan would be fantastic; friends also rave about it and apparently the dollar is doing OK against the yen vs. the euro.... I think these all fit your requirements. If you want to focus on a city, then BA or Mexico City or Tokyo all work. |
| df | Posted – 6/14/2008 3:58:08 PM | show profile just came back from Rio, very nice. good resorts around there I was told by my Brazilian coworkers. A few days in rio and a week at one of the resorts on the coast there? also second Tokyo. have not been to Argentine, but here its great. |
| Bleak Spouse | Posted – 6/14/2008 7:10:08 PM | show profile life is too short not to go to paris even when it's expensive. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 6/14/2008 8:40:37 PM | show profile | email poster My sister, who is a cynical traveller not easily impressed, loved her Alaskan cruise. I would like to do that. I look at ALL these places you talk about with great longing. It seems like I never go anywhere truly interesting. My sister and I each inherited a sum from our dad. She took hers and took her family to Europe. I bought a condo on a lake at a resort about 2 hours away, which we rent out weekends to cover expenses and enjoy ourselves otherwise. We may retire there. I don"t think my sister wasted her money -- those memories are something to show for an investment. But I don't feel like I'm in a financial league to do much travel. (We do visit family and friends, but that's not the same thing. We are renting a beach place for a week when my son gets married in Maryland in August.) |
| astrahook | Posted – 6/14/2008 9:45:14 PM | show profile costa rica...cheap as spit, lots of relaxation and outdoor activities. Not a whole lot in terms of sight seeing (which is, umm a good thing) but plenty of local culture to soak in |
| sue ellen mischke | Posted – 6/15/2008 7:03:43 PM | show profile BS: Been to Paris... I think I will be in South America in the late fall. And, I seek courage to boat to Antactica. |
| wineaux | Posted – 6/16/2008 12:29:19 PM | show profile Mag, I too recently went to Puerto Rico. Sadly, we didn't make it to the bioluminescent bay...we were told by locals that the one closest to where we were (Rincon) wasn't as nice as the other one, that I suspect you went to. But, we had an oustandingly good time. I can't tell you when I had a more relaxing and well-rounded trip. We will go back next year when the snow is flying here in the NE. |
| mmc | Posted – 6/16/2008 12:39:17 PM | show profile caitlin, I've been thinking about Taxco for a late Nov/early Dec trip to see the silver festival, but I've never been to Mexico before and I wasn't sure how easy it would be to get out there... So buses are a good option? |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 6/16/2008 12:51:02 PM | show profile I love Mexico...lived there as a teenager and have been back many times since. The thing about buses is that, in the U.S., they are gross and we all try to avoid them whenever possible. For Mexicans, bus is THE way to go....and the buses (1st class) are clean, fast, cheap, plentiful, comfortable and show movies on individual screens. You do not especially want to rent a car and drive in Mexico, and for sure not after dark in rural areas -- livestock and animals on poor roads, etc. My Dad and I drove Mexico City to Taxco to Acapulco and back. It was fine but it's not like driving in the U.S. Taxco is a gorgeous little town and Acapulco is worth visiting -- not nearly as cheesy one assumes it will be. |
| mmc | Posted – 6/16/2008 2:00:01 PM | show profile Thanks, Caitlin - that's great info. I'd never thought of the bus, because - you're right - I avoid them like the plague here... Hmmm... Maybe this is finally my year for Taxco! |
| roxannekkb | Posted – 6/16/2008 2:57:22 PM | show profile I have also cruised to Antarctica, and it was fantastic beyond words. But I would not advise going if you get seasick. Even during a calm crossing, it can be pretty awful. I was terribly seasick crossing from South America to the Antarctica, as were many on the ship. Also, keep in mind that Antarctica trips are very expensive. I don't know how long a vacation you want, but 2 weeks is not going to give you sufficient time to spend any time in South America and go to Antarctica. I think my cruise was almost 3 weeks, and we stopped in the Falklands (Malvinas to the Argentines) We also spent a few days in Argentina and then at the Southern tip of Chile before leaving. ------ www.nabeepchen.com |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 6/16/2008 3:13:26 PM | show profile mmc, I don't know if you speak any Spanish but two of the major Mexican bus lines are Flecha Roja and Flecha Amarilla (Red Arrow and Yellow Arrow). Maybe if you google them you can find skeds and prices....my trip in May 2005 from Queretaro to Morelia was 125 pesos. (I keep my ticket nearby as a souvenir.) They even assign you a seat, like on a plane. |
| mmc | Posted – 6/16/2008 4:44:54 PM | show profile I had 4 years of Spanish in high school, so I have a decent basis, but of course I've lost a lot of it since then... But it's worth a shot! I've been rooting around on the web and it looks like there are a few decent bus options out there, both from Acapulco and Mexico City. All in all, a nice 5- or 6-day trip in the first week of December is super affordable.... Mexico's definitely a good option, budget-wise! |
| keltoi2 | Posted – 6/16/2008 5:23:19 PM | show profile How's Mexico on the safety side of things? We've all heard stories of gypsy cab kidnappings in Mexico City and the drug wars. Things OK for the tourists otherwise? |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 6/16/2008 6:23:43 PM | show profile Last time I was there, May 2005, I was not worried. We knew not to take gypsy cabs -- go to a taxi rank/cab stand and this avoids the problem. As for the drug wars, as far as I know, those are limited to the border cities. Maybe the State Dept. has an advisory on this? I'd also contact the Mexican consulate in NYC. Mexico is not a dangerous place if you use your wits, like anywhere else in that respect. |
| keltoi2 | Posted – 6/16/2008 6:54:19 PM | show profile Checked out the State Department travel advisory site. Very interesting reading, as always. As you say, Caitlin, a lot of it is just traveler common sense. Found a bus-specific mention for Mexico: "All bus travel should be during daylight hours and on first-class conveyances. Although there have been several reports of bus hijackings and robberies on toll roads, buses on toll roads have a markedly lower rate of incidents than buses (second- and third-class) that travel the less secure "free" highways. The Embassy advises caution when traveling by bus from Acapulco toward Ixtapa or Huatulco. Although the police have made some progress in bringing this problem under control, armed robberies of entire busloads of passengers still occur. " http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html |
| irishloop | Posted – 6/16/2008 9:23:14 PM | show profile Hmm -- did you read the rest of the travel advisory? I haven't been to Mexico City since 2001, but the warnings posted certainly are consistent with what I heard and experienced. You should never carry credit cards unless you're going straight to the ATM in the daytime, never hail a cab, use cab stands that you're familiar with (the best thing, friends told me, was to carry the number of a reliable car service). Women I met who owned cars never drove alone after dark. At the time I was visiting a friend who ran a gallery there for several years -- she eventually left because she couldn't handle worrying about crime all the time (and she's pretty feisty and accustomed to dealing with things like the threat of kidnapping -- she partly grew up in Colombia). An owner of the gallery -- in the beautiful neighborhood of Condesa -- was kidnapped in broad daylight, an employee was on a bus that was hijacked in the middle of the city (although we took plenty of buses with no trouble), and my friend and her boyfriend were robbed in a taxi the one time she hailed one on the street (not a gypsy cab). While I was there some friends who were out bar-hopping had drugs planted on them by the police and had to pay a hefty bribe. That said, things may be somewhat safer now (buses are probably safer than they were), and I absolutely loved Mexico City -- the Deco and Moderne architecture, the museums, the food, the parks, the people. (It was sobering seeing the wretched shantytowns on the outskirts of the city, but most tourists don't encounter them.) I recommend traveling there, but please take any recommended precautions. |
| chucho | Posted – 6/17/2008 8:43:38 AM | show profile I was in Mexico City for five years. I was robbed once in a taxi because I walked out of an ATM kiosk in a business suit having just taken out money. The cab had been staking out the ATM kiosks. I wasn't assaulted or anything, but they were armed and they took money from me. Nine months into my relocation to Mexico City a random dude jumped out from between two cars two blocks of Washington Square Park (just north of SoHo near the LaGuardia statue) and punched me in the face trying (trying) to steal my bike at 10:45 p.m. Not only did he escape, but at least 10 New Yorkers just stood there watching like morons and though the exchange took about a 90-second (he grabbed my bike, was obviously on meth or something, and he was white), nobody called the cops until after he punched me and was fleeing. As a good friend told me about Mexico City: if you aren't exposed to the risks (like express kidnapping -- or waving cabs off the street instead of using taxi stands) the city's not nearly as dangerous as the State Department would have you think. You have to understand that the Warden's messages are written with extreme prejudice toward the safety of citizens. This is understandable, but you also have to understand that the warnings are much more dire than the reality behind them. One other thing: buses are fine at any time. In fact, I once got out of a potentially bad situation (I was in Tepito at like 1 a.m. -- which would be like being in the worst part of the Bronx at 1 a.m. -- in 1976) and jumping onto a bus kept me from getting into trouble with some local youths who were wandering in my general direction yelling things at me. Buses are safe because they are often filled with people and robberies on buses are rare compared to the gypsy cabs. |
| chucho | Posted – 6/17/2008 8:44:27 AM | show profile >> Nine months into my relocation to Mexico City a random dude jumped o <<< ER, I meant New York City. |
