The New Travel Thread: Now with write ups in the OP

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Jax Teller, Apr 8, 2015.

  1. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    Merriman’s has double spot on Kauai but they’re in Poipu. Will you have access to a kitchen on the north side? Foodland (grocer) or the local spots will have stupid cheap deals on fresh fish. Other than that I’d check out any fish shack that grills to order. Foodland gets a bad rap here for being too corporate but I haven’t seen any difference between their catch and KTA’s.
     
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  2. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    3 weeks to the day TC :warn:
     
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  3. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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  4. Hugo Boss

    Hugo Boss The poster formerly known as CarolinaRPh
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    About to pull the trigger this weekend on a Curacao trip over valentine's day. Any recommendations, or is there a significantly better Caribbean destination?
     
  5. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    After a long day of planehopping, looking out my window at the Pantheon dome 200 feet away. Kids set up their Switch and are playing MarioKart
     
  6. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    My Dutch uncle bought a place in Curaçao because he wants to be able to live there when he starts to go senile. Haven’t been myself yet but the cousins love it. They’re all polyglots w/ German and Dutch as their first languages so I think part of the draw is being able to converse widely in Dutch.

    Just from pictures, the towns look cool and have an old-world flair. Culture seems pretty unique. Beaches are fairly rocky—it’s not your typical sandy Caribbean vibe.
     
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  7. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    Staying right by the Pantheon? :rain:
     
  8. Jimmy the Saint

    Jimmy the Saint The future is a benevolent black hole
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    I'd imagine it's a lot like Aruba as they're not far from each other. I enjoyed visiting there, much more arid than most of the Caribbean for sure though. I'd imagine Curacao is similar just without a lot of the commercialization. In Aruba you can eat at all American chains if you really want.
     
  9. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    Actually pretty cost-effective. Three teenagers, so we need some space to stretch out, and being in the middle of things means we don't waste time and money in transit between lodgings and the shit we want to see.
     
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  10. Weedlord420

    Weedlord420 Well-Known Member
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    Surf, lazy breakfasts, decent but not great food, no nightlife, but allegedly some of the world’s greatest bread. Called “bolo levado”.
     
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  11. jvo25

    jvo25 Well-Known Member
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    1st 10 or so days of a 3 week trip to Europe:

    Barcelona for 4 days (Friday - Monday)
    (??) - for 4 days (Monday - Thursday)
    Croatia - 5 days (Thurs - Monday or Tuesday)

    Going with 3 high school buddies, we are all 26 and looking to party/sightsee. What would be a good destination for the middle portion of the week? We are thinking about Florence to relax for a few days, but am looking for suggestions.
     
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  12. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    Prague.

    Only consider cities that have direct flights to both iyam
     
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  13. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Budapest would be fun
     
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  14. Alshon

    Alshon Well-Known Member
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    Seconded Budapest.
     
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  15. Garrity19

    Garrity19 Well-Known Member

    I fly direct from Barcelona to Budapest often. Easy reach via Ryanair then a drive to either Zagreb or conceivably make the coast also. Sorry, not Prague as you state here but Prague is also very good.
     
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  16. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    I just don't get the Budapest love. Nice city, but imo doesn't hold a candle to Prague.

    Rick Steves book paid for itself today. On his recommendation, we attached ourselves to a Chinese tour group as they left the Sistine Chapel so we could use the special exit directly to St. Peter's basilica instead of using the regular exit and having to walk around and stand in line at the square. Saved us at least 45 minutes, and time is precious in these situations.
     
  17. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    Yep, I mentioned that earlier this year to take his advice on that. Works perfectly
     
  18. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    Got back from Paris a couple days ago. Just going to try to hit some highlights:

    -We stayed in the Le Marais area and really liked it. Plenty of markets and food/bars with a more local vibe. Also very convenient access to the metro.
    -The Paris Visite pass is absolutely worth it. Can pick it up at the airport and use it immediately to get into town and then using the metro was a must for us since our Airbnb was a little ways out from the big areas.
    -Plan your visits to the big tourist hot spots to avoid peak times. We went to Versailles mid-morning and waited quite a while to get into the palace. We went to the Louvre on one of the days they stay open late and walked right in and even had the Mona Lisa room almost to ourselves at one point. We did the Catacombs in the evening as well and the only wait was to pay for the ticket. Interesting side story...while at the Louvre we saw a pretty large group or middle easterners being escorted by a lot of security. While trying to get to one of the famous statues we ran back into this group and realized that one person in particular was getting special attention and having a lot of pictures taken. We stood near them briefly and I snapped a pic of the guy in the middle when he was about 15 feet away from me. Looked him up later and it was the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Surprised me that they were letting so many people get so close to him and even take pictures with him.
    -Did a day trip to Reims and toured the Veuve Clicquot cellars which was awesome. That was a really fun town to spend the day in, much smaller and very friendly locals.
    -People say that Parisians can be hostile towards tourists that only speak English but we had zero issues
    -Flew home in business class on Lufthansa and it was incredible. Pretty cool experience being in the upper deck of a 747 where it feels like it's only the 16 or so people up there on the plane.
     
  19. bro

    bro Your Mother’s Favorite Shitposter
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    Prague was really enjoyable but the town square being crowded with tourists was a buzzkill
     
  20. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    I actually didnt care much for Prague. Beautiful city, but I felt like I was in Disney World. Maybe my fault for not seeking out stuff off the main route. Great beer, tho. Awful food
     
  21. jvo25

    jvo25 Well-Known Member
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    Thanks for the feedback. What other cities would you recommend? I will be traveling alone for 2 additional weeks after my friends leave as well and am looking to hit Amsterdam, maybe Copenhagen.
     
  22. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    We also stayed in Marais, a block NW of the Pompidou. Paris is so sprawling, that anywhere you stay you'll need to use the metro regularly. Also did the Louvre on the late evening, and had no line or crowds - in early June. Our day trip was to Chartres; cute town and interesting cathedral, but if I had to do it over again I'd probably go to Amiens instead.I

    We flew home in steerage on Norwegian
     
  23. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    What's your itinerary so far?

    Absolutely love Copenhagen, but depending on the time of year can be awful weather and really limit what you can do. Same with most of northern Europe in the winter (although I did CPH--Berlin--Prague over New Years and had a blast, just be prepared for sub-freezing temps the whole time).

    Amsterdam is a good choice if you've never been. Debaucherous city, but plenty of history and non-party stuff to do---but also a big partying/club scene.
     
  24. DrunkJester

    DrunkJester No longer drunk or funny.
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    Haven’t flown in a long, long time. Booked a flight on Spirit (which I had never heard of) because it was nonstop and cheaper than the other airlines (not that much cheaper though—I booked it late) and had the departure time I needed. I then stumbled across a post here talking about how terrible it is, ran a search, and discovered that TMB is in agreement on that point—a rare occurrence. My flight has already been delayed twice this morning.

    If I die, I die. But I’d appreciate all ts and ps. TIA.
     
  25. jvo25

    jvo25 Well-Known Member
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    I'm going for 3 weeks in July, leaving on July 4th. Starting in Barcelona for 3 nights, maybe Prague for 3 nights, and then Croatia for at least 4 nights. The next 2 weeks are still up in there. I know I want to go to Amsterdam, but that's about it. I might be by myself after Croatia, so looking for fun places to meet people and sightsee/party. I might tie Amsterdam in at the end for a convenient place to fly out of back to the states.
     
  26. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    I think that's your best bet, considering where you're starting out. Cheapest to fly back to the US from AMS, or London/Dublin (which would be a sub-$50 flight from AMS).

    Some thoughts-- I'd spend more time in Spain rather than just 3 nights in Barca.

    You're kind of all over the place geographically, and 3 weeks isn't nearly as long as you think it will be. After Croatia, I'd try and stay in Eastern Europe rather than go back up north. Or, try and wind the north into your time in Prague (super easy to catch trains from Prague to Poland, Germany, etc.--not a great train system in eastern europe).

    After Croatia, Greece could be in play. Might be a different experience solo, though.

    I'd try and work out a loose itinerary and set a course. Barca --> Prague --> Croatia --> AMS is wacky and you'll lose a lot of time traveling all over the continent. I could easily do 3 weeks in only Spain, only Germany, only Croatia, etc. I did 4-5 weeks in Europe after the bar exam, 2 1/2 which were solely in Croatia, which I thought was a good amount of time to see the whole country.
     
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  27. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    Finally made some plans for Japan. Finally decided to book a few places to stay since the gf was getting crazy anxious about not having that lined up when we leave in a few days but the current itinerary is:
    - Nov. 30: Fly to Tokyo
    - Dec.1-4: Tokyo
    - Dec. 4-6: Kyoto
    - Dec. 6-8: Kanazawa
    - Dec. 8-9: Tokyo

    Then work starts and I think it is:
    - Dec. 9-11: Tokyo
    - Dec. 11-15: Nagoya
    - Dec. 16: Osaka
    - Dec. 17: Fly back home out of Nagoya

    If anyone has any restaurant suggestions for Tokyo, Kyoto, or Kanazawa, would be greatly appreciated. Also, if there is something you have done that really stands out in any of those places, go ahead and chime in and I will do my best to shower you with likes.
     
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  28. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    Try to go to a baseball game. If its sold out they sell “standing room” tickets that will get you into the concourse. My best meal was Andy’s Shin Hinomoto in Ginza. Need a reservation but Andy is a British expat who goes to the market every morning, gets whats fresh and thats the menu. Amazing food and really reasonably priced. In Kyoto I loved Musashi Sushi for the conveyor belt experience. Ippudo was my favorite ramen.
     
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  29. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    Sadly, I don't think baseball is in season over there. But I did do some reading and saw where I could reach out and possibly go to a sumo training session. Who knows how much, if any, luck I will have with that but would be amazing to see.

    Thanks on the food recs as I really haven't done much in the way of research for that.
     
  30. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    I was lucky enough to be in Tokyo during one of the sumo tournaments. It was cool, but I wouldn't be devastated if you miss it. After a match or two, its kinda repetitive.
     
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  31. Babou

    Babou ocelot
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    Greetings

    Any suggestions for somewhere with good beaches but also mountains/waterfalls/hiking that isn't overly difficult to get to?
     
  32. pianoman

    pianoman my drinks are free
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    Kauai
     
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  33. Babou

    Babou ocelot
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    A few places in Hawaii would work but I was thinking international.

    Thanks, btw.
     
  34. Room 15

    Room 15 Mi equipo esta Los Tigres
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    Cartagena -> Tayrona?

    I’m sure there are Central American options but don’t have that knowledge.
     
  35. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Think anything international like that will be kinda hard to get to. Philippines would fit, can fly to Manila cheap. No idea about safety, I know parts of the country have a pretty active branch of ISIS, or did up to a few years ago.

    Peru and Ecuador have decent beaches--not world class, but nice--would need to fly to other parts of the country for mountains/hiking. BVIs could be an option, too.
     
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  36. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    Just bring your passport to Hawaii and you'll never even realize it wasn't an international trip
     
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  37. Spontaneous Cumbustion

    Spontaneous Cumbustion Well-Known Member
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    Just came back form Hawaii and it was awesome. Felt like being in a foreign country but had all the perks and ease of being in the US. If I lived on the west coast and could easily fly out there I would go every couple years. But being from the midwest it's a long travel and really expensive once you're there so I probably won't be back for a long time.
     
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  38. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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    Costa Rica
    St Lucia
     
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  39. NC Wolfpack

    NC Wolfpack Go Pack Go
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    Fiance and I are considering Bali for our honeymoon. I did a quick search and couldn’t find any writeups, but I am interested in some thoughts/recommendations from those of you that have been.
     
  40. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    These. Croatia. Mallorca
     
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  41. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    I haven't been, but the for hiking and beaches, I'd think somewhere in Italy would work, like Cinque Terre.
     
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  42. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    Went last year. Stayed a few nights in Jimbaran area at a place called Ayana resort, and a few nights up by Ubud at the Hanging Gardens. A lot of the appeal is luxury lodging, or getting large villas for way cheaper than other places. The big resorts will still be western prices though. The main decision is between being at one of the beach areas or up by Ubud. Everyone will do one or both of those. I can try to answer more specific questions you have.
     
  43. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Congrats btw
     
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  44. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Which island(s)?
     
  45. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Airbnb and VRBO, etc. really need to incorporate fees and hidden charges into their posted rates.

    Oh cool, awesome airbnb for $180/night

    Total for 2 nights: $650
     
  46. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    Yeah the cleaning fees ppl try to charge are fucking horrendous
     
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  47. Spontaneous Cumbustion

    Spontaneous Cumbustion Well-Known Member
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    Maui for a week and also a there and back the same day trip to Honolulu.
     
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  48. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    They would if people actually wanted that. Customer behavior is embarrassing
     
  49. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    as the years have gone by it's harder and harder to find good airbnb deals

    i basically only use it when i want a spot in a neighborhood without hotels
     
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  50. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Truth. They used to be such a better deal than hotels, but not anymore.
     
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