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

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

  1. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    looking at a Japan trip next spring potentially, probably anniversary trip

    is 12 days in Japan too much? if yes where should we fly on front/back end

    going to book delta one suites with some points I think
     
  2. HunterPKP

    HunterPKP Well-Known Member
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    I've been told by multiple people that 12 days in Japan is good enough for a first trip, but there's so much there. My wife's bestfriend was considering getting married in her native Taiwan. We looked at front loading that with a trip to Japan. Delta One Suites were running 700K points per person for that possible wedding time. Thank god she's moved the wedding to Maui early next year to accommodate both families.

    We're doing Italy next year and Delta One Suites are showing up at 400K+ points per person for that trip. It's a bit maddening how bad Skymiles rewards have become.
     
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  3. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    using virgin atlantic (I don't have tons of delta skymiles but flexible credit card awards instead) and having a flexible schedule i'm hoping to get two round trip delta one suite trips to/from tokyo for 240k

    seems feasible looking at the chart but a month or two early to get end of April/May tickets
     
  4. HunterPKP

    HunterPKP Well-Known Member
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    Where are you seeing this chart? I'd like to see that.
     
  5. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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  6. HunterPKP

    HunterPKP Well-Known Member
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  7. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    I went for 12 days last year, you can easily do twice that. We did 7 days in Tokyo and 5 in Kyoto.
     
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  8. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    i think you can use delta miles to book them too so if you have those the value is much higher than using Amex points
     
  9. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    Definitely not too much. 12 days should let you hit the big spots. Using points youre probably just going to fly RT from Tokyo which is fine, but would save you a little bit of time if either your departure or arrival is to Osaka.
     
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  10. HunterPKP

    HunterPKP Well-Known Member
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    Between wife and I, we have 400K+ Skymiles and 400K+ AMEX points. So we've got options there. I was told by an old Delta Client that the new Virgin Atlantic A350s will have better cabins than the Delta One Suites so if I can get them at discount, that would be the tits.
     
  11. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    Hopped over to Oahu for a week, my better half has a conference. We’re staying in Waikiki.

    Spent a great Sunday on the North Shore and then hung out at Lanikai yesterday before catching a bug and vomiting all over our Air B’n’B. Meanwhile our house sitter called to report that one of the cats and dogs both ran away. Good times.
     
  12. Wee Bey

    Wee Bey racially ambiguous
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    Anyone have suggestions for Maui? Will be there for 6 days landing this Friday and leaving the Wednesday. I'll be by myself and am looking more so for adventuring (outdoor, active) and food recommendations (inexpensive meat).
     
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  13. Wee Bey

    Wee Bey racially ambiguous
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    I tried tagging Banks but only the pizza guy is showing as an option.

    Looking for some Alaska recommendations. I'll be going for about 5-6 days. Considering going for Memorial Day, 5/24-5/29, or sometime in June/July. Is there a better time period between May/June/July?

    I have no idea what I'll be doing at this time, just want to check it out while still on a project in Seattle. I would like to be active and get outdoors.
     
  14. Wee Bey

    Wee Bey racially ambiguous
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    Where would you go for Memorial Day?

    I need a place to go from 5/24 to 5/29. My finalists so far are Austin, Denver, Alaska. I'll be flying out of Seattle so would like to avoid the east coast (Though I was considering Charleston, as well).

    Is there a spot in the US that is particularly awesome for Memorial Day?
     
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  15. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    July is the most popular time to visit. Peak season starts mid june. I'm going late July/early August

    And it's The Banks
     
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  16. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    Memorial Day is around the start of fishing season so you could get out for that. Mid-summer is the most crowded. There’s several smaller hikes that are decent in the Anchorage area but if you drive just a little bit there are tons of options. 45 minutes or so south of Anchorage is Girdwood, the ski resort turns into hiking trails for the summer and a couple are pretty challenging. If you drive further south there’s a wildlife refuge that’s pretty cool and if you go all the way to Seward there are lots of boat tours and different options that my girlfriend has done and enjoyed a lot. There are some decent breweries around Anchorage but we generally avoid downtown during tourist season
     
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  17. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    I wouldn't think 12 days is too much. There is so much to see and do and much like the US, the culture and feel of the different regions can be very different. Obviously do Tokyo if you haven't and Kyoto is a go-to, but I really enjoyed my short visit to Kanazawa as well. Osaka is meh as it is a major Chinese tourist destination so lots of shops and not much of a traditional feel. Depending on when you are going, try and catch a baseball game. I believe ohhaithur did it and spoke highly of it and when I discussed it with my Japanese co-workers, they highly suggested it. I felt like them explaining a baseball game to me was like me explaining a Clemson home football game experience to them. It's definitely on the agenda for my next work trip there next year.

    I really want to stay in a ryokan near Fuji and do some hiking on the mountain. The area looks gorgeous in the right time of year.
     
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  18. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    Was there last week

    Restaurants:

    Mama's Fish House is the best restaurant on Maui. That and some other high end places are really good

    "Cheap" eats are Kehei Caffe, Da Kitchen and Kula Bistro

    In terms of activities we did a crater sunrise, surfing, snorkeling, etc but there's plenty of hikes and waterfall stuff
     
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  19. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    [​IMG]
     
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  20. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    hey
     
  21. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    Flatbread Company in Paia is a good place to get artisanal pizza, just down the road from Mama's

    People seem to like cycling down Haleakala too
     
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  22. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    That biking looked fucking miserable. You wake up at 2am and you're cold as shit and it's windy and the trail is perfectly paved...I don't get it.

    We were really close to doing it and I'm so glad we didn't
     
  23. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    Yeah, I don't get it either, but you can proudly wear the t-shirt after I suppose

    Always wanted to do the Lahaina Pali trail but every time it came to doing it I felt like sleeping in instead
     
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  24. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    I'd rather buy the shirt on ebay and lie to people. Save the $500
     
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  25. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    California Golden Bears

    HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT
     
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  26. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    has anyone done Tongariro Crossing in NZ, intrigued by it but the time of year we're going might make it a bad move, plus only have 5 nights in NZ so an 8hour hike may not be the best use of time
     
  27. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    I was in economy. It was completely meh. I think economy is the same most anywhere; but was still hoping for a little bit more from Emirates. Food was awful, even by airline standards.

    I have no doubt their business and first class is amazing, though.
     
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  28. The Banks

    The Banks TMB's Alaskan
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    Where in Alaska?
     
  29. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Is there anything more depressing than the first day back in the office after a long vacation? I say no.

    But it's probably the lack of dopamine and serotonin in my brain.
     
  30. The B1G Kucktis

    The B1G Kucktis 2 years, VARSITY!!
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    Couterpoint: being hungover as fuck and having to fly home in about 5 hours.
     
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  31. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    But at least you're not at work
     
  32. HunterPKP

    HunterPKP Well-Known Member
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    On another, travel related topic. For a Scotch buyer like me (stuff I can't get stateside), what are the best Duty Free's? I love the Duty Free in Incheon and Heathrow. Cancun, as shitty as it is, was good for it's size. I wonder if Rome's is very good? Flying through there next year.
     
  33. mc415

    mc415 Well-Known Member
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    I flew back from England on Monday with such a bad hangover and lack of sleep I was seriously contemplating paying an extra 1k to upgrade to a lie flat........that was the worst flight of my life, if I hadn’t had my own row I don’t know why I would have done
     
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  34. The B1G Kucktis

    The B1G Kucktis 2 years, VARSITY!!
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    Oh man. I get the sweats in that situation, too.

    Nothing beats my brother-in-law taking an edible to sleep on a flight back from Amsterdam, only to have the flight delayed by four hours.
     
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  35. The B1G Kucktis

    The B1G Kucktis 2 years, VARSITY!!
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    Also, Maui bros, I want to play golf at Kapula and one other course (preferably in Wailea). Any recommendations?
     
  36. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Trying to decide somewhere for twoish weeks at the beginning of December. Tulum, Patagonia, Colombia on the list so far. Looking for beaches/mountains (both if possible) and looking to do somewhere in the Spanish speaking world. What y'all think that I haven't thought of? Moderately priced
     
  37. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    If you're looking for moderately priced I think you can probably cross Patagonia off. I'm sure you could do it cheap-ish, but for a trip like that I wouldn't want to skimp. Colombia certainly has amazing mountains and beaches and could be done cheaply.

    December also restricts you to Southern Hemisphere/equator if you want warm weather. Kauai could be great that time of year, too--we went in early January and it was awesome.
     
  38. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    I mean moderately priced not cheap. Im just talking like not new Zealand level expenditures
     
  39. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Flights are pretty cheap to Peru too but I'm having a hard time getting excited about that for some reason
     
  40. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    Peru is so fucking awesome.

    Patagonia hike trips through Torres Del Paine are probably NZ level cost. I think excursions are generally 2-3k but I admittedly haven’t done extensive research.
     
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  41. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    I'm sure it can be that expensive. But all the dudes we met in SA last December were not on that kind of budget and their trip looked amazing
     
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  42. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Yea, Peru is legit. Other than Machu Pichu hikes, so many other trekking opportunities.

    Northern Brazil could be cool, too. Maybe something in the Amazon ... but Brazil in the middle of peak summer would be pretty miserable.
     
  43. Room 15

    Room 15 Mi equipo esta Los Tigres
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  44. Room 15

    Room 15 Mi equipo esta Los Tigres
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    Obviously pro Patagonia but no real beaches there. Not too expensive other than the travel portion (if you can do the treks yourself)

    Could do Peru with plenty of hiking then hit Lima for beaches but they aren’t the most scenic.

    Could do Carta and Tayrona
     
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  45. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Yeah I was thinking cart/tayrona/Medellin in regards to Colombia. I haven't been to tayrona
     
  46. aspenbuff

    aspenbuff Well-Known Member
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    My girlfriend's best friend from high school lives in Ecuador (in Cuenca IIRC) and she's been really wanting to go. Is there a time of year that's better to go than others or does it not really matter because it's on the equator? Must dos and things to avoid?
     
  47. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    The Peru amazon is dope. Stayed in a treehouse and swam with pink dolphins in the river.
     
  48. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Link me
     
  49. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    If I do Ecuador I’m doing like 3-4 weeks so I can go to the galapagos
     
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  50. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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