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

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

  1. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    Only did plitvice. I was told plitvice is more beautiful but consider krka because you can swim

    I feel like I'd rather just spend longer at the nicer place if that's true
     
    LeonardWashington likes this.
  2. Lawnole23

    Lawnole23 FSU Seminoles 2020 National Champions
    Donor TMB OG
    Florida State SeminolesTampa Bay RaysTampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Lightning

    Decided on Costa Rica next March. I will be there with my parents and both my kids. Anyone have resort recommendations?
     
  3. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesWashington Football TeamAtlanta United

    Yes. Don't go to a resort
     
    letan, mc415, BamaNug and 1 other person like this.
  4. Lawnole23

    Lawnole23 FSU Seminoles 2020 National Champions
    Donor TMB OG
    Florida State SeminolesTampa Bay RaysTampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Lightning

    If I'm renting a place what area would you recommend? Small kid friendly
     
  5. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideSeattle MarinersAtlanta BravesNew Orleans Saints

    Depends on a lot my dude -- yall wanna do nature/rainforests or beach? Both? Tons of national parks -- Manuel Antonia, Corcovado (far), Arenal and the surrounding areas. Then there's the Pacific and Caribbean Coast.

    I think Arenal/La Fortuna area is the most accessible/closest to San Jose. Corcovado is supposed to be the most beautiful, but also the farthest away.

    With kids I would think you'd want to keep travel in the country to a minimum, so maybe 4-5 days at a beach and 4-5 days at a rainforest?
     
  6. Lawnole23

    Lawnole23 FSU Seminoles 2020 National Champions
    Donor TMB OG
    Florida State SeminolesTampa Bay RaysTampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Lightning

    I'll drag them around if need be. Both my kids are pretty easy going as long as it's fun they don't mind travel. Best option for us is likely beach for the most part and day trips to jungle. Not opposed to splitting it up in both though.

    Seems like Manuel Antonio is a good spot with beaches and rainforest but a bit of a hike from San Juan. I assume you just stay put in that area. We were also considering flying to San Juan and going straight up to the volcano area for a couple of days and then driving over towards the Pacific coast maybe up towards Liberia for beach stuff then flying out of Liberia. Not sure if that makes any sense to do.
     
    #23706 Lawnole23, Sep 23, 2021
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2021
  7. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
    Staff Donor
    LSU TigersTexas RangersNew Orleans SaintsFulhamDulwich Hamlet

    fwiw Corcovado is a lot of things, and imo the best national park in CR (at least that I've been to), but it's far from the most beautiful. Speaks more for how beautiful the rest of the country is rather than a slight at Corcovado.

    The appeal is that it's wild, unspoiled and isolated. World class beaches where you may be the only person who visits that day, no development, and it's one of the most biodiverse places on earth. Wife wants us to retire to Puerto Jimenez so it holds a special place in my heart.
     
    BamaNug likes this.
  8. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideSeattle MarinersAtlanta BravesNew Orleans Saints

    I don't think I'm going to make it there, unfortunately, but everything I read says it's the best NP in Costa Rica. Gonna go be a dirty hippie on the Nicoya Peninsula for a few weeks instead.
     
    Where Eagles Dare and BayouMafia like this.
  9. Alshon

    Alshon Well-Known Member
    Donor
    South Carolina Gamecocks

    Anyone have any food/drink recs for Madison or Milwaukee?
     
  10. letan

    letan Just looking for the gator board
    Donor
    Real MadridJacksonville JaguarsFlorida GatorsTampa Bay Rays

    Planning on doing Italy for my honeymoon next year most likely. Going to do Rome and the the positano area. Anyone have experience driving around Italy? Or should I just take trains?
     
  11. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    Lakefront Brewery and Palomino in Milwaukee
     
    Alshon likes this.
  12. herb.burdette

    herb.burdette Meet me at the corner of 8th and Worthington
    Donor
    Ohio State Buckeyes

    Driving between cities is very easy. Driving within them is incredibly hard.

    I drove from Naples airport to Sorrento and then from Sorrento to Rome airport. Driving to Sorrento was a white knuckle experience and within Sorrento itself was nearly impossible.
     
    letan likes this.
  13. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    I'd go with trains and car service.
     
    letan and BayouMafia like this.
  14. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
    Staff Donor
    LSU TigersTexas RangersNew Orleans SaintsFulhamDulwich Hamlet

    Haven’t been to Italy since backpacking on college but everywhere we went (Milan, Cinque Terre, Venice, Rome, Naples, Pisa, Pompeii) was extremely easy to get to by train. Unless you’re going somewhere off the beaten path I can’t imagine renting to be worth it, especially considering the traffic/parking situation in cities.
     
    letan and Lyrtch like this.
  15. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    riding in a cab within italian cities will make you lose your mind

    can't imagine driving myself
     
    Keef, SugarShaun and letan like this.
  16. letan

    letan Just looking for the gator board
    Donor
    Real MadridJacksonville JaguarsFlorida GatorsTampa Bay Rays

    Thank you friends for the input. Trains it is
     
    xec, herb.burdette and BayouMafia like this.
  17. herb.burdette

    herb.burdette Meet me at the corner of 8th and Worthington
    Donor
    Ohio State Buckeyes

    The only place a car was really convenient in Italy was when we went north of Rome into Umbria and stayed in Assisi.

    It was really nice to have a car in the countryside.

    Assisi was very cool as well, basically an intact 13th century walled city built as a fortress on a mountain with the Rocca Maggiore castle sitting at its highest point.
     
    letan likes this.
  18. xec

    xec Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida State SeminolesUtah UtesReal Salt LakeLas Vegas Golden KnightsPorto

    Good choice. In Rome itself take a cab or the Metro to get around if you need to, but it’s very walkable. Driving in Rome is harrowing for anyone not used to it. Finding parking can be very difficult. Anyway, for a romantic honeymoon you’ve made a great choice!
     
    SugarShaun, letan and herb.burdette like this.
  19. herb.burdette

    herb.burdette Meet me at the corner of 8th and Worthington
    Donor
    Ohio State Buckeyes

    I got a ticket several months later after driving into a restricted zone in Pisa that I didn’t know was restricted. Basically, everything in the old parts of cities has camera spots snapping shots for violations.

    We got an exception in Sorrento and Florence because we stayed in the restricted zone and our hotels got a waiver.

    Elsewhere, you get nailed driving in the old sections.
     
    xec and letan like this.
  20. xec

    xec Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida State SeminolesUtah UtesReal Salt LakeLas Vegas Golden KnightsPorto

    Same thing happened to me in Pistoia. I intended to bypass the city but incorrectly input info into the GPS and it took us right through the centro storico. Once we got into the center it stopped working. Finding the Strada Provinciale we wanted was a nightmare to find from there. My brother was driving the car behind our’s and went through the same zone. He didn’t get a ticket.
     
  21. herb.burdette

    herb.burdette Meet me at the corner of 8th and Worthington
    Donor
    Ohio State Buckeyes

    In hindsight, I should have wondered why I got such a great parking spot next to the tower in Pisa.
     
    xec and letan like this.
  22. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideSeattle MarinersAtlanta BravesNew Orleans Saints

    Anybody ever used a Grayl water filter? Have some buddies that use it while hiking, but apparently it's big for international travel:

    https://grayl.com/collections/geopress

    Just a push-filter system, so you can drink tap water from anywhere in the world immediately. Just bought one, will report back with or without giardia.
     
    Keef and letan like this.
  23. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideSeattle MarinersAtlanta BravesNew Orleans Saints

    Welp. I've held off from posting about it, but tomorrow I turn in my two-week's notice, and as of Oct 23 I'll start the digital nomad life. I have fucking dreamt about this since I started working.

    Condo is sold and scheduled to close a few days before I leave. Already have an offer on my car. Have gotten rid of most everything non-essential, have completely re-done my lifestyle for longterm travel. Starting a fully-remote, virtual company that only needs a computer and strong internet connection.

    Don't know if it will be for 1, 2, or 5 years, but I'm hoping at least a few years. I could fall flat on my face and wouldn't fucking care, I'm going for it.

    Oct 23 - Nov 22: Costa Rica, then home for Thanksgiving
    Nov 28 - Dec 22: Back to Oaxaca coast, same place I was last year
    NYE: Back in Seattle
    Jan 5: Fly into Colombia, do 1 month in Medellin and Tayrona Nat Park
    Feb 5: Fly into Sao Paulo to meet my friends
    Feb 24 - Mar 3: Carnival with my sinners
    March 2022: NE Brasil, really want to spend some time in Bahia being a hippie
    [end of March/early April]: fly back to Seattle to handle some business
    Early April: fly to South Africa, Afrikaburn at end of April/early May -- hopefully stay in Africa for a few months -- Mozambique, Madagascar, Namibia -- sort of up in the air and COVID-dependent.

    Everything is booked up until my flight back from Brasil. Plan on buying that soon. Africa is still really up in the air, but I have my Burn ticket so we'll see.

    Hopefully, end of 2022 I can set up shop in Hanoi/SE Asia for a few months.
     
  24. THEBLUERAIDER

    THEBLUERAIDER Well-Known Member
    Donor
    St. Louis CardinalsTennessee TitansNashville PredatorsMiddle Tennessee State Blue Raiders

    Awesome stuff. Where are you sleeping?
     
  25. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideSeattle MarinersAtlanta BravesNew Orleans Saints

    Hostels and airbnbs. Vagabonding.
     
    Room 15, letan and THEBLUERAIDER like this.
  26. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
    Donor
    San Diego State AztecsSan Diego Padres

    that is awesome! good luck!
     
    BamaNug likes this.
  27. Russellin4885

    Russellin4885 Well-Known Member
    Donor
    North Carolina State Wolfpack

    That’s awesome. Not sure how much you’re willing to talk about it but would love to hear more about the company start up.
     
    mizz1439 and BamaNug like this.
  28. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideSeattle MarinersAtlanta BravesNew Orleans Saints

    Nothing too fancy. I'm a lawyer, so it advertises my legal services (directed at law firms and insurance carriers for freelance/contract work), and also advertises all of my Airbnbs/one website with all of them listed, with links to their Airbnb listings. And I'm a yoga teacher, so there's a little bit about that, too. More of a biographical website for why you should hire a lawyer that doesn't want to work full time.
     
    laxjoe, letan and Russellin4885 like this.
  29. rcragg82

    rcragg82 Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Not sure on your budget but we stayed Arenal and did the volcano, bridges, etc. Then took a puddle jumper plane over to Manuel Antonio. Took ~45 minutes to do so. We saw a couple who stayed in Arenal do the drive from Arenal and Manuel Antonio and they were not a fan of it. Lots of very hilly, non-paved roads going through the rainforest so its white knuckle driving if you are the one driving.

    Our boarding passes were written in pen and we had to stand on a scale like the one in your bathroom before boarding so they knew the weight of the plane. This was 9 years ago though so things could have changed.
     
    Lawnole23 and letan like this.
  30. rcragg82

    rcragg82 Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Another post on the topic. This site was great: https://www.anywhere.com/costa-rica

    You can put in your budget, your type of ideal activities and they can create an itinerary. I went back and forth with them doing a few revisions to tweak the agenda and from the customer service to ensuring everything was taken care of, it was top notch. I just paid them and then all your passes, lodging and transportation are taken care of. We used it for our honeymoon after a friend of ours also used them for the same thing.
     
    Lawnole23 likes this.
  31. Killy Me Please

    Killy Me Please I lift things up and put people down.
    Donor

    Looking around Key West in February. Any recs.

    Also I want my dog to be with us. Anyone use a pet transport service?
     
  32. Cooler

    Cooler A mans gotta eat
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesChicago CubsChicago BearsUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    I’ll be there around the same time for a wedding at the Hemingway House. Bought ferry tickets for Dry Tortugas Island which if you’re interested you need to buy really early.

    I’ve been before, but can’t remember the names of most places. Plenty of great restaurants to choose from though. Night kayaking is awesome. Jet skiing around the island is cool too.
     
    Killy Me Please likes this.
  33. Killy Me Please

    Killy Me Please I lift things up and put people down.
    Donor

    This is more for decompressing. I don't need adventure. I rather work on my sunburn than run around looking for kicks. I rather play it low key. Go out to eat at night. Find things to do as it comes. I rather miss out on things than plan anything.
     
    Weedlord420 likes this.
  34. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    My buddy received a citation from Germany through our rental car company for about $180 two weeks ago. Guess we needed a pass or something to drive along the autobahn.
     
    herb.burdette likes this.
  35. Keef

    Keef Liked by Pierre Gasly
    Donor
    Georgia BulldogsAtlanta BravesAtlanta UnitedMilanUnited States Men's National Soccer TeamFormula 1

    I think you should start your own thread documenting with pictures etc... I'd find it really interesting
     
  36. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
    Donor
    California Golden Bears

    Get a van and a sketchy gf and start a travel blog
     
  37. Eathan Edwards

    Eathan Edwards Well-Known Member
    Donor
    New Orleans PelicansNew Orleans SaintsMississippi Rebels

    For Madison - I've only been twice but I did get to eat a good amount of restaurants on the trip:

    https://chicago.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-madison-wisconsin-food-road-trip

    The eater article is worth a read:

    For fancy - Harvey House is relatively new and from some Gramercy Tavern, French Laundry alums.
    L'etoile is fine dining French.
    Graft is solid.

    Fine dining steak house is Tornado.

    The Old fashioned is more of an American bar/pub but the food is pretty good.
    Same with Tipsy Cow and Merchant (not sure if they have reopened yet).

    Marigold kitchen is a casual breakfast lunch spot that is popular.

    There's a lot of solid options in Capitol Square area if you're going to actually be walking around.

    If I think of any others I'll edit this post and add.
     
    Alshon likes this.
  38. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideSeattle MarinersAtlanta BravesNew Orleans Saints

    The real way I'm funding this is just influencing, which isn't so much a job as it is a lifestyle.

    Follow me for more premium content.
     
    Goose, letan, laxjoe and 4 others like this.
  39. Room 15

    Room 15 Mi equipo esta Los Tigres
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesAtlanta FalconsUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    <3
     
    BamaNug likes this.
  40. Lawnole23

    Lawnole23 FSU Seminoles 2020 National Champions
    Donor TMB OG
    Florida State SeminolesTampa Bay RaysTampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Lightning

    Things took a turn quickly. I was going on the trip with my parents and they backed out and my wife decided she doesn't want to travel outside the country so now we're going to Williamsburg, Virginia and DC with the kids for spring break. Just as fun. Just as fun.
     
  41. Jimmy the Saint

    Jimmy the Saint The future is a benevolent black hole
    Donor
    Penn State Nittany LionsGreen Bay PackersChelseaHartford WhalersPhoenix Rising

    I got shit on by a bird in Williamsburg about 15 years ago. Have fun.
     
    Room 15 likes this.
  42. Lawnole23

    Lawnole23 FSU Seminoles 2020 National Champions
    Donor TMB OG
    Florida State SeminolesTampa Bay RaysTampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Lightning

    If I see the bird I'll tell it to go fuck itself.
     
  43. tspa

    tspa Well-Known Member
    Donor

    I don't know how I missed this, but I did Croatia this summer. I would say Krka was worthwhile, and its more than just Skradinski Buk. But when you do Skradniski Buk start off going to the left, you get to the waterfall more directly. The rest of that area is nice, but not as worth while and was very crowded.
    In Kraka also check out Roski Slap, there is a little loop trail and a trail to a cave that has some nice overlooks of the canyon. There is also a swimming area here. Further up the river is Manojlovac Slap which is the biggest waterfall in the park and you can walk down to it while probably being mostly alone. There is also a Roman amphitheater near Manojlovac.
    Plitvice is one of the most amazing places I have ever been. I would highly recommend buying tickets online in advance and getting there at 7 a.m. when it opens. When I went four people went in before us and we were able to get to many of the sites before they got crowded. It also made the park so much more peaceful than the main part of Krka. A lot of people showed up at 7, but they had to wait to buy tickets. By the time we were leaving in the afternoon the main entrance was super crowded.
    I would recommend starting at Entrance 1 and doing Program C, this seemed like the best way to see everything while seeing the main falls first.
     
  44. Mr Mortisay

    Mr Mortisay Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Arkansas Razorbacks

    Alright need some advice…

    Doing our big trip in January. 2 nights in Dubai, 5 in the Maldives, 2 in Singapore, we’ve decided to spend the rest in Thailand rather than try to cram Vietnam in as well.


    We’re definitely doing 4 nights at Keemala in Phuket to end the trip. We have 6 nights to spend in the rest of Thailand. What should we hit up? I was thinking1 or 2 nights in Bangkok. I guess biggest decision would be deciding between Chiang Mai or another beach destination? Thoughts?
     
  45. Mr Mortisay

    Mr Mortisay Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Arkansas Razorbacks

    We did the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo last year right before covid and it’s great. Excellent location, cool jungle beach situation, great pools and very kid friendly. Highly recommend.

    Whatever you do, do not try to drive on the Amalfi Coast. All the roads are very narrow, going down to a single lane in places; the locals make it look like an art form. We hired a driver to take a tour from Naples, I’m sure you can find a driver or ferry from Naples or Salerno pretty easily.
     
  46. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideSeattle MarinersAtlanta BravesNew Orleans Saints

    If you're already doing Phuket, I would try and do Chiang Mai. You can spend all 4-5 extra days around there, so much to do. Chiang Rai is also close by and pretty dope.

    Def need 2 days in Bangkok.
     
    Mr Mortisay and Fran Tarkenton like this.
  47. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesWashington Football TeamAtlanta United

    After doing 5 days in the Maldives and 4 nights in Phuket, I'm not sure why you'd really want to go to another beach when there is a lot to do elsewhere. Go to Northern Thailand and 2 day sin Bangkok, IMO.
     
    BamaNug, mizz1439 and Mr Mortisay like this.
  48. Mr Mortisay

    Mr Mortisay Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Arkansas Razorbacks

    Alright was mostly just making sure 4 nights in Chiang Mai wasn’t too much. I’m not familiar at all with northern Thailand, any recs?
     
  49. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor


     
    DuffandMuff and Mr Mortisay like this.
  50. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideSeattle MarinersAtlanta BravesNew Orleans Saints

    Mr Mortisay what are the COVID restrictions for Thailand? Did you look at Vietnam?

    I was under the impression they're pretty locked down.