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

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

  1. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    Booked Tropic Air for about 48 hrs out on Ambergris. I don't think we need any mode of transportation once on Ambergris as I have read you can walk everywhere not a problem. Any suggestions on resorts or AirBnbs to stay at (either specific ones or areas)? Also, if we want to do snorkling out at Shark Ray Alley, any suggestions on a good company to use? (Hopefully) Final question, any other things that we should do while out there (or skip)?

    I should say, part of the reason I am asking so many questions is this is the first international trip with the new lady friend and would really prefer not to completely screw it up. I am normally more of a fan of picking one or two things then chatting with locals and winging it that way but I am not sure that's her M.O. Trying not to scare her off too early.
     
  2. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    Just found out about 10 mins ago that I might be heading back to Japan in early December for work. Our global meeting is only supposed to be every other year in Japan and the off years at the regions. Apparently Japan had wanted us to host in the US but never told us so we didn't put anything in budget. So now the plan might be to have it in Japan 3 yrs in a row. Pretty pumped if this happens.
     
  3. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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    You don’t need transport to get around most of San Pedro, but if you want to stay outside of town or explore outside of town you’ll want to rent a golf cart.

    We stayed at the Sunbreeze Hotel. It’s perfectly located and we liked it but those who like a bit more luxury might consider it a little basic.

    We did the Discover SCUBA program with Belize Pro Dive Center. The guys there were great and top notch in my estimation
     
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  4. Jimmy the Saint

    Jimmy the Saint The future is a benevolent black hole
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    Small time stuff here but I have to go to a firm wide training in Minneapolis in November. Everybody else is trying to cram on some cheap Southwest flights and spend as little time as possible there.

    Booked Delta in firm policy, get there with a day to explore and grab a meal at Spoon & Stable as usual the day I fly home. It's my third time there this year, why waste an opportunity?

    I have to turn around go back to the airport about 7 hours after I come back from an east coast wedding but nothing sounds worse than flying with a bunch of coworkers on purpose.
     
  5. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    CoastalOrange
    Belize Pro Dive Center has a stellar reputation. I used them & Ambergris Divers (lesser, smaller, a little cheaper, older diving gear,etc.). I do not recall the outfitter who took us to shark ray alley, but pretty much all of them do. I would just walk the beach to find one that matches your timing. They will cost about the same.
     
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  6. 941Gator

    941Gator TMB's resident beach bum
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    have to respect that bear for not dyeing his hair black or brown and just rocking the gray
     
  7. two

    two Hello
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    Just had to cancel a work trip to Vegas next week :feelsbadman:
     
  8. Whammy

    Whammy Donde es
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    Anyone ever been diving at Chuuk Lagoon? Looking at it hard, looks incredible
     
  9. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    Alright fellas notice is in at work and 10/18 is my last day. Looking to travel dec-March, this is the tentative plan with the gf. Seems to change a couple times a week
    Vietnam-3 weeks
    Indonesia-month
    New Zealand-3-4 weeks in a camper van driving around
    Australia-3 weeks
     
  10. Room 15

    Room 15 Mi equipo esta Los Tigres
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    This is a very smart decision
     
  11. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    Gonna be tough to fit it all in. Having to swing through Houston to see our families around Xmas cuts into time, since we both will be unemployed by mid November. Haven’t had this freedom though since leaving college so I’m stoked after 7 years
     
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  12. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    I mean, it's pretty pointless to come back from that area then to fly back just for one holiday. It'll only happen once, should just skip it.

    Also, what's the reasoning for your planned gap in work. I'm jealous af
     
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  13. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    My Vietnam trip in December is starting to come along. December 11 - Jan 1 (evening, thankfully).

    The current plan is:
    Ho Chi Minh 3 nights
    Phu Quoc 3 nights
    Hoi An 4 nights
    Nha Trang 1 night
    Da Lat 4 nights
    Mui Ne 3 nights
    Ho Chi Minh 2 nights

    Ho Chi Minh up until Nha Trang is locked in as I booked cheap flights for the travel already. The rest will be bus/train so I will have more flexibility.
     
  14. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    Booked 2 weeks in Australia end of Feb/early March including intercontinental flights to Cairns, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sidney for ~$600. Using Tiger/Jetstar for most of the legs. Anyone have any experience with those carriers, i.e., just how miserable is this going to be be?
     
  15. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    The Google reviews for Jetstar are very very bad
     
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  16. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    Oh you can tell just from booking on their site that it’s a complete piece of shit, Lady Pokes almost stiff armed her computer into the floor last night trying to confirm all the legs.

    I’m ok with getting nickeled and dimed to death on incidentals, checked bags, etc...none of that shit affects me. Moreso wondering if anyone has any personal experience with them and what the cleanliness/space situation is like.
     
  17. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    Someone mentioned theybhad to use thier jacket as padding bc the seats were so thin it was like sitting on wires

    :laugh:
     
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  18. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    Yeah crossing my fingers that they use their best birds for the Honolulu route, don’t care so much about the in-country flights. At least it’s a (relatively) short trip for us compared to all y’all on the mainland.
     
  19. 941Gator

    941Gator TMB's resident beach bum
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    Couldn’t help but notice she did the booking. Did you have dinner cooking at least?
     
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  20. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    I can’t handle booking flights with her, she goes completely looney tunes. She’ll change her mind about which country she wants to travel to by the minute, and she won’t jump on good deals in lieu of spending weeks chasing every possible fare. Last time we went to Europe her insanity totally fucked me and I had to eat $400 on the ticket because she refused to pull the trigger. It’s a trade off: I give her complete control over the search process, and in exchange I avoid the anxiety of doing it with her.

    My role was limited to booking our tickets to Honolulu after she locked into Australia.

    But to answer your question, yes. I kept her wine glass topped off too.
     
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  21. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    Jet star planes look a million years old from the outside.

    That's all I got
     
  22. bwi2

    bwi2 Not affiliated with BWI
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    Owned by Qantas so I assume they’re at least safe and not Spirit-level shitty
     
  23. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Strongly recommend New Zealand if you can swing it. Personally, I'd do 1 week in each, but that's just me. New Zealand is top tier travel destination, and it's very tough getting to that side of the world very often.
     
  24. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    I would have rather done 2 weeks in NZ and skip OZ entirely, but the better half really wants to see the Great Barrier Reef. Rather than try to squeeze both into one trip, we’re going to take our time and do them separately.

    Fortunately for us it’s not that far, about 10 hrs. Basically like a flight to Europe from the East Coast.
     
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  25. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    Best lounge at IAD?

    I have access to air France/KLM, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Turkish, one of those $28 credit restaurants, "sleepbox" (all via priority pass) or United because I have a club passes. TIA.
     
  26. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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    speaking of Belize...

     
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  27. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    Those of you that have done Vietnam, is it better to work north to south or south to north?
     
  28. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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    I’ve heard it doesn’t matter from an experience standpoint but North-South is more common so if you’re going the motorbike route bikes are cheaper to buy in the South and easier to sell in the North.

    We just did the North and Central Highlands is no experience with the South at all
     
  29. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    Thanks, makes sense

    I’m going solo so debating whether I do the motorbike or not. Total of about 3 weeks on the ground
     
  30. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    I was there for about 2 1/2 weeks, and I don't think that's enough time to moto the whole country. Would be enough time to do half, I think.

    I went from Hoi An to the North, through Hanoi, DaNang and Halong Bay and Sapa.
     
  31. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    There's a Ho Chi Minh Trail joke in here somewhere
     
  32. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    I would also check the expected weather for your time of year, as it apparently can vary quite a bit depending on the time of year.

    I chose central / south Vietnam for my trip partially because the North would be cooler weather than what I’ll be looking for in December.
     
  33. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    November is perfect dry weather north and south. But central can get really rainy, which sucks because hoi an might be my #1
     
  34. Alshon

    Alshon Well-Known Member
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    Went to AF and Turkish last week. Both were solid. Turkish had the better food but limits you on booze.
     
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  35. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    bugged hyatt staff until they upgraded me to the room with a view i wanted

    worth

    [​IMG]
     
  36. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    Applies to everyone, but specifically calling out Dallas/Fort Worth Residents who carry Alaska Airlines Credit Card(s):

    TLDR: Value is now gutted, unless you go to west coast regularly.

    However, with growth comes change, and we would like to share some important updates to our partnership with American Airlines that will take effect March 1, 2020.

    What's changing:
    • Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ members will no longer be able to redeem Mileage Plan miles on American Airlines domestic or international flights.
    • American Airlines AAdvantage members will no longer be able to redeem AAdvantage miles on Alaska Airlines flights, freeing up more award space for Mileage Plan members.
    • Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members will no longer earn Mileage Plan miles on international American Airlines flights.

    What's not changing:
    • Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members can still earn a mile for every mile flown on American Airlines flights with an Alaska Airlines flight number to select key destinations in the Midwest, Eastern U.S. and Canada.
    • Alaska Lounge members can still access over 50 Admirals Club lounges worldwide when flying on an Alaska Airlines or American Airlines flight.

    You can learn more about these upcoming changes here.
     
  37. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Only reason I keep the Alaska Card is for the companion pass. I don't even carry the actual credit card in my wallet, just have it linked to my netflix to keep it active.
     
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  38. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    the value, for me, was using Alaska miles on extensive AA volume out of DFW Hub, no mas.

    No I have to reconcile if $195+tax/year is worth it for a companion pass from Dallas > their ~4/5 direct west coast destinations. Probably not.
     
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  39. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    So who is going to Colombia with me next spring?

    TO: Bogotá (BOG)

    Albany (ALB) - $392

    Allentown (ABE) - $387

    Atlanta (ATL) - $369

    Baltimore (BWI) - $390

    Boston (BOS) - $373

    Buffalo (BUF) - $329

    Charleston (CHS) - $385

    Fort Lauderdale (FLL) - $273

    Harrisburg (MDT) - $390

    Hartford (BDL) - $390

    Jacksonville (JAX) - $380

    Las Vegas (LAS) - $383

    Manchester (MHT) - $392

    Miami (MIA) - $363*

    Nashville (BNA) - $385

    New York City (JFK) - $385

    New York City (LGA) - $385

    Orlando (MCO) - $253

    Phoenix (PHX) - $390

    Providence (PVD) - $390

    Raleigh (RDU) - $385

    Richmond (RIC) - $385

    San Diego (SAN) - $385

    Syracuse (SYR) - $356

    Westchester (HPN) - $385

    TO: Cartagena (CTG)

    Atlanta (ATL) - $329

    Chicago (ORD) - $348

    Fort Lauderdale (FLL) - $290*

    Jacksonville (JAX) - $376

    Miami (MIA) - $377*

    New York City (JFK) - $383*

    Philadelphia (PHL) - $335

    Providence (PVD) - $367

    Tampa (TPA) - $331

    TO: Medellín (MDE)

    New Orleans (MSY) - $345

    Portland (PWM) - $393




    * - nonstop / direct

    WHEN: Varies greatly by route. Some routes have limited availability. Generally October through November 2019 and January through early June 2020, excluding Thanksgiving

    NORMAL PRICE: $600+ roundtrip

    AIRLINE(S):
    American (oneworld)
    JetBlue
    Delta (SkyTeam)
    Avianca (Star Alliance)
    Copa (Star Alliance)

    ADD-ON FEES:

    Most routes have no bag fees, etc. JetBlue fares include seat selection and a full-sized carry-on. For JetBlue, a checked bag costs $30 each way.

    BUY BY: We think these fares will last 1-2 days
     
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  40. 941Gator

    941Gator TMB's resident beach bum
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    Medellin > all
     
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  41. THEBLUERAIDER

    THEBLUERAIDER Well-Known Member
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    Looking to take a quick weekend trip or two with the wife. We have some Southwest money to spend since we cancelled a trip. Thinking about New Orleans. Any other suggestions?
     
  42. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    Pretty open-ended question there. I always enjoy weekends in Denver. Ever been to Portland? I like it up there a lot as well but for a first trip you could easily go for more than a weekend. Southwest generally has good deals to Vegas too
     
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  43. THEBLUERAIDER

    THEBLUERAIDER Well-Known Member
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    Meant to add that I’m flying out of Nashville and likely wouldn’t leave until Friday afternoon. So I’ll need a relatively short flight. We’ve been to Denver. I think Portland may be too far for what I’m looking for for this trip. Maybe DC.
     
  44. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    Yeah, definitely save Portland then
     
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  45. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    Anyone fly through the middle east recently??

    Flying to Bali through Qatar. At one point there were some specific regulations about laptops and tablets being allowed in carryon bags. I can't really find anything specific..
     
  46. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    Not many better weekend trips than New Orleans for eating and drinking purposes
     
  47. THEBLUERAIDER

    THEBLUERAIDER Well-Known Member
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    Any Hilton Hotel recs?
     
  48. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    i lean hyatts but a quick googling shows they're basically all in good locations. just find the best value.

    basically all walking distance to the french quarter, garden district, and the downtown/CBD area
     
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  49. THEBLUERAIDER

    THEBLUERAIDER Well-Known Member
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    Thanks. I’m just not very familiar with where to stay
     
  50. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Flew through Dubai to/from South Africa. Had my laptop in my carry on, no issues
     
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