Vacations Destinations

[Jace, Extat]

I'd never been to an island or anyplace real tropical (fuck Miami) before, and I fell in such love with the scenery and unique activities that I'm going to start planning another vacation immediately. Probably aiming for late August or maybe October, anyone got any inside info on great island getaways they'd like to share? 

I've heard great things about the Florida Keyes, but I'm open to the board's wisdom. 

I figured this could double as a great vacation story thread. 

[maarsen]

Cuba, always Cuba. It is the biggest island and has the most to see and is probably the safest for a tourist to wander about on. Beautiful beaches, very nice people and about as an unspoiled place as this world has. 

[Ran]

Grenada is very underrated. If you do an October trip, it doesn't hurt to go to a place outside of the hurricane belt, like Curaco, so that you're less likely to have to cancel your trip.

[PyroclasticFlow]

I've heard there's not a lot going on in Indianapolis around the end of the year, should be safe to wander...

[Iskaral Pust]

Glad you had such a good vacation.  Don’t start watching those HGTV shows about buying a condo in Costa Rica or Guatemala.  You’ll drive yourself mad.

Hawaii is amazing.  So ridiculously beautiful.  I’m always shocked by the feeling of stress dissipating as I walk through the open air airport upon arrival.  Plus it doesn’t have the third world problems of most tropical destinations.

We tried Puerto Rico and Cancun/Playa Del Carmen a few years ago but weren’t in a hurry to go back.  Puerto Rico wasn’t all that nice (it felt like a poorly developed strip mall interspersed with closed-off resorts).  Cancun/Playa is beautiful and has the amazing Mayan historical sites nearby, but the crime situation is scary there.  It felt unsafe and skeevy once you leave the resort.

We haven’t yet tried any of the smaller Caribbean islands but I’ll check back here for ideas.  I think it really matters to choose a destination with a similar type of travelers.  We like a quiet place with amazing food and beautiful views and hikes.  We don’t like a lot of drunk/trashy people who belly up to the pool bar to slurp cocktails all day and act sloppy by early afternoon, nor obnoxious/rude/loud families from NY/NJ.  Unfortunately there’s a lot of both visiting the Caribbean.

I haven’t tried anything west of Hawaii.  I hear amazing things about the Seychelles or Mauritius or Maldives or Thailand, but those are some loooong flights.

Late August through October is hurricane season in the Caribbean.  Tropical vacations are best saved for January through April.  The contrast in scenery, climate and pace of life is greater and in greater need.

[Jace, Extat]

5 hours ago, PyroclasticFlow said:

I've heard there's not a lot going on in Indianapolis around the end of the year, should be safe to wander...

I'd rather vacation in that Thai cave.

14 minutes ago, Iskaral Putsch said:

Glad you had such a good vacation.  Don’t start watching those HGTV shows about buying a condo in Costa Rica or Guatemala.  You’ll drive yourself mad.

Hawaii is amazing.  So ridiculously beautiful.  I’m always shocked by the feeling of stress dissipating as I walk through the open air airport upon arrival.  Plus it doesn’t have the third world problems of most tropical destinations.

We tried Puerto Rico and Cancun/Playa Del Carmen a few years ago but weren’t in a hurry to go back.  Puerto Rico wasn’t all that nice (it felt like a poorly developed strip mall interspersed with closed-off resorts).  Cancun/Playa is beautiful and has the amazing Mayan historical sites nearby, but the crime situation is scary there.  It felt unsafe and skeevy once you leave the resort.

We haven’t yet tried any of the smaller Caribbean islands but I’ll check back here for ideas.  I think it really matters to choose a destination with a similar type of travelers.  We like a quiet place with amazing food and beautiful views and hikes.  We don’t like a lot of drunk/trashy people who belly up to the pool bar to slurp cocktails all day and act sloppy by early afternoon, nor obnoxious/rude/loud families from NY/NJ.  Unfortunately there’s a lot of both visiting the Caribbean.

I haven’t tried anything west of Hawaii.  I hear amazing things about the Seychelles or Mauritius or Maldives or Thailand, but those are some loooong flights.

Late August through October is hurricane season in the Caribbean.  Tropical vacations are best saved for January through April.  The contrast in scenery, climate and pace of life is greater and in greater need.

Good shit, thanks. And yeah, Hawaii might have changed my life. I don't wanna leave. 

[Inigima]

Grand Cayman is gorgeous. Get certified to dive before going if you can, crystal clear water and tons of fish. If you want to you can do the classroom stuff at home and then do your checkout dives in the islands in the actual ocean and see fish while you do.

[BigFatCoward]

13 hours ago, Iskaral Putsch said:

 

I haven’t tried anything west of Hawaii.  I hear amazing things about the Seychelles or Mauritius or Maldives or Thailand, but those are some loooong flights.

 

You get more bang for your buck in Thailand than any of those other places, by a huge margin.  Thailand is my favourite place on earth. 

[Xray the Enforcer]

On 7/7/2018 at 5:19 PM, Jace, Basilissa said:

I'd never been to an island or anyplace real tropical (fuck Miami) before, and I fell in such love with the scenery and unique activities that I'm going to start planning another vacation immediately. Probably aiming for late August or maybe October, anyone got any inside info on great island getaways they'd like to share? 

I've heard great things about the Florida Keyes, but I'm open to the board's wisdom. 

I figured this could double as a great vacation story thread. 

Not sure what you're interested in, but if you like diving and hiking then you might want to look into Trinidad and Tobago (both are great for hiking; Tobago is probably better for diving and is the less-developed of the two islands). Or go to the cayes off the coast of Belize. Hawaii is also wonderful -- I prefer the Big Island but others seem to be way into Maui or Kauai. 

[Blue Roses]

Went to Grand Cayman this spring as have family there. I would only really recommend it as a tourist destination if you really really really like diving/and or snorkelling. The island itself is flat as pancake and not particularly interesting  either in geographical beauty or architecturally. 

However, the beaches, the sea and the sea life are incredible. Playing with the sting rays, diving with turtles etc...all washed down with a rum punch or two.

The only other thing to mention is that Cayman operates on indirect taxation. So food and drink are insane. I spent nearly 30 English pounds on 2 frozen pizzas and some garlic bread from the supermarket to feed my brats and whimpered a bit at the checkout. Probably best to find a package holiday if you want to visit.

 

 

[Cas Stark]

28 minutes ago, Blue Roses said:

Went to Grand Cayman this spring as have family there. I would only really recommend it as a tourist destination if you really really really like diving/and or snorkelling. The island itself is flat as pancake and not particularly interesting  either in geographical beauty or architecturally. 

However, the beaches, the sea and the sea life are incredible. Playing with the sting rays, diving with turtles etc...all washed down with a rum punch or two.

The only other thing to mention is that Cayman operates on indirect taxation. So food and drink are insane. I spent nearly 30 English pounds on 2 frozen pizzas and some garlic bread from the supermarket to feed my brats and whimpered a bit at the checkout. Probably best to find a package holiday if you want to visit.

 

 

I guess things haven't changed.  I remember when I went to the Caymans many years ago it seemed that every single person on my flight was wearing a Rolex except me, LOL.  I do agree that Caymans is for the water/snorkeling and not the island itself.

[Maithanet]

St. John, USVI is amazing.  The snorkeling is great, the hiking is great, the people are really friendly and helpful, it's not particularly expensive, and it's easy to get to.  My only concern is that I haven't been there since last year's hurricanes and I don't know how the recovery is going. 

[baxus]

Not being much of a seaside person myself and having spent all my seaside vacations around the Mediterranean (which is also beautiful), Thailand was an eye-opener for me. Completely different than anything I've ever experienced up to that point - climate, the wildlife, the culture... Would definitely recommend it.

EDIT:

Of course, it's pretty tourist-y and stay out of Patong if you're not a frat boy, though.

[Derfel Cadarn]

Come to Britain. The weather's good (for now) and the pound's about to plummet, so it'll be cheap...

[Deedles]

I much preferred Vietnam to Thailand. First time we went, we saw Ho Chi Min city, the Mekong Delta, Hoi An, Hui, Hanoi and Halong Bay. Absolutely amazing. Can’t recommend it enough. The second time, we just tacked 4 days in Hoi An onto ten days in Thailand for a break. Super relaxing. The food is great, scenery amazing. The staff and people we interacted with seemed genuine rather than obsequious . I loved it. Can’t wait for the sproglets to get big enough to contemplate the plane trip. 

 

Ive done Cancun and the Mayan Riviera twice but never again.

 

 

[aceluby]

We went to Sarasota FL this year and had one of the best vacations I've ever had.  All of the food was awesome, beaches were amazing, and best of all it was cheap.  Under $1000 for two round trip flights + hotel.  We didn't want to come home.

Also went to Cozumel for 10 days a few years ago and that was awesome.  We stayed in one of those all inclusive places, only hung out at the resort 2 of the 10 days.  Other than that we were constantly going around town for little spots for food/drinks/etc....  The more off the beaten path the better we found stuff to be.  A little more $$$, but we had a great time.

[Kalbear]

I will always recommend Costa Rica. I've been to the Caribbean, I've been to Hawaii a few times now, and I've been to Europe - but nothing compares to Costa Rica. Have you wanted to star in your own Planet Earth video? That's where you can go and do it. An ecological paradise, with a nation that supports eco-tourism and is heavily invested in the wildlife. A place that has more national parks than any other country on earth by overall size of the country. It has surf, beaches, mountains, forests, jungles, volcanoes, hot springs, rivers, lakes, and just about everything you might want.

It's a bit more spendy to fly to, but it's pretty cheap when you get there. 

I spent 3 days hiking an international jungle reservation, and it was the single best vacation experience of my life. 

[James Arryn]

The keys have lost a lot of charm, imo.

Not really a tropical island guy, myself, more Croatian or Greek or w/e......but Fiji was lovely, the Cannaries had awesome hikes and you can hop around Thai or Indonesian islands and still get occasional flashes of un-plastic.

[Ice Queen]

Most of my family lives in Florida, so going there isn't really a vacation. If I never go to Disney again it will be too soon. I've been all over the Caribbean including Cozumel--the last time I was there, paved roads didn't exist there! Back in the late 80s I climbed Chichen Itza. I was in really good shape and barely made it to the top! All the ruins on the Yucatan are something to see.

Last year we spent two weeks on a Yellowstone trip. Three days driving each way. We saw the Black Hills, the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Tetons, GlacierNPS, Antelope and Bryce Canyons and so on. It was amazing! We could have stayed for months and not seen and done everything. 

This year we are planning to bike the Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh to DC. Not as glamorous as Thailand, but it is inexpensive and we enjoy it. 

I always wanted to see Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Maybe someday I'll get that part of the world. The rest of the bucket list includes Iceland, Alaska, Yukon, and the British Isles. Oh, and a river cruise from Amsterdam to Paris.

 

 

[James Arryn]

33 minutes ago, Crazy Cat Lady in Training said:

Most of my family lives in Florida, so going there isn't really a vacation. If I never go to Disney again it will be too soon. I've been all over the Caribbean including Cozumel--the last time I was there, paved roads didn't exist there! Back in the late 80s I climbed Chichen Itza. I was in really good shape and barely made it to the top! All the ruins on the Yucatan are something to see.

Last year we spent two weeks on a Yellowstone trip. Three days driving each way. We saw the Black Hills, the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Tetons, GlacierNPS, Antelope and Bryce Canyons and so on. It was amazing! We could have stayed for months and not seen and done everything. 

This year we are planning to bike the Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh to DC. Not as glamorous as Thailand, but it is inexpensive and we enjoy it. 

I always wanted to see Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Maybe someday I'll get that part of the world. The rest of the bucket list includes Iceland, Alaska, Yukon, and the British Isles. Oh, and a river cruise from Amsterdam to Paris.

 

 

Did Siem Riep last year as part of my 5 month Asia swing. Angkor Wat is HUGE. Think of your scale for manmade things and multiply it by a kazillion. Also, I was there on the edges of storm season, which most of the time meant like 1-2 heavy falls a day but otherwise beautiful, but my last 4 day’s in SR it literally never stopped, and I mean HEAVY rain, like basically a solid outside. But generally loved it, behind only Kyoto on my whole Asia swing...Kuching was pretty cool, too.

Oh, and the bug restaurant was interesting.