A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

[Puck Swami]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

I travel a lot for work and pleasure, and tend to spend most of my travel time in major cities, so here's a list of places so far:

USA/Canada:

Exceptional:
New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal

Enjoyed:
Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Quebec City, Washington, Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, New Orleans, St. Louis, Kansas City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, Milwaukee, Ottawa, Calgary, Dallas/Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Nashville. Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, Greensboro, Victoria, Halifax

Lukewarm:
Jacksonville, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Salt Lake City, Hartford, Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Grand Forks, Columbus, Cincinnati, Omaha, Grand Rapids, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Raleigh, Saskatoon, London (Ont.), Kingston

Not a Fan of:

Mobile, Shreveport, Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, Fort Wayne, El Paso, Las Vegas, Fresno, Oakland, Akron, Wichita, Hamilton, Moncton, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Bakersfield

Europe and Med Sea Area:

Exceptional: St. Petersburg, Barcelona, Prague, Athens, Istanbul, Vienna, Edinburgh

Enjoyed: London, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Bratislava, Budapest, Rome, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Lugano, Brussels, Amsterdam, Madrid, Moscow, Naples, Torino, Seville, Innsbruck, Florence, Berne, Zurich, Brugges, Palermo, Lausanne, Bordeaux, The Hague

Lukewarm: Milan, Oslo, Antwerp, Newcastle, Manchester, Valetta, Warsaw, Geneva, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Rotterdam, Liverpool, Tunis, Tangier,

Not a Fan of: Hannover, Malaga, Marseille, Birmingham,

Latin America/Caribbean:

Exceptional: Machu Picchu, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Rio de Janeiro

Enjoyed: Lima, Montevideo, Cuzco, Mexico City, Freeport, Castries, Bridgetown

Lukewarm: Valparaiso, Quito, Sao Paulo, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan. Port of Spain

Not a fan of: Guayaquil, Managua, Tepic, Tijuana, Manaus, Kingston (Jam.)

Asia:

Exceptional: Beijing, Tokyo, Sydney

Enjoyed: Seoul

Lukewarm: Singapore

Not a fan of: Haven't been to any bad places there as yet

[Probert]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

Going to New Zealand on Tuesday and wondering if anybody else who has been there can help me out.

First is a question about LAX. I have to change terminals, from Terminal 2 to Terminal 7 and then vice versa on the way back. Not worried about coming home as the layoff is almost 6 hours but only have 2 hours, provided the plane is on time, on the way out. As I understand it you have to leave the terminal and either walk or catch a shuttle bus to the other terminal and then re-clear security again? If someone could confirm this, they seem to be on opposite ends of the U so if I have to leave the terminal I may as well walk straight across to terminal 2 where if I can avoid re going through security it would be worth the longer walk to walk between terminals.

As for New Zealand I wanted to know if anyone had been to the following and their thoughts:

Kelly Tarleton's Antarctic Encounter (Auckland)
Sky Tower (Auckland)
Both of these go so so reviews online and are a tad on the pricey side.

Also in Auckland I wanted to go to one of the islands and was considering Rangitoto.

International Antarctic Center (Christ Church)
This got good reviews but is very pricey

Glow Worm caves (In Te Anau)
My tour includes the ones in Waitomo so I am wondering if this is any different.

Skyline Restaurant/Kiwi Haka (Queenstown)
This is an optional dinner and show on my tour

Also in Queenstown what kind of jetboat ride would you recommend?
The shotover jet is the famous one I and everyone else has seen but I found another one on the Dart river rather than the Shotover which sound less thrill ride than the Shotover but is a longer tour and includes taking the boat through caves and then a nature walk after wards.

Yellow Eyed Penguin reserve near Dunedin

Realm of Tane Rotura

Thanks in advance.

[LynahFan]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

You'll do have to re-clear security at LAX to change terminals - I think you have it about right. From 2 to 7, it will probably be about the same to walk (if you're in decent shape) as to take the bus - the bus will make many stops, and there's always traffic. I'd definitely just hike across.

[Probert]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

You'll do have to re-clear security at LAX to change terminals - I think you have it about right. From 2 to 7, it will probably be about the same to walk (if you're in decent shape) as to take the bus - the bus will make many stops, and there's always traffic. I'd definitely just hike across.

I was hoping that was not the case, you would think in a post 9/11 world the airports would come up with a way to do transfers without re clearing security. it's always a crap shoot as I have spent less than 10 minutes to well over an hour standing in security lines.

[LynahFan]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

I was hoping that was not the case, you would think in a post 9/11 world the airports would come up with a way to do transfers without re clearing security. it's always a crap shoot as I have spent less than 10 minutes to well over an hour standing in security lines.

Yep. I've found LAX's lines to be some of the worst, unfortunately. The way the terminals are laid out, each security line feeds dozens of gates, because the "fingers" of the terminal run perpendicular to the street. Contrast that with DFW, where the terminal runs parallel to the street, so there's a security line every 20 gates or so. If it's really tight, don't be shy about cutting to the front of the line - people really should understand that sort of thing, and if they don't it's their blood pressure, not yours.

Good luck!

[DaveStPaul]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

Going to New Zealand on Tuesday and wondering if anybody else who has been there can help me out.

International Antarctic Center (Christ Church) - This got good reviews but is very pricey

Glow Worm caves (In Te Anau) - My tour includes the ones in Waitomo so I am wondering if this is any different.

Skyline Restaurant/Kiwi Haka (Queenstown) - This is an optional dinner and show on my tour

Also in Queenstown what kind of jetboat ride would you recommend?
The shotover jet is the famous one I and everyone else has seen but I found another one on the Dart river rather than the Shotover which sound less thrill ride than the Shotover but is a longer tour and includes taking the boat through caves and then a nature walk after wards.

Yellow Eyed Penguin reserve near Dunedin

Nice! We did the South Island last April and really loved it. We had a rental car, and we took our two little kids -- which is another way of saying we didn't do any of the things you're looking at. But we visited the same cities, and can at least give an educated guess, as well as info on your options.

1) Intl Antarctic Centre
This is the biggest thing we missed, and we were bummed, because we saw all the same reviews you've seen. The biggest drawbacks are the price and that it's a ways out of town. However, if you were really pressed for money, they have a good Antarctic exploration exhibit at the Canterbury Museum right in town, and that's free. Downtown Christchurch is really beautiful, so walking through the park where the museum is, along the river, over to the Anglican cathedral, riding the old tram system, etc. is nice. Two blocks from the museum is a fantastic (and casual) restaurant called Dux de Lux. The food, coffee, wine and beer was always amazing, everywhere we went.

2) Te Anau Glow Worm Caves vs. Waitomo
We did the Te Anau tour, and those glow worm caves are pretty amazing, so it's good you've got a cave on your tour. From what we researched, the Waitomo ones are amazing, too, so I'd say you could skip Te Anau.

3) Queenstown
Anything up on that skyline is worth a visit, just for the view:

*****http://i703.***********.com/albums/ww31/DSPHK/Queenstownparaglider.jpg******

(That could be a flippin' tour brochure picture, man! But it was just us, getting a shot of the paraglider as he went by.) And if you get to see a real haka, even better. I suppose if you're really into food I'd say go up on the Skyline gondola during the day, so you get the views, and then go out in town for dinner, since the restaurants in Queenstown are great. We ate at Fishbone (great seafood) and at Cow (great wood-fire pizza). Queenstown does have a bit of a Vail/Aspen thing going on, but if you can ignore the fleets of Range Rovers everywhere it's pretty spectacular. (And we didn't do a jetboat; our extreme activity was limited to the luge/Alpine slide ride down from the Skyline. )

4) Dunedin / Yellow Eyed Penguin Reserve
Because we had a rental car, we simply drove to the end of the Otago peninsula, and at various stops we saw albatross, yellow-eyed penguins, fur seals, etc. But if you didn't have a car, a tour is definitely worth it. The scenery there is really unbelievable. Plus, if your tour is towards evening, you can catch those penguins popping out of the ocean as they head to their nests at the end of the day. That was cool, too. So I'd do it. Also, if you've got the time, the Speights brewery in Dunedin has a pretty cool tour. It's $12 or something, but they let you have run of the taps afterwards. (For half an hour or so. Still, plenty of time to have two. Or three.)

Sorry I don't have more. But you've got some great options. And this is the perfect time of year to go. Good luck!

[Probert]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

Nice! We did the South Island last April and really loved it. We had a rental car, and we took our two little kids -- which is another way of saying we didn't do any of the things you're looking at. But we visited the same cities, and can at least give an educated guess, as well as info on your options.

1) Intl Antarctic Centre
This is the biggest thing we missed, and we were bummed, because we saw all the same reviews you've seen. The biggest drawbacks are the price and that it's a ways out of town. However, if you were really pressed for money, they have a good Antarctic exploration exhibit at the Canterbury Museum right in town, and that's free. Downtown Christchurch is really beautiful, so walking through the park where the museum is, along the river, over to the Anglican cathedral, riding the old tram system, etc. is nice. Two blocks from the museum is a fantastic (and casual) restaurant called Dux de Lux. The food, coffee, wine and beer was always amazing, everywhere we went.

2) Te Anau Glow Worm Caves vs. Waitomo
We did the Te Anau tour, and those glow worm caves are pretty amazing, so it's good you've got a cave on your tour. From what we researched, the Waitomo ones are amazing, too, so I'd say you could skip Te Anau.

3) Queenstown
Anything up on that skyline is worth a visit, just for the view:

*****http://i703.***********.com/albums/ww31/DSPHK/Queenstownparaglider.jpg******

(That could be a flippin' tour brochure picture, man! But it was just us, getting a shot of the paraglider as he went by.) And if you get to see a real haka, even better. I suppose if you're really into food I'd say go up on the Skyline gondola during the day, so you get the views, and then go out in town for dinner, since the restaurants in Queenstown are great. We ate at Fishbone (great seafood) and at Cow (great wood-fire pizza). Queenstown does have a bit of a Vail/Aspen thing going on, but if you can ignore the fleets of Range Rovers everywhere it's pretty spectacular. (And we didn't do a jetboat; our extreme activity was limited to the luge/Alpine slide ride down from the Skyline. )

4) Dunedin / Yellow Eyed Penguin Reserve
Because we had a rental car, we simply drove to the end of the Otago peninsula, and at various stops we saw albatross, yellow-eyed penguins, fur seals, etc. But if you didn't have a car, a tour is definitely worth it. The scenery there is really unbelievable. Plus, if your tour is towards evening, you can catch those penguins popping out of the ocean as they head to their nests at the end of the day. That was cool, too. So I'd do it. Also, if you've got the time, the Speights brewery in Dunedin has a pretty cool tour. It's $12 or something, but they let you have run of the taps afterwards. (For half an hour or so. Still, plenty of time to have two. Or three.)

Sorry I don't have more. But you've got some great options. And this is the perfect time of year to go. Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Zudnic]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

...
Thanks in advance.

I have been to NZ three times including a semester abroad; I've traveled from Bluff to Cape Rienga twice. Hope you get this info in time.

First: I have traveled around the world to 30+ countries and NZ is my favorite place on Earth. You will absolutely love it.

LAX - if you are transferring on the same airline or airline alliance (such as American to Qantas) there are often airside buses or transfers available. If you can't do that, don't dilly-dally. I am surprised that you are departing T7, usually westbound departures are out of the Tom Bradley terminal (TBIT). LAX is laid out like a U and 2/7 are across from each other, you may be able to walk across it quicker than waiting for the bus.

Your options are the standard tourist fare and are pricey. Can't say I've ever been to Kelly Tarleton's, and the Sky Tower is a big tall tower (biggest in the southern hemisphere) but isn't that different than the CN Tower or Space Needle or any other big tall structure you've been in. Auckland is very underwhelming, I'd spend your time out on the islands. If you can make it up to Paihia, Russell, or Waitangi, I'd do so. Whangaparoa is a regional reserve just north of town that is really nice and off the beaten path.

Glow worms - Waitomo are the en-masse tourist ones. You will see the same thing no matter which one you go to, but Waitomo will be full of Japanese tourists on bus tours.

Queenstown - Queenstown is what I imagine Vail was like 25 years ago. Laid back, genuine place. Skyline Restaurant will have a ridiculously awesome view and if you can go to a haka show, do it, even though it'll be touristy. Hakas are amazing. (Even better, if you can swing a trip to a real marae, that'll be a very enriching experience.) The best bar in Queenstown is Red Rock.

Jetboat - I did Shotover, it's fun, but quick. Kinda expensive for what you get.

In Queenstown, you can go out to the Nevis bungy platform, but you don't have to jump. Just being out there is a thrill. When you are in Queenstown there is a place called The Station where you can find out about, and book, just about anything.

If you have a car it's worth it to take one to two hours and just drive out to Glenorchy from Queenstown. Lord of the Rings country out there.

One thing you should know is that the cities of NZ don't have much to offer. The best city attractions in NZ are the War Memorial Museum in Akl, Te Papa in Wellington (NZ's national museum) and the Intl Antarctic Centre in Chch. Chch in particular is not a particularly happening place, and unless you are an aficionado of pleasant garden cities, you can go to the Antarctic Centre and skip the town altogether. The Center is at the airport (across from a giant hanger reading "UNITED STATES ANTARCTIC PROGRAM" and full of C-130's from the New York National Guard). I'd go, it's kinda neat but won't blow your mind.

Dunedin is where I did my semester abroad - it's a great little town with a special place in my heart. But for you, as a tourist, you won't find much for you there. If you want to see penguins, I'd go to the Catlins which is a much more authentic experience, but is remote. Can't speak to the Otago Peninsula. If you're out there there is an albatross reserve too. If you are in Dunedin there's a great place for breakfast on George St. - called Capers.


A few other things..
Not to throw a wrench in the works but you absolutely must do the Dolphin Encounter in Kaikoura. Worth every penny, once-in-a-lifetime chance to come eye-to-eye with wild dolphins.

Little detail: North of Kaikoura on SH1, keep an eye out for the green Dept of Conservation (DOC) sign for a little spot called Ohau Stream Walk. It's a 5 minute walk up the path to a little pond that is full of playing baby seals.

Also, if you are going to the West Coast, make sure you do a glacier walk up on Franz Josef or Fox. That is a pretty sweet experience too. Franz Josef is the more adventuresome of the two.

If you are going on a Fiordland tour, Doubtful Sound is just as pretty as Milford, but includes a nifty tour of the Manapouri power station.

Keep an eye out for giant structures. For example in Cromwell, outside of Queenstown on SH8, there is a giant 30' bunch of fruit. In Gore, there's a giant fish.

The Kiwi/Aussie take on Turkish kebabs are just plain delightful. Akbabas in Blenheim is my favorite.

A great one-day activity is the Tongariro Crossing in the middle of the North Island. It's a semi-strenuous hike across an active volcano. Pretty amazing.

Rotorua is a tourist trap. The whole town reeks of rotten eggs, but the geology can be interesting. The Agrodome is kitschy as hell but pretty entertaining.

You can be put in a giant plastic ball and pushed down a hill. It's called Zorbing and is pretty popular.

When in Auckland, stay in the city or north. South Auckland and Manukau can be pretty rough-and-tumble.

Finally: beer in NZ is absolutely phenomenal. Mac's, in particular, is out of this world (their Gold is my favorite beer ever), and Monteith's is pretty good too. Every region has their own dominant swill beer too, usually tied in with allegiance to the local rugby team - Speight's in Otago/Dunedin, Canterbury in Chch, Waikato, etc. Speight's stands out from the pack.

Here is our blog from when I spent a month there in 2007 (my third trip).
http://ginaandbob.blogspot.com/search/label/nz

[AMC]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

I can't be the only one here who loves to travel. I bet some of you even do it for work, you lucky ********.

I am in the process of booking a school trip to Nicaragua, and I am deciding how many extra days to stay after my program is over.

Has anyone ever been? Any recommendations? I will be in Managua for four days, after that I have up to four days to stay before needing to get back to the States. I've done some research online/in Lonely Planet, and San Juan del Sur and Cerro Negro (how can I pass up surfing down a volcano?) seem awesome. Granada and Leon are the main cultural cities, are they necessary to hit?

Can anyone weigh in on Nicaragua?

So, just got back today.

Managua is, as everyone said, a hole. I have nothing redeeming to say about that city, except our small hotel was exceptional and in a fairly safe neighborhood.

But we did swing up to Leon for a couple of nights and surfed down Cerro Negro, also went to Poneloya to try to surf and saw the sun set over the Pacific (also found a hostel right on the beach for $6).

I can't wait to go back, I am considering a 3 month backpacking trip through Central America after taking the bar. If you can avoid los banditos, it seems pretty awesome.

[MadTownSioux]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

Well, my first question would be has anyone been to the Normandy beaches?

My family took a trip 10+ years ago. It was with my dad's airborne unit from WWII. We started in London, went to a couple of army bases where he was in training, then took a ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. Saw St. Mere Eglise (Sp?) where Red Buttons spent the night hanging from the Church Steeple, then saw Omaha beach. We stayed in Caaen, and saw Normandy beach and cemetary (Where 'Private Ryan' opening scene was filmed). We saw the Allied headquarters in Rheims where the surrender papers were signed. We saw Belgium and the area where Dad entered the war during the Battle of the Bulge. We saw Luxembourg and the Dutch cemetary where Patton is buried, at the head of his troops. We then went to Wiessel Germany where Dad's unit glidered across the Rhine, and he was wounded and his war ended. He could still recognize the spot where he was in a foxhole when he was wounded by shrapnel.
We saw the Cathedral in Cologne - wow. Saw lots of other places and things, and it was a really cool trip.

[Hopkinja]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

Asia:

Exceptional: Beijing, Tokyo, Sydney

Enjoyed: Seoul

Lukewarm: Singapore

Not a fan of: Haven't been to any bad places there as yet

I'll cover Asia:

Exceptional: Beijing, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Chiang Mai, Kathmandu

Enjoyed: Tokyo, Shanghai, Xian, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Hanoi, Nanjing, Bandar Seri Begawan, Singapore, Kyoto

Lukewarm: Osaka, Saigon, Seoul, Manila, Kota Kinabalu, New Delhi

Not a fan of: Taipei, Kaohsiung, Jakarta, Phnom Penh

Absolutely Detest: Patthaya (Thailand beach resort)

[Greyeagle]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

My family took a trip 10+ years ago. It was with my dad's airborne unit from WWII. We started in London, went to a couple of army bases where he was in training, then took a ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. Saw St. Mere Eglise (Sp?) where Red Buttons spent the night hanging from the Church Steeple, then saw Omaha beach. We stayed in Caaen, and saw Normandy beach and cemetary (Where 'Private Ryan' opening scene was filmed). We saw the Allied headquarters in Rheims where the surrender papers were signed. We saw Belgium and the area where Dad entered the war during the Battle of the Bulge. We saw Luxembourg and the Dutch cemetary where Patton is buried, at the head of his troops. We then went to Wiessel Germany where Dad's unit glidered across the Rhine, and he was wounded and his war ended. He could still recognize the spot where he was in a foxhole when he was wounded by shrapnel.
We saw the Cathedral in Cologne - wow. Saw lots of other places and things, and it was a really cool trip.

Wow, you are so fortunate to take that trip with him and we owe a debt of gratitude to The Greatest Generation.

[huskyfan]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

My family took a trip 10+ years ago. It was with my dad's airborne unit from WWII. We started in London, went to a couple of army bases where he was in training, then took a ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. Saw St. Mere Eglise (Sp?) where Red Buttons spent the night hanging from the Church Steeple, then saw Omaha beach. We stayed in Caaen, and saw Normandy beach and cemetary (Where 'Private Ryan' opening scene was filmed). We saw the Allied headquarters in Rheims where the surrender papers were signed. We saw Belgium and the area where Dad entered the war during the Battle of the Bulge. We saw Luxembourg and the Dutch cemetary where Patton is buried, at the head of his troops. We then went to Wiessel Germany where Dad's unit glidered across the Rhine, and he was wounded and his war ended. He could still recognize the spot where he was in a foxhole when he was wounded by shrapnel.
We saw the Cathedral in Cologne - wow. Saw lots of other places and things, and it was a really cool trip.

wow. just wow. what a great trip!! and to do it with your Dad, who lived it. wow. I'm blown away. "really cool trip" is the understatement of the year!!

[zamboni crash-test dummy]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

My family took a trip 10+ years ago. It was with my dad's airborne unit from WWII. We started in London, went to a couple of army bases where he was in training, then took a ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. Saw St. Mere Eglise (Sp?) where Red Buttons spent the night hanging from the Church Steeple, then saw Omaha beach. We stayed in Caaen, and saw Normandy beach and cemetary (Where 'Private Ryan' opening scene was filmed). We saw the Allied headquarters in Rheims where the surrender papers were signed. We saw Belgium and the area where Dad entered the war during the Battle of the Bulge. We saw Luxembourg and the Dutch cemetary where Patton is buried, at the head of his troops. We then went to Wiessel Germany where Dad's unit glidered across the Rhine, and he was wounded and his war ended. He could still recognize the spot where he was in a foxhole when he was wounded by shrapnel.
We saw the Cathedral in Cologne - wow. Saw lots of other places and things, and it was a really cool trip.

That's quite an experience. Did you take any guided tours of Normandy or did you guys just make your own agenda?

[MadTownSioux]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

That's quite an experience. Did you take any guided tours of Normandy or did you guys just make your own agenda?

It was an organized tour - about 45 veterans and their families. We got on a tour bus in London and stayed in it across to the continent. RH drive on french roads - fun!