Where was awesome and where would you love to visit?

We're a well-travelled lot, all been to places we've enjoyed, some we haven't, lots of places we still want to visit.

So where have you been that was not just good, not just enjoyable but was fabulous. And where would you love to go when cash and time permit.

Awesome for me:

New Zealand, all of it, but particularly Auckland, Bay of Islands and a flight in a minuscule plane from Queenstown over the mountains to Milford Sound. oo)

New York, just standing on Fifth Avenue or Broadway or Times Square and pinching yourself and saying "I'm here, I'm really here". The ferry from Paulus Hook to Lower Manhattan. Top of the Rock. ^)

I still want to go to New England, one of the national parks on the West Coast of US, probably Big Sur. And I've long wanted to go to the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. And no doubt umpteen other places when I'm reminded of them.

New Zealand has always been my dream , one day blacky one day !

Vancouver was awesome for me, both of us love the place, and Victoria over on Vancouver island was lovely and a completely different pace. Victoria has a fab little inner harbour that's busy during the day and at night comes to life with the backdrop of the government building all lit up. We'd go for dinner in one of the many restaurants, then stroll down to the harbour and walk around. Many of the vendors that are there in the day stay for the evening, and some new ones set up shop, and there's a really great atmosphere. It's actually quite romantic :w Whale watching out there is great, exhilarating.

Japan this year (and we're returning next year) was a dream come true for me, a place I've wanted to visit since I was a teenager, and it lived up to expectations. I loved the vibrancy of Tokyo and Kyoto, and the convergence of old and new. And we fell in love with a little island called Miyajima off the coast of Hiroshima. It was stunning.

Also a few years ago a friend of mine who has close links with First Nation people and organises trips to various Indian reservations, mainly in South Dakota, organised a trip to Seattle and the reservations around the Pacific Northwest where the Twilight stories are set. It was stunning. We walked through a rainforest and in the summer the river bed is dry so you can walk across the river, and then as we prepared to have lunch several huge elk came by grazing and one of them just looked me square in the eye and held eye contact for about 30 seconds, then dipped his head and carried on eating. He was magnificent. I stood on the beach on the Pacific Ocean on the Makah Indian reservation and made a drum, and later we did a salmon bake on the beach with many of the local native people including their Elders joining us. We were the first international tourists to visit their reservation and they sat and told us some of their traditional stories whilst the sun went down and we all ate a great simple meal. I went out on a fishing boat with one of the natives into Neah Bay and just out of luck an adult whale and calf came into the bay and circled the boat before swimming off. I had a crap camera so got no pictures but I'll never forget it. That was a fantastic trip.

I was only thinking today of places I want to go. San Francisco is on the list, New York, New Zealand, but strangely I'm not pulled to Australia. I'd like to explore more of Canada too. I think that's enough to be going on with.

Thanks for this thread it's rekindled some beautiful memories.

Canada def on my list aswell john , looking at doing that in 2016 ,my dad raves about it ( he did work for the royal bank of Canada so he may be a bit biased ) agree with you on austrailia ,no real urge for that

I fell in love with key west this year, that's my retirement home!
I loved Thailand and it's grown on us so much we're now planning our next trip.
I really want to do a wine tour of the napa valley so that's planned for Simons 30th in 2016 along with coachella just to spice things up!
I'd love to go to New Zealand...one day Donna! One day!

Now you see, up to now, if I'm gonna retire to another place, currently it would be Van. But that may change of course

bretty wow your travel sounded sooo cool, like a dream.
one of my favourite places was new zealand. it was my first long haul (my battle to overcome airsickness). Singapore on the way was great too (and fuelled my desire to finally go to the land of the samurai and geiko). but the drive.from auckland to wellington with a stopover where i saw the sun set over lake taupo and then a drive past mount doom (i think it was tongariro).
yep I really liked NZ, the people were very friendly. like bretty though im strangely not really pulled by oz.
i know its obvious to say but i still love tokyo, there is nowhere quite like it. I have been to USA but sorry guys i still prefer Tokyo. the tokyo trains are something else and the train jIngles lol.
where else would i like to go though, i would love to explore the far east more - korea, vietnam, cambodia, china.

one of our favourites was langkawi....beautiful island and people.


on my to do list

Alaska
A tour of the rockies, the Dakota plains, into Wyoming
Maybe New Zealand

Places I have been and enjoyed include:
New England especially Vermont and Cape Cod
Gulf coast of Florida, Marco Island
The Italian Lakes, Garda and Como
Australia, particularly Queensland coast. Went three times.

My favourite and we have been four times and have booked again next year is Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. We go off season and rent a house or apartment on the beach. Walk or cycle around the island watching the dolphins, pelicans and osprey. In the evening chill out at one of the many great restaurants. In the morning watch the sunrise over the ocean.
Dick D

Love to visit - New Zealand, Oz

Awesome - South Africa on the garden route. Landed at Cape Town, 3 hours later in Hermanus looking at whales 50 yards away. Then some safari, and Cape Town itself to finish.

Also just this year visited Death Valley, just awesome beauty, take the drive up to Dante's view and you are mile above the valley (and 20 degrees cooler). A few days earlier in Yosemite which is spectacular but hard to get away from the crowds.

Australia, particularly Queensland coast. Went three times.

I am with dicky. Australia is wonderful.

Specifically Tasmania which is perhaps the most beautiful place I have ever visited

But Queensland has it for me. This is Rainbow Beach

And then here, Lady Elliot, a coral cay at the south end of the Great Barrier Reef where I swam with green backed turtles and manta rays

And finally, to be in Hervey Bay when the magnificent humpbacks are in and to be able to hear whale song without needing a hydrophone

Every trip has given me amazing experiences and simply wonderful forever memories.

It is why I am going back to be with those whales in a fortnight.
y)

Would love to do New Zealand, New York and Canada at some point, tempted to do NY for a birthday one year

Awesome the first time but no great desire to repeat;

1. Flying into LA...
2. Las Vegas
3. Grand Canyon
4. Death Valley
5. DC to Nashville roadtrip
6. 29 Palms

Awesome and will always do again;

7. Australia
8. New York
9. Edinburgh during the Fringe
10. Southwold

Great and would like to do again;

11. LA - SFO roadtrip
12. SFO - Seattle roadtrip

Sorry, don't get it;

13. San Diego
14. Palm Springs
15. Paris
16. Brussels

Would like to do;

17. Northern Lights
18. South Africa
19. New Zealand
20. South East Asia (bits of)
21. South America (bits of)

(20/21 awaiting #1 Son detail reports following his RTW adventures)

Places for me that were awesome include:

Cape York Peninsula & Kakadu in Australia
Sukothai National Park and elephant trekking in Northern Thailand
Iceland- especially the far north around Lake Myvatn
Norway
Canadian Rockies especially around Lake Louise and Jasper
NYC
San Francisco


In the next few months I am going on two of my wish list trips- a road trip around New England in the Fall and Japan, both of which I hope will live up to my expectations (I think they will)

Places on my wish list currently include:
South Africa
Patagonia
Galapagos Islands
Svalbard
Greenland
Florida Keys and Everglades
Alaska
Yellowstone National Park

"I've not been everywhere but it's on my list" is my motto!

My favourite and we have been four times and have booked again next year is Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. We go off season and rent a house or apartment on the beach. Walk or cycle around the island watching the dolphins, pelicans and osprey. In the evening chill out at one of the many great restaurants. In the morning watch the sunrise over the ocean.
Dick D

That sounds fantastic. Never heard of Hilton Head Island.

[honey lamb]

OK, my list:

Where I want to visit:
New Zealand
Parts of Europe I haven't seen
Scotland


I love and want to revisit again and again

Seattle (where friends live)
Vancouver
San Francisco
Northern California (the wineries, Eureka and where friends live)
Winston-Salem (where friends live)
Washington DC (awesome and where friends live)
Vancouver
Victoria, Vancouver Island
Calgary
NYC
San Diego (where new friends live)
Lisbon
Barcelona

Where I want to revisit:

Cambodia - it was awesome
Luang Prabang - we didn't have enough time there.
Malaysia - again not enough time
Tokyo and other parts of Japan.
South America! I just loved it!
Jerusalem
Jordan
Queensland
Lourdes
Munich
Vienna
The Lake District - OK a bit surprising but my aunt took me there as a child and there are some amazing cases in the UK
Blackpool - I was born and reared there. I'm in the later years of my life and I would like to see once more where I spent my childhood years, where I went to school, where I went to church and received the sacraments and most of all, where my mother is buried.

Been there, bought the T-shirt and didn't like it:
Las Vegas
Sydney
Orlando
Los Angeles
Paris
Brussels

There's probably more I haven't even thought about.

HL - haven't you been everywhere! The list is amazing.

My favourite places so far are NYC and Maui, and I would be happy to go back to those again and again. St Lucia was pretty special, too. Unlike some of the others above I actually love Paris, and have been back again and again.

Doing Grenada (staying on a boat, so can visit a few places in the Caribbean) next January, and then doing Chicago in June. Annual leave permitting, and subject to the consent of Mr W (going to be a tricky one), I'd love to do the west coast Pacific highway next October, too.

In terms of places on my list, I'm not kidding when I say that I have a spreadsheet...would love to visit Cuba, Vancouver, Hong Kong, cape town, Mauritius and some of south east Asia. and the list is subject to regular reviews..

Where I have been and liked:
NYC
Washington DC
Vancouver
Alaskan Cruise (Glaciers)
Hawaii Big Island (lava flow)
Hong Kong (the closest thing to NYC from here)
NZ (both islands)
Tasmania – I’m with HWVLover – this place is special
Iceland (Northern Lights)
Tokyo
Cairo
Amman
Berlin
Bangkok
Oslo

Where I have been and disliked:
Singapore (too sanitised)
Los Angeles
Palm Springs
Las Vegas
Miami
Oahu
Dubai

Where I would like to go (or return):
Highlands (Scotland)
Argentina
Peru
Yorkshire Dales (Settle)
Cornwall
London - even though I did my degree in London I still love visiting
Antarctica – Southern Lights

As an ex-pat, been living in Australia for 8 years now, I have been truly spoilt with the range of places I have been able to see. That said after moving here after at 37 years of age I still yearn for the great british countryside, something I don’t think is appreciated until you don’t have it.

Happy travelling everyone.

I still yearn for the great british countryside, something I don’t think is appreciated until you don’t have it.

That is very true and one (important) reason why, as a former ex-pat living in Australia myself, I came home.

Only talking at the weekend about compiling our "bucket lists" most of which will consist of travel destinations, been lucky enough to visit lots of places but still plenty to see.

Never tire of New York, just booked trip for May to celebrate a significant birthday. Always fancied Vancouver, have first visit arranged for next April, having seen pictures in one of todays posts I have just added Rainbow Beach in Queensland to my list.

oldboy

My favourite trips so far,

Peru (five weeks backpacking, I plan to return in 2016)
India (Bandhavgrah National Park on a Tiger Safari, staying in the Bandhav Villas)
New Orleans (Mrs Hull and my favourite city)
St Lucia
Washington DC
NYC
Las Vegas
Lake Tahoe CA (annual Snowboarding trip)
San Francisco
Grand Canyon
Monument Valley
Lynchburg TN
New Zealand (will return every four-five years to visit the In-laws)
Paris

Places I would love to visit, but not limited to
Hawaii
Costa Rica
Cuba
Nepal
Three month trip from Nairobi to Cape Town
South East Asia
Argentina
Route 66
Bolivia
Ecuador
Galapagos Islands
Kruger National Park (doing that in November)
Alaska
Northern Lights
Dawson City YK

Some additions to my earlier stuff:

Loved Toronto but not too bothered if I go back.
Enjoyed Warsaw, but again no real need to return.
Loved Tallinn, Estonia and would like to go back (fantastic opera for £25!)

Places we keep returning to which are great and cheap holidays:
Krakow
Prague

And now I've just added one of my bucket list destinations - San Francisco, so I've got to find some more!

Much closer to home - my favourite place in Europe is probably Parga in Greece.

One side of a headland is a lovely little town, all narrow streets and nice little restuarants, the others side is a beach that stretches for miles. And castle ruins in between. Throw in boat trips to places like Paxos (beautiful!) and you can't go wrong.

Found this on Google!
http://www.pargarooms.gr/images/stories ... otel21.jpg

Paxos
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/ ... 1/1c/26/e3
/caption.jpg



Going further afield - Boston, MA is brilliant. I would love to go back there.

Much closer to home - my favourite place in Europe is probably Parga in Greece.

One side of a headland is a lovely little town, all narrow streets and nice little restuarants, the others side is a beach that stretches for miles. And castle ruins in between. Throw in boat trips to places like Paxos (beautiful!) and you can't go wrong.

Found this on Google!
http://www.pargarooms.gr/images/stories ... otel21.jpg

Paxos
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/ ... 1/1c/26/e3
/caption.jpg




Going further afield - Boston, MA is brilliant. I would love to go back there.

Come the start of dec then billy , a mini vflyer social beckons ):

Awesome - Maui, Northern India, Barcelona, Barbados, Chicago, Florida (The mouse and Marco Island) , Rome, Madrid

Would love to visit - New Zealand, Australia, South Pacific, Maldives, Vancouver, African Safari, Thailand, Cambodia, ... I could go on and on...