Wheres The Best Place In The World To Holiday?

[krisb]

To answer your question you need to delve into the notion of 'holiday-ness'.

A primary concern for tourists is authenticity. They seek the 'real'. "See the real Thailand!". But their very presence as the transactional tourist leads to failure.

There is only one solution & the one i adopt. I travel to war zones for my holidays and live my life in holiday zones.

I recommend-- and I'm not joking-- Algeria, Northern Iraq or Eastern Afghanistan. If you are risk averse then the west bank or Kosovo may satisfy you.

When i sat in the compound of the arab (who looked like he'd just fallen out of the Lawrence of Arabia movie) with tea in hand and spoke of the tribe's difficulties .... Without any suggestion of touristic purchase of the experience..... Well, that sir, is the only worthwhile holiday.

Problem is finding a flak jacket small enough for my daughter!

[krisb]

Hmm, good ideas thanks! Ive gotta say Ive been looking at Porto Fino, anyone ever been before?

Just saw this. Portofino is fantastic. Absolutely beautiful place.

So how was it Craig? besides beautiful I mean. Hotel wise, expense wise etc?

[TommoPhysicist]

Kenyan Safari, or a walk up Kilimanjaro, or the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu , or trekking in Nepal.

[craigt3365]

Hmm, good ideas thanks! Ive gotta say Ive been looking at Porto Fino, anyone ever been before?

Just saw this. Portofino is fantastic. Absolutely beautiful place.

So how was it Craig? besides beautiful I mean. Hotel wise, expense wise etc?

I was there in about 2000. Back to other places in Italy in 2008. It's not cheap like here. Hotels can be pricey, especially in the high season.

Finding authentic Italian food in the tourist areas is getting very difficult. We spent about a month in Italy in 2008. Great place to visit....but pricey.

[craigt3365]

Kenyan Safari, or a walk up Kilimanjaro, or the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu , or trekking in Nepal.

All are absolutely fantastic. Trips of a lifetime.

[rbrooks]

Road trip in the U.S.A. Try Hwy 1 from L.A. (check out Burbank, MGM studios) to San Francisco. Beautiful coastal highway. Rental cars are not expensive and it is safe. Try a drive from I-75 N. Florida to Orlando (check out Disney World) then drive down to Miami and off to the Keys ending up at Key West, Florida.

[Zeus]

Lots of great places mentioned on this thread. But the real question is what is the best vacation for YOU. In this case there is a very small child involved that will put a spin on where you should go. My take on places I have been:

Western US driving loop: LA -Disneyland - Grand Canyon - Zion - Bryce - Vegas - Seirra Range - Lake Tahoe - Yosemite - Sequoia (redwoods) - SanFransisco. Best if the child is older and can walk and enjoy some of the sights. But this is a great trip. Yosemite is one of the most beautiful places in the world (though a bit crowded in tourist season - summer). Allow at least 3 weeks to see all these spots.

Caribbean islands - Several have been mentioned, all are good, some are great. There is something for everyone here. Accomodations could be pricy if you wanted to just stay for a week. One alternative is to take a cruise. they take care of all the food and your accomodations. Also considering your inter-island travel is included this a great deal. They even have baby sitting if you and your wife want to have a bit of alone time. Downsides are that you don't get to stay in any one place for longer than a day. If you have extra time you can add in seeing a bit of Miami/S. Florida/Key west/Everglades.

Cappadocia, Turkey was a truly unique place. I went there in 2006 to see the solar eclipse. I probably never would have gone otherwise, but am so glad we did. I stayed in a cave hotel (it was nice though). This trip is probably not the best for a child as there is a decent amount of walking involved to see everything.

Peru - So many sights (not just Machu Piccu). There is Cusco, Andes, Nazca Lines, Inca trail, and even the Amazon if you take a flight over the Andes. Again there is a decent amount of walking here, so small children may not take to it too well. I even did a bit of white water rafting.

Guilin China - beautiful formations. I spent a week here hiking and biking.

If I had the ability to fly anywhere in the world, in your situation I would choose a Caribbean cruise. It is one of the trips that can handle a smaller child well. You can do nothing or everything and see multiple places with only one room that takes you there. Save the Western US trip for later, when it can be enjoyed.

Happy travels,

Zeus

[Chivas]

Maldives...........

[roamer]

I asked my two.....Scotland

[ALFREDO]

or Kosovo may satisfy you.

At least, there is no VISA problem at all.

Thai Passport holders for stays up to 90 days, NO Visa required.

In Europe, only Russia allows that also. (30 days)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Thai_citizens

[Nana Cowboy]

cienfuegos cuba and the rest of Cuba hands down. nowhere else comes close

[ALFREDO]

So how was it Craig? besides beautiful I mean. Hotel wise, expense wise etc?

-krisb-

To answer your question, more information would be needed, you did not really give some detailed advise beforehand, maybe,

you do not know yourself, what you want, until now.

So the answers went from Beach holidays in every part of the world,

to Sightseeing old European cities,

to long drives in a car or Motor home, to see beautiful countrysides.

-Zeus-

Brought an interesting solution, also with thoughts of your small daughter, with the cruise idea.

Same a Motor home holiday, no hassle with the child.

The room travels with you, so does everything else you need.

Advantage of the cruise, you see more different places.

Such a cruise could also be happen in other parts of the world,

Mediterranean Western part, or Eastern part with some Greek islands.

Or/and Cruise there with a holiday extension on a small Greek island.

I like, KARPATHOS and IKARIA the most of the small Greek islands I visited.

KARPATHOS

-visiting there the old village of OLYMPOS is a must and it has many different beaches, from sand to gravel.

Over all, I would give Karpathos a Bonus to have more beaches.

Ikaria has also beaches, but less, but a Bonus for the wilder countryside.

Have to say that also Karpathos has a wild North!

IKARIA

-has a Touristic not real used and promoted Diamond.

A hot spring with kind of -healing water/spa- that runs into the sea and you can bath there in that mixed sea and hot heal water. (Free)

Some big rocks placed there from a excavator, let the water not run away to fast and mix slowly.

The -Healing water is used in the nearby capital town of Ikaria to, in a spa.

I met never more than 10 people at that place most times less! A miracle!

Both islands, are still developing and have few inhabitants, less than 10.000, both, nice mountainous countryside to!

IKARIA has only a small Airstrip for Turbo Props, from Athens, Rhodes and Samos, so is still apart from the

bigger Tourist flows.

From IKARIA its a 3 hour ship ride to the more known SAMOS island.

Also possible to arrive in SAMOS and go by car or people ferry to IKARIA or with a short hop with the plane.

So, a cruise, in the Mediterranean and a holiday on one of the islands.

You could even make it cheaper and cruise with one of the Cruise Ferries which connect all the islands.

Go from the ship and make stop overs until after 1-3 days the next ship passes by and you can go on board to the next destination.

Of course, that ships have ok cabins but no pools

and are not sophisticated same real cruisers, but the price of that car and truck ferries is also different!

Cheers and choose.

By the way,

I think -ZEUS- is a record breaker, he posted his FIRST COMMENT now, after more than 13 years!

Edited February 5, 2013 by ALFREDO

[Gaccha]

or Kosovo may satisfy you.

At least, there is no VISA problem at all.

Thai Passport holders for stays up to 90 days, NO Visa required.

In Europe, only Russia allows that also. (30 days)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Thai_citizens

Interesting.

When i went it was a UN mandate. UNKFOR?

I recommend bus to Albania over the dangerous bandit- country mountain passes.

[melvinmelvin]

Tasmania rocks

Northern Cyprus

Tasmania rocks is that in Cyprus?

On the Tasmania thing, Tasmania in Australia is a beautiful place to holiday here in Oz. I would recommend it to anyone coming to Oz

Theres little towns off the track that the tourists wouldnt get to see like Strahan on the west coast is fantastic.

same same Cyprus, many off the beaten track places that are nice

Cyprus has a lot to offer (if you avoid the beach resort towns), old old old, lots of history,

[melvinmelvin]

If you're after warm/beach/sun/swim holidays, Brisbane and surroundings has a lot to offer, but as you know; all plastic

if you prefer plastic-scarce outside the standard A4 holiday pamphlets there have been some good ideas above

I'll throw in a couple of more;

TURKEY:

For me as an European by birth Turkey is a fantastic place to visit. Old Old Old Old,

so many historic places you cant beleive it. You can virtually follow in the footpath of the

early christians as they walked back and forth between Rome and Palestine/Israel

Turkey is BIG. Turkey is quite diversified from a tourist point of view. Plenty relaxed swim swim/beach beach places,

however, the swim swim cities are OLD, hence ample supplies of comfortable plastic scarce hotels.

Turkey has mountains in abundance, coastline in abundance, history in abundance.

The food is great. It is not an expensive place.

If its important, Turkey is NOT a muslim country, it is very very strictly secular.

The largest city, Istanbul. Is quite something. Istanbul has been a metropole for a few thousand years,

a lot of the history/historical places are visible and well kept.

(btw a few miles south of Istanbul there is this memorial sites for aussies being slaughtered during WW,

cannot remember the name right now)

Another possible venue:

Svalbard or Spitzbergen as its often called. Its a large archipelago sort of halfway

between the northern tip of Norway and the north pole. (I.e. in the north North Atlantic.)

The light there is quite special. The nature/scenery is special. Not many people live in

this large area, about 3000 or 3500 people. Very multicultural gang.

I think there are about 2000 people in the main city. (Ample hotel capacity though)

Btw, I think that Thais are the 3rd largest group of people there. Why? Visa and/or work permit not required.

Lots and lots of glaciers, yes, they are spectacular.

Animal life is special. Whales/seals, plenty.

Polar bears. Special breed of reindeers (tailored (thrugh generations) to surviving in the rather harsh climate).

Spectacular scenery, just spectacular.

Polar bears are deadly. And all roads leading out of the main city you will see roadsigns where

you sort of leave the inhabitated area that shows a drawing of a gun and text to the effect of

do not venture beyond without being armed.

Many bars/restaurants have gun lockers just inside their entrance.

You enter the pub, put your gun in the locker and then proceed to the bar for a pint.

Coming there for the first time (by air) I was rather surprised when I entered the terminalbuilding;

lots and lots of people and virtually everybody carrying a gun over their shoulder.

Not the most common sight at airports.

Have met many people who have visited Svalbard/Spitzbergen, not all liked it, but nobody was indifferent

to the visit. That place makes an impression not easily forgotten.

[krisb]

I asked my two.....Scotland

Id love to see Scotland! home of the Blether!!

[krisb]

You guys are great! would love to see all the photos some time!