Any big travel plans for 2018?

[Zeze]

Whereabouts in Maine?

My friend owns a beautiful picturesque lake house 7 miles south of Canada border. It's an absolute blast up there. Hopefully we can make it happen again.

 

[bigrash]

Going to South Africa in July for 12 days. Never been to Africa, so I'm a little worried.

 

[dullard]

Going to South Africa in July for 12 days. Never been to Africa, so I'm a little worried.

South Africa is not the same thing as Africa. I've been to South Africa 4 times and would like to go back. Other parts of Africa scare the hell out of me and I will likely never go. Just keep safety in mind. You wouldn't walk around alone in South Chicago after dark. You shouldn't do the same thing in some of the bigger cities in South Africa.

Cape Town is one of my all time favorite destinations. Nature, scenery, great food, it is just a few miles from their wine country (think Napa valley), etc.

Kruger National Park is well worth the trip, you'll want at least 3 full days. If you are worried, tour companies will pick you up from a hotel in many cities, drive you to the park, feed you, book hotels for you, and tour you around Kruger, all for a pretty low cost.

Jo'berg was dull for me. Other than the Lion and Safari park (http://www.lionandsafaripark.com/ ), get out and see the rest of the country.

 

[dullard]

My vacation plans are about the same as most years:

• Hike as many mountains as possible, usually spread out over 4 weekends. Probably add in some Via Ferratas now that I've found out how fun they are.
• Spend a week in southern Utah in as many slot canyons as possible.
• Spend two weeks in Europe/Asia. Haven't decided where for certain, but likely will be Croatia through Austria to the Czech Republic.

 

[bigrash]

South Africa is not the same thing as Africa. I've been to South Africa 4 times and would like to go back. Other parts of Africa scare the hell out of me and I will likely never go. Just keep safety in mind. You wouldn't walk around alone in South Chicago after dark. You shouldn't do the same thing in some of the bigger cities in South Africa.

Cape Town is one of my all time favorite destinations. Nature, scenery, great food, it is just a few miles from their wine country (think Napa valley), etc.

Kruger National Park is well worth the trip, you'll want at least 3 full days. If you are worried, tour companies will pick you up from a hotel in many cities, drive you to the park, feed you, book hotels for you, and tour you around Kruger, all for a pretty low cost.

Jo'berg was dull for me. Other than the Lion and Safari park (http://www.lionandsafaripark.com/ ), get out and see the rest of the country.

Thanks for the advise. We're doing an escorted tour, so hopefully, it's safer. We're going Cape Town first for a few days, then to Swaziland for 1 day then to Kruger National Park and then Johannesburg.

Funny, my wife sent me the same link to the Lion and Safari Park cause she wants to pet the lions. I'm assuming it's safe lol. I'd rather observe from a zoo, but I'm sure it'll be fun.

By the way, do you know if Swaziland is pretty safe too? I believe we're going somewhere close to the border there.

 

[dullard]

Thanks for the advise. We're doing an escorted tour, so hopefully, it's safer. We're going Cape Town first for a few days, then to Swaziland for 1 day then to Kruger National Park and then Johannesburg.

Funny, my wife sent me the same link to the Lion and Safari Park cause she wants to pet the lions. I'm assuming it's safe lol. I'd rather observe from a zoo, but I'm sure it'll be fun.

By the way, do you know if Swaziland is pretty safe too? I believe we're going somewhere close to the border there.

My sister has been to Swaziland a few times. She never felt worried there. I have not gone. The US State Department does not have any warnings about it: https://travel.state.gov/content/tr...aveladvisories/swaziland-travel-advisory.html The South Africa advisories are more specific: https://travel.state.gov/content/tr...ladvisories/south-africa-travel-advisory.html But again, just don't travel at night through unknown areas.

The Lion and Safari Park is a lot of fun to me because I am a cat person. They have redone it since I was last there, so I do not have up to date information. But when I have been there, you get to drive through lion enclosures. Just don't open the windows and you are fine. Hopefully you can go during their feeding time. As for petting the cubs, it is well worth the added cost. They told me that they let you pet cubs until they are old enough someone is injured (such as a minor bite). Then they are moved to a different location. I have a friend who was scratched by one, but that is about it. They were always asleep when I petted them.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Colorado for camping.

 

[brianmanahan]

What if there are terrorists in Hawaii?

i am actually pretty worried about north korea...

 

[brianmanahan]

This will most definitely happen. I thought I would go the one time to cross it off my bucket list, and I've been there 4 times now. I want to retire there one day.

nice, which island is your favorite so far? i am just doing the big island to start with

 

[dainthomas]

Back to San Diego for comicon after I missed last year. Also, had such a good time in Kauai last year we'll probably head back there too.

 

[skyking]

We have a cruise booked in June to Alaska with my brothers and sisters, friends from the UK.
Between now and then, maybe a trip to Ireland, maybe just a couple of weeks of camping depending on my wife's work.

 

[KillerCharlie]

I'm making multiple trips to England to do wind tunnel testing for work, probably totaling about 2 months. I'm too busy to take long vacations, but I'll probably do 3-4 day trips to Belgium and Prague, and maybe Vienna too.

We have a cruise booked in June to Alaska with my brothers and sisters, friends from the UK.
Between now and then, maybe a trip to Ireland, maybe just a couple of weeks of camping depending on my wife's work.

What part of Alaska does the cruise go to? My parents want to go on one with them late summer.

 

[Red Storm]

nice, which island is your favorite so far? i am just doing the big island to start with

Oahu. To me it's the best mix of everything. Big Island is very nice too, they all are!

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Going to Europe again. Probably two weeks this year.

At some other point, probably a shorter trip to Corpus Christie TX, just for hanging out on the beach.

 

[DietDrThunder]

So if you are really really white (I'll look like an American white guy wherever I travel), where would you travel in Europe to not stand out as much?

 

[soulcougher73]

So if you are really really white (I'll look like an American white guy wherever I travel), where would you travel in Europe to not stand out as much?

Considering most of Europe is white in skin color i think any of the countries would be fine. Seems kind of a silly thing to worry about lol

 

[shortylickens]

travellin my dick to DAT ASS!!

HEYOOOOOO!



No, not really.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

So if you are really really white (I'll look like an American white guy wherever I travel), where would you travel in Europe to not stand out as much?

Anywhere. At least until you open your mouth.

My housemate got mistaken for German everywhere we went because she's skinny, wears athletic clothing, and doesn't wear makeup.

I am trying to lose enough weight to be mistaken for British.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

We've got Italy coming up in April but not a whole lot else planned at the moment. We'll do something between Christmas and January again but I'm not sure what yet. We'll probably try and get to a few more states we haven't visited yet but this, so far, is a pretty unplanned year compared to the last couple

Where you going in Italy? I'll be in Italy April 15-May 1st.

 

[deustroop]

Thanks for the advise. We're doing an escorted tour, so hopefully, it's safer. We're going Cape Town first for a few days, then to Swaziland for 1 day then to Kruger National Park and then Johannesburg.

.

Just sose you know, CT will likely be out of water by the time you get there, so bring your own.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/world/africa/cape-town-day-zero.html

 

[Exterous]

So if you are really really white (I'll look like an American white guy wherever I travel), where would you travel in Europe to not stand out as much?

Ditch the shorts and north face clothes and you'll look less American. Otherwise the UK and Ireland tend towards the pasty white end of the spectrum due to all the clouds.

Where you going in Italy? I'll be in Italy April 15-May 1st.

We land in Milan and will head to Venice, Florence, La Spezia (With a day trip to one of the towns in Cinque Terre), Rome and then back to Milan. You?

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Ditch the shorts and north face clothes and you'll look less American. Otherwise the UK and Ireland tend towards the pasty white end of the spectrum due to all the clouds.



We land in Milan and will head to Venice, Florence, La Spezia (With a day trip to one of the towns in Cinque Terre), Rome and then back to Milan. You?

Doing the opposite trip. Rome to Florence (with surrounding towns) to Venice to Milan (and day trip to Lake Como).

 

[feralkid]

Going back to Latvia again, and hopefully France/Switzerland. somewhere around there.

If you don't go to Florence, OP, I will punch you in the dick.

I'll be in Florence for a few days in April; per favore, what specifically should I not miss in order to avoid being dick-punch bait?

 

[zinfamous]

So if you are really really white (I'll look like an American white guy wherever I travel), where would you travel in Europe to not stand out as much?

Germany. Anywhere in Scandinavia.

 

[zinfamous]

I'll be in Florence for a few days in April; per favore, what specifically should I not miss in order to avoid being dick-punch bait?

great question! For only a few days, you will want to hit the usual: L'Acadamia, The Duomo/Baptistry and the museum that is around the corner (has yet another one of Michelangelo's pietas), San Lorenzo/Capelle Medici and Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella. You can make a very nice and efficient stroll from ~San Lorenzo towards the Duomo, then off towards the Old Square via the Old Market (The new, "dirty" market surrounds San Lorenzo, so you can experience that, too), cross Ponte Vecchio to the other side of the city. You have to do a bit of a stroll to make it to Santa Croce, but it's worth it imo (lots of famous dead people and their tombs).

You should be fine in April, so you could probably get into the Uffizzi without wasting an entire day standing in line. If you can, do it. It's small enough so if you can get through without waiting, it would only take a piece of a morning or afternoon. Check on the schedule there before you arrive or first off and plan around that if you can.

Don't eat off of the main streets. Walk a few blocks off and find some Enotecas or Lunch bars where they sit you down at a shared table with a bunch of Italians and ignore you most of the time. The food is generally better on the Alta Arno (Santo Spirito area, I think)side of the city...because it is less populated by tourists, I guess.

For the classic view of the city, you want to take a bus out and up to San Miniato Al Monte. the large patio outside gives you a gorgeous view of the whole area. Leonardo actually built some cannons and placed them up there at one point to defend the city from the Duke of Milan, or maybe it was the pope and one of his armies. I forget.

But I'm all into that type of shit, so Florence is perfect for me. It's like 10 times what Rome is but less than 1/4 the size. Food is better either way. Plus there is Sienna and all the other towns relatively close, but you probably don't have time to venture out there if only a few days.