Where to go for vacation?

[astrocase]

I live in California and am thinking that staying within a few time zones would help avoid some of the jet lag. I also don't want to waste 2 days travelling.

I'm the type of guy who puts on a backpack and just goes. No resorts for me. Money isn't the issue but being a typical tourist doesn't do it for me. If I just wanted to sit at a resort getting a tan I'd stay at home and ride my bike to the beach. I like doing the guesthouse circuit, eating 3 awesome meals a day with a cold beer if I can, and doing things like checking out the jungle, scuba diving, checking out historical sites/museums or just experiencing the culture. Night life is good, but I don't need a raving club to hit. I'm fine with a bonfire on the beach or a small pub with good company.

I'm thinking, prematurely and in no particular order, on the following:

1. Costa Rica - would love to see the wild life
2. Belize - do a week long liveaboard.
3. I have a yearning for Egypt and India but that's a bit far and I don't think a week is long enough to satisfy much. I hear 2 weeks for Egypt and 3 for India is pretty much the minimum.

I'm pretty sure this trip will be over the X-mas / New Years holidays but I might do it in the fall as well. Not sure yet. I'll probably travel alone. I have more fun that way.

Ideas? Experience?

 

[lukatmyshu]

Weird ... I just went to Costa Rica last year, am leaving for India in a month and am planning on doing a weeklong liveaboard in Belize at the end of the year. Out of all of them, I'd say Costa Rica. 10 weeks really isn't enough time to visit India in any real way and if you're gonna spend the plane ticktet (and hassle) of going to Egypt I'd want to go to a couple other places. Costa Rica is a super easy place to travel to/in. You can get some good diving off the Drake Bay and people are very chill (other travelers included). And 10 days is a perfect amount of time to go there.

 

[astrocase]

Brother?

 

[SampSon]

I'm going to nyc for vacation.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Costa Rica FTW!

A cleint of mine just got back from Honduras. He sait it was fantastic there.

 

[tgx78]

tofino, bc

 

[Trikat]

O i thought you wanted a vacation from Anandtech.

 

[skyking]

Mayan riveria. Go to Cancun airport, and head south away from that Ft. Lauderdale-like armpit. Head to a town called Playa Del Carmen. gGo down and negotiate a few day's rental of a beach bungalow.
Once you get tired of that little slice of paradise, go check out the Mayan stuff at Tulum, and the eco-park at Xel-ha.

 

[Crescent13]

Come visit me . Bethlehem PA.

 

[her209]

Test your survival skillz in Yosemite.

 

[astrocase]

Originally posted by: skyking
Mayan riveria. Go to Cancun airport, and head south away from that Ft. Lauderdale-like armpit. Head to a town called Playa Del Carmen. gGo down and negotiate a few day's rental of a beach bungalow.
Once you get tired of that little slice of paradise, go check out the Mayan stuff at Tulum, and the eco-park at Xel-ha.

Already did Cancun + Chichen Itza + Xel Ha. Cancun sucked beyond anything I might have expected. Way overhyped and overrated. The waterpark was cool and Chichen Itza made that trip worthwhile. Everyone was saying to head down to Playa Del Carmen or over to Cozumel but we were only there for 4 days and my buddy forgot his diving cert card so we decided to stay put. If you liked that, check out Thailand.

Originally posted by: her209
Test your survival skillz in Yosemite.

Yosemite is awesome but I want to go to another country and I'm not much into rock climbing. Was there during El Nino though and have never seen anything like it. The waterfalls that are normally just a trickle were bigger than just about anything I've ever seen besides Niagra.

Originally posted by: tgx78
tofino, bc

Been to Ontario twice this year. No more Canada. Looks beautiful though.

 

[maddogchen]

Brazil?

 

[astrocase]

I wouldn't know where to start with Brazil. Brazil, to me, is kind of like India where I'd want to have at least a month or 12 to cruise around. Unless someone tells me differently...

 

[maddogchen]

My parents did Banff, Canada for a week. They really liked it, very beautiful scenery.

Just throwing out ideas.

 

[Syringer]

Is it sad when I hear the word vacation I think, "What kind of post did this guy make?"

 

[astrocase]

No Vacation for you! Come back in one year!

 

[skyking]

Already did Cancun + Chichen Itza + Xel Ha. Cancun sucked beyond anything I might have expected. Way overhyped and overrated.

That is why I suggested you turn immediately south, and never darken the streets of that hellhole

On the trip you took, you missed most everything I suggested

 

[IGBT]

Originally posted by: astrocase
I live in California and am thinking that staying within a few time zones would help avoid some of the jet lag. I also don't want to waste 2 days travelling.

I'm the type of guy who puts on a backpack and just goes. No resorts for me. Money isn't the issue but being a typical tourist doesn't do it for me. If I just wanted to sit at a resort getting a tan I'd stay at home and ride my bike to the beach. I like doing the guesthouse circuit, eating 3 awesome meals a day with a cold beer if I can, and doing things like checking out the jungle, scuba diving, checking out historical sites/museums or just experiencing the culture. Night life is good, but I don't need a raving club to hit. I'm fine with a bonfire on the beach or a small pub with good company.

I'm thinking, prematurely and in no particular order, on the following:

1. Costa Rica - would love to see the wild life
2. Belize - do a week long liveaboard.
3. I have a yearning for Egypt and India but that's a bit far and I don't think a week is long enough to satisfy much. I hear 2 weeks for Egypt and 3 for India is pretty much the minimum.

I'm pretty sure this trip will be over the X-mas / New Years holidays but I might do it in the fall as well. Not sure yet. I'll probably travel alone. I have more fun that way.

Ideas? Experience?

..it's not on your list but every body I know who went on an Alaskan Cruz have gone back for a second tour.

 

[astrocase]

I've done a fishing trip up in Alaska. Definitely awesome. Unfortionately I don't think I'd enjoy it in winter and odds are I'll be up on vacation during the winter.

 

[concernedsophist]

A good friend of mine is from Quito, Ecuador. He has been trying to get me to visit with him. It sounds like an awesome time: Andes, Amazonian Rainforest, Galapagos Islands, great beaches, and their national currency is US dollars. I can?t wait to go myself.

 

[IronWing]

Branson, MO

 

[Jawo]

I did India in about 2 weeks on a Study Abroad. The trip was fast moving, but still saw seven cities. The jet lag comming back was miserable....I would do it again though since I didnt go north or east at all.

 

[astrocase]

Originally posted by: concernedsophist
A good friend of mine is from Quito, Ecuador. He has been trying to get me to visit with him. It sounds like an awesome time: Andes, Amazonian Rainforest, Galapagos Islands, great beaches, and their national currency is US dollars. I can?t wait to go myself.

I just went and spent a couple hours reading up on it. Sounds great! They recommend about 8 days for the Galapogos Islands though so I'll have to really plan a trip like that out. It's one of the few places in the world though where you can swim with Penguins and Sea Lions, Dive with Hammerheads and Manta Rays, and see some of the most unafraid wild animals on the planet. I was impressed. I'd love to do the rainforrest as well. You could easily spend months and months there.