World Travel Vacation.....ideas

[KPHMPH]

So.... I've been working since 18 and really haven't had a chance ever to travel....anywhere other than Mexico so now I'm in the dark when it comes to going anywhere or doing anything.

What our plan is so far is to do 1 month and then take 1 off.

So far this is what I have.

August - can't go anywhere because of a renovation

September - possibly taking a 2 week vacation to Iceland

October - ( booked ) Hawaii for the full month

November - taking it off

December - ( thinking ) 3 days Japan, 1 week China, do a G-Adventure tour in Thailand, then 1.5 weeks in Bali

January - taking it off

February - we have a Calgary couples vacation from our dinner party for Mexico :/ other than that we are free

March - My bday is on the 25th so I would like to do or go somewhere

April - I'm thinking of starting Europe but really I have no idea

Other than that I think I want to do a full 2 months in a Diesel Pusher going all over Canada and the US next summer.


So far this is all I have and am hoping some more well versed travelers can give me some input.

We are open to *most* countries but not all.

[holden]

What does "taking it off" mean? Taking a break from taking vacations?

[flipstah]

All I read was March and April are free. Lol.

What do you like to do? What I do for vacation may not work for you.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[KPHMPH]

We are doing 1 month on and 1 month off of vacations because we have fur babies and we don't want to be away from them that long. So "taking it off" means we are just going to be in Calgary doing nothing ( or simple road trips where we can take the dogs )

At this point we have only booked Hawaii but everything else is open for discussion.

We hike, boat, love to sit and learn about culture, eat new food, meet new people, anything really. I've just been a hermit all my life and I think now that I have the ability to travel I should take it!

Yes I could go on google and google all of this but its better to hear from Calgary people.

[mzdspd]

Your December tour of Asia seems rushed.. You won't get to experience the countries if its like 3 days here, 1 week here.

I would say you would need at least 2 weeks in each destination. I did 3 weeks in Thailand and it felt rushed.

I would do 2 weeks (at minimum) in each of these countries, China, Japan, Vietnam, Bali and Thailand.

[InRich]

I hear Syria and Afghanistan are really nice this time of year

[taemo]

Winter time here, I would go somewhere close to the equator/southern hemisphere.
I wouldn't do China or Japan during winter, unless you plan on skiing/snowboarding.
Definitely spend more time in Japan too than 3 days.

If you've never travelled outside of resort vacations, definitely go somewhere safe and easy first like Hawaii. Europe is another one for sure.

Considering the freedom that you have, I would also try do 2 countries every month instead of trying to squeeze as many places at a time. Spend more time on one location, explore and learn the culture rather than hitting landmarks.

Research your method of transportation too.

Finally, learn the art of travelling with carry-ons only too, you'll be amazed at how very few things you need and how much stuff you can cram on a backpack or small luggage.

[ExtraSlow]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
4) Australia + New Zealand (apparently you can buy cars which have insurance on them)

It was a long time agao now, but I did four months in NZ. Bought a car there, had a great time. Would love to go back. That country has more varied scenery packed into a compact size than anywhere else I can think of.

[flipstah]

I'm a sensei of carry-on packing. A month in carry-on backpack under 40 lbs. BOOM

[msommers]

Iceland - 2 weeks is enough to do the Golden Road. It's quite expensive but there cheaper alternatives if needed (which I did). Personally, I wouldn't go less than 2 weeks unless you're staying mostly south and west. Admittedly that's where a large portion of the main spots are but I'd really recommend doing the full circle.

Hawaii - a month is awesome. I stay that long as well and bounced along each island for a week. You'll love the variety of each place. Lots of info here about Hawaii but I'm always open to chatting.

Japan for 3 days seems almost wasteful. It'll be a huge rush and there is just so much to do. I've never been but have talked to a few that have, and also a friend's brother lives there, and the itinerary we tossed together was anything but short (or cheap).

Europe the possibilities are endless. Really depends on how you prefer to travel and budget.

A roadtrip that I've had in mind for quite a long time is to go from Vancouver, along the coast, down to Baja over a bit and up through all the national parks....one day...

[NoPulp]

I haven't traveled much in europe, but I'd recommend Portugal. Love it there and people were friendly. I went to Spain, mostly Madrid and area and it wasn't what I expected. I found people weren't as nice, overall Portugal was better. Also, DO NOT do an overnight train. It sucked, you won't be able to sleep and its boring.


Not sure what you've done for roadtrips, but do the "going to the sun road" in the summer if you haven't already. If you haven't stayed in the whitefish/flathead area I would recommend doing that in the summer too. Seattle/Spokane is a good road trip too. Van island is one of the nicest places.


Have you been to east coast Canada? My parents are there right now, we had a great time when we went previously. Definitely have to do that!

[Gainsbarre]

Personally the only part of China I'm keen on revisiting is Hong Kong, the highlights of which can been seen in 3 days or so. I was in Japan for just over a week in December 2014 (Tokyo/Yokohama, Kyoto, Hiroshima), and the winter weather there was certainly mild by Canadian standards. I would try to spend a bit more time (say a week) in Japan and maybe drop China altogether.

I've been on several gadventure tours (Iran, Argentina/Brazil, Morocco...), and I've enjoyed them all. The tour I took in Thailand was with Contiki, and I didn't quite enjoy it as much (being in my 30s it was tough keeping up with the teenagers and their drinking/partying...)

Though I've been to plenty of beaches/resorts, I've never taken a vacation specifically for a resort. If you're keen on learning about culture, meeting new people, and trying fantastic food, Iran is a great place -- friendliest locals I've ever encountered (and I've been to 40 countries and counting), thousands of years of culture, and my favourite cuisine in the world. Iran is way safer than many make it out to be (I've been there a few times, have no ancestral ties to the region, and never encountered any problems), and gadventures has a great two week tour of the country. There is also a popular Facebook group ("See You in Iran") where foreign visitors to Iran like myself share their stories.

[flipstah]

Japan is 2 weeks, minimum. Travel across the country takes up a lot of time, unless you're just sticking to Tokyo. Hiroshima and Osaka are awesome! Kobe is meh.

The drive along the west coast is fun. I did over a weekend!

[JDMMAN]

If you're into history, architecture etc. You may want to consider some places in the Middle East. November to end of Feb is awesome in the UAE, Oman, Jordan, etc. Turkey is worth checking out, but just be very vigilant went traveling to these places.

[Kobe]

DavidI on here has gone to like 23213 countries, dont think he posts much anymore though.

There is a lot of travel bloggers now (people make a living off of it) that will give you tons of dos and dont's and can really help you decide where to do, I'm assuming budget isn't really an issue, with that said why not take ur dogs to europe? KLM flys for like $250 per animal and you can bring them with you.

There is many different things to see it's insane, eye-opening, every country is Europe is completely different (usually) everywhere is different for someone like yourself I'd honestly just buy a one way ticket and explore, when your in the continent you decide locals, tourists, hostels, hotels? Will all thell you where to visit what to see..


etc etc.. I for one loved Europe, and highly recommend it, the arctitecture, people (usually), females, nightlife just so many cool things to experience there but then again I haven't been to like Japan so I can't compare those two..

[Matty_10]

I've been looking to vacation in Bali also but from what google says December is the rainy season. So I would rethink that unless someone who's been there can say otherwise.

[InRich]

Hey...!!! your racist if you don't take my destination idea's seriously!

[tch7]

I tend to prefer warmer, outdoorsy type destinations, so if I had to lump countries I've been to into groups it'd be something like this:

Favourite places:
New Zealand, Fiji, American Samoa, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Nepal, Western Canada, Kauai

Really good places:
Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, Vietnam, Maui, Western US incl. Alaska, Mexico, Germany.

So-so places:
Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia

I was happy to leave:
Macau, Samoa


With the current state of the dollar and economy, there's a lot of merit to staying within Canada and exploring, as there really is a ton to see right in our backyard. Unless you're looking for culture and history and city life, in which case go to Europe. I'm heading back to SE Asia for my 4th time and Tokyo this November, since it's always an awful month to be in Calgary.

Originally posted by Matty_10
I've been looking to vacation in Bali also but from what google says December is the rainy season. So I would rethink that unless someone who's been there can say otherwise.

For most of SE Asia, the "rainy season" just means 1-2 hours of heavy downpour in the afternoons. In many ways I prefer travelling during the rainy seasons as the crowds are down, prices are lower, and the temperatures are more comfortable. I went to Bali in the dry, peak season, and it rained every day. Didn't really matter though, because most of Bali's beaches are gross, and it's the interior of the island that is actually interesting where it doesn't matter if it's raining or not.

[timdog]

read Rolf Pott's book Vagabonding.