Places you want to visit overseas

[wendy-cake 0]

My top 3 destinations I want to check out at the moment:

 

1) Canada

2) Alaska

3) Thailand

 

I really must get to Thailand while I'm here in Japan.

[daver 0]

yeah you must. it really is easy and since you are living in saitama it will be cheaper to fly to thailand than travel anywhere in japan via shinkansen.

 

1)Nepal

2)India

3)New Zealand

 

i will certainly get to one of these and hope to get to at least two by this time next year.

[indosnm 0]

1) Mexico.. I'm dying to get back.

2) Pohnpei

3) Australia!

[yamayamayama 2]

Dolomites (Italy)

Mexico - yes, I really want to go there

Whistler (US)

Niseko (Australia)

[spook 0]

myanmar

india

sri lanka

overland through the 'stans and the middle east

alaska to argentina - this one is hopefully happening at the end of 2008. kicking off the trip with a season in canada, then 2 years from tip to tail. no doubt we'll get sidetracked along the way, but its nice to have a vague plan in mind

[indosnm 0]

 Originally Posted By: yamayamayama

Niseko (Australia)

[SirJibAlot 0]

1) Dubai

2) Whistler

3) Swiss, French, or Italian alps

[me jane 0]

Iceland

Canada

[fb_steve 0]

Bhutan when I can afford the $200USD a day permits!

Burma soon

China soon

[BagOfCrisps 24]

davers choices sound good:

 

1)Nepal

2)India

3)New Zealand

 

Dubai looks like an interesting place to visit as well.

 

I wouldn't mind visiting South Korea as well. (Not as interested in the north )

 

[spook 0]

I’m just curious as to why SirJib and BoC want to visit Dubai? Everything I’ve read about the place seems to focus on outrageous luxury and shopping, neither of which particularly appeal to me. i'm sure there must be more to the place though

 

Steveo, Bhutan looks awesome. One of my mates went there and raved about the place. He has some pics here:

http://www.jdonegan.com/

[SirJibAlot 0]

spook,

It's like Las Vegas and Disneyland - surreal. The main attraction for me - SANDBOARDING!!!! Think Snowboarding on sand dunes. They also have an indoor skijo that i'd like to give a try. But I must also admit, I do want to go and stay at the Burj Al Arab - the worlds only 7 star hotel ($2,000/night). I like the bomhemean trips to but nothing like a little pimpin every once and a while....

[thursday 1]

this is what it's about

 

[spook 0]

I hope they drive you up to the top of the dunes for sandboarding! Hiking up em would be a killer.

That fancy pants 7 star hotel apparently has a jaw dropping water fountain display. I know that sounds incredibly lame, but a number of people have told me about it.

[snowbender 3]

The country I really want to go to most is China. I'm hoping to plan a mega 2 month trip there sometime in the next few years.

[thursday 1]

Any part in particular?

[grungy-gonads 54]

Yes it is rather large isn't it. I'm interested in China as well. Do you have any recommendations thursday?

[indosnm 0]

My Uncle stayed there for 2 nights recently. He said it was outrageously lavish and a bit over the top! (but a have to do thing apparently)

[I'm Sexy 0]

My list is too long to make!

 

I want to visit US/Canada for ski and really interested also India and China.

[thursday 1]

 Originally Posted By: grungy-gonads

Yes it is rather large isn't it. I'm interested in China as well. Do you have any recommendations thursday?

Besides Hong Kong during Oct, Nov, Dec, (best weather) I'd suggest to start in Beijing. The marvels there will keep you occupied for weeks.

On my todo list is
[*]Take the Train to Lhasa [*]Visit Shangri-la [*]Land Cruiser the Silk Road

[Weegeoff 0]

Look out World here I come

[Mantas 3]

Alaska

Easter Island

Patagonia

(with kids in tow)

[SirJibAlot 0]

I recommend Xian. i had a great time there.

[Yui in Tokyo 0]

My list is maybe 100 countries too many. I love travel experience.

 

I really want to go many place in Europe. The big problem is time to go there (and of course cost)

[joannek 0]

Re Dubai, don't go via Ramadan, they shut all restaurants in malls, on the street for the whole day and it makes getting out for a full day difficult since you are not allowed to eat or drink in public. Not even water to not be offensive. Hotels will have limited restaurants open during the day for in house guests, though you will still eat behind a curtain or screen to be polite.

 

Burj al Arab is interesting, but there are better things to spend your money on in Dubai, all of them pretty contrived. We stayed for 5 days on the way to East Africa last August, we did have cocktails at the skybar at the top of the Tower ( $25 - $200 per drink) and dinner in the fine dining restaurant which you take a hokey simulated submarine trip to- around $US 700 for the dinner, it was good but I have had better and the wines were very very seriously overpriced. You MUST have a booking at Burj Al Arab and leave a deposit to go to dinner there, must wear a jacket and formal wear to fine dining dinner. Also I found it off putting that every person in the public areas and bar had a camera and was taking a picture of something. You can't enter the grounds unless you are a guest or have a booking at the restaurants or bars. I would say the bar was worth visiting to say you went there. The signing fountain is ok, same as the one in Santosa Island at Singapore.

 

Dubai is great if you love hot hot weather, the beaches are nice and there are some ok public parks, if you like speed then get out to the go kart racing near the grand prix track it goes 100kms an hour and they don't have any seat belts it was cool (and I am a 40 year old Mum), for a laugh go ski the ski tube, 150metres of ice, see how many times you can get through the turnstile, the shopping in Dubai is stellar if you are into that kind of thing. It's intersting to see all the construction going on, it really is going to be a huge city when it all comes on line in the next few years. There is also a big water park which we didn't visit that looked pretty good fun. My husband had the best game of golf he has ever had and he has played hundres of courses round the world. He played at the Dubai Yacht and Golf club in Deira where we were staying at the Park Hyatt which is a lovely small hotel in Dubai where there are some monsters, it's right on the creek so has a good vista.

 

It's very hot to tour around, if you can afford it go via taxi/driver or if not make sure you don't get on the open top bus... 40 deg - 50 deg c and you nearly die.

 

Sand dune driving is pretty good fun, touristy but good fun. You get to have a dinner out in the dessert and they sell you photos/videos of the trip. Note: I dont' think Dubai has much in the way of insurance for injury, we noticed a lack of safety instruction/practices and when sand dune riding we had cars with very small children sitting in parents laps unrestrained, with the go kart racing you basically sign a disclaimer, but I was on the track with guys going 100kms an hour with their brakes a red hot glow, they were racing around me... doing a moderate 80kms an hour, you have limited safety gear and you are at ground level or should I say gravel level.

 

Finally you can visit somem of the mosques - I didn't because I have seen a lot in other Muslim countries, but I do remember that you can only go on a certain day/time when they let non locals visit.

 

Ok, have fun.