Did a trip to Hawaii a couple of years ago.
Place was great, but the plane ride back not so much.
Do you know how big LAX is?
Place was great, but the plane ride back not so much.
Do you know how big LAX is?
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Describe Your BEST Vacation
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- Start date
1993. Our first trip to Istanbul. we were met at the airport by a load of Gala fans, battoned by the police, attacked our first night out in town by locals(we held our own till the blades came out) and then rounded up by the police and put under virtual house arrest in a mates hotel till just before the game where we escaped back to our own place to get our bags, passports etc before hitting the game. Afterwards we were loaded straight onto buses to the airport and loaded on planes back to England. Didn't matter where you were going you were thrown on the first available plane seat. I was lucky as I boarded a plane back to Manchester. There were lads on our plane with tickets to London Heathrow! It was mad, bad and a bag of fun.
Had to admire the Gala fans passion though. In the ground hours before kick off. Flares, non stop singing and a real intimidating atmosphere.
Finally managed to get through the thread & links. Thanks again for all the replies, everyone.
I have to get Hawaii out of my system because it's been a personal goal for 2012 for a couple of years now (& in hindsight, up until recently, I probably would've pussied out to continue working. So since the opportunity's finally available, it'd be a shame not to take it). Having said that, I was originally planning to start off in Waikiki, but I'm thinking it might not be the best idea. On the Hawaii website, it says that this is where travelers from around the world meet. I'm not too sure that this is the best idea to get a feel for the culture there. I've decided not to go alone to Hawaii, but I'll probably be alone to whichever country I head to next (unless I meet someone along the way). It also seems like a surfing destination - as much as I'd like to try surfing, I'm actually a terrible swimmer (can't tread...lol).
I guess what I'm looking for in Hawaii is the best Island to go snorkelling, scuba diving, hiking, trekking, climbing, and just scenery in general. I'm not opposed to nightlife, but it isn't a top priority for me. I'd like to see at least one volcano, but I'm not too picky with which one it is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Maui & Hawaii island seem like my best bet?
This is Haleakala peak in Maui:
I'll definitely pick up a blue book once I'm there, but it'd be nice to start in the right island for what I'd like out of it.
A bunch of you guys are suggesting against Oahu, but it's apparently the best place to go snorkelling. If that's all it really has to offer, I'm willing to compromise.
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Thanks for the pictures, Shane. Let me know how Uganda goes...I never really thought of going to Africa and my curiosity's piqued. The middle east looks like a wonderful place - I recognize the wall with all the art; Banksy did one of his most famous pieces there!
You guys sell it pretty well. It looks like Thailand, Australia, Panama, Morocco, & the Amazon are top picks for me (in that order).
As for Australia, a friend suggested starting off in Cairns & doing the "australia experience", (where you hop on & off the bus) eventually making my way along the coast until I get to Melbourne.
I'm starting to think that maybe I should get a gf to travel with
If the hospitality industry in the world is anything like Toronto, I have a huge advantage being from abroad. Places here love foreigners behind the bar, & I've met people who have done the working visa thing just tending bar everywhere. As a side note, did any of the places that you guys vacation at have a thing for flair bartending or mixology?
I have to get Hawaii out of my system because it's been a personal goal for 2012 for a couple of years now (& in hindsight, up until recently, I probably would've pussied out to continue working. So since the opportunity's finally available, it'd be a shame not to take it). Having said that, I was originally planning to start off in Waikiki, but I'm thinking it might not be the best idea. On the Hawaii website, it says that this is where travelers from around the world meet. I'm not too sure that this is the best idea to get a feel for the culture there. I've decided not to go alone to Hawaii, but I'll probably be alone to whichever country I head to next (unless I meet someone along the way). It also seems like a surfing destination - as much as I'd like to try surfing, I'm actually a terrible swimmer (can't tread...lol).
I guess what I'm looking for in Hawaii is the best Island to go snorkelling, scuba diving, hiking, trekking, climbing, and just scenery in general. I'm not opposed to nightlife, but it isn't a top priority for me. I'd like to see at least one volcano, but I'm not too picky with which one it is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Maui & Hawaii island seem like my best bet?
This is Haleakala peak in Maui:
I'll definitely pick up a blue book once I'm there, but it'd be nice to start in the right island for what I'd like out of it.
A bunch of you guys are suggesting against Oahu, but it's apparently the best place to go snorkelling. If that's all it really has to offer, I'm willing to compromise.
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Thanks for the pictures, Shane. Let me know how Uganda goes...I never really thought of going to Africa and my curiosity's piqued. The middle east looks like a wonderful place - I recognize the wall with all the art; Banksy did one of his most famous pieces there!
You guys sell it pretty well. It looks like Thailand, Australia, Panama, Morocco, & the Amazon are top picks for me (in that order).
As for Australia, a friend suggested starting off in Cairns & doing the "australia experience", (where you hop on & off the bus) eventually making my way along the coast until I get to Melbourne.
I'm starting to think that maybe I should get a gf to travel with
If the hospitality industry in the world is anything like Toronto, I have a huge advantage being from abroad. Places here love foreigners behind the bar, & I've met people who have done the working visa thing just tending bar everywhere. As a side note, did any of the places that you guys vacation at have a thing for flair bartending or mixology?
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toshison
Well-known member
There is some cool stuff to do in Oahu with not too many tourists should you go there. You just need to stay away from Waikiki. I can't remember the name of it but there's a hike to a waterfall you can do thats 1 bus ride away from the Ala moana (shopping centre). I did the hike when I first went to hawaii (solo) and it was pretty good. Got completely soaked because its in an area of the island that rains all the time for some reason. There was a kiwi couple on the trail as well but nobody else. A local lady gave us a ride back to waikiki since the bus is not too frequent. Snorkelling on Oahu very "nothing special"... If you are planning to go to Cairns, spent a night or a few on a dive boat on the Great Barrier Reef. Its more for divers but they take snorkellers too. I would actually recommend that you take the Padi Open Water certification here or in Thailand..
Im sure your bartending skills will land you jobs in Oz/NZ or UK no problem and you'll probably meet "heaps" of people.
Don't worry about getting a gf to travel with either. There are lots of solo female travellers around. I have mostly travelled with my lady but everywhere we've gone, we've met really hot female independent travellers. They always make me think "man, i wish I did more solo travel earlier on before getting hitched." If you stay close to the backpacker trails, you'll meet some no doubt.
If I can give you one more suggestion, it would be to not plan too far ahead. Take it one or two destinations at a time and give yourself as much flexibility as possible. You never know when you'll want to stay somewhere for 3 days or 3 months For me, that is the greatest part of open-ended travel and what makes it completely different than just going on a "vacation" for a couple weeks. Its a sense of freedom that few people get to experience. Knowing that you can wake up and go anywhere, do anything you want just like that.. That in itself has had a more profound impact on my life than really any one destination. Its an aweseome feeling if you really take advantage of it. Like, we ended up going to Japan on a pure random thought and 2 days later we were on a plane heading to Tokyo with JR rail passes and a rough itinerary that we made up once we landed.
I love this kind of topic and Im happy for you man if you really get out there because I know its going to change your life.
Im sure your bartending skills will land you jobs in Oz/NZ or UK no problem and you'll probably meet "heaps" of people.
Don't worry about getting a gf to travel with either. There are lots of solo female travellers around. I have mostly travelled with my lady but everywhere we've gone, we've met really hot female independent travellers. They always make me think "man, i wish I did more solo travel earlier on before getting hitched." If you stay close to the backpacker trails, you'll meet some no doubt.
If I can give you one more suggestion, it would be to not plan too far ahead. Take it one or two destinations at a time and give yourself as much flexibility as possible. You never know when you'll want to stay somewhere for 3 days or 3 months For me, that is the greatest part of open-ended travel and what makes it completely different than just going on a "vacation" for a couple weeks. Its a sense of freedom that few people get to experience. Knowing that you can wake up and go anywhere, do anything you want just like that.. That in itself has had a more profound impact on my life than really any one destination. Its an aweseome feeling if you really take advantage of it. Like, we ended up going to Japan on a pure random thought and 2 days later we were on a plane heading to Tokyo with JR rail passes and a rough itinerary that we made up once we landed.
I love this kind of topic and Im happy for you man if you really get out there because I know its going to change your life.
Thanks a lot for all the info. Looked up the Lonely Planet Hawaii link and there's a breakdown of what to expect in each island. Hahaha man, I'm an idiot.
Your advice about not planning too far ahead is a good reminder and definitely something that I need to heed. I have a tendency to be too calculated about things and sometimes I have to stop and remind myself to just let things work themselves out.
To be honest, I sort of hope that I find somewhere to live along the way - as much as I love Toronto, it's gotten a bit stale for me. But all these people who travel everywhere somehow always end up back here. Who knows...maybe it's just 'cause the money's here.
Last question, though: when you say that Thailand's very affordable, how cheap are we talking? Just asking 'cause a couple of friends would probably meet me there if I could give them a ballpark estimate
Your advice about not planning too far ahead is a good reminder and definitely something that I need to heed. I have a tendency to be too calculated about things and sometimes I have to stop and remind myself to just let things work themselves out.
To be honest, I sort of hope that I find somewhere to live along the way - as much as I love Toronto, it's gotten a bit stale for me. But all these people who travel everywhere somehow always end up back here. Who knows...maybe it's just 'cause the money's here.
Last question, though: when you say that Thailand's very affordable, how cheap are we talking? Just asking 'cause a couple of friends would probably meet me there if I could give them a ballpark estimate
DownUnder
Well-known member
Last time I was in Thailand I paid about $700 for 2 weeks in a 5 Star hotel. Depending how nice a place you want to be in you can get that down CONSIDERABLY. That price isnt all inclusive but food is really cheap and really good. The locals can feed a family of 4 for a week with about $20-30 knowing where to shop. Check out expedia etc and have a look at general price range of all the places you plan on going.
toshison
Well-known member
RE: Thailand.
Prices will depend on where you are in Thailand and how you would like to live. Like, you could get by on $10 a day if you tried too. Generally speaking though, on a per night basis, you can land a basic budget guesthouse room for $10-$15. This might or might not include a private bathroom. The cheaper rooms are usually with a shared bathroom. Spend another $10 or so dollars and you can get a nicer room with air-con, TV and private bathroom with hot shower. For $30-$70, you can get a decent hotel room with buffet breakfast if you're in the city or a nicer room/bungalow if you are in a beach area. A little extra money goes a long way in Thailand and in the grand scheme of it all, the amount to make your life a little more comfortable is hardly anything when compared to what you'd be spending in expensive parts of Europe. I tend to go with rooms in the $20ish range but in some locations I've spent as little as $3 per night (in Chiang khong, a border town with Laos on the Mekong river) and a lot more for staying on a really nice resort in Ko Tao when its time for a recharge.
If you are staying in decent affordable places, eating a mix of street food, food courts & basic but nice restaurants, taking a variety of transport options like buses, mini-buses and boats, on average $50 a day will do it. Of course, if you are going with friends you can find ways to share expenses and make things cheaper. It's all the activities like trekking, diving, drinking, shopping etc that starts taxing the wallet. If you are friends are going to be flying from Toronto to Thailand, that will be the biggest expense for them by far.
A lot of backpackers get sucked into the idea of spending as little as possible as if it were a "street cred" thing. Its nonsense so dont get sucked into it. I had one guy telling me how totally unnecessary it was to spend an extra $2 for a room ($7 vs $5) with a private bathroom versus one with a shared bathroom for an entire floor... I basically told him that $2 is well worth the price of knowing that there is a toilet waiting to accept my morning dump rather than waiting in the hallway for a vacant bathroom while trying to not shyte my pants which almost happend to me in Singapore.
If you want any itinerary suggestions, let me know man.
toshison
Well-known member
Toronto is stale for me too. You'll gain lots of perspective living elsewhere though. People come back usually cuz they have family here or that they are use to the standard of living here. People think Toronto is expensive but its cheap in comparison to my wife's hometown of Sydney, Aus. The real estate market is just insane there. But yeah, look at all the places you can get working holiday visas and see how you go. A couple years in the UK and a year in Aus just to start.
Actually, I've always wanted to see the pyramids in egypt. I just hate how certain sections are closed off 'cause they haven't been explored yet (obviously with good reason since whatever booby traps are there haven't been set off yet)...but how else are people gonna get to the rooms with all that esoteric knowledge? They say that's where count St. Germain found the recipe to the elixir of life/philosopher's stone
& thanks Downunder, expedia's definitely the way to go with booking accomodations. Every time I compare pricing between different sites, expedia can't be touched.
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hahaha that thing about street cred is so true. I won't knock it 'til I try it, but I know people who go out of their way to stay at crappy places just for the experience. But then again, sometimes it's more about the type of people that you meet at these places & not even about the environment.
The dude who booked my Hawaii stuff was telling me that there's this club in Thailand that's completely made of ice. That must be such a sight to see!
I downloaded the lonely planet archive that you suggested. But I probably won't be able to read the Thailand one until the end of my Hawaii stint. Any recommendations for starting points? I'll probably dump my luggage/find some storage & backpack.
Thanks again for everything. If there's something that I can send you from Hawaii or Thailand (not sure if they have any hard-to-find liquor or specialize in anything, so excuse my ignorance), let me know. I'm serious!
Btw, I thought about your suggestion to check out London or Australia for work, but I'm sort of ambivalent about their whole no tipping culture. I get that they pay a higher wage, but wouldn't that basically be minimum wage? I know that beggars can't be choosers, but I'm just curious. Also, I believe you about the cost of living being nuts in Australia. We hired this Aussie at a club that I used to work at and the guy was ******** bricks about how cheap grapes were here. He started telling me the price of things and I couldn't believe how big of a difference there was (even after calculating for the higher wage & all of that).
I sort of wonder what you do if you can find time to do all this traveling. I always had a hard time imagining the freedoms that I have now if I got a 9-5. It's funny 'cause everyone my age isn't looking forward to growing up; yet that was all we wanted to do when we were younger.
& thanks Downunder, expedia's definitely the way to go with booking accomodations. Every time I compare pricing between different sites, expedia can't be touched.
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hahaha that thing about street cred is so true. I won't knock it 'til I try it, but I know people who go out of their way to stay at crappy places just for the experience. But then again, sometimes it's more about the type of people that you meet at these places & not even about the environment.
The dude who booked my Hawaii stuff was telling me that there's this club in Thailand that's completely made of ice. That must be such a sight to see!
I downloaded the lonely planet archive that you suggested. But I probably won't be able to read the Thailand one until the end of my Hawaii stint. Any recommendations for starting points? I'll probably dump my luggage/find some storage & backpack.
Thanks again for everything. If there's something that I can send you from Hawaii or Thailand (not sure if they have any hard-to-find liquor or specialize in anything, so excuse my ignorance), let me know. I'm serious!
Btw, I thought about your suggestion to check out London or Australia for work, but I'm sort of ambivalent about their whole no tipping culture. I get that they pay a higher wage, but wouldn't that basically be minimum wage? I know that beggars can't be choosers, but I'm just curious. Also, I believe you about the cost of living being nuts in Australia. We hired this Aussie at a club that I used to work at and the guy was ******** bricks about how cheap grapes were here. He started telling me the price of things and I couldn't believe how big of a difference there was (even after calculating for the higher wage & all of that).
I sort of wonder what you do if you can find time to do all this traveling. I always had a hard time imagining the freedoms that I have now if I got a 9-5. It's funny 'cause everyone my age isn't looking forward to growing up; yet that was all we wanted to do when we were younger.
Hotel 101 reykavik iceland,Www.jademountain.com, canaves oia santorini, blancaneaux lodge Belize, and im on www.yachtfelicia.com in January so that should be great too
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toshison
Well-known member
Any guesthouse will likely do bag storage at a decent daily/weekly rate. But of course they aren't all equal so try to find a nicer looking, bigger place as they will probably have a proper room for baggage storage and not just some closet or something. I've stored bags for weeks and had no issues with theft/tampering. But, maybe you should think about reducing your load so you don't even need to store anything. If you are heading straight to Thailand, then I guess you'll likely end up in bangkok first. If thats the case, head to Khao San Road. Its a little strip of road that has lots of budget accomodations, cheap food and traveller/tourist agencies. It is tacky (with backpackers getting their hair braided, fake tattoos and late at night lots of girls offering "sexy time" etc..) as this is basically "Traveller HQ" in Bangkok but for you it will probably be the best place to start. There is lots of stuff to do in Bangkok so figure out the public transport and check it out. If you are feeling a little culture shocked, you could ease your nerves by joining in on some day tours to some of the sites just outside of bangkok. From Bangkok you can head to south/islands or go north. Do both though, order doesn't matter.. The company that operates catamarans for the gulf of Thailand islands (Ko Samui/Pha Ngan/Tao) has an office in the Khao San Road area and they sell bus + boat combo's to head to those islands. You could head to those islands or you can head to the Andaman sea side and check out phuket/phi phi/lanta etc.... You can bus it to phuket. There are many agencies, some of which are legit good that can help you figure out how to get to where you want to go. Going north, I'd recommend taking the train to Chiang Mai. The train is not the absolute cheapest way to go but its better than the bus, thats for sure. I hate Thai "mini-buses" because I have long legs and they are cramped. Chiang Mai is pretty much the hub of the north so you can arrange elephant treks, jungle treks, travelling onward to other northern cities or onward to Laos here. Its one of my favorite places in Thailand, I like the vibe up north.
The best way to find time to tavel is to do what you are doing - taking a sabbatical from work. 2-3 week holidays can be good but you can't really do that much in a few weeks. I regret not taking another sabbatical/break from work a couple years ago and now the wife is preggers so Im not going anywhere anytime soon.
In Aus, they don't really do tips but the wages are quite a bit higher so you can do alright whether you are working at a bar/club or in a gym selling memberships or maybe do some temp/contract work for one of the marketing/promotions agencies. These guys hire plenty of working holidaymakers. When I got there I first worked for a liquor store for $15 an hour. Minimum wage is somewhat age dependent and is less if you are under 21 but I think minimum wage if you are 21+ is now like $16 an hour.
20-30 is prime time to do all this stuff. You're early twenties if Im not mistaken so you are in a good frame of mind at a very good time in your life so you are in for some good experiences ahead. From Hawaii where are you flying too?
Yeah, I'm not opposed to dumping any baggage & picking a up a decent backpack. I packed mediocre clothes for that reason. But it's really only one luggage.
Good call about meeting backpackers along the way. I'm sort of glad that I wasn't able to find a bed & breakfast 'cause the hostel I'm at is pretty dope. Makes me sort of wonder why I even bothered staying at hotels at all...haha.
I'm planning to head to Thailand if I can manage to get at least a friend to go with me. Otherwise, I might have to go somewhere else. Maybe one or two more stops before London or Australia as you suggested. I'm just a little torn between the two so I guess I gotta give it some thought. Although I guess at this point it doesn't really matter where...it'll be an experience either way, right? It's just that the thought of minimum wage is a little depressing/off-putting.
Good call about meeting backpackers along the way. I'm sort of glad that I wasn't able to find a bed & breakfast 'cause the hostel I'm at is pretty dope. Makes me sort of wonder why I even bothered staying at hotels at all...haha.
I'm planning to head to Thailand if I can manage to get at least a friend to go with me. Otherwise, I might have to go somewhere else. Maybe one or two more stops before London or Australia as you suggested. I'm just a little torn between the two so I guess I gotta give it some thought. Although I guess at this point it doesn't really matter where...it'll be an experience either way, right? It's just that the thought of minimum wage is a little depressing/off-putting.
I've seen Felicia in the water, we were racing Farr40's out of StThomas. Walmart at the top of the hill in St Tom, coke@ $3.55L , rum at $2.99....
Snorkelling the caves around Tortola is a gotta do.
How did it look? I'm on it jan 4 for 5 nights with my wife
toshison
Well-known member
Knowledge,
Well hawaii is half way to australia so it would sort of make sense to keep heading south and its also summer down there. If I were you, I'd probably go to New Zealand, travel around, head to Australia, travel and work if possible., head to asia all over the place, teach english for a year in korea or japan, then fly to europe, travel around, then try to work in London, then head to the middle east (some parts anyway), then to africa, so some safari, climb the atlas mountains or kilimanjaro, keep heading south to south africa and then fly across to Chile and work your way up from south america back to north america. That would be epic.
Well hawaii is half way to australia so it would sort of make sense to keep heading south and its also summer down there. If I were you, I'd probably go to New Zealand, travel around, head to Australia, travel and work if possible., head to asia all over the place, teach english for a year in korea or japan, then fly to europe, travel around, then try to work in London, then head to the middle east (some parts anyway), then to africa, so some safari, climb the atlas mountains or kilimanjaro, keep heading south to south africa and then fly across to Chile and work your way up from south america back to north america. That would be epic.
She was at anchor not sailing, but its an enormous cat. Looked huge from the stern, afternoon breeze is usually 16-18k so it should sail well with the size of mast and sail area it would carry. Its big enough to have 10-12 people hanging out there and everybody can have thier own space.
We've spent a bit of time sailing in the area, but I'm a monohull racer. My friends have done the catamaran cruise thing and rave about it. I love the idea of sailing into WillyT's at 15k and not having the boat tip and spill my drink.
Yeah it's 65 ft. Is only me and my wife and the crew so should be lotsa room! Real luxury too inside. Ensuites,AC, sat Tv, wifi. Looking forward to it. Thanks for the info.
Uganda was amazing. We spent 10 days and felt that another week or two would have been great to see more of the country, even though we are very thankful for the time we were able to spend there. We stayed in really nice places and also stayed in hostels. As I said before, we went for the gorillas and the experience did not disappoint. We were close enough in the forest to be able to touch the silverbacks (there were 4 in a family of 19). We were with a lady in her mid-60's (who travels the world for a living as a translator) doing the gorilla trek and afterward, she said it was the single most amazing thing she has ever done or seen in her entire life - she kept repeating this over and over. It was a surreal and crazy experience at the same time and worth every penny (if you can afford it - do it).
Wherever we went, we saw tons of animals up close and in the wild. We also visited different animal sanctuary's where they rescue orphaned or injured animals from poachers. We also stayed with some locals (have friends there), so we got to visit remote villages and meet people there who are subsistence farmers. Extremely friendly people and very tasty food. I can easily see now why last year Lonely Planet rated Uganda as the best country in the world to visit. We were really happy to go there and skip Kenya and Tanzania, because we did not want to be surrounded by tourists or touts; in fact we seldom saw tourists in the places we went and there no crowds at all. We were never hassled to buy anything - ever. We took tons of pics and after keeping only the ones we want, we still have about a thousand, plus awesome vids from my GoPro and cameras. Here's a few pics (more are here) - I didn't ride my own bike, but took boda-boda's (125's and 250's) as transport a few times.
Gentle Giants:
Mealtimes
Amazing landscapes
And of course amazing riding roads and endless bikes.
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