The Travel Thread

[Curmudgeon]

1 hour ago, nuckin_futz said:

Make sure you have a "Singapore Sling" in Singapore. It's really sweet, but you got to do it once.

 

Ah yes, at the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel. I still have the check for the drinks. I asked to keep it and the waiter said sure. Long time ago, though.

[Mainly Mattias]

6 hours ago, Scottish⑦Canuck said:

Taking a short break in January to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Singapore.

 

Kind of excited. I've always thought of Singapore as being a little sterile but it seems like there's plenty to do if you look for it.

Have a good time. How long are you taking down there? Hopefully enough to get a good feel of all of the cities

[Canuck_Fan_52]

To the OP, first off, thanks for starting this thread which I hope the stories here will inspire us to look beyond our borders as well as encourage more travel to those who can still do so.

I travelled a lot growing up but now with a family, it is harder to do so and with a full time job I am limited as to when I can travel.

 

I'll share a few memories throughout the next few weeks on some of my travel experiences.

 

I'll start with a school trip to New Zealand which I took with 30 other students and 5 teachers.  This was around December of 1998 (before they filmed Lord of the Rings)

 

We flew from Hong Kong (I lived there at that time) to Auckland for an 11 hour flight and met up with the guides who took us immediately to Rotorua where we enjoyed a nice luge ride(s) and observed some hot springs similar to Yellowstone National Park. We also had the opportunity to bathe in one of them as well as do some kayaking on lake Taupo.  We hiked Mount Tarawera as well as stayed in a couple of Maraes (traditional home of the local Maoris) where we were greeted in the traditional, hand shake followed by one or two taps on the nose and enjoyed some of their cuisine!  We also did some white water rafting down a river and spent one night on an island where we had to kayak to.  This island was very close to the Bay of Plenty.  Later we went to Auckland and visited Mount Maunganui and then we spent the rest of the day on a yacht. 

 

Our accommodations were mainly youth hostels and despite it being summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the nights were pretty cold but the view of the sky was great!  I did get sun burnt and started peeling a few days after returning due to the fact that the sun New Zealand is incredibly strong.  There was one tragedy that occurred when one of the students passed away after just our third day after we hiked Mount Tarawera and he had to be airlifted to the hospital and was DOA. 

 

We spent a total of 2 weeks in New Zealand and it was an unforgettable experience.  If I had to time and money, I would definitely go back.

[Scottish⑦Canuck]

On 18/12/2016 at 6:48 AM, Mainly Mattias said:

Have a good time. How long are you taking down there? Hopefully enough to get a good feel of all of the cities

 

It's just a short break. 10 days.

 

I've been pretty sick recently though so I'm hoping I'll be alright to go. Still another 3 weeks so hopefully all should be good by then.

[Mainly Mattias]

On 2016-12-19 at 2:36 PM, Scottish⑦Canuck said:

 

It's just a short break. 10 days.

 

I've been pretty sick recently though so I'm hoping I'll be alright to go. Still another 3 weeks so hopefully all should be good by then.

Get well soon! Traveling while sick is the pits.

[Standing_Tall#37]

How's the roads in the lower mainland? About to embark on a 10hr drive here shortly to YVR.

[Jägermeister]

Anyone ever been to Iceland?

Going to Europe this summer and am going to take advantage of Iceland Airs free 7 night layover offer on the way back home.

Planning on renting a car and just kind of living out of it for the better part of the week as I drive around the Golden Loop.

 

Any tips/suggestions?

[Down by the River]

Heading back to Croatia this summer and then on to Prague. Will do a day trip to Dresden. Last summer we were in Italy and spent too much time moving around, so we're only going to stay in Dubrovnik and Split with a day trip to Hvar planned. 

 

Now time to decide if we grow up and save for a down payment or just FO to New Zealand next year...

[Jägermeister]

2 hours ago, Down by the River said:

Heading back to Croatia this summer and then on to Prague. Will do a day trip to Dresden. Last summer we were in Italy and spent too much time moving around, so we're only going to stay in Dubrovnik and Split with a day trip to Hvar planned. 

 

Now time to decide if we grow up and save for a down payment or just FO to New Zealand next year...

Jealous.  Croatia is an absolutely beautiful country.  The beaches outside of Split are arguably the nicest I have ever seen.

 

And I've got the exact same dilemma as you lol.  Me and the GF are thinking about bugging down to Australia and working for 6 months then travelling around the country + NZ and Tazmania until we run out of money.

[brilac]

4 hours ago, Jägermeister said:

Anyone ever been to Iceland?

Going to Europe this summer and am going to take advantage of Iceland Airs free 7 night layover offer on the way back home.

Planning on renting a car and just kind of living out of it for the better part of the week as I drive around the Golden Loop.

 

Any tips/suggestions?

I've been there. It's so magical there, and a lot of magical places to go to. I really enjoyed waking up at 5-6am, taking my peaceful walk around Reykjavik. The houses are neat and the flea market is neat, and there are no skyscrapers. I really like their way of living.  The Blue Lagoon is neat. The water is so pretty! I took a tour when I was there, and went to this state park where people throw the coins into the water under this bridge, and it is so pretty how the water reflects off the coins. I also went underground cave diving, and that was very neat. The whole country is magical and neat!

[canuckspride]

5 hours ago, Jägermeister said:

Anyone ever been to Iceland?

Going to Europe this summer and am going to take advantage of Iceland Airs free 7 night layover offer on the way back home.

Planning on renting a car and just kind of living out of it for the better part of the week as I drive around the Golden Loop.

 

Any tips/suggestions?

I've been twice now. Both times in the winter (January) and loved it. Every night that was clear we had the northern lights come out. I highly.. HIGHLY RECOMMEND renting a car instead of most packaged tours. Only tours I would recommend would be for anything dangerous...IE ice climbing or glacier trekking. 

I've been around the entire country so please let me know if any specifics you like. 

 

Yes the blue lagoon is pretty, but imagine drunk English tourists wading around with beers.. Meanwhile there are equally fabulous springs either free or a short drive from Reykjavik.

 

[Alflives]

Wow, it sounds like many of you have been to some amazing places.  How many of you have been to Surrey Sky Train on a Saturday night?  Nothing more extreme than that.

[Scottish⑦Canuck]

Thailand was fantastic. I only spent 5 nights in and around Bangkok, but took day trips to Ayutthaya and Erawan National Park. Was impressed by Bangkok itself too. Spent a few nights in Kuala Lumpur but didn't think that much of it. It was alright, I guess. And then a few days in Singapore which I loved. I can see why people call it sterile, but I managed to do it on the relative cheap, there was a fair bit to see and do, it's safe and seems pretty liveable. I'd move there in a heartbeat if I could find work with a big enough salary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PhillipBlunt]

In 2000 - Rome, Florence, Cagliari, Rome again, Dublin, Cork, Glanmire, Belfast, Derry (not Londonderry, sorry Elizabeth), South Armagh, Killarney, Limerick, London.

 

In 2010 - Golden, Drumheller, Swift Current, Brandon, Kenora, Thunder Bay, Sioux Ste Marie, Toronto, Flamborough, Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis, Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Billings, Missoula, Butte, Moses Lake and home.

 

Been all over BC and Washington as well, and to Oregon and California

 

I love traveling. Just don't do it enough.

[inane]

On 2/8/2017 at 2:43 PM, Alflives said:

Wow, it sounds like many of you have been to some amazing places.  How many of you have been to Surrey Sky Train on a Saturday night?  Nothing more extreme than that.

Surrey jokes--cutting edge man! Do you have more?

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, inane said:

Surrey jokes--cutting edge man! Do you have more?

Abbotsford is kind of extreme too?  been there?  Why travel the world, when we have all you need for excitement so close?

[canuckspride]

6 hours ago, Alflives said:

Abbotsford is kind of extreme too?  been there?  Why travel the world, when we have all you need for excitement so close?

Abbotsford is boring. Sure there's a flea market and a wave pool. I've been traveling/living abroad almost 4 years now. You should try venturing beyond.

[Nucker 67]

On ‎12‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 8:44 PM, Curmudgeon said:

 

Ah yes, at the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel. I still have the check for the drinks. I asked to keep it and the waiter said sure. Long time ago, though.

Wife and I were in Singapore in 2012, went to the Long Bar. We each had a Singapore Sling (which was delicious), but they were like $26.00 each! Obviously, we savored the drinks, then got out of there loll Actually it seemed all alcohol was very expensive. I was a beer drinker and the pints were $12.00.

 

Loved Singapore though, the smell of durian fruit wafting in the air. But seriously, great time there, beautiful city. Easy to get around. Caught the PGA tournament on Sentosa Island and had fun at Universal Studios.

[inane]

5 hours ago, NUCKER67 said:

Wife and I were in Singapore in 2012, went to the Long Bar. We each had a Singapore Sling (which was delicious), but they were like $26.00 each! Obviously, we savored the drinks, then got out of there loll Actually it seemed all alcohol was very expensive. I was a beer drinker and the pints were $12.00.

 

Loved Singapore though, the smell of durian fruit wafting in the air. But seriously, great time there, beautiful city. Easy to get around. Caught the PGA tournament on Sentosa Island and had fun at Universal Studios.

Funny, I hated Singapore. Just another big city but super expensive. Why go to south east Asia to visit just another generic big city? Phnom Pehn, that place was fun. 

[brilac]

I am in Ottawa for the day. Took the train from Montreal this morning, and took the bus to downtown Ottawa. Sometimes I entertain myself. I've never been to Ottawa, and usually don't know where I am going, and found the bus amusing cause I had no idea where I was, but got off as soon as I saw Parliament Hill. Now in a few hours I will have the excitement of getting back to the train station. Also when I travel, I find it amusing what my IP Address is.  Right now it says Chicago per Google. I use my cell phone all the time. I have unlimited everything for using my phone in Mexico, Canada, and US.