So I am trying to plan a major vacation for the first time in years and I want it to be one of those vacations that you remember for the rest of your life. Since there are so many world travelers here I thought this would be a great place to seek recommendations. It could be anywhere in the world, including here in the U.S. Where would you all recommend one travel that would provide an experience of beauty, tranquility, culture, and history?

Very difficult these days as 3 of your wishes often make the 4th impossible.

For example Thailand has everything in abundance except tranquility: it's just so busy everywhere.

Do you like walking/climbing? I'd recommend Scotland. Amazing country with lots of 3/4 of what you want.

Hey,
I've travelled extensively around the world but I always return to what I firmly believe to be THE best country, my home land of Australia. Everything you desire can be found here in the land down under.
We would welcome you!
Bunumuring.

What is your timeframe? What is your budget? What do you prefer to do during vacation? How do you like to travel? Are you alone or in company?

It's difficult to recommend good places if we don't know more about your preferences.

in the entire world, Thailand is probably the best bang for your buck. I took a trip there in feb and it was the best thing I've done in my entire life.

Bangkok is an amazing and vibrant city, rich in culture and history, amazing temples, art, live music, incredible food, great people, great night life and a cool niche I found there, they have amazing live music - many Thai people are really into the blues. You can live like a king there for $20-$30 a day USD and get by comfortably with $10. Easy city to get around. Thai massages. Roof top bars over loookinn the city in abundance. We stayed at a few quaint b&bs for $30 or so a night and also tried the fanciest room at the park plaza for just $80 a night. There are some quiet parts of town and amazing parks but do be aware much of Bangkok makes NYC look like Iowa. Our flights were only $800 and we had a variety of awesome planes to choose from including a350, a346, a380, the now more rare 747 and of course 777s.

You can affordably catch a flight down south to island hop in a beautiful tropical paradise or head north to Chang mai and explore northern Thai culture and temples.

On the way from the US we made sure to stop in Hong Kong for a few days, I believe if you're going to go to the other side of the planet you should see a few different things. I loved Hong Kong as well. Another city full of incredible history, beauty, and a blend of old and new. I'd love to check out Japan next time.

BartSimpson wrote:

What is your timeframe? What is your budget? What do you prefer to do during vacation? How do you like to travel? Are you alone or in company?

It's difficult to recommend good places if we don't know more about your preferences.

My time frame is pretty much up in the air. For the type of vacation I am thinking of, I would say sometime next year. I would love for it to be at least 1-2 weeks in duration.

Budget is also an open question. I think if I came up with what it is I want to do I will find the money to pay for it because it is just that much of a priority for me. At this time, though, I would say no more than $5,000. That's why I'm saying next year...I'd definitely have to save up!!

As to what I want to do while on vacation, I envision doing a lot of sightseeing, dining, things like that. I also really like to go off the beaten path and see little known treasures of the area. I spent a couple of months in London a few years ago and was able to take a tour of other towns throughout England to see some of the lesser known areas of the countryside and ways of everyday life that I think a lot of tourists wouldn't know about. That was awesome. So I would definitely want to do things like that. Also, even though the goal of a vacation, especially abroad, is to see and do as much as you can since you may never have an opportunity to go there again, but my career is so stressful and I haven't had a vacation in so long, I honestly want to be able to just relax, SLEEP, and completely disconnect which is why "tranquility" is one of my criteria.

I would love to travel alone but I'm a little afraid to if I go abroad so I would probably take at least one companion. If I stay here in the U.S. I am not that concerned about traveling alone.

As to how I like to travel, I think you're asking what mode of transportation. I am fine with flying, but I've also never been on a cruise so that might be an option as well.

Thanks for the questions!! It helped me think through some of these factors.

Thailand was a terrific destination some 20 years ago... now it is a just one giant stampede of backpackers. If you really seek tranquility, Thailand is NOT the place.
Ditto cruises.

You seem like a not really experienced travel... perhaps Hawaii in off-season would be a good idea?

jdstJD wrote:

BartSimpson wrote:

What is your timeframe? What is your budget? What do you prefer to do during vacation? How do you like to travel? Are you alone or in company?

It's difficult to recommend good places if we don't know more about your preferences.

My time frame is pretty much up in the air. For the type of vacation I am thinking of, I would say sometime next year. I would love for it to be at least 1-2 weeks in duration.

Budget is also an open question. I think if I came up with what it is I want to do I will find the money to pay for it because it is just that much of a priority for me. At this time, though, I would say no more than $5,000. That's why I'm saying next year...I'd definitely have to save up!!

As to what I want to do while on vacation, I envision doing a lot of sightseeing, dining, things like that. I also really like to go off the beaten path and see little known treasures of the area. I spent a couple of months in London a few years ago and was able to take a tour of other towns throughout England to see some of the lesser known areas of the countryside and ways of everyday life that I think a lot of tourists wouldn't know about. That was awesome. So I would definitely want to do things like that. Also, even though the goal of a vacation, especially abroad, is to see and do as much as you can since you may never have an opportunity to go there again, but my career is so stressful and I haven't had a vacation in so long, I honestly want to be able to just relax, SLEEP, and completely disconnect which is why "tranquility" is one of my criteria.

I would love to travel alone but I'm a little afraid to if I go abroad so I would probably take at least one companion. If I stay here in the U.S. I am not that concerned about traveling alone.

As to how I like to travel, I think you're asking what mode of transportation. I am fine with flying, but I've also never been on a cruise so that might be an option as well.

Thanks for the questions!! It helped me think through some of these factors.

OK, I give it a try.

As for timeframe and budget - my rule of thumb used to be 500 € per week per person. So you should be very comfortable with your two weeks and 5,000 $.

If you are going for a more tranquil vacation - which I can totally understand - why not explore Scotland and / or Ireland on your own? You could do the same thing in southern France, if you avoid the July / august tourist madness.

Then there are the Rockies both in your country and Canada which other people here may be able to give you better tipps.

My recommendation is Stockholm and it's archipelago.
One of the finest cities in the world and both it and the archipelago will offer beauty, history. Tranquility will be found in the archipelago and culture can be found in in the city.
There are both one day round-trips as well as comnuter ferries that brings you to the outer most parts of the archipelago.

https://www.visitstockholm.com/stockholm-archipelago/

https://waxholmsbolaget.se/

jdstJD wrote:

So I am trying to plan a major vacation for the first time in years and I want it to be one of those vacations that you remember for the rest of your life. Since there are so many world travelers here I thought this would be a great place to seek recommendations. It could be anywhere in the world, including here in the U.S. Where would you all recommend one travel that would provide an experience of beauty, tranquility, culture, and history?

I'd be heading to Norway, or Arizona & New Mexico.
My wife's about Mayas and ancient Mexico.
But we've not even finished to look at everything's there in Tuscany, so...

Northern Spain except for July and August. Lovely landscape, many historic places and not that touched by tourism yet. (In July and August Spain has summer holidays and it gets busy)

Halifax, Nova Scotia.

These are such wonderful options!! Keep them coming!!

I would think twice about Mexico and the Caribbean right now. The seaweed (sargassum) situation is out of control, and it looks like it will continue to be a problem for a while. If you do decide to go, western facing beaches are your best bet.

Looking at your criteria, it is a challenge to find all of those in one place. That being said, I would recommend Sicily and the Greek Islands.

The Azores, period.

GF

GalaxyFlyer wrote:

The Azores, period.

GF

You left out, "in summer."

jdstJD wrote:

BartSimpson wrote:

What is your timeframe? What is your budget? What do you prefer to do during vacation? How do you like to travel? Are you alone or in company?

It's difficult to recommend good places if we don't know more about your preferences.

My time frame is pretty much up in the air. For the type of vacation I am thinking of, I would say sometime next year. I would love for it to be at least 1-2 weeks in duration.

Budget is also an open question. I think if I came up with what it is I want to do I will find the money to pay for it because it is just that much of a priority for me. At this time, though, I would say no more than $5,000. That's why I'm saying next year...I'd definitely have to save up!!

As to what I want to do while on vacation, I envision doing a lot of sightseeing, dining, things like that. I also really like to go off the beaten path and see little known treasures of the area. I spent a couple of months in London a few years ago and was able to take a tour of other towns throughout England to see some of the lesser known areas of the countryside and ways of everyday life that I think a lot of tourists wouldn't know about. That was awesome. So I would definitely want to do things like that. Also, even though the goal of a vacation, especially abroad, is to see and do as much as you can since you may never have an opportunity to go there again, but my career is so stressful and I haven't had a vacation in so long, I honestly want to be able to just relax, SLEEP, and completely disconnect which is why "tranquility" is one of my criteria.

I would love to travel alone but I'm a little afraid to if I go abroad so I would probably take at least one companion. If I stay here in the U.S. I am not that concerned about traveling alone.

As to how I like to travel, I think you're asking what mode of transportation. I am fine with flying, but I've also never been on a cruise so that might be an option as well.

Thanks for the questions!! It helped me think through some of these factors.

I just back from a 2 week tour of Devon and Cornwall-not my first time in the UK, but my first time in Cornwall. And boy was it magical. STUNNING scenery, beautiful beaches, and lots of historic homes/palaces/castles (my kind of thing). I had a rental to take us from place to place, which greatly helped. You say you traveled within the UK, so hopefully you did visit Cornwall-if not, then do put it on the list.

My recommendation for a wonderful trip of a lifetime is my country, Egypt (shameless plugging, I know). Very briefly: Cairo-spend a few days in one of the craziest cities in the world, visit the Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum. Then a Nile cruise-spend 5-7 days on a boat down the Nile, stopping to see ancient monuments and beautiful scenery. Egypt's resorts in Hurghada or Sharm el Sheikh are wonderful, some of the best diving in the world is there. If you want something off the beaten track, then perhaps some desert camping, or a visit to Siwa Oasis. Egypt in general is very affordable and great value for money. And safe. 2 weeks is ideal, and your $5000 (even including airfare) should go a long way.
There will be tranquility-whether you go for some time on a beach, or on the deck of a river cruise, or in some oasis. Beauty? I hope so, though of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Culture & history? No argument there.

bunumuring wrote:

Hey,
I've travelled extensively around the world but I always return to what I firmly believe to be THE best country, my home land of Australia. Everything you desire can be found here in the land down under.
We would welcome you!
Bunumuring.

I lived in Perth for 8 years and spent years going back on business so I can't disagree with you. Peter Allen worked it out with his "I still call Australia home". Australia is, however, a BIG country and 2 weeks is enough for Sydney and one other stop - maybe Fiji, or Perth if you get a round the world ticket.

My other favorites would include:

Hong Kong. First visited in the mid 60's when I was in the Navy and still love the excitement and the visual impact.

London. You already know this one.

Paris and countryside. Only been there once and really loved it, except for the pick pockets who very skillfully nicked my wife's travel pulse. I even loved the countryside more. We took a river cruise to the Channel and I loved the villages and smaller towns more.

Italy is another love. Last trip we started with Venice for a cruise, then Florence for the museums (and a side trip to Pisa) and ending in Rome. There are a lot of other places I would like to see there on the next trip, especially Naples.

Barcelona is another place I loved traveling to.

BTW, our first Med cruise was a week out of Rome and was the Western Med, including Barcelona. One of the best with visits to Italian, French, Spanish cities. More impact for me than. the Eastern Med cruises. Looking at your budget you can get a pretty good price for off peak cruises, lots of sight seeing and no great hit on daily meals. You can also get a 5 or 6 night cruise out of the US for around $500 (plus fees) that will give you a chance to see if you want to make a cruise as part of a major trip

Ken777 wrote:

bunumuring wrote:

Hey,
I've travelled extensively around the world but I always return to what I firmly believe to be THE best country, my home land of Australia. Everything you desire can be found here in the land down under.
We would welcome you!
Bunumuring.

I lived in Perth for 8 years and spent years going back on business so I can't disagree with you. Peter Allen worked it out with his "I still call Australia home". Australia is, however, a BIG country and 2 weeks is enough for Sydney and one other stop - maybe Fiji, or Perth if you get a round the world ticket.

My other favorites would include:

Hong Kong. First visited in the mid 60's when I was in the Navy and still love the excitement and the visual impact.

London. You already know this one.

Paris and countryside. Only been there once and really loved it, except for the pick pockets who very skillfully nicked my wife's travel pulse. I even loved the countryside more. We took a river cruise to the Channel and I loved the villages and smaller towns more.

Italy is another love. Last trip we started with Venice for a cruise, then Florence for the museums (and a side trip to Pisa) and ending in Rome. There are a lot of other places I would like to see there on the next trip, especially Naples.

Barcelona is another place I loved traveling to.

BTW, our first Med cruise was a week out of Rome and was the Western Med, including Barcelona. One of the best with visits to Italian, French, Spanish cities. More impact for me than. the Eastern Med cruises. Looking at your budget you can get a pretty good price for off peak cruises, lots of sight seeing and no great hit on daily meals. You can also get a 5 or 6 night cruise out of the US for around $500 (plus fees) that will give you a chance to see if you want to make a cruise as part of a major trip

Thanks! These are some fabulous recommendations. I am overwhelmed with options and now have a very difficult decision to make.

directorguy wrote:

jdstJD wrote:

BartSimpson wrote:

What is your timeframe? What is your budget? What do you prefer to do during vacation? How do you like to travel? Are you alone or in company?

It's difficult to recommend good places if we don't know more about your preferences.

My time frame is pretty much up in the air. For the type of vacation I am thinking of, I would say sometime next year. I would love for it to be at least 1-2 weeks in duration.

Budget is also an open question. I think if I came up with what it is I want to do I will find the money to pay for it because it is just that much of a priority for me. At this time, though, I would say no more than $5,000. That's why I'm saying next year...I'd definitely have to save up!!

As to what I want to do while on vacation, I envision doing a lot of sightseeing, dining, things like that. I also really like to go off the beaten path and see little known treasures of the area. I spent a couple of months in London a few years ago and was able to take a tour of other towns throughout England to see some of the lesser known areas of the countryside and ways of everyday life that I think a lot of tourists wouldn't know about. That was awesome. So I would definitely want to do things like that. Also, even though the goal of a vacation, especially abroad, is to see and do as much as you can since you may never have an opportunity to go there again, but my career is so stressful and I haven't had a vacation in so long, I honestly want to be able to just relax, SLEEP, and completely disconnect which is why "tranquility" is one of my criteria.

I would love to travel alone but I'm a little afraid to if I go abroad so I would probably take at least one companion. If I stay here in the U.S. I am not that concerned about traveling alone.

As to how I like to travel, I think you're asking what mode of transportation. I am fine with flying, but I've also never been on a cruise so that might be an option as well.

Thanks for the questions!! It helped me think through some of these factors.

I just back from a 2 week tour of Devon and Cornwall-not my first time in the UK, but my first time in Cornwall. And boy was it magical. STUNNING scenery, beautiful beaches, and lots of historic homes/palaces/castles (my kind of thing). I had a rental to take us from place to place, which greatly helped. You say you traveled within the UK, so hopefully you did visit Cornwall-if not, then do put it on the list.

My recommendation for a wonderful trip of a lifetime is my country, Egypt (shameless plugging, I know). Very briefly: Cairo-spend a few days in one of the craziest cities in the world, visit the Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum. Then a Nile cruise-spend 5-7 days on a boat down the Nile, stopping to see ancient monuments and beautiful scenery. Egypt's resorts in Hurghada or Sharm el Sheikh are wonderful, some of the best diving in the world is there. If you want something off the beaten track, then perhaps some desert camping, or a visit to Siwa Oasis. Egypt in general is very affordable and great value for money. And safe. 2 weeks is ideal, and your $5000 (even including airfare) should go a long way.
There will be tranquility-whether you go for some time on a beach, or on the deck of a river cruise, or in some oasis. Beauty? I hope so, though of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Culture & history? No argument there.

This sounds amazing. The idea of taking a cruise down the Nile has me in a trance!! Thanks so much for the recommendation.

India.. Start off with the golden triangle up north.. Do Delhi and the Taj Mahal.. Culture, history and a little bit of mayhem.. Then spend a week in the southern states like goa with its beaches and old goa.. Then go for a few days on backwaters on kerela..

I'd say eastern Europe, lots of beautiful and relatively unknown cities. A few years ago I've been to Gdansk, an amazing city. Very beautiful and full of history. And such as Gdansk there are many more cities in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, etc. I'd avoid going further south into Romania and Bulgaria as they have a bit of a crime problem, but the north has plenty to offer and it's quite cheap. Getting around is easy, plenty of dirt cheap flights (Ryanair, Wizzair) and good public transport. The countryside is also very beautiful with stunning nature and landscapes, but can sometimes be a bit tricky to get around. For exploring outside the cities you'd best hire a car. That is of course, if you can drive with the stick because automatic is relatively unknown there.

It's now easy to hire an auto in most places around Europe, even the smaller cities.. You will however pay through the nose for such a vehicle.. And for places like the Czech Republic and Slovakia you really do need a car to see the most of it.. I can recommend Telc in the Czech Republic (or Czechia as it is called this week)

My dream destination is Hawaii. I love it, especially the island of Kauai. I have been 5 times, and would go there today if I could. It has a little of everything, mountain hiking, beaches, busy cities, and tranquil country side. I definitely recommend island hopping, each island has it's own personality.

Australia is also a great destination. I have been 3 times, and would love to go back at some point. I'm surprised no one has recommended New Zealand, also a wonderful place!

New Zealand is beautiful and the people are just as friendly as the Aussies. Hitting both Auckland and Sydney in one trip is easy enough as the flight between the two is pretty easy. If the Circle the Pacific fares are still available you can even make stops in Singapore and/or Hong Kong before coming back via San Francisco and/or Vancouver. Might push the time frame, but only a couple days in places like Hong Kong will give you a good taste of the place for future trips.

what's your time frame? what's your budget? What do you prefer to do in the course of excursion? How do you like to tour? Are you by myself or in employer?

it is difficult to advocate accurate locations if we don't know more approximately your possibilities. so please share preferences then we will guide you better about your travel destinations

uote="jdstJD"] Where would you all recommend one travel that would provide an experience of beauty, tranquility, culture, and history?[/quote]
I have two.

The first is this cruse: https://www.hurtigruten.com/our-ships/ms-lofoten/

The MS Lofoten offers all you want plus single rooms. It's a costal freighter which carries mail and passengers to Norwegian towns from Bergen to the Russian boarder, a 14 day trip with 32 stops.

At each stop cargo, a few passengers and the mail go on & off; plus at some stops, fresh food items reflecting the specialties of that town are brought aboard. It's the way they travel and do commerce.

Several stops allow excursions, all of this while providing spectacular views of the Norwegian fords. I was the only American on the trip but Norwegians are proud of their English and even the French would speak to me. I've been there in winter for the lights and I'm returning for the summer sun.


My second recommendation is this school: https://www.studycli.org/guilin/

Study language and culture while staying in a home with a local family. This is my favorite way to travel. I always request a home with children because I believe they're a constant: children are the same the world over.

Being with a family when everyone gets up in the morning, during meal times, evening homework and outings will tell you more about that country and its culture than any stay at a western-style hotel. I've had very good luck in many countries but my best experience was in Guilin, China.

People at this school help you plan your trip and work with you from beginning to end. They're associated with a near-by college and have interns from that college on staff. Interns will take you shopping, out to dinner, movies, and tours or just sit and talk to you. An intern’s biggest fear is that you'll get lost.

Everyone speaks English and classes are 1 on 1 in small private rooms. They break the language into 3 parts, so 3 different instructors. Students spend from 2 weeks to 2 years in this school.

In Guilin my family's parents could not speak English (this is normal) but their 12 year old girl spoke perfect English with no accent (not normal). This developed to where a child took charge of the adults in situations where I was concerned (he wants more tea, get him tea!). Note to parents, never put a 12 year old in charge of the adults.

This arrangement produced too many stories of unique exchanges, family outings and meal times to tell. But I could tell you about Tiger Moms and how they got that name, but that's a long story too.

My travels in this fashion have given me life long memories on 4 continents and some very special friends.

Thanks,
Cary

jdstJD wrote:

So I am trying to plan a major vacation for the first time in years and I want it to be one of those vacations that you remember for the rest of your life. Since there are so many world travelers here I thought this would be a great place to seek recommendations. It could be anywhere in the world, including here in the U.S. Where would you all recommend one travel that would provide an experience of beauty, tranquility, culture, and history?

Hello, I hope you can save enough and enjoy a nice experience in your next vacations. With my wife we love to travel and we can share some experiences, but everything depends, like others already said. If you are looking for architecture and culture I will go to Italy, Greece or Austria.
If you want to go to a misterious place I recommend Easter Island.
If you are looking for fun, beach and good service in an all inclusive resort, our best experiences are from Dominican Republic.
If you can save more, well, almost twice your 5k initial budget, Bora Bora is the place to go. You have to go at least one time in your life.
And if you have the will to skip several years of travel and save and save money to make one trip to the paradise, the place to go is the Soneva Jani resort in the Maldives. Obviously we don’t have the money to go ( maybe some day, but not yet ). But you can watch the video of the resort on YT.
Search Soneva Jani and pick the Luxury Travel Expert video of about one hour, you can see almost the whole resort and the beach, the paradise on Earth IMHO.
Good luck !!
Rgds.
G.

rock45 wrote:

what's your time frame? what's your budget? What do you prefer to do in the course of excursion? How do you like to tour? Are you by myself or in employer?

it is difficult to advocate accurate locations if we don't know more approximately your possibilities. so please share preferences then we will guide you better about your travel destinations

I've been to New Zealand. Auckland and Christchurch. Both places were amazingly beautiful. I would definitely go back someday. There are so many other places that I would like to see/experience for the first time, though, so I want to cover those places first, then return to places I have seen before.

rock45 wrote:

what's your time frame? what's your budget? What do you prefer to do in the course of excursion? How do you like to tour? Are you by myself or in employer?

it is difficult to advocate accurate locations if we don't know more approximately your possibilities. so please share preferences then we will guide you better about your travel destinations

That's almost verbatim my post # 5. So, what's your point? Are you just trying to boost your post count?

BartSimpson wrote:

Budget is also an open question. I think if I came up with what it is I want to do I will find the money to pay for it because it is just that much of a priority for me. At this time, though, I would say no more than $5,000. That's why I'm saying next year...I'd definitely have to save up!!

Sounds way too much budget, you can do much cheaper than that.

Financially the trip is made out of two parts, the flight and the stay. Let's say you're going to eastern Europe as I suggested earlier, a round trip from the USA to Warsaw can be found for let's say $ 1000. That leaves $ 4000 for spending there. Now eastern Europe is quite cheap, you can stay and eat for more or less $ 50 a day. Suppose you'd stay in Warsaw for the whole vacation, this would allow you to stay there for over 11 weeks. But eastern Europe isn't made for staying in one place, it's made for traveling around. Now that's very cheap around there, let's say you'd spend $ 500 on traveling around. That would still allow you to stay for 10 weeks.

Now there are several things you can do about that. Either you stay in more luxury, more expensive hotels. You can stay in the most luxury hotels around there and still stay for more or less 3 weeks. You can fly first class instead of economy, which would burn your money quite fast and you only get to enjoy it for a short while. Or you can reduce your budget and keep the money in your pocket.

Of course, if you really want you hardly have to save up. You can go on holiday very cheap if you're not too demanding. Take myself for example. Living in the Netherlands I've recently booked myself a holiday to Los Angeles in october. How much do you think I had to pay for a return flight and a room? About € 550 ($ 645). Of course little expenses like food are not included in this price but I think I got myself a good deal. I hardly had to save up for it, I had the money and I just thought let's get crazy and go to Los Angeles for 5 days. But it's very basic, being that cheap doesn't allow for much luxury.

directorguy wrote:

jdstJD wrote:

BartSimpson wrote:

What is your timeframe? What is your budget? What do you prefer to do during vacation? How do you like to travel? Are you alone or in company?

It's difficult to recommend good places if we don't know more about your preferences.

My time frame is pretty much up in the air. For the type of vacation I am thinking of, I would say sometime next year. I would love for it to be at least 1-2 weeks in duration.

Budget is also an open question. I think if I came up with what it is I want to do I will find the money to pay for it because it is just that much of a priority for me. At this time, though, I would say no more than $5,000. That's why I'm saying next year...I'd definitely have to save up!!

As to what I want to do while on vacation, I envision doing a lot of sightseeing, dining, things like that. I also really like to go off the beaten path and see little known treasures of the area. I spent a couple of months in London a few years ago and was able to take a tour of other towns throughout England to see some of the lesser known areas of the countryside and ways of everyday life that I think a lot of tourists wouldn't know about. That was awesome. So I would definitely want to do things like that. Also, even though the goal of a vacation, especially abroad, is to see and do as much as you can since you may never have an opportunity to go there again, but my career is so stressful and I haven't had a vacation in so long, I honestly want to be able to just relax, SLEEP, and completely disconnect which is why "tranquility" is one of my criteria.

I would love to travel alone but I'm a little afraid to if I go abroad so I would probably take at least one companion. If I stay here in the U.S. I am not that concerned about traveling alone.

As to how I like to travel, I think you're asking what mode of transportation. I am fine with flying, but I've also never been on a cruise so that might be an option as well.

Thanks for the questions!! It helped me think through some of these factors.

I just back from a 2 week tour of Devon and Cornwall-not my first time in the UK, but my first time in Cornwall. And boy was it magical. STUNNING scenery, beautiful beaches, and lots of historic homes/palaces/castles (my kind of thing). I had a rental to take us from place to place, which greatly helped. You say you traveled within the UK, so hopefully you did visit Cornwall-if not, then do put it on the list.

My recommendation for a wonderful trip of a lifetime is my country, Egypt (shameless plugging, I know). Very briefly: Cairo-spend a few days in one of the craziest cities in the world, visit the Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum. Then a Nile cruise-spend 5-7 days on a boat down the Nile, stopping to see ancient monuments and beautiful scenery. Egypt's resorts in Hurghada or Sharm el Sheikh are wonderful, some of the best diving in the world is there. If you want something off the beaten track, then perhaps some desert camping, or a visit to Siwa Oasis. Egypt in general is very affordable and great value for money. And safe. 2 weeks is ideal, and your $5000 (even including airfare) should go a long way.
There will be tranquility-whether you go for some time on a beach, or on the deck of a river cruise, or in some oasis. Beauty? I hope so, though of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Culture & history? No argument there.

Has the situation in Egypt improved since 2012? It was very dirty and going through lots of political upheaval when I was there.

Another option is to pick some area of the world and take a cruise. You get an overview if many places, plus you don't have to pack up and travel between hotel rooms. You unpack your luggage after you board the ship, and you pack them up a day before its time to disembark. There are all of sorts of options for activities onshore while the ship is docked during the day.

My wife and I took a week long cruise around Hawaii for our honeymoon. My bride had never been to Hawaii before, and it was a great way for us to see all the major islands. Otherwise we would have to spend lots of time in TSA lines airports to visit 4 islands. A Hawaiian cruise also solved another problem. It's about as far as one can get from the US mainland without leaving the US. We could cruise around the islands without leaving the US. Any other cruise would require leaving the US, but my wife couldn't leave the US till we had applied for a change of status and she had received a temporary green card.

flyingclrs727 wrote:

Has the situation in Egypt improved since 2012? It was very dirty and going through lots of political upheaval when I was there.

As long as you stay in the resorts you will be fine but I think that is not the idea of this vacation.

Also a very interesting place is Cyprus. Not many people know it but it has everything you wish for.

Eindhoven wrote:

flyingclrs727 wrote:

Has the situation in Egypt improved since 2012? It was very dirty and going through lots of political upheaval when I was there.

As long as you stay in the resorts you will be fine but I think that is not the idea of this vacation.

Also a very interesting place is Cyprus. Not many people know it but it has everything you wish for.

I liked Cyprus. It was also on the cruise I was on in 2012.

flyingclrs727 wrote:

directorguy wrote:

jdstJD wrote:

My time frame is pretty much up in the air. For the type of vacation I am thinking of, I would say sometime next year. I would love for it to be at least 1-2 weeks in duration.

Budget is also an open question. I think if I came up with what it is I want to do I will find the money to pay for it because it is just that much of a priority for me. At this time, though, I would say no more than $5,000. That's why I'm saying next year...I'd definitely have to save up!!

As to what I want to do while on vacation, I envision doing a lot of sightseeing, dining, things like that. I also really like to go off the beaten path and see little known treasures of the area. I spent a couple of months in London a few years ago and was able to take a tour of other towns throughout England to see some of the lesser known areas of the countryside and ways of everyday life that I think a lot of tourists wouldn't know about. That was awesome. So I would definitely want to do things like that. Also, even though the goal of a vacation, especially abroad, is to see and do as much as you can since you may never have an opportunity to go there again, but my career is so stressful and I haven't had a vacation in so long, I honestly want to be able to just relax, SLEEP, and completely disconnect which is why "tranquility" is one of my criteria.

I would love to travel alone but I'm a little afraid to if I go abroad so I would probably take at least one companion. If I stay here in the U.S. I am not that concerned about traveling alone.

As to how I like to travel, I think you're asking what mode of transportation. I am fine with flying, but I've also never been on a cruise so that might be an option as well.

Thanks for the questions!! It helped me think through some of these factors.

I just back from a 2 week tour of Devon and Cornwall-not my first time in the UK, but my first time in Cornwall. And boy was it magical. STUNNING scenery, beautiful beaches, and lots of historic homes/palaces/castles (my kind of thing). I had a rental to take us from place to place, which greatly helped. You say you traveled within the UK, so hopefully you did visit Cornwall-if not, then do put it on the list.

My recommendation for a wonderful trip of a lifetime is my country, Egypt (shameless plugging, I know). Very briefly: Cairo-spend a few days in one of the craziest cities in the world, visit the Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum. Then a Nile cruise-spend 5-7 days on a boat down the Nile, stopping to see ancient monuments and beautiful scenery. Egypt's resorts in Hurghada or Sharm el Sheikh are wonderful, some of the best diving in the world is there. If you want something off the beaten track, then perhaps some desert camping, or a visit to Siwa Oasis. Egypt in general is very affordable and great value for money. And safe. 2 weeks is ideal, and your $5000 (even including airfare) should go a long way.
There will be tranquility-whether you go for some time on a beach, or on the deck of a river cruise, or in some oasis. Beauty? I hope so, though of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Culture & history? No argument there.

Has the situation in Egypt improved since 2012? It was very dirty and going through lots of political upheaval when I was there.

Security is fine-politically it is very stable-no chance of any protests now. Can't say overall hygiene in improved but cleanliness in tourist spots (hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions) has always been very good.

directorguy wrote:

flyingclrs727 wrote:

directorguy wrote:

I just back from a 2 week tour of Devon and Cornwall-not my first time in the UK, but my first time in Cornwall. And boy was it magical. STUNNING scenery, beautiful beaches, and lots of historic homes/palaces/castles (my kind of thing). I had a rental to take us from place to place, which greatly helped. You say you traveled within the UK, so hopefully you did visit Cornwall-if not, then do put it on the list.

My recommendation for a wonderful trip of a lifetime is my country, Egypt (shameless plugging, I know). Very briefly: Cairo-spend a few days in one of the craziest cities in the world, visit the Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum. Then a Nile cruise-spend 5-7 days on a boat down the Nile, stopping to see ancient monuments and beautiful scenery. Egypt's resorts in Hurghada or Sharm el Sheikh are wonderful, some of the best diving in the world is there. If you want something off the beaten track, then perhaps some desert camping, or a visit to Siwa Oasis. Egypt in general is very affordable and great value for money. And safe. 2 weeks is ideal, and your $5000 (even including airfare) should go a long way.
There will be tranquility-whether you go for some time on a beach, or on the deck of a river cruise, or in some oasis. Beauty? I hope so, though of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Culture & history? No argument there.

Has the situation in Egypt improved since 2012? It was very dirty and going through lots of political upheaval when I was there.

Security is fine-politically it is very stable-no chance of any protests now. Can't say overall hygiene in improved but cleanliness in tourist spots (hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions) has always been very good.

I got rather ill a couple of days after the pyramids day trip from the ship. I had to go on Cipro for 5 days after my initial trip to the ship's doctor. When we reboarded after returning from the trip, we faced a gauntlet of ship's personnel making us walk through a solution to clean the bottoms of our shoes, antiseptic spray to kill bacteria on our hands, and a clean hot to well to wipe our faces before we were allowed back on the ship. We immediately went back yo our rooms, showered, and changed clothes before going to dinner. The South African ship's physician said Egypt was a very unsanitary country, and lots of people get sick every time a ship stops there. Our lunch was at the Meridian Hotel in Cairo which is a 5-Star hotel. All the shutters in the room were closed to keep anyone outside from seeing inside, because it was during Ramadan.

Here is a a link to a current news story from Egypt.

Tourist Gets 8 Years in Egyptian Prison for Facebook Video Blasting 'Son of a Bitch' Country

Egypt has no freedom of speech.
Joe Setyon|Jul. 9, 2018 12:50 pm


http://reason.com/blog/2018/07/09/touri ... ian-prison

I can't pretend to have been "everywhere" or even close. But if I think of the most memorable places I've visited, I'd probably have to go with Xian (China) and Ushuaia (Argentina). Xian is close to various places such as the terra-cotta soldiers and Hua Shan. Ushuaia is a great mix of mountains and ocean.

I read through all the replies and I'm somewhat surprised that no one mentioned anything in South America. If you want a 10 day vacation in a place with lots of natural beauty, cultural history, and wildlife, you can't do much worse than Ecuador. Visit Quito for a few days to get acclimated, then venture down the "avenue of the volcanos" to Banos or Cuenca, and then spend a few days down on the Pacific coast. A very compact country, dirt cheap to get around ( and they use the US dollar as currency), and nature with friendly people. You can also spend time at jungle lodges in the upper Amazon basin, or Cloud forest lodges if you want to view wildlife.
Also fun, but a different experience would be to travel to Buenos Aires. Good culture, beautiful architecture, nice dining options. Then venture further afield and see Bariloche for the Andes, or Mendoza for wineries.
Just depends on what you want to do on vacation, and how active you want to be.

Well, I went to Japan back in November, and I can only recommend it.
There is a bit of almost anything, ranging from traditional Shires and Temples, over historical WW2 sites, to Skyscrapers in the center of Tokyo.

Also, there is the opportunity of flying huge widebodies on very short routes, as well as some really cool high-speed trains if you are into that kind of stuff.

Thailand is still my choice. The beaches can be tranquil and Bangkok is an amazing city to explore. Head up to Laos for peace and relaxation. Cambodia, Thailand and Laos are all still cheap once on the ground. Flying around the region is also cheap. I recommend

My two suggestions are Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala and Cartagena (old walled city), Colombia. Both are rich in history and culture.

I am biased but I would suggest Lisbon.
It is considered to be one the best European cities for tourists, our hostels are cheap and considered one of the best in the world, you got plenty to see and do, you have the beach at half an hour by train from the city center.
Good food, nightlife etc, the portuguese people like tourists, it's not like in some countries where you can feel the bad vibes.
Anyway I am no tourism expert, but from the comments from my foreign friends that were here, I can say you won't regret it.
It's really cheap and blablabla

Yosemite is stunning.
The NaPali coast of Kauai is one of the prettiest places I've been.
I hear Bora Bora is not to be missed but is very expensive.
Santorini is amazing as are many of the Greek isles.

To maximize ALL four, there really is but one choice: LUGANO. Just do a Google image search and compare. The nearby villages are great for evening meals by the lake, and close enough to walk to even.

Ketohidr wrote:

I am biased but I would suggest Lisbon.
It is considered to be one the best European cities for tourists, our hostels are cheap and considered one of the best in the world, you got plenty to see and do, you have the beach at half an hour by train from the city center.
Good food, nightlife etc, the portuguese people like tourists, it's not like in some countries where you can feel the bad vibes.
Anyway I am no tourism expert, but from the comments from my foreign friends that were here, I can say you won't regret it.
It's really cheap and blablabla

I've been to Lisbon as a tourist, but honestly I didn't like it that much. A city in decline, lots of empty and impoverished buildings. And it wasn't even that cheap. Maybe cheaper than London or Paris, but prices are just average. Portuguese people like tourists, specially for pickpocketing them. Not me, but I've seen it happen. Didn't really feel safe there. Also didn't like the drug dealers at Praca do Comercio.

As with all cities, you've seen it in a couple of days and then you need to move on. Lisbon is no different in that. But from Lisbon, where do you go? There isn't much in the area. You might go up north to Porto which seems to be quite a nice city, but I can't comment on that. Never been there. But that's about it when it comes to Portugal.

Great cities: Barcelona, Prague, Budapest

If you have the money. Nothing more memorable for me than Safari in Africa. It is incredible and I am not an outdoorsy type. If European trip, Paris/Florence or Vienna. Asia, bang for the buck, Bali so much more than beaches...