The Favorite Places thread

[JaiDee]

Lots of world travellers reading this board, people who have visited more places than many of our peers. Name your top 5 or 10 cities or countries with a small write-up of each; maybe some of us will recognize some places we have been to, or be convinced to see some new places we haven't seen yet!

1} Venice - Number one for me; I spent 4 days there in 2007 and it was surely the most beautiful place I have ever been. Walking around there is magical, the food is great, people are nice, Lido beach is really nice too, with lots of Italian cuties hanging around. Taking a taxi boat to the airport at 5am with the sun rising over the calm waters is something I will never forget.

2] Nepal - particularly Bhaktapur and the walkable area of Kathmandu, Thamel. Like going back in time 100 years, and where Europe meets Asia. Beautiful architecture, friendly [although wary] people,stunning scenery, cheap, bizarre but very interesting cultural differences. Rent a 'cycle and drive from Kathmandu to the south, down by the Indian border; you will go through 4 seasons and 7 or 8 different types of topography all in one day! Amazing.

3] Amsterdam - Visited many times [5, 6?] back around 2005 and 2006; once I had been there I couldn't stop going back. Amazing scenery, a very walkable city, the canals and bridges [more than Venice] are beautiful, museums and historical sites abound, the people are nice, endless food choices....the city is a melting pot of more than 100 different countries and it shows. Great night life too, open till 4 or 5am. Red light district is overrated and expensive but worth seeing, same for the various coffee shops. Colder than hell in winter; go between May and October for [mostly] outstanding weather.

4] Prague - This is actually my 2nd favorite city behind Venice, been there twice and I love it. Walk on the same streets and bridges where knights and swordsman had duels 700 years ago - no big deal for Europeans but extremely interesting for a yank. Great scenery and well-preserved, same as Nepal it oftentimes feels like you are walking around a 'living museum'. Outstanding night life also [5 or 6am on weekends], amazingly beautiful girls, and being behind the old iron Curtain - a real treat for history buffs - are just added features to this super-cool city, where I have considered living for one of these years.

5] Koh Phangan - I would be remiss to NOT name at least one place in Thailand, the place I spent half of my 40's in. To me, Phangan was the best; amazing white-sand beaches, great night life, a vibe and feeling of "freedom" which can only be felt, not described; very quiet for 3 weeks a month but avoid full-moon week - especially in Haad Rin, the main party beach - if you don't want to deal with big crowds of young Europeans. And since it IS Thailand after all there is even a small sex scene there with girls and even the occasional ladyboy available. Spent the past 6 high seasons there and it will surely be missed; hopefully this place never becomes the next Samui or Phuket.

Honorable mention; Ireland, Laos, Hong Kong, New York City, Montreal, Vienna - all lovely, fantastic places but this post is long enough already :-)

[williethepimp]

Berlin,number 1 for me.Spent 6 years there in the 90's.Accomodation was ridiculously cheap,great nightlife,a great anything goes vibe,especially in the newly liberated districts like Prenzlauberg and Friedrichshein....dozens upon dozens of cheap restaraunts and cafe bars,beautiful summers ....great exchange rate ....

Barcelona,gotta be number2...love the place,the sagrada familia the greatest work of Art ever IMO...could spend hours just sitting and looking at it...

Sharm el sheik ,number 3....just for the snorkelling and coral sea life,crystal clear water,fantastic hotels....hell,even Tony Blair holidays there.

Goa ,India number 4,been there three times now,I find India fascinating,everyday one sees something that astounds.I'd love to see Kerala also....

Number 5 ...Czech Republic, Karlovy Vary ,an absolute hidden gem of a place,and Kutna Hora,once the centre of silver mining in Europe,and one time bigger than London!Many great little cities to explore in that part of the world,and of course ,like jaidee,I love Prague,it has an almost magical quality ,and those slavic women are sooo hot!

[bumblebee]

In no particular order, as they say in all the best competitions.

Hua Hin: My spiritual home in Los, although I tend to spend much more time in Pattaya these days. The long beach, seafood restaurants, small compact town, cosy bar scene, no backpackers, Russians (well a few now), generally a better quality of tourist.

Havana: 50s cars, salsa music on the streets, the Malecón promenade, hot latina and black chicks, dodgy cigar sellers, pimps a pushing, cops on every corner looking out for us tourists.

Galway: For an authentic Irish experience it's hard to beat. Great craic, music on the streets and in the bustling bars, wonderful day trips to Connemara and the Burren/Cliffs of Moher.

Spain: Forget the resorts, Madrid and Barcelona have their own unique charms. Madrid has a fantastic bar scene, some of the best nightlife in Europe. Barcelona has history, architecture as mentioned, and the beach with a fair few Latina shemales sunbathing most days.

Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia: A wonderful mix of cultures, mainly Chinese, Indian and Malay along with some Europeans give this colonial town a special feel, along with it being a culinary delight to visit. So close to Thailand, but a world away.

[4:17]

The only two places I've ever visited besides Thailand -- hello Hua Hin, Nong Khai, et al -- that I genuinely felt sad upon leaving (as in, I really don't want to get on that plane and leave) were Ireland, specifically Donegal (although everywhere I explored in the northwest corner of the country I felt at home) and mainland China, specifically Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.

In Ireland, it just felt like home, or that it could be, even though I don't know a lick o' Gaelic (If there is a lovelier sounding language, I have yet to hear it in my travels). I remember my cousin asking me how I was enjoying my stay, and I said "You know, if I got stuck here the rest of my life, well, it wouldn't be so bad." Mind you, this conversation came after some

excellent seafood and wine, chased with pints of stout and several fingers of Irish whiskey -- there was much time spent with my cousin comparing Protestant and Catholic whiskeys in order to educate this wayward, ignorant American come home to his roots).

Maybe it's because my mother's family hails from that region and I still have relatives over there (according to family history/legend, the family originally hails from Scotland but were "encouraged" by the Crown to resettle in Northern Ireland, in hopes that bringing in some loyal (in theory) Protestant folk would help the political situation; we know how that worked out). Maybe I'm just a romantic fool, too, but then I do have the blood of poets in me.

Or maybe it was just the Guinness and the fact that it was available everywhere, Praise Jaysus. Anyway, when it came time to head back to Dublin -- certainly one of the coolest cities I've ever had the pleasure of, incidentally -- and catch a plane to France, I didn't want to go. I remember thinking, as the plane went wheels up, "Why am I so sad? I'm going to spend a week in Paris followed by a few days on the southern coast and then in the Alps (fuck I miss the job I had then, heh -- and the global economy that wasn't in the toilet). I should be fucking jazzed. WTF is wrong with me?"

Speaking of France, gotta give Grenoble and Montpelier honorable mentions, and Leuven, Belgium, too. Wonderful old European university towns; being stuck in any one of these places wouldn't be so bad, either.

As for China, after a month of running around the country, I had a similar feeling waiting in the Hong Kong Airport that I had when I left Ireland; I was literally running through scenarios of what my options were if I walked back out of the airport (I had precisely 1 day left on my visa). That time, though, I think it was more a case of China being such a strange culture (cultures, emphasis on the plural, really) to, me -- much more so than Japan, in some ways (although Japan can be very alien to a westerner, and I had yet to travel to Southeast Asia, at this point in my life) -- that I just didn't want this amazing adventure I had just had to come to an end. That and the fact that the food I had in Chengdu was the best I had ever had -- still is. I often think I need to go back there, but so far haven't made it back yet. ...

Of course now I'm besotted with Southeast Asia, a love affair that doesn't seem to be showing any signs of waning. Yeah, the GGs and ladyboys have somewhat to do with it, but even if you factor that out of the equation, I think I'd still be mucking about in this part of the world. I'm sure I'll get fed up with it eventually; maybe then I'll get back to Ireland or Chengdu. ...

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, JaiDee!.

[JaiDee]

No probs 4:17, I wish more people would add their favorite places as well......I must say I am a bit jealous of the Euro's and the UK and Irish guys who read here; for Willie and BB and many others it's a simple jump and they can be cruising all over Europe, a place I find fascinating. For us, for sure we have all 50 states and Canada and Mexico; but after that we have to get on a plane [and ride for a long while] to go anywhere interesting!

[SiamSam]

I've never really enjoyed being some where as much as I've enjoyed the idea of going there.

[JaiDee]

I've never really enjoyed being some where as much as I've enjoyed the idea of going there.

heh heh, good line Sam .......many times the pre-planning and expectations we have before we go somewhere can never live up to the reality once we arrive! This has happened to me many times as well, probably 50/50 in my travels.

[Hefe]

I've never really enjoyed being some where as much as I've enjoyed the idea of going there.

Sam...I suppose places are like relationships in that we always go into them with great expectations, usually unrealistic, & we move on or decide to make a go of it & see what happens. Like others have noted on other threads, I too am entering a period of navel gazing about my declared intentions of moving to Asia in a few years.

Favorite Places.... in no particular order:

American Southwest "Canyon Country": roughly circumscribed from Moab Utah (Canyonlands, Arches, Cataract canyon where the Green River converges with the Colorado River) south to the 4 Corners, where John Ford shot all those great westerns, west to the Grand Canyon & then north up to Lake Powell & the Escalante.

Take a moment & google "Moab" photos... no other place like it anywhere.

All the points mentioned above are hours away from each other, really big distances, but the scale of the country & the amazing topology are consistently stunning. You feel like you are on another planet at times. Taking 3-7 days to raft down the Green River or through the Grand Canyon, unforgettable journeys. Or rent a houseboat & float along some of the 2000 miles of beach & canyon coastline on Lake Powell that include slot canyons & indian sites. This is the most remote part of the continental US (last to be mapped) & the unpolluted night skies are amazing. I have a lot of indelible memories from here.

Croatia: a beautiful drive south along the Dalmation coastline ending up in Dubrovnik, crystal clear waters, great seafood & hundreds of small islands to hang out on, great boating....it's been discovered in recent years but it still is an affordable piece of the Riveria that hasn't been overrun with too many lager louts....yet.

Ubud: I haven't been here since the '90s & the tourist development then was spreading as fast as a rash but still the place held a particular kind of local energy & magic of it's own. Everyone is an artist in some way: painting, dancing, music... It may be less crowded & touristic in some other neighboring village now, but it's a unique culture, someone described the island as an open air museum. (Avoid Kuta!)

New Orleans: Although I've loved & tried to play music all my life, for some reason I didn't pass through here until my late 30's & it got me hooked immediately: music coming out of everywhere, most of it amazing. Once you go through the Walking Street experience of Bourbon St there are so many other neighborhoods with great tunes & food in the most humble of settings. My favorite long weekend trip.

And of course Paris & Rome are amazing in every way.

[beijo]

Somebody covered Amsterdam, Paris, Rome and Spain already, but I want to add Rio de Janeiro with beautiful beaches, beautiful women (andLB's) and great food, a relaxing place with welcoming people and lots of attractions not too far away. Next would be Sao Paulo, Brazil an other LB paradise and not to forget Mexico City. For scenery I would add the area between Munich, Insbruck, Bozen and Meran. For history Verona. In Buenos Aires both food and LB's are amazing.

[williethepimp]

4:17 lovely lyrical post about the west of Ireland and Donegal.I must admit,Donegal is really beautiful,as beautiful as anywhere ive been in Ireland,and Ive done most of it,from North to South.Ive never done Kerry tho'-thats supposed to be a bit special.I suppose ive been to Ireland that often,I'm Irelanded out,it doesnt really hold any "I never want to leave this place "appeal for me.

You mention Leuven,ive spent a bit of time there,what a hidden gem that is! The town hall is one of the most beautiful buildings ive ever seen.Saying that,in general,im not too fond of Belgium or Brussels.....too many fat cats living on Eu salaries,therefore everything expensive...nice art gallery tho..

here's leuven town hall taken by yours truly......

[Snick]

Bhaktaphur, Nepal - Just discovered this place (thanks JD), and I'm already planning to go back next year.

Haad Yao Beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand - The perfect beach for me. But it is BYOLB.

Cozumel, Mexico - perfect mix of Mexico and Caribbean, great scuba diving and then cerveza and fajitas after.

Bali (ex Kuta) - always a fun trip, always something new to see.

[4:17]

Hefe, well said! I was thinking about foreign destinations and forgot all about my native continent. Ditto for the western areas you mentioned; I used to live in Northern Arizona and can vouch for everything you've said. You haven't seen the sky until you've seen it out there -- both day and night.

Same for New Orleans. I haven't been back since visiting it in the late 1990s, but it's an amazing city with a unique culture all its own.

As for the States, I would add just about anywhere in Northern California, from San Francisco bay area and points north, on up to Portland, Ore. I love Portland, hipsters and all.

4:17 lovely lyrical post about the west of Ireland and Donegal ... You mention Leuven,ive spent a bit of time there,what a hidden gem that is! ...

Thanks, Willie. Indeed, Leuven is a hidden gem; I doubt it is on many tourists' itineraries. But it's got a wonderful, vibrant university culture and all that entails, and you're right -- the old-world architecture is just amazing. So many historical buildings. I know this is old-hat for Europeans, but for a Yankee whose country is only a few hundred (plus) years old, it's always a bit awe-inspiring. There are so many old buildings there that the university has freshman dormitories in buildings dating back 1200 years -- in the United States that would be a protected national historic landmark; in Belgium it's where college students party.

[JaiDee]

Haad Yao Beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand

IMO the nicest beach on the whole island and still relatively undiscovered.....spent many-a-lazy-day there watching the sun melt into the gulf of Thailand.

[pacman]

Venice is enchanting unless you have ever had the misfortune to be there on a weekend. OMG! What a nightmare! That's when the locals visit & the population of the place goes through the roof. It once took two of us 10 minutes to cross a 3 metre wide lane with our luggage. And that was only because we literally had to push our way through the teeming throng of humanity.

Monday to Friday belongs to the regular tourists & there are enough of them. And if one frequents the restaurants advertising the Turista Menu, good luck getting decent food in one of those places. A 3 course menu offered for a flat rate sounds like value but the food is (or was) appalling.

My favourite part of Italy is the Amalfi Coast. The first time I wandered Positano I thought I had died & gone to heaven. So many wonderful places to stay, to eat, to drink, to see, it is a magical part of the world. Or it was on my last visit.

The Amalfi & the Cinque Terre coast are getting too popular these days but I read that there are less visitors now thanks to the continuing GFC. I have walked between the five towns of the Cinque Terre several times & would recommend it to anyone. One day I want to do it with a small pack & stay along the way. It is a photographer's dream & the food is some of the best I have ever eaten anywhere in my life. And the local house wine, the Vino da Casa, was usually excellent for prices as low as 5 Euros a litre. After paying ridiculous prices here, it came as a revelation.

I could list many places in Europe, some in the US but if I had to nominate one place that stays in my memory as being that unique combination of historic, beautiful, cultural with congenial hosts, I would give it to Srinagar in Kashmir. Back when I was there, there was almost no modernisation anywhere & walking the streets reminded me of what life must have been like in a bygone age. I still get shivers thinking about it. And I know that the 21st century will have changed it by now to something different to what I remember.

I had the good fortune to stay there a month as a guest of Abdul Azizz III. I don't mind mentioning his name on a public forum because there are a lot of people there who share that name. I stayed in his 3 story home built out in the mountains complete with servants, cooks & driver. I also stayed at his Delhi home with more servants & his second wife but that's another story.

Most visitors to Srinagar stay on the famous houseboats on Lake Dal but I had the chance to see life through a local's eyes. A very well-off local but just a lovely person all the same. He owned antique shops that had been in his family many generations. And that shit was old. In my bedroom, there were about 10 hand carved chairs lining the walls. I have never seen chairs like them.

I read that Kashmir has started opening up for tourism again & I would love to go back & see how the place has changed & what became of Abdul & his business. Though how I would ever find the places among the rabbit warren of streets that make up Srinagar I don't know. And asking around for Abdul Azizz wouldn't get me far with so many people sharing the same name.

Maybe it's best I keep it all as a lovely memory.

[williethepimp]

Nice post pacman,i too thought Venice far far too touristy,and whatever plus points it gets for scenery,history etc ,it loses them all when they ask 15 euros (maybe 25 now) for a coffee in st mark's sq.

Rome is the only other place ive been to in Italy,but i'd love to do Milan,Florence,Sienna ,Verona ,Pompeii etc etc.So many cities I'd love to see in Italy.

[SiamSam]

I have to say the most and I mean the MOST romantic and awe-inspiring places I have experienced are Lago Como in Northern Italy and Verona. Sen-fucking-sational!!! Nothing compares to it or at least not in my global experience. The weather, the history, the smells, the wine, the food, the view, the quiet at sunset with distant church bells ringing across the lake, and the soothing surrounding heart beats of whispering lovers in love. This area during the right season with the right partner can be the "crack" of places on earth to inhale.

As far as a spiritual experience nothing beats southern Utah and Northern Arizona. This is something you need to experience on your own in order to absorb its' magic. If you do go with a partner make sure you connect well with them and share similar interests.

Monument Valley just humbles everyone. It is so spectacular in its' magnificence. You just stand there and cannot believe what is in front of your eyes. There are not enough hours in the day to grow tired of it. Ditto for the Painted Desert, the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Zion National Park; the Arches; and countless others. Any of these places at night will dazzle you with skies you've never seen before. Truly real night skies with the most wonderful array of stars and a deep, vast view into the cosmos. Nothing beats a northern Arizona night sky. And if you happen to be there during a full moon, well this is the closest you'll come to heaven during your mortal bleep.

On top of all of this is most interestingly the people! The Navijo and Hopi Indians have to the prettiest, kindest, most peaceful aboriginals in North America. They have a colour of skin and a living temperament similar to Thais. Kahuna may weigh in here but I believe the Navijo and Hopi are the only North America Indian nations that did not ever wage war with the whites. They, their history, art and culture are remarkable.

In addition to the places mentioned above I have to say I enjoyed my visits to Australia and marvelled with the trips to various regions of China.

Places I would like to visit are Greece; Morocco; Tangiers; Costa Rica; and the most northerly settlement in Canada where I can experience 24 hours of day light on June 21st and 24 hours of night on December 21st. That would be a blast especially with a Thai LB in tow.

Happy trails...

[williethepimp]

nice bit of writing there sam.....i'd love to see the west of america ,on a motorbike ,or even better in a camper van...

[pacman]

I have to say the most and I mean the MOST romantic and awe-inspiring places I have experienced are Lago Como in Northern Italy and Verona. Sen-fucking-sational!!! Nothing compares to it or at least not in my global experience. The weather, the history, the smells, the wine, the food, the view, the quiet at sunset with distant church bells ringing across the lake, and the soothing surrounding heart beats of whispering lovers in love. This area during the right season with the right partner can be the "crack" of places on earth to inhale.

Ahh Verona...

I'm with you Sam, it is one of the nicest places one could ever visit. Big enough not to be a village but not so big like Milan or Rome. With a huge Roman Amphitheatre still standing in the middle of the place, it just reeks of old worlde charm.

The one thing that stays in mind from several stays there is being part of the evening passeggiata. This is the Italian custom where the locals get dressed up to go out for their evening stroll. And there are 1000's of them, all wandering around exchanging greetings, stopping to chat, eating their gelato, it embodies everything that is positive about civilisation.

I just wish it became de riguer in other countries. It is such a bonding exercise for the entire community. Including old people who have lost their partners. I think of them in other places where they don't talk to their neighbours from one week to the next. Here they can see everybody, catch up on the latest gossip, have an hour or two of socialising for no cost & go home in complete safety.

If that's not civilised, I don't know what is.

[ArchieBunker]

Old Arch has doen a lot of traveling in his day-most of the time I left Edith at home or it was in my wolfing around days! It was easy to come up with four places/areas the 5th was a bit tougher. Here goes:

A) San Sebastian/Basque Country. This is one of the best kept travel secrets in the world. I could not believe how beautiful San Sebastian is although I havent been for years. The beach, the city, the food. Its a small city and its very manageable and the beach is right downtown in the middle of it all. The surrounding Basque country is great as well. The coastline is gorgeous and quiet with superb little towns up and down the coast. The seafood is awesome and, if you want hills and mountains, just head 20 minutes inland.

Salamanca, Spain. Home to one of the first 3 major universities in all the world. The Cathedral is awesome and it makes you ownde rhow they built it in the 1500's. Home to the most goreous Palza Mayor in all of Spain. Some much charecter and it shits all over Madrids. Salamanca was the major place in Spain 500 years ago. Its not such a big place so you can walk anywhere. Havent been back for YEARS though so I have no idea if it has changed.

C) NEW YORK!!! Theres no place like home. The buzz, the vibe, the engery. You can get whatever you want whenever you want it-as long as you have the money. Just go an hour north and you have some of the prettiest countryside in America-especially this time of year. The fall colors and weather is just about perfect.

D) Rome/Florence Some great philosopher once said, "Just give me Italy and you can have the rest of the world." Or something like that. The history, the food, the women. Put it together and its tough to beat

The last one didnt stick out in my mind but I will give you a several runners up:

Paris-Beautiful city, too bad it is filled by Parisians!

Lugano-Was only there once by SPECTACULAR!!!

Santorini-This Greek Isle is basically a blown up volcano. The approach by ship is breathtaking.

Great Rift Valley, Kenya-The natural beauty and wildlife is tremdous.

Melbourne & The 12 Apostles-Australia is cool and The 12 Apostles are limestone stacks a few hours outside of Melboure along the coast. Google it. Its cool. I just found out one collapsed on 2005. The drive and road are way cool as well........

[JaiDee]

C) NEW YORK!!! Theres no place like home. You can get whatever you want whenever you want it-as long as you have the money. Just go an hour north and you have some of the prettiest countryside in America-especially this time of year. The fall colors and weather is just about perfect.

Same-same here in the Boston metro area.....beautiful as hell but fookin' expensive!!

good list Archie, and good to have you back!

[williethepimp]

good list Archie

great list archie.....ive heard rave notices about the basque country before......also,i have a friend who visits Salamanca regularly,pretty much says everything you say about the place......this thread is pretty damn educational in fact!

[pdogg]

Bangkok was named the top city by Travel and Leisure.

 

 

July 6, 2013

 

We da best!

 

Bangkok has been voted the numero uno city on the planet for the fourth year running by Travel + Leisure magazine.

 

Our beloved city scored a 90.4 in the annual reader poll, edging out the Istanbul's 89.96. Rounding out the top 10, in order, were Florence, Italy; Cape Town, South Africa; Kyoto, Japan; Rome, Italy; Charleston, South Carolina; Barcelona, Spain; Paris, France; and our neighbor to the north: Chiang Mai, Thailand.

 

Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra will travel to New York on July 18 to accept the award, which was based on six criteria: sights, culture/arts, restaurants/food, people, shopping, and value.

 

Bangkokians are going to have to work hard not to develop an ego: The Thai capital was also recently named the most touristed city in the world in a study by Mastercard, for what it's worth.

 

So what does this all mean? More traffic.

 http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/07/06/bangkok-named-top-city-world-travel-leisure-again

[mardhi]

Not easy for me to pin down my favourites.  Having worked in the travel industry since leaving school, travel is one of the major perks and make up for the (relatively) piss poor pay.  Since moving up the food chain, the perks got better and economy seats became business class and so on and then hitting the jackpot with the posting to Asia doing a global job meant I was hardly ever at home and continually travelling the world on the company dime.    Anyhow, these would all rate highly but for very different reasons:-

 

Cattolica, Italian Adriatic.

This is your very traditional mass market resort and very popular with the advent of the 'package holiday'.   Like South Beach in Miami it had pretty much died with the advent of much cheaper destinations not to mention the "oh we have done that" thinking.  

However the beaches are great and so well organised.   Rustic little family owned hotels with 30 odd rooms.  Great food and wine.  I thoroughly loved the week I spent there.

 

Miami, Florida

I was posted to Ft Lauderdale and actually had our CEO had his way, would still be there.   However he got the can and hence the new guy said, WTF are the Asia Pacific team doing based in Ft Lauderdale.   Pretty simple point and one everyone had often pondered over.    Anyhow weekends were always in Miami and often staying overnight on South Beach as it got re-generated.   Maybe it was the influence of "Miami Vice" but I never tired of walking that beach and just people watching.  Amazing restaurants although much of it in hindsight was the wow factor - this was in the days when all were trying to outdo each other and I recall dinner one night in an indoor restaurant where they made the floor of grass.   Seriously real grass.   They had to re-turf it every few days.    Food was so so but it was so hip and that probably is what South Beach is/was all about.

 

Florence - Not much more to add - again, had to open an office there with my job so was a frequent visitor.    Being in the industry, our staff travel dept looked at best industry rates and I got put into a Starwood hotel.  They had recently taken over CIGA hotels, an old fashioned chain in Italy and these hotels were like palaces.   I got put into one of them, ended up with a 1 bedroom suite filled with genuine antiques and stunning artwork all for US$49 night.    To put it into perspective - dinner was more expensive than the room.     But it just was stunning and bang in the centre of the city.     One other highlight for me is the airport - its tiny and has a very short runway.    Very few decent sized jets could fly into it.  

 

Tioman Island, Malaysia

My first foray into Asia (using free tickets of course) and flew to Singapore for few days then 2 weeks on Tioman.   Small little prop aircraft from Seletar takes you to the island - its make Koh Samui's airport look HUGE.    there is nothing of it.   One trolley for bags, a windsock and an ancient set of scales for weighing your luggage (10kg limit).   Its probably still the same today.   Anyhow one main resort that covers about quarter of the island a couple of back packer type places near the airport.  That's it.      Beaches and rainforest take up everything else.     2 weeks probably too long but heck was it relaxing and then and probably now, it was very natural - just a road but no Thai style shop houses trashing the the area, aka in Koh Chang.         

 

Hong Kong

There is no better city view than having a harbour front room in HKG - its just awesome.   Never tire of that view - alas those expense account days are long gone, so not a hope of staying in those kind of hotels again, short of winning the lottery.

 

Napier - New Zealand

Wine and the art deco style of most buildings caused by an earthquake that flattened the city and guess what was in fashion when they re-built it in the 1930's.   Food & drink were awesome.  Milk still served in bottles and inn keepers who kept reminding me of my grandmother.  The downside is everywhere is 10am checkout and a minute late they are banging on the door of your room.   

 

Angels Falls, Venezuela

The flight on the 10 seat plane is vertigo inducing as its seems to spin a 360 to get right up close to the falls.  Its difficult to get it in context until you have seen it.  Reminded me of a wet version of the Grand Canyon.     we eventually landed on this grass airstrip and it was like walking out into the land that time forgot.     No electric anywhere.    Air traffic control was a radio hooked up to a car battery !!!!   Huge national park surrounds the falls and its combination of rainforests and plain rocky plateau's higher up.   Everywhere is just silence on the platueau's and the night time view of the stars is a sight you'd never forget.

 

Dalian, China

What a place.   Occupied by the Japanese for donkey's years - almost everyone speaks Japanese on mainland China.    Very interesting city to visit (I was setting up a call centre to service Japan) and the sushi is fantastic.   Friggin cold though in the winter.  

 

There are hundreds more places that have special memories for me but these are probably the most I enjoyed but all for different reasons.