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I won a trip to go anywhere in the world

ChocolatePuddin

ChocolatePuddin

Member
Well my girlfriend won a trip to go anywhere in the world and I get to go with.

The budget cap for the trip is $5000 and we have to use it this year. We have never won anything like this before and have no idea where in the world to go. We don’t mind putting extra money in if need be but we just want to go somewhere really interesting.

We have a short list in mind but I am reaching out to Gaf to see if you guys have any suggestions?

Where should we go and why?
 
S

SolidusDave

Member
Limited to one location?
If not, do multi city flight route and stay a few days in different countries that are conveniently located on the flight path (going only to the world's major airports will also reduce flight costs).

Invest a bit of extra budget by yourself if necessary.
Reduce daily costs by staying longer in countries with low living costs. That will also allow you to stay in some nice hotels without spending much.

Ideally you will get to pick places of various climate zones close to different habitat so that your trip is not all beach or all mountains etc.

Edit: this is assuming you both haven't traveled much in the world yet to get a lot of intake. Otherwise pick one place that offers a lot to explore and do it chilled.
Oh and how many days are we talking?
 
ChocolatePuddin

ChocolatePuddin

Member
SolidusDave said:
Limited to one location?
If not, do multi city flight route and stay a few days in different countries that are conveniently located on the flight path (going only to the world's major airports will also reduce flight costs).

Invest a bit of extra budget by yourself if necessary.
Reduce daily costs by staying longer in countries with low living costs. That will also allow you to stay in some nice hotels without spending much.

Ideally you will get to pick places of various climate zones close to different habitat so that your trip is not all beach or all mountains etc.

Edit: this is assuming you both haven't traveled much in the world yet to get a lot of intake. Otherwise pick one place that offers a lot to explore and do it chilled.
Oh and how many days are we talking?
Click to expand...

We have done some traveling but ideally we don’t want to hop around too much. We should have 3 weeks of travel time.
 
Razorback

Razorback

Member
Seeing the short list would help us know a little more about your tastes.

Right now we have nothing to go on.

Do you like the beach? Go to the maldives?
 
S

SolidusDave

Member
ChocolatePuddin said:
We have done some traveling but ideally we don’t want to hop around too much. We should have 3 weeks of travel time.
Click to expand...

I see. But I assume you would still travel throughout the country? 3 weeks for just Paris would be way too long.
Sounds like you should do at least 2 different countries so that both of you get their wish.

Are you more city/culture or nature/activities focused?


I like what South East Asia has to offer.
 
Rocket Number 22

Rocket Number 22

Member
My out of the way places I would like to visit

Mongolia (wide open spaces!)

The Ural mountains (i'm slightly obsessed with the Dyatlov incident)

Iceland

Alaska or the Canadian wilderness

Very jealous of you!
 
Thriller

Thriller

Member
My god OP that is a ridiculously awesome prize congratulations to you both! Take a close look at what you'd like to do in the trip, want it to be active or ultimate chill? I'd talk it over with your lady and take a close look at what the world has to offer which fulfills her dreams and wishes of the trip.

Have lots of fun :D
 
CampbellzSoup

CampbellzSoup

Member
Italy I’m being dead serious I’ve traveled the world and it’s the most culturally rich and interesting place I’ve ever been!
 
Indrid Cold1

Indrid Cold1

Member
Go to the Maldives and do some amazing snorkeling and/or scuba. Paris and London are basically dangerous shitholes at this point. I wouldn't go to either if you paid me.
 
ThatStupidLion

ThatStupidLion

Gold Member
3 weeks in south east asia.

lots of countries to see. lots of cultures. lots of foods. lots of climates. lots to do. plenty of outdoor activities including hiking. its awesome.
 
SDCowboy

SDCowboy

Member
What kind of trips are you into? Are you more of a nature and national park kind of person, or a city and shopping kind, or what?
 
ChocolatePuddin

ChocolatePuddin

Member
SDCowboy said:
What kind of trips are you into? Are you more of a nature and national park kind of person, or a city and shopping kind, or what?
Click to expand...

We actually enjoy a causal hike here and there so something where we could do some nice outdoor activities would be great. We wouldn’t do much shopping, just gifts for family but nothing beyond that.
 
ChocolatePuddin

ChocolatePuddin

Member
Indrid Cold1 said:
Go to the Maldives and do some amazing snorkeling and/or scuba. Paris and London are basically dangerous shitholes at this point. I wouldn't go to either if you paid me.
Click to expand...

We actually came back from Mauritius a week ago and did plenty of snorkeling so an island holiday is out I think.
 
SDCowboy

SDCowboy

Member
ChocolatePuddin said:
We actually enjoy a causal hike here and there so something where we could do some nice outdoor activities would be great. We wouldn’t do much shopping, just gifts for family but nothing beyond that.
Click to expand...

Maybe do some of the US national parks then. Like the Grand Canyon or the like. Most of the areas have great outdoor activities and shopping. It's a win/win.
 
AlphaMale

AlphaMale

Member
I think you should go to Japan. Start off in Tokyo, and maybe do a hike up Mt. Fuji, since you said you like hiking. Then proceed westward to Osaka, Kyoto, etc.

Japan is an amazing country. Go there now, before us westerners ruin it.
 
S

SoldierOfLight

Member
Visit South Korea, Jeju Island. Or the Maldives as some have mentioned. Then again you're in South African so somewhere North like Canada maybe.

If I won something like this, Paris wouldnt be my first choice.
 
B

burnjanso

Member
Rekwest said:
She has the right to chose you are the plus one only.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I agree. You should plan your trip around Paris. There are bunch of places to visit in France. Also, there are shit tons of stuff to do just in Paris. I have been to Musee d'Orsay bunch of times but that place always gives me a vastly different experience each time I visit that place.
 
ChocolatePuddin

ChocolatePuddin

Member
AlphaMale said:
I think you should go to Japan. Start off in Tokyo, and maybe do a hike up Mt. Fuji, since you said you like hiking. Then proceed westward to Osaka, Kyoto, etc.

Japan is an amazing country. Go there now, before us westerners ruin it.
Click to expand...

Japan was one of our choices on the short list along with,

Mexico
France
Greece
Italy

We are trying to stay away from islands cause we just came back from an island trip.
 
G

Goliath

Member
Do France, Spain, Germany? Do a European trip. One week in each country. But remember, plane tickets can eat up 50-75% of your $5K.
 
M

MC Safety

Member
AlphaMale said:
I think you should go to Japan. Start off in Tokyo, and maybe do a hike up Mt. Fuji, since you said you like hiking. Then proceed westward to Osaka, Kyoto, etc.

Japan is an amazing country. Go there now, before us westerners ruin it.
Click to expand...

This response is an awesome blend of self-loathing and hubris.

Let your friend pick and just be happy you get to tag along.
 
sazzy

sazzy

Member
Australia and New Zealand.

There's a vast variety of climates and geography here, and both are super safe countries to travel to.
 
pramod

pramod

Banned
Go to Chile and then Easter Island.
Or New Zealand.
If I had a choice to go anywhere I would probably go explore Russia. A gigantic country that few people ever visit.
 
mhayes86

mhayes86

Member
ChocolatePuddin said:
We actually enjoy a causal hike here and there so something where we could do some nice outdoor activities would be great. We wouldn’t do much shopping, just gifts for family but nothing beyond that.
Click to expand...

I saw that you wanted to avoid an island, but what about New Zealand as a few others have mentioned? The geography is very diverse, and there's tons of outdoor things to do, including hiking opportunities. The north island is very touristy, and the south island has some amazing landscapes. My wife and I spent three weeks there last January doing a road trip across both islands, and we had a blast the entire time.
 
P

prophetvx

Member
burnjanso said:
The safe part depends on your race and the language you speak.
Click to expand...

Given OP is from South Africa, it's pretty safe to say both countries are probably much safer than home. Not quite sure what you're implying about either country with that statement, both have a problem systemic casual racism for sure but that doesn't even register on the scale when traveling. I say that as an expat Australian.

In any case, if you're traveling to either, be prepared to spend a lot of money as both are very expensive places. That $5000 would be gone in an instant, especially Australia where you need to fly between major cities and landmarks. New Zealand is an amazing country to drive around.
 
Kadayi

Kadayi

Banned
ChocolatePuddin said:
Ya for sure but she wants some of my input. I think Paris is on the table but you can’t spend 3 weeks in Paris.
Click to expand...

How about going to Paris for a week (maybe less) then travel on to Bruges, Amsterdam etc rather than staying in one place? Sure you'll have to factor in travel and accommodation, but you'd get to see a lot of sights..

If you are caught on having to stay in one place, you could base yourself in Lille which is a transport hub for the European high-speed rail network and travel out from there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lille
 
B

burnjanso

Member
prophetvx said:
Given OP is from South Africa, it's pretty safe to say both countries are probably much safer than home. Not quite sure what you're implying about either country with that statement, both have a problem systemic casual racism for sure but that doesn't even register on the scale when traveling. I say that as an expat Australian.
Click to expand...

Lol great sales pitch for Australia and New Zealand.

Seriously, just google tourist attacks, and you'll find bunch of articles saying that foreigners, i.e. certain race groups are being targeted. You'll even find bunch of links on google showing racist Australians targeting foreign language speaking tourists.
Here's one for you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1cPvIb0saM
 
AlphaMale

AlphaMale

Member
burnjanso said:
Yeah, I agree. You should plan your trip around Paris. There are bunch of places to visit in France. Also, there are shit tons of stuff to do just in Paris. I have been to Musee d'Orsay bunch of times but that place always gives me a vastly different experience each time I visit that place.
Click to expand...

I was in Paris in 2014, before all the craziness, and it was an amazing experience. Paris is definitely a top couples destination for me, but I'm just not sure now with all the unrest...
 
DryvBy

DryvBy

Member
news-zealand-tourist-posters.jpg


I hope someone gets this.
 
P

prophetvx

Member
burnjanso said:
Lol great sales pitch for Australia and New Zealand.

Seriously, just google tourist attacks, and you'll find bunch of articles saying that foreigners, i.e. certain race groups are being targeted. You'll even find bunch of links on google showing racist Australians targeting foreign language speaking tourists.
Here's one for you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1cPvIb0saM
Click to expand...

I'm not sales pitching either of them.

They are safe countries with both of them appearing in the top 10 or 20 safest countries to visit depending on the list.

I don't really care to look at random youtube videos as proof against that. I've lived in Australia for two thirds of my life and spent my time in Canada and USA for the rest of it. It's certainly safer than the US and the same as Canada in my experience.

With that said, Australia does have a racism issue and it disgusts me how casually it is used whenever I travel back home. It is rarely violent though and I can't see it being a threat to tourists. If you're asian who doesn't speak fluent english, I can certainly see you copping some racist slurs at some point in your travels, particularly if visiting Sydney or Queensland.
 
B

burnjanso

Member
prophetvx said:
If you're asian who doesn't speak fluent english, I can certainly see you copping some racist slurs at some point in your travels, particularly if visiting Sydney or Queensland.
Click to expand...

I like how you say this as if this isn't a big deal to a tourist. You seem like someone who is extremely desensitized to racism. Also, the video I linked was a video of a French tourist being harassed during her trip to Australia for speaking French, not an Asian.
 
C

catmincer

Member
burnjanso said:
Lol great sales pitch for Australia and New Zealand.

Seriously, just google tourist attacks, and you'll find bunch of articles saying that foreigners, i.e. certain race groups are being targeted. You'll even find bunch of links on google showing racist Australians targeting foreign language speaking tourists.
Here's one for you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1cPvIb0saM
Click to expand...

Yeah that's Australia and it's not the same as New Zealand.

New Zealand > Australia as a tourist imo.
 
P

prophetvx

Member
burnjanso said:
I like how you say this as if this isn't a big deal to a tourist. You seem like someone who is extremely desensitized to racism. Also, the video I linked was a video of a French tourist being harassed during her trip to Australia for speaking French, not an Asian.
Click to expand...

I like how you are attempting to put words into my mouth to push the narrative that I actually support racism.

Firstly, if you're going to come up with an argument, support it with facts instead of an anecdotal youtube video. New Zealand ranks 13 on the WEF rankings and Australia is 21 or 22 from memory (mainly due to environmental risks) in regards to traveller safety. NZ has a score of 6.31 and Australia 6.1. The worlds safest country is Finland with a 6.65 score. The UK by comparison ranks in the 70's. USA has a score in the low 5's. The french girl comes from a more dangerous country than she is visiting.

Secondly, I'm not dismissing anything. Most Queenslanders are racist assholes and Sydney-siders have an extreme bias against asians because of the housing crisis in the area, similar to that of Vancouver. I can honestly say I've never even heard of racism toward the French but cool that you've posted a single video of an ignorant idiot, many countries are lucky enough to not have a single one of them.

If you want to say it's a dangerous country, that's fine. Prove it. World renowned authorities who do studies on this do not agree with you.

As someone who has lived outside the country for over 10 years now and spent much of my life as a foreigner in another country, I can assure you I'm not desensitized to racism. I'm desensitized to people who clearly have no idea what they're talking about. Have you ever actually been to Australia or NZ?
 
Osukaa

Osukaa

Member
Id recommend Japan if you've never been. For me its one of those countries I can't stop traveling to and its not as expensive as you would think as well. Another random place that I myself would love to travel to would probably be Italy. I'd love to be having your dilemma of where in the world to travel to. Wherever you both decide to go I hope you have an awesome time.
 
shpankey

shpankey

not an idiot
My wishlist

Egypt
Greece
Rome & Venice
Marseille & French Alps
Iceland
Japan
Moscow
Hawaii
Sydney
Alaska
Caribbean
 
B

burnjanso

Member
prophetvx said:
New Zealand ranks 13 on the WEF rankings and Australia is 21 or 22 from memory (mainly due to environmental risks) in regards to traveller safety. NZ has a score of 6.31 and Australia 6.1. The worlds safest country is Finland with a 6.65 score. The UK by comparison ranks in the 70's. USA has a score in the low 5's. The french girl comes from a more dangerous country than she is visiting.
Click to expand...

I would like to see that score broken down into ethnicity. According to homicide data by the Australian Institute of Criminology(http://www.aic.gov.au/), homicide data from 2004-10 for overseas visitors of the victims, 63% were of Asian origin; 23% were Caucasian. And 36% were killed by strangers, far higher than for Australian victims.

Seeing how you don't seem to mind Asians "copping some racist slurs at some point" in Australia while visiting, I guess it's perfectly acceptable and considered safe even when your family members are harassed, called cunts and such. Yup it was a safe trip alright.
 
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