Where is the best place you have visited?

[mushRTID]

Discussing this with the Mrs, thought I would ask you lot the same, I imagine there are some very seasoned travellers in here and something different to discuss amidst the gloom!

Didn’t get to as many places as I’d have liked before the young un came along, a bit of a regret really.

But I would have to say Singapore on the first leg of our Honeymoon. Fantastic place, so many different cultures and would definitely recommend it and would love to go back one day.

What you got??

[Donnywolf]

As a single stand alone destination The Grand Canyon has been the one thing I have seen that surpassed what I expected. I have now been there maybe 5 times and stayed overnight maybe 3 times to see the sun go down and see it rise the next Morning over the far rim

Bill Bryson summed it up perfectly in one Chapter of his Book (Notes from a Big Counrty maybe ?) and he opened it with something like "Nothing prepares you for the Grand Canyon - no matter how may times you have seen photographs films or heard it described it still leaves you speechless - thats a huge parody I know but by god he was right

I will see if there is a photo in my collection that gets within a millionth of doing it justice

There isnt one but this will have to do lol

[mushRTID]

As a single stand alone destination The Grand Canyon has been the one thing I have seen that surpassed what I expected. I have now been there maybe 5 times and stayed overnight maybe 3 times to see the sun go down and see it rise the next Morning over the far rim

Bill Bryson summed it up perfectly in one Chapter of his Book (Notes from a Big Counrty maybe ?) and he opened it with something like "Nothing prepares you for the Grand Canyon - no matter how may times you have seen photographs films or heard it described it still leaves you speechless - thats a huge parody I know but by god he was right
I will see if there is a photo in my collection that gets within a millionth of doing it justice
There isnt one but this will have to do lol

It’s stunning. Went 4 years ago, regret going on the coach trip though and not by helicopter!

Amazing experience

[Highland Rover]

 Berlin in the early 1970's before the Wall came down , a fascinating contrast between the West and East halves of the City . A reputed 5,000 clubs and bars in the West and about 2 in the East !

Footballing wise , Hertha BSC were riding high in the Bundesliga and regularly played in European Cup games , old Olympic stadium filled with up to 80,000 supporters 

More importantly where I met Mrs HR

[Donnywolf]

Strangely I have been to Las Vegas 9 times (not for years now though) and when people ask me what is the best bit about it I always say :

The Grand Canyon - then I add - even tough it is not in the same State of course and is as far away from Donny as Conwall is.

I have driven a few times and flew in a 9 or 11 Seater Plane once. The skies were black with Planes - they were literally everywhere. They weighed people and then selected the Passengers. Me and Mrs DW had 7 Japanese tourists so they played the commentary tape in Japanese and the Pilot just told us in English what we were seeing

Really funny hearing a sentence or 2 in Japanese with "Hoover Dam" or "Grando Canyon (no kidding) stuck in it somewhere.

[Donnywolf]

The strangest place I have been was Tijuana in Mexico probably in 91.

Took a Tram (mega posh) San Diego to San Isidro still in California and then walked off through the border and no mans land then into Mexico where it was unimaginably different.

From a Country with everything to one that seemingly had nothing - except for the 50 foot long Cars that had found their way over the Border. There were beggars and the first word I heard but not the last "Taxi Taxi" as people tried to give you a ride about 400 yards to the centre.

The buses had slatted wooden seats - there were Fountains painted in primary colours but none had water - and it was surreal but r-e-a-l. The lifestyle difference leap you make coming back 100 yards is incredible

[NickDRFC]

Glad you enjoyed Singapore Mush but I really wasn’t a fan when I went - felt it was just very businesslike and sterile compared to the other places I went on that trip like Cambodia, Vietnam & Thailand.

For me New Zealand takes some beating - absolutely stunning terrain, plenty to do and friendly people. Hoping to get to South America and somewhere like Patagonia once this is all over (whenever that might be!)

[Donnywolf]

New Zealand I would love to go there. Nephew went just as Social Media got going so I could follow him about

Queenstown still has an appeal and I would like to see it for real.

[Nudga]

Yosemite National Park. Probably the same feeling you guys got at The Grand Canyon.
I felt like I was stood in front a huge canvas painting of a scene out of Star Wars.
The 7,200 ft drive up to Glacier Point was one of the most scariest and exhilarating things I've ever done.

[Donnywolf]

Thanks for that - another place on my to do list if I ever dare get on a Plane again lol. Always looks immense there

[andy didcott]

The Caribbean is up there.
British Virgin Islands. US Virgin Islands. St Lucia, Barbados, the best,Bermuda.
The scariest. Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The most exciting, Brazil, Peru,Columbia,Ecuador, Chile.
But the best place on earth for me was Ladakh region of northern India, scenery like nowhere else, even more stunning than the Grand Canyon.
Best places for food, China, South Korea, Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam, superb.

[wilts rover]

Petra, the Taj Mahal and the Angor Wat temple complex are all worth a trip out.

My own personal favourite experience is mountain biking in the Himalayas - to the village of Muktinath in the Annapurna range - 3 days up - 4 hours down. It amazed me that I was 4k up in the air and then the mountain was still another 2k above me.

[SydneyRover]

I want to visit the US but not while trump is in office, maybe Canada when travel restrictions are over.

[River Don]

Blimey, i'm obviously not very well travelled. mind you i hate flying, one trip to the States was enough for me.

i'm quite happy exploring Europe and if covid closes all the airlines down it wont bother me. italy is hard to beat, for its culture, history, scenery and everything. i also love the countryside of Northern England, perhaps its just nostalgia for the holidays of my youth.

[IDM]

Much of my travelling beyond Europe has been in business and any one airport/hotel/exhibition centre cycle is very much like the next.  However if I get any down time on my trips I try to do a bit of sight seeing.  Often I will go visit a high point of attraction, to at least get a good view of the surroundings I don’t have time to visit.

Such as the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio, or the top visitor level of the Empire State Building, the Singapore equivalent of the London eye, Eiffel Tower etc..

I’ve made relatively trivial calls back to the office at work whilst stood in some great places, drinking a cold beer on the rooftop cactus bar at changi airport in Singapore, or standing knee deep in the lapping sea shore watching the sun set over the sea off an island called langkawi.

I suppose New York would be my favourite out of all.. followed by Rio.

[tommy toes]

Blimey, i'm obviously not very well travelled. mind you i hate flying, one trip to the States was enough for me.

i'm quite happy exploring Europe and if covid closes all the airlines down it wont bother me. italy is hard to beat, for its culture, history, scenery and everything. i also love the countryside of Northern England, perhaps its just nostalgia for the holidays of my youth.

I'm like you RD.
Can't be doing with long flights. 4 hours to Tenerife drives me crazy.
So I love exploring the British Isles.
Can't think of too many areas I haven't been over here.
So many fantastic places, the Scottish Highlands probably my favourite.

[IDM]

I would go back to the north of Scotland permanently, rather than to visit, if the circumstances permitted.. north east areas - Speyside, or the Black Isle type of place..

[Highland Rover]

 IDM ..........I lived on Speyside for over 11 years at a place called Aberlour ( famous for it's whisky ) and worked as a field engineer throughout NE Scotland and up to Wick and across to Skye ....moved back south 3 years ago to North Lincs

[SydneyRover]

It's hard to compare places and put them in numerical order as time has an effect on memories but the Si Phan Don area of Laos was memorable with the trip to get there in a motorised canoe and the Four Thousand Island area very rural at the time. Not a lot of accommodation which limited tourist numbers. I have to be careful here as the snit patrol maybe taking notes to use against me 

[IDM]

IDM ..........I lived on Speyside for over 11 years at a place called Aberlour ( famous for it's whisky ) and worked as a field engineer throughout NE Scotland and up to Wick and across to Skye ....moved back south 3 years ago to North Lincs

I was at RAF Kinloss.  Had a house just outside Forres, in the way to Grantown.  Had looked for houses anywhere between grantown on Spey, Elgin, Inverness and all around the Black Isle and Cromarty Firth.

Was Aberlour the place with the walkers shortbread factory.?

Did you go watch any football whilst up there.?

[Not Now Kato]

India without a doubt.  We've been there twice and would go back again tomorrow.  The people are unbelievably happy and friendly, the place is so colourful and the scenery magnificent. Oh, and the food is so different to that which we get in Indian restaurants over here. You have to be prepared for the poverty which, strangely, can be upsetting for us yet is not for the people who live like that - they seem perfectly happy with their lot.
 
Here's a link to a set of photographs I took trying to capture life, as I saw it, rather than the usual tourist scenes....
 
https://www.fujix-forum.com/threads/x-20-in-india-part-1.63304/
 

 

[Nudga]

Strangely I have been to Las Vegas 9 times (not for years now though) and when people ask me what is the best bit about it I always say :

The Grand Canyon - then I add - even tough it is not in the same State of course and is as far away from Donny as Conwall is.

I have driven a few times and flew in a 9 or 11 Seater Plane once. The skies were black with Planes - they were literally everywhere. They weighed people and then selected the Passengers. Me and Mrs DW had 7 Japanese tourists so they played the commentary tape in Japanese and the Pilot just told us in English what we were seeing

Really funny hearing a sentence or 2 in Japanese with "Hoover Dam" or "Grando Canyon (no kidding) stuck in it somewhere.

I drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, did a short detour to Hoover Dam.
Incredible engineering.
I really enjoyed driving over there, apart from LA, it's a shit hole.

LA, I wouldn't go back for a gold pig.

Las Vegas however, loved the place and I want to go back without the kids.

[SydneyRover]

India without a doubt.  We've been there twice and would go back again tomorrow.  The people are unbelievably happy and friendly, the place is so colourful and the scenery magnificent. Oh, and the food is so different to that which we get in Indian restaurants over here. You have to be prepared for the poverty which, strangely, can be upsetting for us yet is not for the people who live like that - they seem perfectly happy with their lot.
 
Here's a link to a set of photographs I took trying to capture life, as I saw it, rather than the usual tourist scenes....
 
https://www.fujix-forum.com/threads/x-20-in-india-part-1.63304/

Great photos kato thanks for sharing

[mushRTID]

India without a doubt.  We've been there twice and would go back again tomorrow.  The people are unbelievably happy and friendly, the place is so colourful and the scenery magnificent. Oh, and the food is so different to that which we get in Indian restaurants over here. You have to be prepared for the poverty which, strangely, can be upsetting for us yet is not for the people who live like that - they seem perfectly happy with their lot.
 
Here's a link to a set of photographs I took trying to capture life, as I saw it, rather than the usual tourist scenes....
 
https://www.fujix-forum.com/threads/x-20-in-india-part-1.63304/
 

 

Brilliant photos mate!

[mushRTID]

Strangely I have been to Las Vegas 9 times (not for years now though) and when people ask me what is the best bit about it I always say :

The Grand Canyon - then I add - even tough it is not in the same State of course and is as far away from Donny as Conwall is.

I have driven a few times and flew in a 9 or 11 Seater Plane once. The skies were black with Planes - they were literally everywhere. They weighed people and then selected the Passengers. Me and Mrs DW had 7 Japanese tourists so they played the commentary tape in Japanese and the Pilot just told us in English what we were seeing

Really funny hearing a sentence or 2 in Japanese with "Hoover Dam" or "Grando Canyon (no kidding) stuck in it somewhere.

I drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, did a short detour to Hoover Dam.
Incredible engineering.
I really enjoyed driving over there, apart from LA, it's a shit hole.

LA, I wouldn't go back for a gold pig.

Las Vegas however, loved the place and I want to go back without the kids.

Have always fancied LA, what was so bad mate?

[Nudga]

Strangely I have been to Las Vegas 9 times (not for years now though) and when people ask me what is the best bit about it I always say :

The Grand Canyon - then I add - even tough it is not in the same State of course and is as far away from Donny as Conwall is.

I have driven a few times and flew in a 9 or 11 Seater Plane once. The skies were black with Planes - they were literally everywhere. They weighed people and then selected the Passengers. Me and Mrs DW had 7 Japanese tourists so they played the commentary tape in Japanese and the Pilot just told us in English what we were seeing

Really funny hearing a sentence or 2 in Japanese with "Hoover Dam" or "Grando Canyon (no kidding) stuck in it somewhere.

I drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, did a short detour to Hoover Dam.
Incredible engineering.
I really enjoyed driving over there, apart from LA, it's a shit hole.

LA, I wouldn't go back for a gold pig.

Las Vegas however, loved the place and I want to go back without the kids.

Have always fancied LA, what was so bad mate?

It's like Blackpool on steroids, it's dangerous. We felt on edge all the time, even in the touristy spots like Hollywood boulevard.
Our hotel was only two blocks away bug we had to make sure we got back there for around 6 o'clock in the evening as the crazies came out.
Groups of street gangsters, pimps, druggies etc.
I'm glad we only had one day there.
The only bright spot I thought was eating at the HardRock Cafe, that place was cool.

[Donnywolf]

Strangely I have been to Las Vegas 9 times (not for years now though) and when people ask me what is the best bit about it I always say :

The Grand Canyon - then I add - even tough it is not in the same State of course and is as far away from Donny as Conwall is.

I have driven a few times and flew in a 9 or 11 Seater Plane once. The skies were black with Planes - they were literally everywhere. They weighed people and then selected the Passengers. Me and Mrs DW had 7 Japanese tourists so they played the commentary tape in Japanese and the Pilot just told us in English what we were seeing

Really funny hearing a sentence or 2 in Japanese with "Hoover Dam" or "Grando Canyon (no kidding) stuck in it somewhere.

I drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, did a short detour to Hoover Dam.
Incredible engineering.
I really enjoyed driving over there, apart from LA, it's a shit hole.

LA, I wouldn't go back for a gold pig.

Las Vegas however, loved the place and I want to go back without the kids.

Have always fancied LA, what was so bad mate?

It's like Blackpool on steroids, it's dangerous. We felt on edge all the time, even in the touristy spots like Hollywood boulevard.
Our hotel was only two blocks away bug we had to make sure we got back there for around 6 o'clock in the evening as the crazies came out.
Groups of street gangsters, pimps, druggies etc.
I'm glad we only had one day there.
The only bright spot I thought was eating at the HardRock Cafe, that place was cool.

For me it was the sheer size of the place and the Traffic - god the Traffic

I managed the Star Walk Chinese Theatre Rodeo Drive Beverly Hills saw the Hollywood sign from miles away went to the Beach (maybe Venice) Disneyland and a few other places but I couldnt wait to get out of there

One highlight was going to Long Beach and staying on Queen Mary - that was a treat and didnt cost much but it was 1991 ish

[andy didcott]

Yes, great photos kato, would love to go back to India, I’d make sure I took plenty of hand sanetiser and Imodium though.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Tends to be isolated moments for me, rather than being overwhelmed by the overall impression of a place.

I was once at a meeting in Shizuoka in Japan. It had been cloudy all week. Then the weather lifted and the host stopped the meeting and pressed a button to open the blinds on the big window. Mt Fuji was emerging out if the clouds, 30 miles away. Absolutely spellbinding. The closest I've ever come to a spiritual experience.

Looked a bit like this, but with the mountain emerging from the mist, so you weren't sure if it wa...Oh good God! THERE it is!



In recent times, standing on the Golden Gate bridge had a similar effect on me.

I've got a real soft spot for the great train stations in Europe. Just looking at the departure board at Munich Hauptbahnhof and seeing trains going to Belgrade and Warsaw and Naples and Paris. The feeling of the history and complexities and possibilities of Europe. But you have to be listening to Empires and Dance by Simple Minds to really get it.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Good thread by the way.