Travel The Hangar Travel Thread

[Doss]

Where have y'all been? Share your stories and adventures, and recommendations, here!

I am going to Vietnam with the other half for 17 days on the first day of 2013, which amazingly enough (for a 24 year old) will be my first time overseas. I've travelled around a fair bit of Australia, but until now I've never managed to get overseas- not through lack of funds, but more through laziness.

Once this is done, I'm hoping to get to New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Europe, Morocco- one day folks, one day.

If anyone has any hot tips for Vietnam, btw, feel free to share!

 

[DapperDon]

Been to

England - lived in London (also travelled around England)
France - Paris, Nice, Monte Carlo
Spain - Barcalona, San Sebastion, Ibiza
Italy - Venice, Rome, Florence (also Tuscany)
Germany - Munich
Scotland - Edinburgh (also traveled through the Highlands)
Belguim - Brussels
New Zealand - Wellington
Mexico - Tijuana
U.S.A - New York, San Franciso, L.A, Vegas, Dallas, San Deigo, Hawaii
Singapore
Vietnam - Hanoi, Hoi an, Saigon, Nha Trang

Next trip is to hopefully travel a bit of South America

Hot tip when you are in Hanoi. Go to Snake Village and banquet on snake.

snake soup, snake ribs, snake soup, crispy snake skin and if you're one of the lucky chosen ones like me, a beating snake heart downed in a shot of snake wine (which I think was Vodka and snake blood) Sounds crazy, but really was a great expierence which I do highly recommend.

 

[Doss]

Cheers for the tip, Dapper!

Our itinerary is still a little up in the air, but we start in Saigon and spend 3-4 nights there, then almost certainly will stay at Nha Trang, Hue and definitely Hoi An. Then head up to Hanoi, spend a few nights there and also fit in a couple of nights at Sapa and Halong Bay.

Just got my travel shots yesterday, actually- at the risk of sounding like a sissy, my arms still have a distinct feeling of 'deadness' about them after the shots.

You're a pretty well travelled guy, at any rate. Belgium huh- did you get to the Trappist monastries at all by any chance? The Trappist monks brew beer as a side hobby, and I firmly believe those beers to be among the best you will ever taste.

 

[DapperDon]

Halong Bay was amazing, me and a mate did a 3 night boat cruise around all the islands loved it. When you go for a swin make sure there are no villages nearby as they don't really have toilets and well, you know, their waste has to go somewhere. So just do a quick scope of your surroundings before jumping in the water.

Didn't make it to the Trappist monastries, we were only in Brussels for 5-6 hours as it was a pit stop between Germany and London (we flew out of an airport just outside of Brussels). We did check out the crazy Monks on the outskirts of Florence, pretty sure they were drunk all the time as their hourly bell ringing was more like every 11mins. We just assumed they were smashed and loved pulling the rope.

My favourite part was Tuscany, we went hiking around all the vineyards and got lost. We stupidly went off road and after a few hours of jumping rivers getting scratches from bushes and trying to break fresh walnuts open with no tools we just appeared in someones backyard, at first they were all WTF?? then we tried to explain in our very worst Italian what had happened they sat us down outside in their garden and brought us fresh olives, fruit and wine. Ended up sitting there for a few hours as they had pretty good English and just chatted sharing stories. We ended up purchasing around 5-6 bottles of wine (cheap as and very, very good) and took them back to our campsite and drank them. Was just a fantastic day.

 

[Doss]

Love stories like that- I reckon it's that sort of thing that makes a holiday. I'm more of a hands-on person; the idea of going somewhere foreign and staying aloof (i.e. not interracting with locals at all like you did with those Italians) doesn't appeal much.

Hopefully, there should be some opportunities for similar stuff in Vietnam, especially when we're up in Sapa.

And I will take special care to avoid any floating excrement in Halong Bay

 

[Howard Moon]

Woo Hoo! a thread right up my alley!!

i spent the past decade on the road pretty much, from the age of 22 to 32. At times i regret it cause i don't own a house and now will never be able to afford it but the memories! ahh the memories.

Pretty much started in Europe, lived in England for 4 1/2 years and ventured over to all of Europe and Eastern Europe in that time. Moved down to Sicily for a while and lived with extended family i never knew i had, that treated me like a son! It was so awesome!! each morning in the village you would go to your balcony and pull up on a rope and there would be fresh bread in a basket at the bottom of it. If you wanted to work you just went to the piazza at 6am, guys in trucks would pick you up and you would pick fruit for the day then go home. Thats life! no pressure, just eating and being with friends and family.

I had all these pounds saved up so i went with a pack on my back from there..Onto to Iceland, then to the USA and went coast to coast, down to Mexico and Belize and Guatemala. Then to Costa Rica and into Sth America. Went from Bolivia to Chile then Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Came home for 6 months then went to India, Egypt and South Africa then finally came home through Hong kong, Macau, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Borneo.

Then got depressed for a while in Melbourne but the footy got me out of it again!

I guess my favorite things have been the salt flats in Bolivia, just awesome being in the Andes at 5000m+, seeing Volcanos and lakes and all this weird stuff. Loved the mayan ruins in Guatemala, they are the ones from the base on Endor in star wars... traipsing through the jungle with monkeys and toucans and ancient pyramids... pretty awesome! If i could choose a city to live in it would be either Buenos Aires or Munich, both have awesome food and people! India is a head f**k but addictive for some reason.... Cape town, best setting for a city ever!

I used to tell travel stories all the time and ppl would say why don't you just write a book? i'm just a bum storeman but i gave it a crack... ive done around 65,000 words so far and its nearly finished, just have to build up the guts to give it to a copy writer or publishing agent or something (anyone know anyone??)

but after all that.... i haven't been to Vietnam, so can't help with tips!

but would love to crap on about travel to anyone that wants to!

 

[zackah]

Used to be a travel agent (saw the light when I realised the pay was s**t). The work was mostly domestic but obviously caught the travel bug. Have been to quite a few places around the world (never made it to Africa or South America however). Fav cities in the world are New York, daylight then Rome.

One of my favourite holidays was a trip I did in 2006 and stayed in a chalet in Tuscany for a week. My aunt worked for Harry Jackson (American sculptor) and he gave us his chalet to stay in just outside of Lucca. He even had his staff look after us and show us around etc. They made us a traditional Tuscan feast one night and it was probably one of the best meals I have ever had (the wine was good too)!

 

[Howard Moon]

Where do you want to go in sth America dapper?

 

[DapperDon]

The Inca trail has been high on my list for years, I'd love to witness Machu Picchu.
Would love to find the time and travel the coastline. Start Venezuela / Finish Venezuela (spend around a week in each Country inbetween). Though that's a long time off work so If I had to narrow it down my top 3 would be

Peru - For reasons above
Brazil - Met some Brazilians through previous travels and they keep insisting I come visit, so would have free accom and locals to show me around Rio at least.
Then decide if I go south to Argentina (could check out Chile too) or up to Venezuela.

What would you recommend HM?

 

[Burzum]

I badly want to travel Europe/South America

 

[Beerfish]

I used to tell travel stories all the time and ppl would say why don't you just write a book? i'm just a bum storeman but i gave it a crack... ive done around 65,000 words so far and its nearly finished, just have to build up the guts to give it to a copy writer or publishing agent or something (anyone know anyone??)

I don't know anyone but I'd like to read the book.

I haven't really traveled anywhere yet, just Thailand and Borneo. On the domestic front though I've been to every state/territory except NT and QLD. Wanted to get myself setup first so when all my mates were off traveling the world, I was traveling to and from a minesite. Really getting itchy feet now though and pretty much want to go everywhere before I get too old to really enjoy it.

Machu Picchu was a big one for me too but over 30 hours air travel from Perth (I hate flying by the way). Will have to attack it from some other part of the world I think.

 

[Howard Moon]

The Inca trail has been high on my list for years, I'd love to witness Machu Picchu.
Would love to find the time and travel the coastline. Start Venezuela / Finish Venezuela (spend around a week in each Country inbetween). Though that's a long time off work so If I had to narrow it down my top 3 would be

Peru - For reasons above
Brazil - Met some Brazilians through previous travels and they keep insisting I come visit, so would have free accom and locals to show me around Rio at least.
Then decide if I go south to Argentina (could check out Chile too) or up to Venezuela.

What would you recommend HM?

I reckon Argentina is the perfect travel destination.. has it all! down south in Patagonia there's the glaciers and snowy peaks, can pick up a boat to Antarctica from there.... then as you go north theres places like Bariloche with mean volcanoes and hot springs, then you have Beunos Aires.. its pretty much a piece of Europe in Sth America, beautiful women, awesome food, architecture.. half the time you think your in Italy, but its dirt cheap! Then as you go further east toward the Andes there's great wine places like Mendoza, to the Sth West there are great beaches to the north there's colonial towns and deserts, and to top it off Iguazu falls takes the cake right in the top corner! I cant think of many countries so diverse really. But seriously the steak.... amazing! just point at the animal on the fire.. say you want that bit and i want it that thick... they cut it , its the best tasting meat ever.. then it ends up being like $7 .. my missus is basically a vego, she ate steak every night! it tastes that good.

Other than that i loved Bolivia also, was a real surprise. The salt plains are freaky, being up there at over 5000m, just volcanoes all around, white salt flats as far as the eye can see, can even see the curve of the earth! weird cactus filled islands, geyser fields... its weird because you get all spaced out and light headed because of the altitude, everything seems so surreal up there.

i look like a cut out!

and La Paz is an awesome capital, has high peaks all around it, cool markets and what not, and you just find the people up high are always more relaxed.

I reckon Chile you can take or leave.. a bit meh. My missus went to Colombia and Venezuela when i went to Uruguay, she hated Colombia but said Venezuela was great. We intended to go to Peru and Brazil next but a baby came and the rest is..... history (travel that is)

But i guess if you are on a time budget cause of work could be good to fly into Lima, up to Cuzco and the Inca trail, across lake Titicaca into Bolivia and La Paz, down to the salt plains and into Argentina do a loop south then come out at Iguazu falls and into Brazil?

Spose you miss all the top countries but its a big place, don't wanna squeeze too much in

 

[Howard Moon]

I don't know anyone but I'd like to read the book.

I haven't really traveled anywhere yet, just Thailand and Borneo. On the domestic front though I've been to every state/territory except NT and QLD. Wanted to get myself setup first so when all my mates were off traveling the world, I was traveling to and from a minesite. Really getting itchy feet now though and pretty much want to go everywhere before I get too old to really enjoy it.

Machu Picchu was a big one for me too but over 30 hours air travel from Perth (I hate flying by the way). Will have to attack it from some other part of the world I think.

When I'm done I'll give it a bit of a polish and hopefully have the balls to hand it over! Would be good to get another opinion i guess, 3 ppl i know have taken a look and enjoyed it but they know me so its different.

 

[Rack Watts]

I am going to Sri Lanka in Feb, have never been out of Australia, am pooping bricks.
Have no idea what to expect.

 

[Zach Package]

question to those more travelled than myself, has anyone traveled on their own?

I really want to take a year in 2014 after i finish my degree (ideally i'd find a female companion) but I really just want to disappear for like 4 or 5 months and see the word.

Has anyone done it? thoughts appreciated if so

 

[Beerfish]

That's awesome.. the whole post but I'll just quote the pic. I think you're my travel hero.

According to L.E. Grant 65000 words would be about 230 pages. Can't believe someone asked that exact question.

Did you have any adventures involving monkeys and/or lost treasure of some description?

 

[Doss]

Howard Moon, I'll gladly buy that book, mate! Just give us a heads up when it is being released

I have a bit of a thing for mountaineering, so I have a particularly strong inclination to get to the Himalayas, Andes, Rockies and Southern Alps.

Still have vague aspirations of climbing Mount Cook in New Zealand next summer.

Has anyone done a proper tour of New Zealand? I have this idea of hiring a car and literally driving around the entire country in three to four weeks, but I imagine it would be quite expensive.

 

[Howard Moon]

I am going to Sri Lanka in Feb, have never been out of Australia, am pooping bricks.
Have no idea what to expect.

crikey.. should be a culture shock alright!.. don't ease your way into travel or anything pretty jealous over here!

question to those more travelled than myself, has anyone traveled on their own?

I really want to take a year in 2014 after i finish my degree (ideally i'd find a female companion) but I really just want to disappear for like 4 or 5 months and see the word.

Has anyone done it? thoughts appreciated if so

i did my trip to South Africa alone... tbh it was kinda weird to begin with, i felt like a loser drinking at bars alone, but i was lucky that it was world cup time so i could just watch games and talk about that with strangers. After a few weeks i got used to it and loved travelling alone, absolute freedom! can just meet anyone at the hostel and say..wanna go here today? and just go.

i had probably my best ever night there in cape town when i met an American girl, so much cool stuff happened that night and it would never have happened if i wasn't alone. Maybe this is the trip you find your female companion!!

That's awesome.. the whole post but I'll just quote the pic. I think you're my travel hero.

According to L.E. Grant 65000 words would be about 230 pages. Can't believe someone asked that exact question.

Did you have any adventures involving monkeys and/or lost treasure of some description?

lots of monkey stories but no treasure unfortunately. i might try and cut the book back to 60000, theres a bit of crap in there

Howard Moon, I'll gladly buy that book, mate! Just give us a heads up when it is being released

I have a bit of a thing for mountaineering, so I have a particularly strong inclination to get to the Himalayas, Andes, Rockies and Southern Alps.

Still have vague aspirations of climbing Mount Cook in New Zealand next summer.

Has anyone done a proper tour of New Zealand? I have this idea of hiring a car and literally driving around the entire country in three to four weeks, but I imagine it would be quite expensive.

its so scarey.. putting your whole life out for everyone to read like that....all these professional editor types especially. tbh it still feels like a school project.. i need so much positive reinforcement to keep it all going, i doubt myself daily.

i'm with you on the mountains too.... cant get enough of them up there, something special about being at altitude. We went into the Indian Himilaya to a place called Manali, you can hire old motor bikes there and just ride around tackling all the mountain passes... views amazing! then we took this rickety bus which goes from there.. alll the way across the top of the himilaya to a place called leh on the chinese border.... you get waay up over 5500 m and have to stay in this tent over night in like -34 degrees. i swear some of the passes that bus clung too.... with sheer drops as far down as you could see... i had my balls in my purse at a few stages.

But a good thing happened, we ended at a place called dharamsala where the deli lama lives in exile...we met this Tibetan guy there who offered to teach us how to cook a Tibetan food called momos, he told us his story, about the Chinese how they have basically eradicated the entire Tibetan culture up there and killed any dissenters, the only way to keep their culture alive is to flee to india and teach it to westerns. So he did what many others have done, gone on foot.... ON FOOT over the himilaya from Tibet (china) to india, took something like a month, minus 30 each night, well up over 6000 m at times. Seriously amazed. Each person who makes it gets an audience with the deli lama. I walked away from there wanting to tell anyone who would listen about what the chinese have done up there in Tibet....

anyhow i hate being that guy that sounds like a know all who's done everything, seriously tell me to pipe down at any stage!

 

[Zach Package]

i did my trip to South Africa alone... tbh it was kinda weird to begin with, i felt like a loser drinking at bars alone, but i was lucky that it was world cup time so i could just watch games and talk about that with strangers. After a few weeks i got used to it and loved travelling alone, absolute freedom! can just meet anyone at the hostel and say..wanna go here today? and just go.

i had probably my best ever night there in cape town when i met an American girl, so much cool stuff happened that night and it would never have happened if i wasn't alone. Maybe this is the trip you find your female companion!!

cheers howard, definitely saving for a trip, considering doing a top deck kind of thing to start then doing my own thing afterwards, a girl I know is doing a european top deck in january so i'll suss it out from her.

I'd have dirt cheap (probably free) board at my grandparents place as well, which would help keep costs super cheap.
Not to mention it's in southern Greece in the mountains overlooking the Mediterranean...
will find and post pics, the views are incredible.

 

[Beerfish]

Just getting back to South America for a minute, did anyone read that book Marching Powder by Rusty Young? Compelling read about an Australian guy's experiences in a Bolivian jail for 3 months? Would thoroughly recommend if you're curious.

 

[Howard Moon]

Just getting back to South America for a minute, did anyone read that book Marching Powder by Rusty Young? Compelling read about an Australian guy's experiences in a Bolivian jail for 3 months? Would thoroughly recommend if you're curious.

i gave it a crack but I'm a really rubbish reader, I've probably only finished about 3 books in my whole life, got a short attention span. The missus read it when we were there and insisted i read it but i couldn't get through it.

We tried to get into the jail but they have toughened things up apparently... or maybe we didn't bribe the right dude

i did read Karl Pilkingtons diary from an idiot abroad tho.... that more my speed i got through the da vinci code when in Europe and i loved it at the time.. but now i realise its a pretty dodgy read.

 

[Beerfish]

We tried to get into the jail but they have toughened things up apparently... or maybe we didn't bribe the right dude

Maybe it was a direct result of the book. Pretty ballsy thing to do though, paying to stay in there for a few months without ever really being certain they'll let you out again when it's time.

 

[Howard Moon]

The missus reckons it had turned into a regulation touristy thing to do. Rock into town, pay a guard, stay in the jail, but as you say because of the book it became a bit of a circus and they put a stop to it. She reckons its nigh on impossible now at that jail but it might still happen at others. Could think of safer holiday activities!, but if you like your coke im sure it was a must do.

 

[DapperDon]

This needs to be the cover of your book. Awesome photo.

Just getting back to South America for a minute, did anyone read that book Marching Powder by Rusty Young? Compelling read about an Australian guy's experiences in a Bolivian jail for 3 months? Would thoroughly recommend if you're curious.

Looks like I have my next book, cheers Beery

 

[Howard Moon]

i probably should have mentioned that my fiance is a travel agent, she used to work for sta and flight centre but hated it cause of all the team meetings and sales targets....

So she has her own business from home now, she can usually beat (or at least equal) most prices, but dosent change booking fees and what not. and is much more accessible than your normal travel agent who shuts up shop at 5pm. Shes usually answering emails at all hours...

if anyone needs any quotes or advice or flights/insurance/hotels/tours/whateva just let me know and i can pass her details over.

*gratuitous plug over*