What are your favorite vacation destinations?

[munemaker]

We like all inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic and find them to be a good value. We don't really like to fly, and DR is a short flight from Pittsburgh. We just like to lay around the pool & beach and have waiters bring us drinks. We have tried all inclusives in other locations but keep going back to DR.

Mun

[gator15]

For those who are into extreme sports, Queenstown, NZ is one of my favorite places in the world. Skydiving, bungee jumping, acrobatic planes and among things are offered in the city. Had a blast when I was there.

[beyou]

Some of us would benefit from reading about the various places y'all have been, especially if you could provide a few details about what makes it so unique. It would be useful for future planning.

I will start.

We like outdoors (mostly hiking) and a trip to Sedona AZ, Grand Canyon, and Page AZ was very memorable. The key was to go before it gets too hot, too cold, or too crowded. We went late March / early April. When you are outdoors, the weather could make or break your vacation experience.

While not a favorite destination in and of itself, when in the vicinity of Northern Arizona I highly recommend a night or two at the historic La Posada Hotel in Winslow, AZ east of Flagstaff. It's a remarkable tale of the owner's persistence in restoring a piece of history and deserves a callout with a URL.
https://laposada.org/

And if you go to Winslow, AZ you can stand on a corner. Apparently, it is such a fine sight to see.

And if you are lucky you’ll see a flat bed Ford !

[rich126]

I've never been a beach person or someone who enjoys just lying around on a vacation. I can do that at home anytime I want. Also I don't see any point in cruises. If I want to drink and gamble I can go to Vegas, or nowadays a ton of places to do that w/o being stuck on a large ship with a ton of people overrunning various ports.

I prefer walking around exploring places and enjoying the scenery in person. So my favorites are places like Germany and Switzerland. Going to some place like Rothenburg when it isn't packed and walking around in the snow was a memory my wife and I will treasure. Everything white, quiet, scenic and ducking into a shop for a drink/snack is something we enjoy.

I'm sure there are a lot of places I would probably enjoy but have no plans on visiting due to the flight times or not particularly interested in dealing with the food (unfortunately I've had a medical issue since I can recall as a kid although I've been lucky where it hasn't been as bad as it can be and have managed quite a bit of travel in my younger years). Places like Japan, Australia and New Zealand I doubt I will get to. I'm hoping I can get back to Europe but have been dealing with a 6+ month long foot issue that is making getting around difficult.

Sadly it seems like too many places are just packed with tourists. We've avoided summer traveling.

[blackangus]

1) Sedona, AZ
2) Nantucket, MA
3) Loire Valley, France
4) Kyoto/Nara/Koya-san, Japan
5) Milos, Greece

[FinancialSnowboarder]

For those who are into extreme sports, Queenstown, NZ is one of my favorite places in the world. Skydiving, bungee jumping, acrobatic planes and among things are offered in the city. Had a blast when I was there.

100% agree, Queenstown is at the top of my list. I'd go there again in a heartbeat.

It's a beautiful town too. It's a good base to nearby places too, like ski resorts, Milford Sound, and Fox Glacier.

[JRodAK]

Hiking a lonely canyon in SE Utah
Rafting the Big Ditch with the family
Wrangell Mountains chasing Dall sheep with my son
Khopra Ridge/Khayer Lake Nepal

[FinancialSnowboarder]

In no particular order, some of my favorite trips were:

1) Osaka/Kyoto, Japan: I lumped these two cities since they're so close to each other. Kyoto has amazing castles and history, and Osaka is a foodie city.

2) Aitutaki, Cook Islands: One of the best lagoons I've seen. The locals were very nice, and it's less developed compared to Bora Bora.

3) Queenstown, New Zealand: I went for a snowboarding trip but fell in love with the scenery and activities. We went snowboarding, sky diving, saw a fjord, went glacier hiking and rappelling, wine tasting, floated through a glowworm cave, and many more activities.

4) Nelson, British Columbia: It's a small town in Canada with surprisingly good food. I went cat skiing and has some of the best powder days of my life.

5) Amazon Forest, Peru: I spent a few days here before Machu Picchu. I really enjoyed the animal spotting, hiking and canoeing through the Amazon, swimming with the pink dolphins, fishing for piranhas, and eating different fruits I never imagined existed.

[Cash is King]

In no particular order, some of my favorite trips were:

1) Osaka/Kyoto, Japan: I lumped these two cities since they're so close to each other. Kyoto has amazing castles and history, and Osaka is a foodie city.

2) Aitutaki, Cook Islands: One of the best lagoons I've seen. The locals were very nice, and it's less developed compared to Bora Bora.

3) Queenstown, New Zealand: I went for a snowboarding trip but fell in love with the scenery and activities. We went snowboarding, sky diving, saw a fjord, went glacier hiking and rappelling, wine tasting, floated through a glowworm cave, and many more activities.

4) Nelson, British Columbia: It's a small town in Canada with surprisingly good food. I went cat skiing and has some of the best powder days of my life.

5) Amazon Forest, Peru: I spent a few days here before Machu Picchu. I really enjoyed the animal spotting, hiking and canoeing through the Amazon, swimming with the pink dolphins, fishing for piranhas, and eating different fruits I never imagined existed.

100% agree on #2 & 3. I don't see number 2 mentioned very often , but it was one our best trips. We were there in 2016.

In British Columbia, I highly recommend Tofino,Canada. Tofino is about 4 hours north of Victoria. It's a must to drive . The Pacific Rim highway is a spectacular drive as well as spending time in the Pacific Rim National Park. Treat yourself by staying at the Wickaninnish Inn.

[Barkingsparrow]

In British Columbia, I highly recommend Tofino,Canada. Tofino is about 4 hours north of Victoria. It's a must to drive . The Pacific Rim highway is a spectacular drive as well as spending time in the Pacific Rim National Park. Treat yourself by staying at the Wickaninnish Inn.

We went to Tofino a number of years ago. Flew via Seattle to Victoria then stayed there a few days including a visit to Butchart Gardens; before driving to Tofino. Great visit. We did not stay at the Wickaninish Inn but had dinner there. So much fresh seafood available in the area, you could do down to the docks early and buy some of the fresh catch. We would take walks on the beach at sunrise and sunset. Whale Watching, and some hiking up and down the peninsula.

[Cash is King]

In British Columbia, I highly recommend Tofino,Canada. Tofino is about 4 hours north of Victoria. It's a must to drive . The Pacific Rim highway is a spectacular drive as well as spending time in the Pacific Rim National Park. Treat yourself by staying at the Wickaninnish Inn.

We went to Tofino a number of years ago. Flew via Seattle to Victoria then stayed there a few days including a visit to Butchart Gardens; before driving to Tofino. Great visit. We did not stay at the Wickaninish Inn but had dinner there. So much fresh seafood available in the area, you could do down to the docks early and buy some of the fresh catch. We would take walks on the beach at sunrise and sunset. Whale Watching, and some hiking up and down the peninsula.

The rainforests should not be missed in my opinion. It's also been a while since we visited but it's definitely a place that sticks with you if like outdoor adventures.

[tfunk]

The one thing I will say about LV is it's suffering similar problems as the Disney destinations, in that the nickel-and-diming just keeps getting worse. I swear on all that is good in the world that I will never pay for parking at a casino on principle, but that's getting harder as the years go by. Everything from the buffets, shows, transportation, resort fees, taxes, etc. have all gotten pretty ridiculous. For people who can afford it and don't mind paying, they can still have an excellent vacation in LV, but it's not the value it once was. Even the free stuff is impacted by the crowds and people moving there, so you need reservations for things like Red Rock Canyon that used to be a lot simpler.

I'm not ready to write off LV yet, but I can certainly concede that the glory days may be in the past for some people.

Main Street Station RV Park. Downtown full hook up $45. No resort fee.
That being said: #1 Yellowstone National Park. 150 years a National Park in 2022.
#2 Japan - Love hopping on the train when I want to with the low cost Japan Rail Pass. Much history and great food.
#3 Portugal - A recent addition. Spent one month there this past June with a rental car. Cannot wait to return.

[LilyFleur]

Paris, Barcelona, Venice, London.

I live in a small condo a mile and a half from the southern California coast. Lately, I've simply been enjoying walkable areas near my home, especially along the ocean. I really love walking around Balboa Island with a friend and eating dinner outdoors afterwards on the island. I enjoy these things during the off-season (fall, winter, early spring).

In summer, I go to my friends' backyard pools or invite them here to the pool, and the movies. and out to eat at the hole-in-the-wall restaurants the tourists don't know about, and stay home in my air conditioning more. I stay off the roads frequented by tourists. As I get older, I appreciate my own home more, and especially my comfy bed!

[A440]

Some of us would benefit from reading about the various places y'all have been, especially if you could provide a few details about what makes it so unique. It would be useful for future planning.

I will start.

We like outdoors (mostly hiking) and a trip to Sedona AZ, Grand Canyon, and Page AZ was very memorable. The key was to go before it gets too hot, too cold, or too crowded. We went late March / early April. When you are outdoors, the weather could make or break your vacation experience.

While not a favorite destination in and of itself, when in the vicinity of Northern Arizona I highly recommend a night or two at the historic La Posada Hotel in Winslow, AZ east of Flagstaff. It's a remarkable tale of the owner's persistence in restoring a piece of history and deserves a callout with a URL.
https://laposada.org/

And if you go to Winslow, AZ you can stand on a corner. Apparently, it is such a fine sight to see.

And if you are lucky you’ll see a flat bed Ford !

There's actually a "Standin' on the Corner Park" commemorating the Eagles song: https://www.standinonthecorner.org/

[wabbott]

Some of us would benefit from reading about the various places y'all have been, especially if you could provide a few details about what makes it so unique. It would be useful for future planning.

I will start.

We like outdoors (mostly hiking) and a trip to Sedona AZ, Grand Canyon, and Page AZ was very memorable. The key was to go before it gets too hot, too cold, or too crowded. We went late March / early April. When you are outdoors, the weather could make or break your vacation experience.

While not a favorite destination in and of itself, when in the vicinity of Northern Arizona I highly recommend a night or two at the historic La Posada Hotel in Winslow, AZ east of Flagstaff. It's a remarkable tale of the owner's persistence in restoring a piece of history and deserves a callout with a URL.
https://laposada.org/

And if you go to Winslow, AZ you can stand on a corner. Apparently, it is such a fine sight to see.

And if you are lucky you’ll see a flat bed Ford !

There's actually a "Standin' on the Corner Park" commemorating the Eagles song: https://www.standinonthecorner.org/

Complete with a statue of Glenn Frey. An iconic photo op.

[Exterous]

In no particular order:
South Island New Zealand overall. I could spend a lot of time there with all the ways to explore the spectacular scenery.
Brussels. Food specific for me but I love Belgium beer, french fries, and waffles. And they have the best fish & chips restaurant I've ever eaten at - which has a pretty length list of contenders from around the world. So I'd weigh 400lbs if we lived here.
Faroe Islands. Just insanely beautiful and so few people (outside a small handful of instagram famous spots)! Hike anywhere there is a 'path'

Ireland.It will always have a special place in my heart as its where my wife and I first realized we really liked travel. And just the nicest people anywhere. We've been 5 times now and every time we have at least one notably friendly encounter. The taxi driver who not only refused a tip but charged us less than the meter because he 'enjoyed talking to us'. The B&B owner who opened up two weeks early just to accommodate our booking outreach - and then spent a morning showing us how to make his 'secret receipt' scones. The couple in a pub who recognized our accent and wanted to share some friendly tips and tell us how much they like America. And I've got at least 3 more off the top of my head

[hunoraut]

Most people cant name favorite child but they can name the liveliest/sportiest/smartest child. A few selection:

best small city: Siena

most underrated: Turkey

best food western: any city in Spain, but particularly Basque region

best food eastern: Singapore/Malaysia

friendliest: Thailand

prettiest: Vienna

most…pleasant (?): Japan

recent favorite: Mexico City

And none of these are necessarily *the* favorite…tons more places i like more depending on mood and occasion

[chazas]

Bali
Cambodia
Laos
Greece
Japan
The Benelux

[cheapindexer]

In the United States - Yellowstone and Lake Tahoe


In Europe - Mallorca / Barcelona / Rome / London / Prague


haven’t seen much in Asia but we are still talking about Cambodia and Thailand ( so much more in Asia I have to see)

In the Middle East - just have seen Dubai - have to admit the kids and I liked it


But to me Central America stands out - Costa Rica and Belize are both unstoppable . I am going to Big island Hawaii soon because I think Hilo might be my favorite in the USA soon


Agree with the comment above about not going to the same place too much - then you miss other places

[Wannaretireearly]

Bali
Cambodia
Laos
Greece
Japan
The Benelux

Like this list. Only been to one. And I’ll have to look up ‘The Benelux’

[chazas]

Bali
Cambodia
Laos
Greece
Japan
The Benelux

Like this list. Only been to one. And I’ll have to look up ‘The Benelux’

Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg. Did an awesome driving trip once, lots of forests and castles and inns serving wild boar.