Not sure exactly what kind of trip this is, but if you can swing a car rental, the Pacific Coast Highway is a beautiful drive, basically all the way to SF. Once you're there, you can go a little further to Sonoma which is much more beautiful wine country than Napa (though Napa is nice). The wineries are great, of course - my favorite was Geyser Peak. Sonoma Lake is a great spot to stop and enjoy the view. Muir Woods is beautiful up that way to see the giant redwoods, if you're into that kind of thing.
My wife and I are going to Asheville for three nights around July 4th weekend. I know there's a good brewery scene, but which are the best? Who has the best BBQ? Decent hiking? Is the Biltmore all it's made out to be?
Has anyone been to Playa del Carmen? We're headed there next month and staying at one of the all inclusive resorts, but I was just wondering if there is anything in the area with seeing without getting kidnapped by a cartel and sold into the slave trade?
If I remember correctly there was a pretty cool underground lake there that we saw on a jeep tour and then a cool restaurant on the beach but its been a long time since I've been there.
Depends what you're into. There's lots of stuff in the surrounding area that you can do. The jeep tours are kinda fun. Go swimming in a Cenote (underground river system). Some of the Mayan ruins are pretty impressive. If you're into zip lining, and snorkelling, check out Xcaret. If you want to go on a booze binge, go on a pub crawl in Cancun. If you're certified there's supposed to be some good reefs in the area. Your resort will probably have packages for all of these things. Last time I was there was 6 years ago, and it may have changed since then, but I survived without getting kidnapped. I suspect as long as you're aware of your surroundings and not behaving like an idiot you should be fine. Remember as much as you want that authentic Mayan mask/blanket/carving/whatever from the resort beach, I guarantee you that you can buy it from some kid on the street for 1 peso.
I'm headed to Vietnam at the end of October. I'm hoping to ride from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. Has anyone done this or know anyone that has? I'm looking for pointers and route suggestions. I would also love contacts that live in country for advice as well. Thanks.
Has anyone used airbnb for international travel, particularly in Europe? How would you compare the experience to hostel/hotel?
I am in Italy right now using airbnb exclusively. I shaved around 50% from the lodging budget using that site. Having never stepped foot in a hostel, I can't compare. Hotel? On par. These $70-100 private apartments are pretty good, cheaper than the hotels in the same area, in the city center. But the biggest issues for me might be cultural. For instance, in Florence I'm paying $73 a night for a place around the corner from the Palazzo Vecchio. But I can't fit in the shower, everything leaks, there's enough hot water for 4 minutes if no one else in the building uses it, and everything is damp. From what I understand it's not just the apartment, that's just how a lot of places in this country are. In Rome I had similar issues in a posh, high tourist area near the colosseum. So, basically for $100 a night extra you get a hotel grade boiler and hopefully a full size tub. I'll "suffer."
My wife and I will be going to New York for Christmas. Does anyone have any recommendations about what we should try to do and see while there? We have a lot of the classic tourist things down (ice skating in Central Park etc.) and have tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular but anything else people can suggest would be great.
Im sure your classic things include seeing the tree at Rockefeller Center, but if youre on the fence about it, skip it. Its always jammed packed in that part of Manhattan this time of year.
Salt Lake City/Jackson Hole - three friends and I will be flying into SLC and driving to Jackson Hole. Planning on Grand Teton and Yellowstone but is there anything else that is a can't miss?* I have recommendations for the Mangy Moose and the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. We have 3 days/4 nights in Jackson and limited time in SLC. * Two friends will be snowboarding but the other and I are really only interested in shopping, drinking and looking at scenery.
There are two different Mangy Mooses (Meese?) - one in the town of Jackson (which is where the Jackson airport is and edge of Yellowstone that has the awesome Elk antler arches over the town square and Million Dollar Cowboy Bar) and is restaurant-y. The other, the one to go to for "scenery," is in Teton Village (which is where Jackson Hole ski resort is) and is bar-y. The town of Jackson has wooden sidewalks and is very old school western-y.
Just booked tickets to Porto, Portugal in early May next year, on a whim. Any advice is welcome. Planning to spend some time in the Douro Valley, and maybe heading into Spain, either to Salamanca or Santiago de Campostela, but everything is negotiable at this point.
What's good in Flagstaff and Sedona Arizona? I'll be in Phoenix for a wedding in a few weeks and will be spending a few days around afterwards.
Be prepared to drive a lot. When we went we made our base in Flagstaff. Antelope Canyon is two hours north of there, along with Glen Canyon Dam and Horseshoe Bend. I highly recommend those. The Grand Canyon visitor's center is 1.5 hours from Flagstaff. Pictures just can't compare to seeing it in person. Watch for elk if you're driving at night. We were completely unimpressed with Sedona. The scenery is great around there, but the town is full of new-age mystical bullshit shops. There are a lot of places to hike around there though, and I recommend driving up to the airport for a panoramic view of the valley if you're there.
Taking a trip to Asia this summer with a few friends. Hitting up Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai for 4-5 days each. For anyone who has been over there, is there anything that is a must-do? Anything that we should skip?
Ms. katokoch will be working in Buenos Aires for a few weeks and I will visit her in June so we can travel around Argentina some together. My brother studied in Mendoza for half a year and I am thinking a trip out to the wine country and back to Buenos Aires would be nice. Has anyone done a similar trip or been to Argentina regardless?
You're too far North with your itinerary, but if you have flexibility with time or location, I'd highly recommend Hong Kong. Its just an awesome spot, really unique, and tons of great shit to do. I'm heading to Mumbai for work in 2 weeks. Should be interesting to say the least.
My Mom and I are planning an African Safari for early 2017. Should be fun. Anyone around here been before? Any insights?