Name for me your Top 5 Must-See-Before-You-Die destinations

[teddyFBI]

Poker has been very good to me this past year and I'm spoiling myself with a trip around the world next summer. I'd like to elicit from you all suggestions on places to hit.

What I've seen: really not much of anything -- basically I just did the 5 weeks of Western Europe thing after I graduated from College.

What I want from you: I don't want the typical general vacation destinations; i.e. 'you've got to go to Australia, Hawaii, Thailand, etc., etc.'. I can go to Barnes+Noble and poke through the "Let's Go" section to find good travel-friendly countries. What I'm looking for is completely unique / once-in-a-lifetime traveling ideas that you think I should hit in my 6 months I'm devoting to nothing but world travel. I want some of the world's truly amazing wonders that 5 years from now, I can look back on and think -- wow, it's damn cool I was able to do that / see that at the age of 26 before I had to settle down and get a real job. Unique doesn't mean it can't be touristy...I just mean a little more specific than "oh, go to XYZ country, it's a blast." Just some examples I've already got from friends of mine that have got my juices flowing:
a) Dive the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
b) Stay at the Ice Hotel in Sweden / Arctic Circle (I'm freakin stoked about this one)
c) safari somewhere in Africa
d) Climb Machu Pichu (sp?) in Peru
e) run with the bulls in Spain
f) Carnival in Brazil

Assume that money is not a limiting factor here.

[Sykes]

Niagra Falls
Egyptian Pyramid
Great wall of china.
Grand Canyon

Uh, Vegas. Duh.

You have to go on a hot air balloon with a llama at one point during this trip.

[edtost]

Everest.

[DrunkIrish05]

If you're with some people, rent an RV and drive up and down New Zealand's South Island

If money isn't a factor spend some time in Japan. After this spend some time in rural India, or something of the likes

[Sykes]

[ QUOTE ]
Everest.

[/ QUOTE ]

Stupid question. Isn't it pointless to go here unless you can actually climb it? Isn't a mountain just a mountain? Regardless of the 8,000 ft difference from 2nd place.

Whatever, as long as you're in China, go visit Everest.

[diebitter]

1. Nicole Kidman's eyes as I get her to her happy ending
2. See 1
3. See 1
4. See 1
5. See 1

And the next night, I'd like to see...

[edtost]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Everest.

[/ QUOTE ]

Stupid question. Isn't it pointless to go here unless you can actually climb it? Isn't a mountain just a mountain? Regardless of the 8,000 ft difference from 2nd place.

Whatever, as long as you're in China, go visit Everest.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, i was voting for the "climb it" option. sorry that wasn't clear.

[TheWorstPlayer]

On your list, I have dived the GBR and gone on Safari in several different African countries. Both of those are absolutely incredible. For African safari, I would personally suggest the Okavango Delta in Botswana but any of the lodges in the Sabi Sand reserve in South Africa are also incredible. And Masai Mara, Ngoro Ngoro, Chobi, and many other places are also great. But the first ones are my top picks. Yes, I've been on many safaris. Also, scuba diving with sharks (which is available in many places but I have done it in South Africa) is absolutely incredible.

Other things high on my list of things to do include:
1. Pyramids
2. Kilimanjaro
3. Nepal
4. Antarctica
5. Whale migration to Northern Alaska

Also, there are a lot of things to do in Australia/New Zealand which are really awesome other than the GBR. For instance, NZ is one of the world's hot spots for extreme adventures. Things like helirafting are really awesome. You should definitely check that stuff out. I'm so jealous.

[TheWorstPlayer]

[ QUOTE ]
Niagra Falls

[/ QUOTE ]
If you're into waterfalls, definitely do Victoria Falls and not Niagara. Vic Falls makes Niagara looks like a dripping faucet.

[KaneKungFu123]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't want the typical general vacation destinations;

a) Dive the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
b) Stay at the Ice Hotel in Sweden / Arctic Circle (I'm freakin stoked about this one)
c) safari somewhere in Africa
d) Climb Machu Pichu (sp?) in Peru
e) run with the bulls in Spain
f) Carnival in Brazil



[/ QUOTE ]

Your list is interesting. You seem to be more interested in adventure/sport then traveling. Do you have any experience mountain climbing or diving or running with bulls?

[TripleH68]

1) Skellig Rock, Ireland (been there)
2) Bermuda
3) Hawaii, namely Kauai
4) Italy
5) Alaska

[KaneKungFu123]

this is a cool question. i am sort of weird when it comes to traveling. i like the abusrd situations more then anything, and the girls, of course. mountain/beach/reef its all the same to me, although the mekong is nice in the morning.

i think you can do alot better then carnival in brazil.

a safari sounds awesome. so does getting lost in india.

[muzungu]

this is a great way to think about travel, i find it much more fulfilling to go to specific locations with specific plans than to just go to an area and "see the sights".

One thing i would recommend is to go see the best example of any hobby/interest you have. If you are into opera, see some in vienna. I used to play a lot of chess, when I was backpacking Europe several years ago I stopped by a tournament where Kasparov/etc were playing. Not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.

On to your question-

Places I have been:

Tikal (Guatemala)
Victoria Falls

My current list, give or take:

hike the Inca trail to Macchu Picchu
Angkor Watt (Cambodia)
hike Kilimanjaro
Carnivale in Rio
Egypt- pyramids at Giza, temples at Luxor/Karnak, etc.

[whiskeytown]

This is a list of the places I have left - seen NYC and Greenwich Village/Bleeker St., so that would have been there once - not anymore.

Instead...

1. - Highway 61, down thru Mississippi - must see the homeland of the blues. (and while I'm at it, play poker in Tunica)

2. - Ireland - preferably the west coast - the part furthest away from Northern Ireland.

3. - the Park District, Northern England.

4. - The rock and roll hall of fame, Cleveland, OH.

5. - I would like to see some Atlantic Fishing Villages - like from Mass. up to Newfoundland -

RB

[Go Blue]

I would say this:

5. Some very remote location in the US, such as southwest North Dakota.
4. Antarctica.
3. Australia - the big cities, the inner deserts, the coral reefs, and such.
2. The Rockies of Canada and northern US, i.e., Montana, Idaho, Alberta, etc.
1. Anchorage, and the entire state of Alaska, including Barrow.

[BWebb]

In no particular order:

Greece-Parthenon
Australia-Great Barrier Reef
Alaska-Wildlife Refuge
Ireland
Egypt-Cairo, Pyramids

[MonkeeMan]

Go to AAA and have them map out a trip hitting every National Park in the US and drive to all of them in a new Hummer. You'll have to fly to Hawaii, but you can cruise up to Alaska and catch some awesome Canadian sights too. From Bar Harbor (Acadia) to Key West (Dry Tortugas) to LA (Channel Islands) to Seattle (Mt. Ranier) to Healy (Denali) to Hilo (Volcanoes) and all points in between!

This is one amazing country right here. Buy American. You won't regret it.

[nicky g]

"Ireland - preferably the west coast - the part furthest away from Northern Ireland."

What's wrong with Northern Ireland? There are some incredibly beautiful parts of the six counties.

"the Park District, Northern England."

I'm guessing you mean either the Peak District or the Lake District. Both are beautiful, the Lake District is much the better known of the two.

[IHateKeithSmart]

My list is US slanted b/c there's just so much cool sh1t to see in the US. Everyone is in a rush to get away, but this really is an amazing country. I have done a lot of international travel myself, but I am now focusing on US destinations.

1) Denali National Park - Alaska, US
2) The Amalfi Coast - Italy
3) The Grand Canyon - Arizona, US
4) Gothic Cathedral (1st in Spain) - Burgos, Spain
5) Shenandoah National Park - Virginia, US

[skipperbob]

Here's your itinerary by Month:
Jan. = Ice Hotel
Feb. = Austrian Tyrol
Mar. = St. Patricks Day in Dublin
Apr. = Spring skiing in Aspen
May = U.S. Naval Academy & Washington D.C.
June = Pebble Beach
July = WSOP
Aug. = Golf in Scotland
Sep. = Switz/Germany/Austria & Octoberfest in Munich
Oct. = Recover from Octoberfest
Nov. = GBR & Hamilton Island
Dec. = Home for the Holidays

Have Fun /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[superleeds]

1. The earth from the moon
2. Shanghai
3. The Keys
4. The Arctic
5. Swim with Dolphins

[Chobohoya]

I've always wanted to see the Pyramids and the Taj Mahal. Lately I've been hearing about Angor Wat, that would be amazing to see as well.

[toss]

The clear night sky over a desert on a new moon. Or from a tall mountain. Its breath taking.

[Reef]

honorable mention: Kamehameha School (Hawaii)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/reef/KamehamehaSchools.jpg

tried to do panoramic effect w/ multiple pics

[TheWorstPlayer]

[ QUOTE ]
Lately I've been hearing about Angor Wat, that would be amazing to see as well.

[/ QUOTE ]
Angkor Wat is pretty cool. But after a few days in Cambodia it becomes "You've seen one really cool old temple, you've seen them all." The other things on my list are definitely cooler.

[xadrez]

1)Machu Picchu
2)Petra, Jordan
3)Victoria Falls
4)Taj Mahal
5)Seychelles

[djoyce003]

do a trip through the himalayas...I think that has to be on the list....you can get to everest base camp...don't have to climb it or anything but it would be awesome to see.

[toss]

Instead of making a trip solely to Cambodia it would be wiser to tour all of Southern Asia instead. Lots of attractions spread throughout. And if thats not enough to make you go a 5 star Hotel in Cambodia costs like $10 a night.

[PokerFink]

In my opinion:

Overrated: Niagra Falls
Underrated: Good SCUBA diving (Great Barrier Reef is probably the best)

Edit: I'm a certified SCUBA diver and I've done some very good diving in the Caribbean. Getting certified is easy and it's WELL worth it.

I would really like to see the Pyramids, Tokyo and/or Hong Kong, Everest, Australia and Hawaii.

[kenberman]

[ QUOTE ]
Mar. = St. Patricks Day in Dublin

[/ QUOTE ]

you know this isn't like the US St. Patricks Day, right?

[pokerdirty]

http://mmii.info/icons/HONDURAN003/officespace_lawrence2.gif

"2 chicks at the same time."

[jdl22]

There have been several suggestions that seem good. I'd suggest a different approach. I would suggest finding some place that's either small townish or has a similar feel and living there for half a year or so. I did a study abroad in Sevilla, Spain, living there for five months back in 2000. It was an amazing experience. Being there day to day and getting that experience is much more fulfilling than seeing some amazing building or geological formation.

While I've actually seen very few of them, I'm sure your travels will be amazing if you visit pretty much any of the suggestions but I still think you might get more out of it if you went somewhere and stayed awhile.

Jared

[Jbrochu]

For the adventure lover:

- Sea kayak around Baffin Island
- Hike around in Queen Maud Land Antarctica
- Climb Lotus Flower Tower in the Cirque of the Unclimbables, Canada
- Hike or climb in the Paine range, Patagonia
- Mount Hunter, Alaska
- Sea kayak downeast Maine
- Canoe trip in Boundary Waters area, MN
- NASCAR Bristol, TN night race (ok, that's a stretch but I think everybody has to go to this race once)

[adsman]

Raft the White Nile in Uganda. Truly an awesome experience, make sure you go with Adrift, not the other companies. Adrift run the guts of the class 5 rapids, the other companies tend to skirt the edges.
When you've done that go into Kampala, (the capital of Uganda) and do a bar crawl. You will never experience anything like it. PM me and I'll give you a contact of one of my mates who's still rafting there. Uganda is one of the best places to visit in africa. Kenya sucks big fat donkey balls as the locals are very antagonistic to whites. Ugandans think that jesus was white, and we're white, so we must be close to jesus. Very sad but it makes for a much more enjoyable and safer time.

[gabbahh]

Goa (India)
Thailand
Angkor Watt
Machu Pichu
Rome

[theBruiser500]

WorstPlayer could you please elaborate on whales migrating to alaska?

[theBruiser500]

[ QUOTE ]
1) Skellig Rock, Ireland (been there)
2) Bermuda
3) Hawaii, namely Kauai
4) Italy
5) Alaska

[/ QUOTE ]

what is special about skileng rock in ireland?

[theBruiser500]

muzungu, what is in tikal in guatamela. also i definitly agree with you that travelling with a specific agenda in mind is a better way to do it. although that might vary a lot for different personality types.

[Matt Flynn]

[ QUOTE ]
This is a list of the places I have left - seen NYC and Greenwich Village/Bleeker St., so that would have been there once - not anymore.

Instead...

1. - Highway 61, down thru Mississippi - must see the homeland of the blues. (and while I'm at it, play poker in Tunica)

....

RB

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll be at the Gold Strike in Tunica Jan 12-15 with coltrane and CCass. How about then?

Matt

[theBruiser500]

finish hiking appalachian trail, the northern parts should be great (NH, Maine).

study kung fu in china for a few months

macchu picchu (i've been told there are many amazing things to do in S. America, a couple that come to mind is seeing a volcano - maybe in hondorous - that is still active, and a trip through the amazon for a werk, they saw a real anaconda there, and their guide's sister was eaten by an anaconda)

bike tour de france

[ QUOTE ]

f) Carnival in Brazil


[/ QUOTE ]

Highly recommend this one. Did it a few years ago and its a once in a lifetime experience.

Also recommend a rafting trip along the Amazon river. Some of the most amazing scenery in the world.

And really, what world trip is complete without a trip to Bangkok for the hookers. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

(Not really much of an experience, btw.)

[TheWorstPlayer]

Check out http://www.whaleroute.com/migrate/ and other similar sites for more info. It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful things in the entire world. You can see some amount of the splendor in the BBC special on the topic (which is available on DVD), which is incredible but I'm sure in no way captures what it feels like to watch in person.

By far my best vacation ever was to Egypt. Me and my girlfriend stayed in a kanquah (a sort of hostel) in Al-Qahira. Every morning we had the most amazing breakfasts in this rooftop garden overlooking the market and there was so much to do in and around the city.

My second best vacation ever was to Zanzibar. Amazing beaches and the city is gorgeous.

Also incredible was a trip I took to Belize. We were able to go on a midnight safari through the jungle and we were lucky enough to spot a jaguar. The scuba diving and snorkeling is great too.

If you like art, Italy is a must. Skip Rome, but Florence and Milan are awesome. Especially Florence. If you don't like art though, Italy kinda sucks.

Next I want to visit western china. I'd like to camp and mountain bike through the steppes, but I'm told it's not really feasible. Instead I might visit the nature preserves in Borneo.

[TheWorstPlayer]

How can you skip Rome?? It's my second favorite city in the world!!

[jcx]

1. Angel Falls, Venezuela (Unlike the rest of my list, I have done this one. Higly recommended).

2. Visit the holy land. Climb Mt Sinai.

3. St Helena Island, where Napoleon lived the last few years of his life. One of the most remote & hard to reach populated places on earth. Only reachable by mail ship from S. Africa, no airport.

4. Easter Island.

5. Bhutan.

I spent a year abusing the $59 UKP capital to capital flights in Europe and the only time I was disappointed was when I visited Rome for a week. It was dirty, crowded, noisy and filled with obnoxious tourists like myself. Locals hated me by association, and the tourists were utterly useless. The Vatican tour was interesting, but everything else about Rome sucked. Especially the food.

In ten years of consistant travelling, the best experiences I've had are:

1) Haggling in the night market in Kuala Lampur. If you go, stay at the Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel.
2) Eating in 'the Dark restaurant' in Berlin, a pitch black restaurant where you dont know the specifics of your order and blind servers teach you to eat without using your sight.
3) All of Japan. The Japanese were fantastic hosts each of the five times I've gone there. I highly recommend memorizing a couple of key phrases (arigato) as they definately appreciate the effort.
4) Superbowl in Vegas. I'm not ever a football fan, but it wa frenzied in a really good way
5) The beaches in Nice, France
6) Mountain climbing in the Negev. There are peaks from which you can see seven different nations.
7) Bourbon Street on Halloween:/

#1 most overrated:

Amsterdam - It was great my first time, but prices have muliplied by four times since as compared to the US Dollar.

[AlexHoops]

Should you get certified before you go on the trip? How long does it last?

[OrangeHeat]

1. Alasaka (Done!)
2. Rome
3. Pyramids
4. Machu Pichu
5. Hawaii

[TheWorstPlayer]

[ QUOTE ]
It was dirty, crowded, noisy

[/ QUOTE ]
This is called "Italian Character".

[ QUOTE ]
and filled with obnoxious tourists like myself. Locals hated me by association, and the tourists were utterly useless.

[/ QUOTE ]
This sucks, I agree. But there is SO much to do/see in Rome aside from over-touristed things. Try getting guided by a local.

[ QUOTE ]
The Vatican tour was interesting, but everything else about Rome sucked. Especially the food.

[/ QUOTE ]
You went to the wrong places.

Rome was actually my most miserable travelling experience ever. If you're doing Italy, go to Venice

[ QUOTE ]
1. Alasaka (Done!)
2. Rome
3. Pyramids
4. Machu Pichu
5. Hawaii

[/ QUOTE ]

[ditto]

[ QUOTE ]
Here's your itinerary by Month:
Jan. = Ice Hotel
Feb. = Austrian Tyrol
Mar. = St. Patricks Day in Dublin
Apr. = Spring skiing in Aspen
May = U.S. Naval Academy & Washington D.C.
June = Pebble Beach
July = WSOP
Aug. = Golf in Scotland
Sep. = Switz/Germany/Austria & Octoberfest in Munich
Oct. = Recover from Octoberfest
Nov. = GBR & Hamilton Island
Dec. = Home for the Holidays

Have Fun

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's your itinerary by Month:
Jan. = Ice Hotel
Feb. = Austrian Tyrol
Mar. = St. Patricks Day in Dublin
Apr. = Spring skiing in Aspen
May = U.S. Naval Academy & Washington D.C.
June = Pebble Beach
July = WSOP / Weekend trip to the World Cup Final in Germany
Aug. = Golf in Scotland
Sep. = Switz/Germany/Austria & Octoberfest in Munich
Oct. = Recover from Octoberfest
Nov. = GBR & Hamilton Island
Dec. = Home for the Holidays

FYP

[sfer]

I have a friend who biked from Alaska through South America: record here. (http://www.the-road-south.com/) That seemed pretty cool.

[jhall23]

One thing I really want to do is go to South America (Peru/Brazil) and get into an Ayahuasca Retreat (http://www.biopark.org/sprtqu3.html) . This is just one I have found, there are several others as well.

[Philuva]

I have done a fair amount of traveling and here is my top 5. I am going to Aus/NZ for month in JAnuary (a week in Melbourne to play in the Aussie Millions Tourney), so this may change after that trip.

1. Na Pali Coast in Kauai, there is an awesome hike along the coast that also treks 2 miles up to an awesome waterfall and swimming hole. The hike is very tough crossing the water many times over slippery rocks so the two times I have done it, my wife and I had the falls to ourselves.
Pictures of Na Pali Coast (http://www.terragalleria.com/pacific/kauai/na-pali-coast/na-pali-coast.html)

2. Drive the southwest, in particular (Zion and Bryce Nat'l Parks, Monument Valley, Sante Fe and Grand Canyon) each of these places is cool enough, but the drives between places are awesome as well. We actually started in Tahoe and added in Yosemite and a very cool drive over the Sierras to LV.
Pics of Bryce (http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.bryce-canyon.html)
Pics of Zion Nat. PArk (http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.zion.html)
Pics of Monument Valley (http://www.terragalleria.com/america/arizona/monument-valley/monument-valley.html)

3. Gap Of Dunloe in western Ireland. All of western Ireland has some amzing hikes, cool local towns with great pubs and people.
Some pics of Ring of Kerry and Gap (http://www.travel-pictures-gallery.net/ring-of-kerry-0001.html)

4. Cinque Terre in Italy. IT is 5 little fishing towns in northern Italy that has some amazing views and cool little restaurants. It can get a lof backpackers in the summer fwiw.
Pics of Cinque Terre (http://www.terragalleria.com/europe/italy/cinque-terre/cinque-terre.html)

5. New York City. I am not sure if you are a city person or not and forget what anyone else telss you though, NYC is the most amzing city and the world and deserves an extended visit. PM for a list of things to do in NYC if interested.

[cdxx]

good topic.

Masada/Dead Sea. If possible, do it at sunrise.

El Capitan, the hard way (the nose).

St.Petersburg, Hermitage and Summer Palace deserve at least a week.

edit : since there was already plenty mentions of Machu Pichu, i've replaced it. oh, and by the way, Everest is in Nepal, and while it's on the border with China, you can't actually visit it if you are in China.