Your 1st non-safari vacation after Africa?
 

Hi - we're planning on a 3 week vacation to Italy. This will be our first "real" vacation since our safari in 2005.

Italy has always been one of our favorite countries to visit, but I'm secretly afraid that it won't live up to Africa. So, the question is: what was your first post-safari vacation? where did you go? did it meet your expectation? did you compare it to the safari?

Judy

New Orleans for Jazzfest--definitely met my expectations (although bittersweet of course because of Katrina). Did not compare it to the safari--it helped with my post safari blues.

But I have noticed something about my travels post safari--while I have enjoyed them, there comes a moment when I am back home and I mentally calculate what the trip cost and how many safari days it would have paid for!

nowhere as interesting as Italy, but have been to the mainland 2 times and a 3 day stopover in London since my first trip to Africa. Every day there I would say, "This sure isn't Africa!" but I say that everyday at home also!

Hello,

My first trip after Botswana this year will be San Francisco for a wedding -- so not really a vacation per se in that I didn't pick the location, but I'm sure it will be great. My pre-Botswana trip was to Florence, Italy combined with Egypt (Cairo and Luxor) - a bit odd, but it wasn't a deliberate combination; my sister invited me to go to Egypt after I'd already booked Florence.

I don't really compare the places I visit to Africa - Africa is just so completely different to Europe that it's like apples and oranges -- I love both, but for very different reasons.

Cheers,
Julian

We've yet to take a major vacation elsewhere since our first safari, so I'm interested in the responses too, especially since Mark has said he'd like to go some place other than Africa next year (though I may still be able to talk him into Southern Africa where we haven't been ;) ). I'm also considering Antarctica for late 2007/early 2008 at the moment.

We've taken several shorter vacations in between Africa trips and did enjoy those, particularly our winter trip to Montana which exceeded my expectations (though that was kind of "safari-esque"), but I'm almost scared to plan a big non-Africa trip now :-O

I think the key is not to compare.

bat,
I do the same thing! :D

If I can remember that far back, it may have been Turkey. Outstanding and amazing with the history of human civilizations, those bloody ruins everywhere, warm people, great food. A definite WOW destination. And, there really are lots of WOWs around the world.

Africa is just so special it holds its' own place and draws me back when I least expect. The difference, for me between Africa and elsewhere is that in lingers way longer; a place that's marked on my soul. So, even if I'm not physically there, I am in spirit, always.

My own first non-safari after Africa was about a 17 night trip to Chile.

I was really trying to outdo Africa, and not just Africa but also a trip that included Cape Town (Mount Nelson & Table Bay Hotel), Victoria Falls (Matetsi Water Lodge & Victoria Falls Hotel) and the Sabi Sand (Singita).

Despite my best efforts, Chile was no match for South Africa. The accomodations in the Atacama Desert and in Torres Del Paine left a bit to be desired, as did my hotel in Vina Del Mar, where I started the trip.

Although I now look back in appreciation of places like El Tatio Geysers near the Atacama and Los Hornos in Torres Del Paine National Park, as well as the beautiful Santiago residential area of Los Condes where there are beautiful high rise combos and a nice lifestyle, at the time I did not appreciate it as much.

In my own defense, I did start the trip with a marathon (26.2 miles) in Vina Del Mar...240 pound guys have no business running marathons, especially not after flying for 15 hours the previous day. The marathon was definitely one of the highlights, run along the coast and then part of it inland a mile or two in more agricultural areas. Although I was dead last for much of the race (I have yet to meet a fat Chilean), and had an ambulance at my heels (that followed the last runner), eventually I passed a handful of Chilean runners who I outweighed by 50 - 100 pounds, telling them what I thought of their efforts for allowing a fat American to beat them. The end finally came at about 5 hours 20 minutes, but, whatever, I finished!

Afterward, I was really too beat up to enjoy the Atacama Desert which is largely spent at elevations about 10,000 feet above sea level and that included quite a few strenuous activities (climbing probably the tallest sand dune outside of Namibia, for example).

I do think I made a mistake by not splurging for Explora, especially in Patagonia (although my Atacama accomodations were a bit basic, it featured a restaurant right out of a 5* game lodge, two wonderful dogs, a view of some 18,000' tall free standing volcanic mountain and was an owner run establishment, so I did not mind passing on Explora Atacama).

www.explora.com

(Here is where I did stay in Torres Del Paine and the rooms were about as big as a nice walk in closet!)

http://www.lastorres.com/

Here is my quaint little hotel in Atacama:

http://www.tulor.cl/ingles/index.htm

I would not hesitate to return to Chile and give it another go. However, I would definitely not start this trip or any trip with a marathon as it does take a big toll on the body.

Since Chile (December 2002), I have also made the time to visit Quebec City, Guadalajara, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Italy. I would love to get to India soon but probably not until after I get to Antarctica & Argentina, as this will give me all 7 continents.

At the end of the day, I am afraid, there are holiday destinations and there is AFRICA, alone in a league of its own.

patty:

I am now trying to calculate the "what would that be in safari days" prospectively rather than retroactively so that we can go again sooner than later. So next weekend, an unexpected trip and the non-stop airfare out of my town is ridiculous--so we are driving 2 hours to another airport--and voila have earned 1 safari day for 1 person. Just started trying this--I hope that it works!

I went to Chile in 2003. Valparaiso was my favorite, but I went there after Cambodia & India so in Chile it was.... YAWN.

It was sooo nice and cosmopolitan I got bored.

After suffering through the horrible roads I promised my wife a simple trip to one European city. I think she is leaning towards Barcelona or Madrid.

I would prefer Prague.

Any big sales points on Barcelona or Madrid in December?

Can there be a vacation after Africa? I don't know, I haven't been on one.

I went to Costa Rica last year. It turned into a recruiting trip for Africa ("You mean we really CAN go on safari?!")

Our first major trip after Africa was our honeymoon in Thailand. I think it was a good choice because it was, for the most part, apples and oranges. We went to an off-the-beaten-path resort in the Golden Triangle which was gorgeous. I got to ride a domesticated Asian elephant -- they have taken elephants formerly used in the logging trade and put them to use in the rice paddies and tourist trade so that they can earn their keep rather than being put down. It is sad to experience elephants in captivity after spending so much time watching them roaming free in large herds in Africa -- but still thrilling to touch them and learn from the mahouts who spend so much time with them. We also went to Bangkok and to Phuket, both of which were marvelous. We are returning to Africa in December of this year -- South Africa and Botswana -- and we both can't wait.

It is kind of like when I went to Hawaii after having been in Costa Rica -- I kept looking up in the trees and wishing there were monkeys. It's not the same and you can't wish it any different. You just have to plan another trip to Africa.

Asking that question on this forum is like asking about favorite baseball teams on a Yankees forum!

But, I have been on many, many non-Africa trip since my first safari, and many of them I found as interesting as a safari, including the Galapagos; Southeast Asia (Vietnam and Cambodia, especially); China; Peru and Bolivia; India and Nepal; Australia; Eastern Europe (Krakow, Prague and Vienna); the Baltic countries. They are different from a safari, but not less interesting. In fact, I visited St. Petersburg, Russia in May, and the two half-days in the Hermitage were as interesting to me as a game drive.

I have been on six safaris since 1999, so I obviously do find them very interesting, but there's a big world out there, and with my following planned trips, I'm not sure when I'll next get back to Africa. My upcoming trips (plane tickets in hand) are:

end August 2005 -- Balkan peninsula (Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia)

November -- United Arab Emirates and Oman

December -- Rhodes, Crete and Cyprus

May 2006 -- the five Stans (Kazakh-, Kyrgyz-, Uzbeki-, Tajiki- and Turkmenistan).

But, I'm also researching Gabon and Ethiopia, so I likely will get back to Africa in the next year or so.

Many years ago, more than I would care to reveal, I took my first trip to Africa. The next year I revisited Australia, and it was a real letdown--just didn't compare. It took me 13 years to get back to Africa, and it was just as wonderful as I remembered it. This time my husband and I, who was single for the first trip, were both hooked.

More recently I went to China after more trips to Africa than I care to reveal. I have to say that China was awesome, in spite of the fact that it was an escorted tour.

I would like to believe that I will see India before I am too old to travel.

Hi Judy,

I started going to Africa in May 2000, and since June 2000, I do not consider any other place! For me it is South Africa or I stay at home!

Kind regards,

Kaye

well, most of you guys are not giving me much hope :)

Actually I've been to lots of places since our trip to Africa: Ireland, India, Hawaii, Key West, Japan, China, Vancouver, Cape Cod.... But these were all a few days tacked onto business trips or some family event (yes, I know, we have a very widely dispersed family and lots of offices!).

Italy will be the first "real" vacation -- long time away, no work or family of any kind. I really hope it's as wonderful as I remembered! I agree w/several -- must not try to compare!

Well, I sort of did it in reverse. My best trip has been to Antarctica. After I did that, I figured the only way to top it would be an African safari. Heck, I even added a Kilimanjaro climb. And, while Africa was great, I can't say that it topped Antarctica. I figure I'll have to go back to Africa for another safari to be sure, though. ;)

Of course, then I'd have to go back to Antarctica to check out South Georgia Island. It's a tough job doing all these comparisons, but I'm willing to try.

Oh, and my next trip is river rafting the Grand Canyon in September.

I think I took a fairly quick vacation to the south of France after my first trip to Africa. It was nice, and the food was amazing.

Now that I think about it, I've only been on one-week trips since my first Africa trip. I suppose I must think that if it's longer than that, I might as well go on safari.

I went to Turkey after my safari in Kenya and Tanzania, and must agree with Sandi, I loooove Turkey! It has a special place in my heart that has been usurped by nowhere else thus far.

However the world is a big place, and I am driven to discover new places.

I can't stop myself though from trying to sneak Turkey into every new itinerary. I'm sure it makes perfect sense to stop in Turkey en route to Vietnam ;) (from LAX)!