Hmm...where to go next?
 

Yes, yes...I know I still owe the end of a trip report...but I just can't help but get 10 steps ahead of myself again. :)

Already thinking about next year's trip and trying to narrow down some possibilities. Would like the input of my good friends here.

Originally had thought of Africa (please Fodor's trigger-happy editors, don't move my post to another forum--I may mention other countries outside Asia here) but a safari is way too cost-prohibitive for us right now. Need to save up a few more years for that one.

So here are things I've been jostling about in my head (somewhat listed in order of interest level), taking into consideration our availability and the best times of year to visit these places (FYI, never been to any of these places before):

India (possibly in March or December)
We only have 2 weeks for this trip total (16 days max) and I worry we might not have enough time to see so many things we want to see. Places we're interested in seeing: Varanasi, Agra, Kerala (houseboat), tiger safari (but haven't done much research into the time or ethics involved in something like that.) So, as you can see--many interest, little time. :)

Morocco (March or April)
Thinking of a Marrakech, Fez, Essaouira, desert trek type trip--with a 3 night trip-ender in Paris on the way home.

Japan (possibly April or May trip)
Would like to spend some time in Tokyo shopping and a LOT of time exploring the Zen beauty and nature of the country.

Bhutan (December)
Always been somewhat entranced by this mysteriously place but admittedly don't know much about what there would be to do for 2 weeks there. Sounds like trekking is an option (but see my comment below about possible caveats**) but is there enough to do/see for 2 weeks or would another stopover make sense? Also would it be too cold in December?

Argentina (not sure what time of year--would have to be spring or December)
Really want to see Buenos Aires and Patagonia, and possibly a stop in wine country. David is much more into the idea of Argentina than I--it seems wonderful but what I've seen and read about it reminds me of Europe and that doesn't particularly appeal to me.

I know...it's a cornucopia of all really great places and choices to be thinking about. I just wonder what you guys think might make for the best 2 week trip given the specific times of year and knowing what you know about our interests (those of you who know us.) :)

**Also one more big thing to keep in mind. Our mom may join us for this trip. She's a pretty feisty and active early-60something chick who loves animals/wildlife and loves fashion shopping (great combo in my book!) and she's traveled pretty extensively. She just wants to see more of the world and figures she'll have a better chance of that with us than her DH who is more of a homebody lately.

Looking forward to your advice

I spent two weeks in Bhutan, and thought that was a little too long, but I didn't trek. If you trek AND are there for at least one festival two weeks might work. But I'm not sure that there are festivals in December - I was there in September, and it's an expensive place - minimum spend per day.

India is a fabulous destination, but two weeks isn't very long - you'd probably need to pick north or south rather than trying to so both.

I did Morocco last year (click on my name for my TR) and wasn't as impressed as I expected. I'd certainly go back to India before I'd go back to Morocco.

I'll visit Japan on my next trip, and everything I've read suggests that I'll really like it (except for some of the food, lol), but you never know.

We may have already discussed this over dumplings, but why not Nepal instead of Bhutan? December is perfect for trekking there if that's what you are looking for. I think that's the "dry" season so it may be a little cold in the higher elevations, but not wet. We trekked in November and it was perfect weather. There are plenty of easier trekking areas if your mom will be joining you.

Argentina- Our Spring is their Fall. December is Summer. Yes, Buenos Aires is very "European" but you could combine that with travel outside the cities. Doesn't Bob have a lenthy trip report on Argentina? I've always wanted to go but have not been. Don't forget the great wines and steaks.

Japan is #1 on my list right now and a two week trip sounds like a perfect amount of time to me. Plus that would be a very easy trip for your mom.

I have the same dilemma as you do regarding India. Two weeks just does not seem long enough.

Can't wait to see what you decide.

Myanmar - forget about being politically correct and just do it - the people there need your money and they are some of the friendliest on the planet. And it's cheap. You'll also have some time to do more days in Bangkok which may appeal to your mom...

You can't do India in the way you are accustomed unless you are willing to spend lots of $$$$ and 2 weeks isn't much time.

Bhutan is generally cold and not your style of traveling.

I agree about Myanmar-magical place. But, Africa is one of my favorite destinations and did you check in to a Kenya only trip, possibly using Porini camps? I know a good agent if you need one for the future.

Japan would be wonderful and beautiful during that time (April/May) with the cherry blossoms! Everything will be booked, crowded and even more expensive than it usually is during that time though (especially Golden Week) - but many people say the beauty and atmosphere during that time is worth the extra hassle and cost.

I vote for Burma too, 2 weeks is enough time to get a feel for the beauty of the country and gentleness of its people. As for Bhutan, you know I'm a big fan and there is a wonderful 3 days festival in Trongsa in December (that is unless they decide to extend it a day like they did when i was there). December is also National Day with parades and celebrations throughout the country. Trekking season ends in early November there. No great shopping but Bangkok is a gateway city to fly into Bhutan.

india would have to be december in the north of the country...two weeks would wet your interests.... the hotels are doable if you use lesser hotels other than taj or oberois.. sheraton, marriott and heritage hotels would be nice...

game in s. africa can be done less expensively....plus capetown and the garden route would wow you....look at elephant plains for game.... kruger parks are very cheap and you see lots of game there as well...

argentina is good both spring and fall---opposite of our seasons....we went in oct. and it was fantastic.. you get fashion there and also lots of lovely buildings and great food... it also is easier and cheaper to get to....

we will be in morocco in mid-march too.... its a very interesting place.....also what about turkey??

Vegas!

I vote for India, Morocco, and Turkey in no particular order!

:) From the places that you show interest in on this thread and with the caveats** which may be attached there,is one destination listed that screams in harmony with nature so loudly for your attention that it is clearly heard and need not be mentioned by me......

Aloha!

might it be japan

Even Bob can hear it,lol

So very subtle, Peter. :)

Thanks so far for all the advice, guys!

I should note that while Mom is very young-at-heart for her age, I don't think trekking is her cuppa. I referenced the spring in her step more in regards to her being open to moving around a lot--she's like us in that regard...doesn't need to stay too long in one place and likes to see a lot of different things.

I think it's safe to say that Africa is out this time. We definitely want to do it the *right* way and see the migrations and that will take quite a bit of saving up. It's something to work towards though. :)

Burma is something I want to do with David alone--and considering we're just coming back from 4 back-to-back SE Asia trips, it's a little too familiar to do right away...so I think I can scratch that off.

Bhutan sounds perhaps not the right match given our circumstances (thanks for the reminder about Nepal, Kristina--we definitely haven't forgotten our conversation with you about it--but again, I fear it's a trip for the 2 of us to take alone.)

I think Japan is definitely leading the pack right now--although I do worry about "high season" given that we probably won't be able to shore up any reservations for a few months. Just curious when the 'busiest' time is around April and May. Would prefer to try and schedule around the cusp of that.

The Morocco/Paris combo is probably following up as a close 2nd.

India would be at the top of the heap, but I think we really need 3 weeks there and unless we can pull that off in December of next year somehow, it just may not be logistically possible given our jobs.

Lots to still mull over and far from making a decision--but this gives me a LOT to chew on.

My first trip to India was for just two weeks. Perfect for a first trip. Just don't get all crazy and try to do more that one area, eg Rajasthan, or the "Golden Triangle +one other place such as Varanasi, Darjeeling or perhaps Dharamsala. April would be nice.

Japan is also a perfect two week destination. Small, exotic, great food, lots to look at and experience, great food, cherry blossoms perhaps. Lots of outdoor activities-hiking, walking, bicycling, lots of good food, shopping can be expensive, but oh, the stuff they have! Lots of Romantic and luxury things to do as well. Japan does not feel anything like Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia. Also easy, easy to get around.

We have done trips to Morocco and Argentina both in late March - an excellent time to go to both. Morocco is still our favorite trip - the night in the Sahara still our top adventure!

We really liked Argentina - Buenos Aires may feel a bit European, but EXCELLENT fashion shopping - and not nearly as expensive as Europe - lots of local designers. Plus excellent food, and again, fairly inexpensive. Patagonia is an excellent adventure part of the trip - amazing, amazing glaciers and you won't feel like your in Europe at all. We also incl. 2 nights in Iguazu which was fantastic too. Of course with this trip in March - we hit all kinds of weather - the first snow on the glaciers, ideal 70-80 in BA, and hot 90 in Iguazu.

We are probably headed to Japan next March so I can definitely see why that is making it to the top of the list!!

Oops, I see yous aid December or March for India. Both would be nice. DEcember would be cooler, but March would still be nice and a lot cheaper.

All right then - let's get going with that trip report. Your fans are waiting...

"cusping" the crowd next year would be Lv LAX 4/8 or 9 stay till 4/24 then leave a few days before Golden Week starts

You would arrive back in LAX the morning of 4/24 SUN although you would have left NRT 4/24 Sun afternoon.

You have lots of time as most Japanese hotels won't take reservations till 6 months in advance anyway especially outside the big cities.....

I love India, and two weeks for a first trip, if you can limit your itinerary to one area--is perfectly adequate. I'm no expert--this will be only my third trip (next month) and i hope for many more. As Lcuy said, that is a good amount of time for a first trip to India I'd chose the South (Kerala, TN, Karnataka) as a more mellow intro, although it starts to get pretty hot and humid there in March. You can also plan more more hill country areas there, which will be cooler.

I'm your Mom'sage and found this to be completely do-able. Like her, I love the natural scenery, shopping--but not trekking. A "soft trek" into a village, or to shop,is more my speed!
Re: the tiger safari you mention for India:
Read this. Also, note interesting comments after the article. The blame is probably misplaced (tourism) but the end resultfor us is the same:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle7109878.ece

However, in the South, you can go to Kabini area (we stayed at Cicada--there are other safari "resrots"too) which is not specifically noted for tigers--although we saw one there.

For hotel in India, you can stay at wonderful, clean reasonably-priced (by US standards--less than $100/night if that is within your budget) places without ever stepping foot in a chain hotel whether Indian or American based chain.

My daughter and I spent $200/day for both of us (i.e $100/ per person) which included lovely hotels and /or homestays excellent driver in ac Innova (the size car you'd want , esp'lly if Mom comes) breakfasts at all hotels, all meals at some, etc. If three of you share a hotel room it would average even less per person, and teh daily price of the Innova won't change. The biggest expense was just getting there from California!

You and David have the same Mom? How confusing. You did say "our Mom".

At least you admit the non-completion of your trip report. beth just inquired yesterday. We don't want to move into Ekscrunchyland.

Well, I'm an Indiaphile and would recommend India, but India is an order of magnitude above any place you've ever traveled in terms of difficulty. About a week into our trip to India last fall, MP turned to me and said, "I feel like I am in a place completely different than anywhere I've ever been." If that's what you're seeking, India will give it to you in spades. If not, make other plans.

How about Hong Kong?

We are headed to India for 34 days next March and April. You can have a customized private experience with various budgets, not necessarily deluxe ones. Find a good Indian travel agency like Indian Moments or Indian Panorama and tell them what your time frame, interests and budget is. They will work with you. Bye the way, I just read a posting from a person, who saw tigers after the ban was announced. If you are interested in tigers, I would go to Kanha, Bandhavgarh or Pench (maybe a leopard). The drier the time of year, the more animals congregate at waterholes (easier to see).

Another place in the world, that's really fascinating, relatively safe and with good drinking water, great game and incredible landscapes is Namibia. We were just there in January and loved it.

Whatever you do, enjoy life!!!!

I only wish that I could compare all the places on your list, but sadly, haven't been to all of them.

I just wanted to put in a good word for Morocco. It's got spots that think are overly done and offputting (depending on how you see things, of course). I found Marrakesh interesting, but ultimately not what we were looking for. Too focused on extracting the dirham at every corner, I thought.

And Essaouira is beautiful and relaxing, but also chock a block with Europeans mixed with the local culture. I've read it described as "Morocco lite" and I think I agree. But we'd placed it as our first real stop, and so it served as a toe in the water.

It turned out to be one of our favorite trips overall, maybe 2nd after Cambodia, and we'd like to go back someday. But we feel we've been there, done that with Marrakesh. Have little interest in Tangier and avoided it. I can't wait to go back to Fez and immerse in that mysterious medina again. And to get back to the out of the way places, like the Atlas mountain areas of Azrou for the markets and the eastern side canyons like the Dades Gorge for scenery and kasbahs. Oh, btw - we drove ourselves, which isn't such a crazy proposition as it would be for a westerner in some of Asia.

Morocco gets my vote. Was and still is my favorite trip to date. I echo all Clifton & Jgg have said.

Just got back (last night) from Morocco, we had a fantastic time and can't wait to go back. We finished our stay at Kasbah Tamadot which is about 1 hour outside Marrakech. This hotel is simply heaven on earth..... We will look to incorporate Fez and Casablanca next time. Driving is ok (although driving into Marrakech was busy but do-able)

Planning the next trip before you write your trip report. There are special penalties for that, you know!

A few reactions... I was in Morocco in oh, about 1995 and had a really wonderful time. We had a car and driver for two weeks and covered a lot of ground. We stayed at some wonderful places, one a tiny auberge at a small oasis in the desert.

Also consider Jordan - not only Petra which is incredible, but also Jerash and the areas around Amman.

We researched Bhutan extensively before deciding not to go a few years back. For me, one of the issues was the constant guide, another was the rebuilding of all things old so that all the old buildings, are, in fact, new. I felt like the reason to go there - the culture unchanged for so long - was perhaps a misnomer.

As you know, we're headed on our first India trip this year, to Sikkim and Darjeeling. Here we'll get a goodly sample of Tibetan Buddhism, the Himalayas, and stays in heritage properties. I can imagine it will be the kind of trip you and David would enjoy.

We're getting a 10 year visa for India. I've decided our trick will be to bite off small chunks of India each time so as to fully enjoy it and not get over extended.

BTW, did you see this recent trip report? It sounds great, though very expensive.
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...rip-report.cfm

Well I think we have a winner folks.

We're going to Japan in April 2011!

To clarify, "our Mom" is, indeed, our Mom. Perhaps David's by birth, but after so many years of being together it's all his is mine/mine is his...and I've certainly been yelled at enough like I'm related by blood, so doesn't that count? Sorry for any confusion. To make things even more interesting, we pitched the ideas at Mother's Day dinner last night and it was a clear-cut choice. Not only was she over-excited about Japan (I'm sure she's already shopping in her head!) but so was my father-in-law (who swore he didn't want to take any trips next year)...so much so that both of them are joining us now. The more, the merrier, I say.

I think I definitely need to get a guide and start reading up. This is definitely one I'm going to be able to dig my hands into and really spend some time figuring out.

We will most likely go for (great guess, BTW) the dates HT mentioned (Apr 8 to 24th.) Thinking ahead about our tix: either ANA or UA business--any suggestions? I like the look of the UA lie-flats, but I hate UA service for the most part. ANA probably has MUCH better service, but may not be as comfy. More importantly, I need to start thinking about the places that interest us. God, I'm sure the list will be much longer than we could ever do in 16 days. Things I think I want to see: Tokyo, Kyoto (or somewhere in that area), ryokans, onsens, forests, temples, gardens, anything "old world" Japan (even though geishas don't really exist anymore, I have that image of red bridges and cobblestone streets--does this exist anywhere in Japan anymore?)...I AM SO EXCITE JUST TYPING THIS!

Looking forward to getting started, and YES, that trip report is coming!

Great! I'm sure it will b a wonderful trip! Just follow HT's suggestions. That's what we plan to do when we finally make it to Japan!

I got ahead of myself: I should've included a big thank you to you all for all the great suggestions...as well as your fevered passion and pleas for the places that most

It just give me more places to add to the 'to-see list.'

HT, you and me need to talk! :)

Congrats on choosing Japan!! I just wanted to point out a website that really helped with my upcoming itinerary - it's a personal blog with wonderful pictures and very detailed descriptions and reviews. He and his wife did 8 days in Tokyo and 15 days in Central Honshu so this may help give you some (or too many, in my case) ideas... http://paulstravelpics.blogspot.com/

Color me green with envy. I was hoping we could go this summer but it is not to be. Hopefully next year. Who knows? Maybe we'll go for D's Spring Break which happens to be the week prior to April 24th. :-)

A night in a good Ryokan is a must!!!!!

Just a minor point. Is it true that that sonehow your father-in-law is married to your mom? You are aware that geneological charts use lines rather than circles to delineate relationships.

Japan sounds great. I'm hoping I can convince the LSB to go there.

Great choice - we look forward to going to Japan some day. ANA versus UAL is a tough decision - service on our last flight to Narita (from O'Hare) in biz on UAL wasn't bad. Service on ANA is fantastic (flew them 2 years ago). But...I prefer the totally lie-flat seats on UAL versus the angled seats on ANA - really does make a difference. Bottom line though will probably be availability - do you need 4 tix?

Trip report????We leave in 5 days...We need your insight. Any finds in Ubud?

Fantastic choice! I think you are going to love this journey from the planning stage to the finish.

Good idea to get a few good guide books like the Fodor's Japan 2010 along with some good websites like the indispensable http://www.japan-guide.com/ and come up with a itinerary that will match your persona's.

A myriad of ideas and places are popping through my head right now but am more interested on what "you all" want to, or more importantly, expect to see and do.

BTW the dates I picked were based on the "cusp" qualities you had hinted at and also with the all important weather predictions which will involve a later than this years blooming of the cherry blossoms which is what all my signs are pointing to right now. I'll know more after the next set of readings 6/2. Right now I have Tokyo on a 4/28 opening bloom which would put you there right at the end of peak, which is only my prediction and a early one at that. As you may know all weather agencies won't even make a prediction till Jan but who can wait till then when advance travel planning is involved,lol.

Japan is now your oyster, lets see if we can get you to experience the pearl while your there.

Aloha!

You'll see geishas in training(maiko?) in Kyoto-they were walking around various areas of the city when I was there in Feb. Takayama and Nara felt like "old" Japan and you must experience the bullet train.

Also, service on ANA was great, seats, not so great.