The 'Wow!' factor (or not).
To follow up on the conversation in Craigs trip report, I was wowed by Burma; laid back people, gorgeous countryside, Lake Inle...
...and I was underwhelmed by Bali; polluted, crowded... If we include Turkey as an Asian destination, it provided the biggest 'Wow!' I've had yet. |
Places I was "wowed" by:
Angkor Central Java Sri Lanka Egypt Petra my first experience of Bangkok wowed in a quieter way by Luang Prabang Places that I felt underwhelmed by: Greece Chiang Mai There are lots of places I've enjoyed but did not feel wowed by, for instance, Morocco, Bali, Singapore, Hong Kong, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak, Viet Nam, Turkey. |
Hmmm WOW
* Egypt * Kenya * Venice Italy * Paris (ALWAYS) Underwhelmed * Greece (got REALLY SICK) * Limerick (though Ireland is cool overall) |
Wowed by places...Denmark...at the age of 17...back in 1973....Ghana a few years ago...went twice in two years...Morocco and Tunisia...back in either 1981/1982 or 1982/1983...Paris...back in 1976...the first time....Singapore/Thailand/Bali...the first time back in 1998....and New Zealand...back around 1994...and also Istanbul..back in 1999. That's all I can think of right now. Happy Travels!
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Underwhelmed: Greece
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When I discussed this with my wife Jeane she reminded me that we too were "wowed" by our first trip to Thailand.
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Places wowed by (in no special order:
Borobodour Bali (back in 1989) Cappadocia Florence & Tuscany Venice Alhambra High Atlas Mountains & their oasis Karakorum Highway Kashgar Market Burma Killing Fields Angkor Bangkok temples first time Jain temples in India Lake Atitlan & Chichicastenagro in the 70s All of England Paris & Vence/St. Paul de Vence area NOT Wowed by: Rome Spain (escept for Alhambra) Portugal Singagpore Lombok Phuket Ireland Malaysia Delhi Beijing Scotland Scandinavian countries Lots of other places I'd put in the middle category (great trip by no wow):Vietnam, rest of Turkey, China, Greece, Israel, Hong Kong, Japan etc |
Wow factor?
Angkor (Forever in my memory) Egypt (Luxor and the valleys) Vienna Petra and of course.....Phi Phi! Lots of mini-wows....but thats my top five. |
If I had to narrow the WOWS down to I think they would be:
1. Jain temples in Rajasthan 2. Karakorum Highway (1992) 3. Morocco -- especially High Atlas Mountains (1980) 4. First trip to Thailand which was also my first trip to Asia (1985) 5. Bali (1989) 6. Florence (1972) 7. London (1968) |
You guys are so organized! I've tidied my list up a bit.
Wow: #1 Turkey (2002) #2 (Almost a tie for #1) Burma (2006) England (1991) Mexico/Cancun (1995)Loved the warm crystal clear water, the pyramids, colonial and indigenous history (Merida). Laos (2007)- Never seen a landscape like that before. Wowed on the flight into LP. Non-Wow: Bali - (2001)For reasons listed earlier Morocco- (2000) Hassle factor, didn't find people to be that friendly. Nigeria- (1993) HOT! Steamy, crowded. Jamaica- (1993) Where I discovered I really didn't want to spend my entire vacation on water sports. Bahamas- (1997)-Discovered I wasn't into duty free shopping. Hmmm, looking at the lists above is making me re-examine Greece for next year. |
Wow, the Colonial towns of Mexico. Hanoi. English countryside. Safari in Zambia. Nara, Japan. South of France.
Non Wow, Australia. Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. Agua Prieta, Mexico, Texas |
My list of "wows" in no particular order: A lot
New Zealand Egypt Canadian Rockies Midwest USA - Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, etc. India (specially Varanasi) Norway Switzerland (Berner Oberland) Bangkok Patagonia Peru (Machi Pichu) Capadoccia (Turkey) China (Guilin) Japan Angkor Wat Santorini Amalfi Coast Iguazu Falls Non "wowed" Chile Mexico China (except Guilin) France Australia Hong Kong Denmark Sweden Rio de Janeiro |
Paris
BKK RHKKMK |
Wowed or not wowed, Bill?
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Wowed:
Florence (1967) Rome (1967) Paris (always) Japan (1969) Hong Kong (1970) Sicily (1976-1979) Bangkok (2000) Istanbul (2007) Not Wowed: Nova Scotia |
I have always been wowed by Bob!
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After sleeping on this question, I realized that there were also "wow" experiences that were a part of a larger trip:
staying in the primary rainforest in the Danum Valley in Sabah the Tower of London Wandering alone in the Grand Bazzar in Istanbul until I knew my way around Bora Bora Being driven in a beat-up station wagon out into the barren rock and sand of the Sahara outside of Erfoud, Morocco. As a boy on the fender pointed the way through the drifting sand and the water bubbling through the rock, the wind exposed sections of perfect Roman roads. Spending the night at a tiny oasis - the stars so bright and plentiful. Arising in the morning to watch the sun rise over the dunes and returning to the oasis to be served bowls of chocolat chaud and freshly baked bread. |
lets see....almost every place we visit with a few exceptions:
non-WOW's: korea ireland all of florida, especially orlando gpanda in a speedo las vegas weekend market, bangkok chiang mai WOW's: turkey X 2 thailand, each and every trip angkor wat egypt, especially the first sighting of the pyramids as you fly across the dessert on arrival into cairo major european cities: paris, london, prague, berlin before the wall came down collobrieres, france windsor castle taj mahal, in any light first view of machu pichu as you round the corner of the entrace gateway needham common any fodors GTG grand palace, bangkok d'orsay museum, paris |
I forgot to add...Florence...in the early 1980s, I think it was. Happy Travels!
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Wow:
Bali (1986)...worried from the comments above that it has changed for the worse Tobago Cays in the Grenadines...jaw dropping beautiful water/beaches Chiapas, Mexico (1993) Tuscany Paris (I thought it would be a cliche....but it was just lovely) Ravello, Amalfi coast So-So Barcelona (thought I would love it) Berlin Capri |
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