My fellow Europe board fodorites: I need advice on spontaneous adventure!
Jun 2nd, 2007, 11:15 PM
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My fellow Europe board fodorites: I need advice on spontaneous adventure!
I will get raked over the coals for non-specificity...but who cares... I need help.
After a crazed year, culminating in getting canned from my poltical job because of, well, political upheaval...I NEED AN ADVENTURE!!!
I have an $800 voucher on American from my July 2006 last minute trip to Sevilla and Granada. I need to use it by August...and am getting torn all which way.
My paramaters: except for a limit on 2 1/2- max 4 weeks...I HAVE NONE!
Options:
-Heading to my ancestral homelands of either Italy; Austria; Romania; and the Ukraine (I have yet to go to any, but for a short pit in Italy) OR ALL.
-Head to E. Europe (CZ is as far East as I have gone)
-Combo Greece and Turkey
-Scandenavia (its warm).
Additionally, because I have friends there, I have thought about Australia/NZ...or Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia. I know this is not the board for that stuff...but I trust you folk.
Remember, I am a single, soon to be 33 y.o. traveller who is into history, food, wine, culture, etc. I can handle myself just about anywhere...and crazed travel does not bother me. I most likely will be travelling solo!!!
Yes...a broad topic...but hopefully I can get steered in SOME kind of direction so I can then really boil down what I need to ask.
Thanks y'all!!!
After a crazed year, culminating in getting canned from my poltical job because of, well, political upheaval...I NEED AN ADVENTURE!!!
I have an $800 voucher on American from my July 2006 last minute trip to Sevilla and Granada. I need to use it by August...and am getting torn all which way.
My paramaters: except for a limit on 2 1/2- max 4 weeks...I HAVE NONE!
Options:
-Heading to my ancestral homelands of either Italy; Austria; Romania; and the Ukraine (I have yet to go to any, but for a short pit in Italy) OR ALL.
-Head to E. Europe (CZ is as far East as I have gone)
-Combo Greece and Turkey
-Scandenavia (its warm).
Additionally, because I have friends there, I have thought about Australia/NZ...or Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia. I know this is not the board for that stuff...but I trust you folk.
Remember, I am a single, soon to be 33 y.o. traveller who is into history, food, wine, culture, etc. I can handle myself just about anywhere...and crazed travel does not bother me. I most likely will be travelling solo!!!
Yes...a broad topic...but hopefully I can get steered in SOME kind of direction so I can then really boil down what I need to ask.
Thanks y'all!!!
Jun 3rd, 2007, 12:41 AM
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Adventures in Europe: There aren't any! (maybe Russia?) But what about Port Headland -> Gibson Desert -> Great Sandy Desert to Ayers Rock in a Toyota bushtaxi. For safety reasons I wouldn't do the trip alone, but go with a friend.
Jun 3rd, 2007, 01:13 AM
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If it's an adventure, why not ask yourself what you mightn't otherwise have done as a "normal" holiday.
Which points to Australia or Eastern Europe (Romania/Ukraine), out of your options.
The time you're thinking of would make Australia a bit rushed for such a longhaul journey: might be worth starting to plan (and save!) now for a longer trip in a few years' time.
On the other hand, if "ancestral homelands" implies you need to do some research on exactly where your family connections are, you mightn't have time in hand to prepare for that: but you could treat the trip as some preliminary investigation, perhaps.
Which points to Australia or Eastern Europe (Romania/Ukraine), out of your options.
The time you're thinking of would make Australia a bit rushed for such a longhaul journey: might be worth starting to plan (and save!) now for a longer trip in a few years' time.
On the other hand, if "ancestral homelands" implies you need to do some research on exactly where your family connections are, you mightn't have time in hand to prepare for that: but you could treat the trip as some preliminary investigation, perhaps.
Jun 3rd, 2007, 01:33 AM
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I've found my trips to Latin America to feel more adventure-like than my trips to Europe. Try Mexico--Chiapas and the Yucatan--or Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Rain forests, Mayan ruins, colonial cities, beaches, military check points, and a slight risk of coming down with some tropical disease always makes for an exciting vacation. Happy travels!
Jun 3rd, 2007, 01:38 AM
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Turkey is an amazing country, the crossroads of so many civilisations. And a great party town. It will be HOT in August, but don't let that deter you. Istanbul is also a good gateway city to Eurasia (and Turkish Airlines, which has a partnership with American so you can get AA miles on Turkish Airlines), has an extensive route network in Europe and Eurasia.
Have you considered doing something physically challenging, like booking a walking/hiking tour somewhere? It has the advantages of being a package for part of your trip, which reduces the stress associated with planning, but it will allow you to meet people and also to explore some places up close. There is supposed to be a terrific walk (called the Lycean Way, I think) along the coast in Turkey. But there are lots of other options. I've booked with Sherpa and Explore in the UK.
A trip like this would be for about 10 days (plus one or two for arrival and departure) and to that you could add another side trip (even to another country).
Another option, depending on whether you like studying, is to take a language course somewhere for 2 weeks (or even just a week) and then do some exploring. I've done several language holidays, and I find them a great way to meet people, to sightsee, to provide a little structure to my day, to live like a local and learn more about a country's culture and history. They're often relatively cheap, too, if you stay with a family. Plus, if you just got canned from a job, being able to put something education-oriented on your cv (while having it be part of a holiday) looks good. So, if you have 4 weeks, you could spend 2 weeks taking a language course and another 1.5-2 weeks exploring the country whose language you've been studying.
Languages Abroad and Cactus have good websites showing you various options for studying languages around the world.
Have you considered doing something physically challenging, like booking a walking/hiking tour somewhere? It has the advantages of being a package for part of your trip, which reduces the stress associated with planning, but it will allow you to meet people and also to explore some places up close. There is supposed to be a terrific walk (called the Lycean Way, I think) along the coast in Turkey. But there are lots of other options. I've booked with Sherpa and Explore in the UK.
A trip like this would be for about 10 days (plus one or two for arrival and departure) and to that you could add another side trip (even to another country).
Another option, depending on whether you like studying, is to take a language course somewhere for 2 weeks (or even just a week) and then do some exploring. I've done several language holidays, and I find them a great way to meet people, to sightsee, to provide a little structure to my day, to live like a local and learn more about a country's culture and history. They're often relatively cheap, too, if you stay with a family. Plus, if you just got canned from a job, being able to put something education-oriented on your cv (while having it be part of a holiday) looks good. So, if you have 4 weeks, you could spend 2 weeks taking a language course and another 1.5-2 weeks exploring the country whose language you've been studying.
Languages Abroad and Cactus have good websites showing you various options for studying languages around the world.
Jun 3rd, 2007, 02:32 AM
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Adventure isn't so much a matter of where as of who and how.
Mountain climbers don't conquer mountains, they conquer themselves. The mountain is still there.
You have a good sense of what you like; what makes you uncomfortable (I won't go so far as to say what are you afraid of)?
Use this time to confront it.
If your mind is constantly full and you are a slave to activity, go to a monastery or zendo or to a very isolated place where there is little or nothing to do.
If you are a compulsive planner, go to a railway or bus station and get on the first bus or train that is leaving. Deal with whatever you find at the end of the trip.
Tell us what happened when you get back.
You are 33. You will be increasingly less able to do this kind of trip as you get older and have more responsibilities and a body that is less able to handle discomfort.
Do it now.
Mountain climbers don't conquer mountains, they conquer themselves. The mountain is still there.
You have a good sense of what you like; what makes you uncomfortable (I won't go so far as to say what are you afraid of)?
Use this time to confront it.
If your mind is constantly full and you are a slave to activity, go to a monastery or zendo or to a very isolated place where there is little or nothing to do.
If you are a compulsive planner, go to a railway or bus station and get on the first bus or train that is leaving. Deal with whatever you find at the end of the trip.
Tell us what happened when you get back.
You are 33. You will be increasingly less able to do this kind of trip as you get older and have more responsibilities and a body that is less able to handle discomfort.
Do it now.
Jun 3rd, 2007, 03:07 AM
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You have a pretty wide list... I haven't been to all of them. Not even most of them. 
But of your list, I've been to Romania, Australia and Cambodia.
Ok, of those - Australia has the best wine and the least amount of culture shock. "crazed" is going to have to come in the form of planned outdoorsy activities (or nightlife). Pretty much the same sort of whitewater rafting tour you could do back home. It's a wonderful country, but not exotic when it comes to lifestyle. It's to be my next trip (again) and being married to Australian I have to watch what I say, eh?
But as much as I truly enjoy relaxing around Oz, I still am eagerly trying to decide where the next "real" trip will take us.
Romania, actually, I think is a bit adventurous. It certainly isn't subtle, the changes one notices when crossing the border from Hungary to Romania. I actually found much of Thailand more developed than Romania. Very "old world" and traditional throughout much of Transylvania. There, of course, is some encroachment of modernity everywhere, but western Europe it isn't. Quite a lot of gothic to medieval rustic architecture to scout. The white wines are making a comeback with several good options. Food, on the other hand, still tends toward your meat and cabbage options. Sarmale (steamed meatballs in a grape leaf) and mititei (spicy sausages) stand out a good, but not really very diverse options.
I'm biased on the final one, as my favorite place in the world is Cambodia. Even after this last trip, just back from Morocco (which is another thought if you want fun and crazy) But let me say that Cambodia not without it's difficulties. Outside of Siem Reap (Angkor) and Phnom Penh, you need to expect to make due with what's there in the way of infrastructure. Guest rooms can be very basic as can be transportation. There are no trains to speak of, for instance and boats scheduled to take 4 hours can take 14. The wine, if you find it, is French or Australian. Suspect the same of the rest of Indochina by the way. The beer is excellent and more refreshing with a curry! Khmer local foods were sweeter and more subtle than the typical Thai dish I'm used to. Fish or chicken amok is good and the Khmer curry is a lot like a sweet curried beef stew, complete with carrots and potatoes. Yum. More importantly, the people in Cambodia are kind, and for me, unforgettable.
Good luck with your planning.
But of your list, I've been to Romania, Australia and Cambodia.
Ok, of those - Australia has the best wine and the least amount of culture shock. "crazed" is going to have to come in the form of planned outdoorsy activities (or nightlife). Pretty much the same sort of whitewater rafting tour you could do back home. It's a wonderful country, but not exotic when it comes to lifestyle. It's to be my next trip (again) and being married to Australian I have to watch what I say, eh?
But as much as I truly enjoy relaxing around Oz, I still am eagerly trying to decide where the next "real" trip will take us.Romania, actually, I think is a bit adventurous. It certainly isn't subtle, the changes one notices when crossing the border from Hungary to Romania. I actually found much of Thailand more developed than Romania. Very "old world" and traditional throughout much of Transylvania. There, of course, is some encroachment of modernity everywhere, but western Europe it isn't. Quite a lot of gothic to medieval rustic architecture to scout. The white wines are making a comeback with several good options. Food, on the other hand, still tends toward your meat and cabbage options. Sarmale (steamed meatballs in a grape leaf) and mititei (spicy sausages) stand out a good, but not really very diverse options.
I'm biased on the final one, as my favorite place in the world is Cambodia. Even after this last trip, just back from Morocco (which is another thought if you want fun and crazy) But let me say that Cambodia not without it's difficulties. Outside of Siem Reap (Angkor) and Phnom Penh, you need to expect to make due with what's there in the way of infrastructure. Guest rooms can be very basic as can be transportation. There are no trains to speak of, for instance and boats scheduled to take 4 hours can take 14. The wine, if you find it, is French or Australian. Suspect the same of the rest of Indochina by the way. The beer is excellent and more refreshing with a curry! Khmer local foods were sweeter and more subtle than the typical Thai dish I'm used to. Fish or chicken amok is good and the Khmer curry is a lot like a sweet curried beef stew, complete with carrots and potatoes. Yum. More importantly, the people in Cambodia are kind, and for me, unforgettable.
Good luck with your planning.
Jun 3rd, 2007, 05:02 AM
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In understand your dilema because none of the options are clear choices ahead of the others.
The deal breaker to me would be the answer to the following question:
What is the country/region that I will have the less possibility to visit in the future?
If you have friends in Australia/NZ/ Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia, then it is likely a trip there in the future is a good possibility. If not, then that would go to the top of my list....
Scandinavia is not a bad choice; be mindful that once there, Scandinavia is not cheap, which might something to consider given your present job situation.
Greece & Turkey would rank third.
On that note: please define adventure. Is a 2-star hotel an "adventure" to you; staying on a fishing village in Laos?, camping solo by a fjord? hiking in Crete? Hitchiking around Morocco?
The deal breaker to me would be the answer to the following question:
What is the country/region that I will have the less possibility to visit in the future?
If you have friends in Australia/NZ/ Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia, then it is likely a trip there in the future is a good possibility. If not, then that would go to the top of my list....
Scandinavia is not a bad choice; be mindful that once there, Scandinavia is not cheap, which might something to consider given your present job situation.
Greece & Turkey would rank third.
On that note: please define adventure. Is a 2-star hotel an "adventure" to you; staying on a fishing village in Laos?, camping solo by a fjord? hiking in Crete? Hitchiking around Morocco?
Jun 3rd, 2007, 07:00 AM
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the NY times travel section has an article on "the other Machu Pichu," Choquequirao which sounds fascinating. don't know whether American voucher can get you to Cuzco.
although it is the colder time of year May to September is the dry season in the Andes so considered a good time to travel.
although it is the colder time of year May to September is the dry season in the Andes so considered a good time to travel.
Jun 3rd, 2007, 09:34 AM
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What about the Balkans?
You could travel from Romania down through Bulgaria to Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, possibly venture into Albania, or Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina.
Croatia is well documented here, but it is harder finding out about BiH and Serbia, and Macedonia too. I have found out so much fascinating stuff about Sarajevo and can't wait to go there.
There are some useful forums on tripadvisor regarding getting around in these countries which are still fairly 'remote' (for want of a better word) and off the beaten path, therefore still cheap to visit, but becoming more popular by the month.
Good luck wherever you choose to go, and DON'T FORGET THE TRIP REPORT!
You could travel from Romania down through Bulgaria to Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, possibly venture into Albania, or Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina.
Croatia is well documented here, but it is harder finding out about BiH and Serbia, and Macedonia too. I have found out so much fascinating stuff about Sarajevo and can't wait to go there.
There are some useful forums on tripadvisor regarding getting around in these countries which are still fairly 'remote' (for want of a better word) and off the beaten path, therefore still cheap to visit, but becoming more popular by the month.
Good luck wherever you choose to go, and DON'T FORGET THE TRIP REPORT!
Jun 3rd, 2007, 09:42 AM
#14
Most days leaving in July your AA voucher can get you to Buenos Aires and back (from Miami or NYC, a little more from the west coast or Chicago/DFW.) Read Scarlett's ongoing trip/relocation report in the Fodorite Lounge.
You could also fly to Anchorage, visit Alaska then take the State ferry back down;
For Europe you'll need to add some dollars (up to a bunch) for most destinations in Europe booking at this time for travel in mid-summer.
You could also fly to Anchorage, visit Alaska then take the State ferry back down;
For Europe you'll need to add some dollars (up to a bunch) for most destinations in Europe booking at this time for travel in mid-summer.
Jun 4th, 2007, 10:24 AM
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I hate it when people don't answer the question but....
What about the High Atlas in Morocco (Bloody hot in August, but) or Jordan and Oman?
Otherwise, I'd go for touring the Swedish islands in the Baltic.
What about the High Atlas in Morocco (Bloody hot in August, but) or Jordan and Oman?
Otherwise, I'd go for touring the Swedish islands in the Baltic.
Jun 5th, 2007, 08:57 AM
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I am finishing up some contract work...but am excited to look at these responses tomorrow.
Thank y'all so much.
Quick question for the Morocco trip (tons of my Brit friends have gone and loved it):
I am generally afraid of very little...I grew up in hands down one of the toughest parts of NY and, coupled with my backpacking travels, I'd like to think that I am pretty aware of my surroundings.
Dream trips to Africa/Middle East include rafting the OMO River (Ethiopia); Egypt; Israel; Iran (one day); etc.
Morocco and Jordan are high on the list. While I know BOTH are relatively safe, I do have some fear that this may be the wrong time to head off to that area of the world. I know very little Spanish and French, and "grandma" Italian (I know what she wanted when she asked).
Any thoughts on the idea that it may be the wrong time to head as a solo, non-speaking, American to that region?!
And believe me...Morocco is so high on my list...you cant understand. I read an article about snowboarding the Atlas mtns. and the sand dunes...and that is on my MUST DO with a bunch of friends!!!
Thank y'all so much.
Quick question for the Morocco trip (tons of my Brit friends have gone and loved it):
I am generally afraid of very little...I grew up in hands down one of the toughest parts of NY and, coupled with my backpacking travels, I'd like to think that I am pretty aware of my surroundings.
Dream trips to Africa/Middle East include rafting the OMO River (Ethiopia); Egypt; Israel; Iran (one day); etc.
Morocco and Jordan are high on the list. While I know BOTH are relatively safe, I do have some fear that this may be the wrong time to head off to that area of the world. I know very little Spanish and French, and "grandma" Italian (I know what she wanted when she asked).
Any thoughts on the idea that it may be the wrong time to head as a solo, non-speaking, American to that region?!
And believe me...Morocco is so high on my list...you cant understand. I read an article about snowboarding the Atlas mtns. and the sand dunes...and that is on my MUST DO with a bunch of friends!!!
Jun 5th, 2007, 09:11 AM
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Always looking to meet new people!!!
Isn't that what the crux of traveling is all about?! Heck, I just had my aussie friends (met through a, ahem, holiday romance I once had) show up at my door last week...and of course I let them stay (hadn't spoken with them in four years prior).
Jun 5th, 2007, 10:03 AM
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My husband and I had a terrific trip to Morocco (part of our honeymoon) in 2005. If you'd like to go but are a little anxious, why not book a walking tour for the start of your trip? That will get you accustomed to the country, provide travelling companions and provide guides. Then you can go explore on your own afterward. We booked with Sherpa (UK) and had a very good experience.
