Looking for a great destination for a college graduation gift, of about two weeks. We live in the U.S. and would exclude it and the rest of North America and Europe, where we often vacation.

We like ancient ruins, monasteries, temples and shrines, good (exotic) food and a strong vibrant culture. We like a good walk or hike. We like mountains and the sea. We like cities!

We don't need shopping or a beach.

We hate hot, sticky weather -- thus have excluded Southeast Asia, an area we would very much like to visit.

Places we are considering are Morocco and the Galapagos & Peru.

We would very much welcome your suggestions!

FD

Tell us when you plan to travel - that might help eliminate some possibilities based on your hatred for hot, sticky weather.

Well, that would be May, as indicated in the title. We're considering Japan -- would that work?

Japan would be a great choice. It can get hot and sticky, but May should be okay. If you can sort out hotels reasonably, then I think its reputation for being expensive is overplayed.

As for Morocco, I would note that May is already getting warm there, with averages already in the mid-80s.

Oops! I missed the title of the thread. Sorry about that.

I was going to suggest Turkey during the shoulder season as an alternative to Morrocco, but it will be warm in May. If you like cities, Istanbul is a must. The rest of the country is full of great places to hike if you head east and south. Plenty of historic sites, ruins, religious structures. Mountains to the east, sea to the west and south. You sound like you'd like Cappadoccia. The food is among the best in the world, I'd say.

Again - sorry about missing the title.

No offense taken!

Thanks for the recommendation -- oddly enough, Turkey is this year's destination. Have the tickets and reservations for the first few nights in Istanbul, but have to finish up. Will be in Cappadocia for three nights.

It's looking like Japan for the graduation trip next year.

Morocco - Marrakech - is beautiful, it is a city with personality and sure to give you strong cultural experience. Atlas mountains are nearby (one day trips).
The only thing is that in May it will most likely be too hot there (not sticky, but hot), they have almost desert climate, as locals warned me. It is a good winter destination.
If you eventually go to Marrakech I recommend hotel La Casa del Sol - very cheap, in the very centre, and helpful friendly staff.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_R...Marrakech.html

I visited Beijing, Shanghai and xian in May last year and found the weather to be very nice. It was sunny most days with comfortable temperatures 25-28 deg C for being outdoor. Historic sights in Beijing are outdoor.