CC, I'm lucky to live where many interesting places aren''t very far away. Sometimes we went someplace like Charleston for a reason other than to visit Charleston but it was defintely fun to spend some time there although brief. I haven't done much traveling outside the US and might not again. Looking back over the years I don't think it was possible to change some things so exploring the world wasn't something I could do although a culinary tour of some part of Asia might catch my attention and last dollars. Lately I'm looking close to home to see what I might have overlooked. I've been very lucky to have an annual long weekend with friends and have fone some places I would have missed if it weren't for them and what they wanted to do.
this year, garlic festival in Mystic CT!

dfrostnh, looked at it like you have, you make a good point. Certainly Charleston or Mystic are plenty interesting. And I love your area for scenery.

Our parents drove us all over the US in the back of a pickup truck when we were kids, and hit Charleston, New Orleans,... all over the US except the "big" cities (parents were averse to large cities like NY). To be honest, even our own area wasn't quite as boring as I let on, with multi-day canoe floats through the Ozarks, or being an hour from Hannibal and such. Even a trip into St. Louis or over to Cahokia could be an adventure in its own way.

Much the same could be said of where we live now. Lots of beautiful options for short or longer trips. Pretty little towns, thriving cities, stunning views. Very lucky in that way.

I think I got hooked on cultural immersions though that don't seem to present themselves on domestic trips. It's very much about something in my head. I've become spoiled by the excitement of the unfamiliar, to be honest. We said some years ago that we'd go to some places that we might find challenging later on and save the (perceived) "wine and relax" destinations for later on. Europe and more domestic trips seemed like options we could still tackle once mobility and such became an issue. But now, I still find myself wishing for a trip way outside my comfort zone in a way that a visit to Canberra or the Blue Mountains or Byron Bay can't provide.

Eating your way around Asia on the other hand sounds amazing! That's getting closer to my wheelhouse lately. I found myself re-researching how hard it is to go upriver by boat in Indonesian Borneo recently and realised... there's no way I'm ever going to do this. lol

This is a real question = What is the EASIEST way (and less stifling heat way) to see Vietnam, Thailand (and maybe Cambodia)?
Sincere question. I want to go but I don't want stifling heat nor "hard" access. Geez. It sounds like I am getting old!

Go in the winter. Hire a car and driver to take you around. Nice hotels are very affordable, stay in a club room.
November in Vietnam was nice. Thailand/Cambodia in late December into early January was a bit hot but dry (arrived day of the tsunami). My car (with AC) arfrived early on the day I went to Angkor Wat. It was something like 72F to 76F and the driver was amazed that I wasn't wearing a jacket. It was cold for him. It was dry, though. I remember feeling sorry for people riding in tuk-tuks because they were exposed to the dusty roads.

If you want to eat your way through Asia and live in the USA, you can do that by just flying to Orange County, CA or to LAX or Long Beach. There is quite a variety of authentic Asian restaurants in ethnic neighborhoods.

Well, that's an idea!
I'd like to see the places too.
I am a bit concerned I won't like "real" Thai food. I'm not a fan of spicy.

Thank you!
Suggestion for where to find car & driver? Word of mouth? Arrange via hotel?
Thanks sincerely for the info!

I thought of something else that has moved from bucket to chuck it. There was a time when I wanted to have dinner at The French Laundry. I knew it was expensive but I didn't know it costs a plane ticket to Europe, per person. So I will chuck it in favor of a plane ticket to Europe.

I remember Fodorites talking about it.
Never got there. Not disappointed.
Planning trips to Europe right now!

Starrs, totally get it about the heat and humidity. I agree with Mrwunrfl as far as going in January or Febuary and hiring a car with A/C in a number of places. I think it's probably best to get personal recommendations when you can and hopefully the Asia board can help out with current information when you're ready. Hotel advice, IME, can be spotty with the possibility you'll end up with a driver that keeps trying to take you to shops you don't want to go to. Most will acquiesce to a "no", but I find it tiring to keep having the conversation.

You can't always avoid a period of heat, of course, as you'll probably want to get out and have a look. Say at Angkor, our driver Mr. John, would wait patiently and when he'd see us coming, start the car so the A/C would be kicking in as soon as possible. Much appreciated! We also got a rain and then a cool change while we were there, so you never know.

Also where you go matters. Hanoi, for instance is a beautiful city with a French colonial centre and is usually noticeably cooler than Saigon. We went over to Luang Prabang, Laos in the midst of our Hanoi stay and it was easily 15 degrees (F) hotter. Thankfully, that was mitigated by the fact that we stayed wet most of the time in LP due to their New Years festivities and people throwing/spraying water everywhere.

Similarly, northern Thailand was pretty tolerable plus it's hilly and that helps. I self-drove in that area, so again, A/C car too.. For me, Bangkok was the hottest of the places we've been in Indochina, (Bali and southern Sri Lanka were steamy on a whole other level). But in Bangkok, it's pretty easy to make cuts through modern A/C cooled malls and department stores and pop out the other side feeling better and probably carrying a bubble tea for good measure. Also the skytrain is cooled as long as you use it in non-rush hour periods.

Finally, it's good to do like some locals and try to avoid the hottest part of the day. Evening is still warm but if you get a breeze and don't go on any forced sightseeing marches, it can be really pleasant if you find a spot from which to observe the world.

CC. that is really helpful!

Thanks!

similar for me is The Inn At Little Washington. Im just not a gourmet and wouldn't really enjoy it enough to justify the cost. Chuck it.

also chucked "stay in an ice hotel." I value being warm and cozy too much. No amount of bedding would make me comfy. I'm hesitant to even visit the northern lights for this reason though they are still "bucket list" for now.

No worries starrs. Oh, and by the way... no issues getting Thai food that's less spicy. All you have to do is ask. I think the only time that didn't work was at a Thai restaurant in Park City, Utah. And Vietnamese and Cambodian food isn't particularly spicy anyway.

My driver in Bangkok was arranged by Ratt who was recommended by the Thailand fans on the Asia board, back when they were around Ratt arrangwd for her sister to drive me around Chiang Mai. I used both of them for day trips and had no issues. The guy in Bangkok recommended a stop on the way - to buy fruit! Yummy stuff that I had never seen before.

The driver in CM did make a stop at a place where women were hired by the government to make paper. That was kinda dumb. She took me all the way up to the Burma border. Had to leave mty passport with the border guards and hired somebody to drive me around to a couple of sights, a couple hours.

The plan for the day did include going back to the hotel pool during the midday heat.

I hired the driver in Siem Reap through the hotel. No issues with him. He spoke English. They have a language training system for the locals. I heard other driver/guides speaking Spanish, Chinese, and idk.

In Ayutthaya I hired a tuk-tuk at the train staion that was operated by a young couple.No problem other than heat and dust.
.

i just had a post go to the mods. IDR if I mentioned that I got around Bangkok by skytrain, taxi, walking and the most excellent river boats.

So true. Good friends, travel-oriented friends, have gone to Antartica seven times and India several. One of the couple certifies hospitals in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere and has been there probably 15 times.

I and we very strongly prefer travel in Europe and aim to get to Oceana as well (I've been to NZ but DH has not(, but have less interest in our close friends' choices and even in Asia, though now having a Chinese branch of the family we may travel to China at some point. So many people I know love or want to visit Japan; I just find it hard to give up Italy or Iberia to go there.

So while we will stay open to others' suggestions and opinions, with the later years closing in on us, we will need to be selective. And chuck a few places. One long-term goal has been to visit during Christmas Markets, and we leave the day after US Thanksgiving.

>> The plan for the day did include going back to the hotel pool during the midday heat.
That comment was in the wrong place. That was the plan for SR, Cambodia. Chiang Mai was not hot.

My oldest brother organised a courier flight on Concorde for my youngest brother's 40th birthday.
He gave me a bottle of champagne. I don't like champagne.
We gave DH a tandem sky dive for his 50th birthday. He is glad he did it but wouldn't want to do it again.

That was the best part about Fodors. One had enough time to read others' trip reports or comments about travel and realize (without saying a word) they had very different travel styles/ interest. By far that's the "best" travel plus of the former (years ago) travel forum. Now it's pretty much just dead.

I've been trying to get to Germany and the Christmas markets with my best friend and her husband (who grew up there). Five years. I thought I had a conflict so was planning a Plan B = New Years Eve with a friend who wants to go to Munich. But I just couldn't get excited about that so now am back to trying to schedule a December trips with dates that coincide with their Munich dates. I've very excited that this year may be the charm!

Have fun this year, annw!

In the past I've had virtually no interest in going to Asia. That's changing. A bit. If I can figure out a way to do it that works for me.

The post was very helpful. Thank you!