jupiterfla

looking for some tips from fellow fodorites. first off, forgot my login...grrrrr, anyway. for those of us in the sandwich generation, perhaps u can relate. finally am done with all caregiving responsibilities. 'nuff said. but, my 21yr old will be home for xmas, has had a very busy year at college - actually interviewed stephen colbert! and is looking to travel and for some downtime. how do i manage that.... we've traveled a bit, all over usa, london, paris, all of italy, china, new zealand. we missed a trip to scotland this summer because of a family member's illness. now, me - i'm from florida and am not fond of COLD. kid lives in DC. where could we go that has culture, history, downtime, no COLD!!!!! and enough for a 21yr old and enough for me...... your tips will be welcome! thank you in advance!

suze

Mexico

frogoutofwater

I'm not sure how far you're willing to travel, or how much time you have.

If it's just a short time, I'd second the vote for Mexico. Spend half your time somewhere beachy/mellow and the other half in one of the colonial cities. I'm heading off to Guanajuato in a couple of weeks to study Spanish. Another possibility might be Riviera Maya + Merida.

If you feel like travelling further afield, I could recommend Oman, Morocco and/or Egypt. Oman is less travelled, has some interesting culture, and the locals are friendly but less "in your face" than in Egypt and Morocco. It has great diving, too. Oman also felt like one of the safest places we ever visited - we actually picked up hitchhikers while we were there.

We went to Morocco for part of our honeymoon: hiking in the Atlas Mountains, plus a few days each in Marrakesh and Essaouira. Egypt was amazing (a bit overwhelming at times but well worth it.)

jupiterfla

Thanks for the tips!
I'll bring those up with "the kid"
Also thinking about Cuba - kid is into Hemingway. Any ideas 'bout that?

travelgourmet

Mexico or Argentina stick out as good choices from Florida.

Assuming you are American, I simply don't think the positives for Cuba outweigh the hassles and potential legal issues.

suze

Of course you could do any of the Caribbean islands (with Cuba being the most hassle if you are a US citizen). I like Jamaica myself.

But Mexico is so incredibly diverse and I think much better fits the request for "history, culture, downtime" and good weather. A mix of a colonial city with some beach time works in a number of locations there.

Iowa_Redhead

Egypt was absolutely amazing last December at Christmas time. The weather was 70's and sunny and I couldn't have had a better time. I didn't have problems with vendors being too obnoxious but I was with a tour group.

South America? Costa Rica (check weather for December, I'm not sure what December is like)? Australia?

jupiterfla

Thanks again! I do have concerns about Mexico. Don;t really want to deal with that. Been thru the Caribbean - it's our playground and highly recommend it. Turks, St Lucia, and St. John are our fav's. Eleuthura as well.
I like the ideas about South America - I've always wanted to go! where can I explore in a 10-14day window? nice balance of chill and culture. We don;t really need beach - got that at home.

travelgourmet

<i>I like the ideas about South America - I've always wanted to go! where can I explore in a 10-14day window? nice balance of chill and culture. </i>

We did a Buenos Aires/Mendoza (wine country) combo in roughly the same amount of time. A very nice combo. Alternatively, you could combine Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls, Patagonia, or the Lake District.

ash318

you can do Rio and then fly to Iguazu falls on the Brsil side, then fly into Argentina.
this is something that I just planned for someone else:
Feb 19 – private transfer from Buenos Aires airport to hotel
Feb 19 to 21 – 02 nights in Buenos Aires at Esplendor Buenos Aires, 02 suites. Includes breakfast and tax
Feb 20 – half day city tour with private guide
Feb 20 – Tango & Dinner Show with transfers at Esquina Carlos Gardel
Feb 21 – private transfer from hotel to Buenos Aires airport
Feb 21 to 24 – 03 nights in Mendoza at Lares de Chacras, 02 special rooms. Includes breakfast and tax
Feb 21 – private transfer from Mendoza airport to hotel
Feb 22 – full day wine tour (visit to 3 wineries)
Feb 24 – private transfer from hotel to Mendoza airport
Feb 24 to 25 - 01 night in Puerto Iguazu at Panoramic Hotel, 02 standard rooms river view. Includes breakfast and tax
Feb 24 – private transfer from Puerto Iguazu airport to hotel
Feb 25 - Argentina side of the Falls tour with private guide + La Gran Aventura boat tour
Feb 25 – private transfer from domestic to int’l airport in Buenos Aires

frogoutofwater

If you have concerns about Mexico from a security perspective, then you might feel the same way about Rio and Buenos Aires. I travel to Mexico City, Rio, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires regularly and while I think Buenos Aires and Rio are a little less risky than Mexico City and Sao Paulo, there's not a lot of difference to me. My Spanish teacher (who grew up in Colombia) was visiting friends in BA recently and they warned him that the city has become less secure even in the last year. They say there has been an uptick in theft and some violent robbery directed at tourists (and he did see someone mugged in front of him in a nice part of the city, as she came out of a bank).

I'm not saying this to scare you off Latin America, or these cities in particular. I'm willing to go to all of them - so the risks are not stopping me from travelling there. Also, I don't think all of Mexico is equally risky. While I'm very careful in Mexico City (and have no intention of going to some of the border towns), I'm on my way for a solo holiday to Guanajuato in a few weeks and plan to meet up with my dad in PV in the New Year. I'm raising the issue because I don't think you should rule out Mexico (in favour of BA or Rio) due to security concerns, because I don't think BA or Rio are appreciably safer than the places you might go in Mexico.