The "perfect" vacation
Aug 23rd, 2006, 09:06 AM
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The "perfect" vacation
When you make plans for your vacation, how many times do you say to yourself "I hope that...." or " I want ..... this from my holiday" ? What in your mind will make for the "perfect" vacation? Before I lay my cards on the table as to what makes my perfect vacation, let me offer a few points to consider and maybe you will have others.....
Weather
Do you select your holiday destination based on predicted weather or climate? Is good weather a major factor in your choice of destination or do you take a chance on the weather because you like the place so much and just have a Plan B if the weather is disastrous
Choice of Destination
To you, what is the perfect destination? Is it the sound of the sea, the tranquility of the countryside or is it the bustle of a big city. Is it maybe a child-free environment you seek or a place with lots of nightlife? Is the perfect holiday one with plenty of physical activities like cycling and walking?
Vive la difference
How many of you want your holiday destination to be as similar as possible to where you are living. How many of you prefer the holiday destination to be a total contrast to where you are now living?
Culture
For a perfect holiday, do you want to go to a place which is culturally different? A place maybe where a different language is spoken. Would you look upon that as a fascinating challenge which enhances the vacation or an would you consider the language difference to be an unecessary nuisance? If you are an animal lover would you take a vacation in a country which treats animals with less respect?
Food
Do you pick your holiday as a way of trying out new foods or are you a person who needs the big chain of fast food outlets to be on every corner of your holiday destination. Does food and hygiene play a part in chosing your holiday destination and making your holiday perfect?
Politics and race
How much do you take into account the politics of the place you are going to visit? Can you disassociate yourself from the politics. Does safety play a part in your choice of holiday destination?
Company
How important is to you to travel with somebody Would you ever consider travelling alone and if so do you think this detracts from the "perfect vacation". Would you rather not travel if you had to do so alone. Do you always choose a vacation which will bring you into contact and let you socialise with lots of people. Is a perfect holiday to you, a group holiday?
So have a think - there may be other points I havent covered. Tell me what points you consider are important in trying to achieve the "perfect vacation" and in which order of prioity you would rank the importance of each.
Weather
Do you select your holiday destination based on predicted weather or climate? Is good weather a major factor in your choice of destination or do you take a chance on the weather because you like the place so much and just have a Plan B if the weather is disastrous
Choice of Destination
To you, what is the perfect destination? Is it the sound of the sea, the tranquility of the countryside or is it the bustle of a big city. Is it maybe a child-free environment you seek or a place with lots of nightlife? Is the perfect holiday one with plenty of physical activities like cycling and walking?
Vive la difference
How many of you want your holiday destination to be as similar as possible to where you are living. How many of you prefer the holiday destination to be a total contrast to where you are now living?
Culture
For a perfect holiday, do you want to go to a place which is culturally different? A place maybe where a different language is spoken. Would you look upon that as a fascinating challenge which enhances the vacation or an would you consider the language difference to be an unecessary nuisance? If you are an animal lover would you take a vacation in a country which treats animals with less respect?
Food
Do you pick your holiday as a way of trying out new foods or are you a person who needs the big chain of fast food outlets to be on every corner of your holiday destination. Does food and hygiene play a part in chosing your holiday destination and making your holiday perfect?
Politics and race
How much do you take into account the politics of the place you are going to visit? Can you disassociate yourself from the politics. Does safety play a part in your choice of holiday destination?
Company
How important is to you to travel with somebody Would you ever consider travelling alone and if so do you think this detracts from the "perfect vacation". Would you rather not travel if you had to do so alone. Do you always choose a vacation which will bring you into contact and let you socialise with lots of people. Is a perfect holiday to you, a group holiday?
So have a think - there may be other points I havent covered. Tell me what points you consider are important in trying to achieve the "perfect vacation" and in which order of prioity you would rank the importance of each.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 09:14 AM
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If I had to stop and consider all these things before planning my perfect vacation,.... well let's just say I do not.
It would drive me carazy!!
Politics never even enters my mind,...unless I was considering the Middle East perhaps. Race? Never.
I just pick a spot that I have ben "dreaming" about. That's all.
It would drive me carazy!!
Politics never even enters my mind,...unless I was considering the Middle East perhaps. Race? Never.
I just pick a spot that I have ben "dreaming" about. That's all.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 09:24 AM
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Some amount of negotiation with my SO occurs which is why we are probably going to Nova Scotia next summer instead of the Grand Canyon/Sedona next spring. In the past we have also used vacation time to visit family which is really great when they are living in a place that is great to visit. I'd say our very best vacation was when both of us agreed on a destination, it was a place I had been dreaming about, included a little bit of adventure and a different culture.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 09:36 AM
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Tell me about it, GoT!
I especially love...
Politics and race
How much do you take into account the politics of the place you are going to visit? Can you disassociate yourself from the politics. Does safety play a part in your choice of holiday destination?
So, where does the "race" part of it match up? Politics or safety?
I especially love...
Politics and race
How much do you take into account the politics of the place you are going to visit? Can you disassociate yourself from the politics. Does safety play a part in your choice of holiday destination?
So, where does the "race" part of it match up? Politics or safety?
Aug 23rd, 2006, 11:34 AM
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I would never think to plan a perfect vacation. "Perfect" is a fantasy; I'd be setting myself up for disappointment. I use no pre-planned itinerary, just a list of things/places to do/see. I try to accomplish some each day and don't fret if I don't. Vacation should be fun, not work.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 11:45 AM
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Assume good intent . . . I think I heard that somewhere 
Weather: extremes would be a destination criteria (e.g., Alaska in January), but normal variations (e.g., it might rain) not. A rainy trip to Ireland in October was one of our best vacations.
Destination: we (my better half and I) prefer countryside/natural beauty to cities, although historic & neat architectural man-made sites are cool too.
Difference: yes, we prefer our holidays to be in places different from where we live, or at least not a clone.
Culture: that's a tough one actually. We do like to experience a place where the people are different from us (or the people back home), but as far as not knowing the language, that is nerve-wracking. I don't like not being able to communicate, or having to communicate at the level of a 4 year old. So for cultural differences, we use the Goldilocks method--find the difference that's just right.
Food: that's a big pull, to experience different cuisines. So yes, food is a consideration, but not really a limiting factor as far as choosing a destination. More like learning about the food choices in the place we've chosen and seeking out the local cuisine. Definitely will not eat at American chains outside the U.S., and we tend to avoid those anyway even at home.
Politics and Race: um, where does race come into play? Anyway, politics at the national level is not our concern unless it rises to the level of posing a safety risk or a moral problem perhaps (e.g., a country committing egrigious human rights violations). Although even with the latter, does it do any good to punish the people of a country (assuming innocent hospitality industry personnel) for the sins of the government?
Company: lots of room for variety here. I could consider traveling alone, but traveling nirvana for me is traveling with my wife. And we tend to leave open the possibility of meeting local people rather than taking a group of our friends along. Nothing against getting together with your pals, but we do that enough at home. I think it is harder to meet and talk to local folk when you travel in a large pack.
Weather: extremes would be a destination criteria (e.g., Alaska in January), but normal variations (e.g., it might rain) not. A rainy trip to Ireland in October was one of our best vacations.
Destination: we (my better half and I) prefer countryside/natural beauty to cities, although historic & neat architectural man-made sites are cool too.
Difference: yes, we prefer our holidays to be in places different from where we live, or at least not a clone.
Culture: that's a tough one actually. We do like to experience a place where the people are different from us (or the people back home), but as far as not knowing the language, that is nerve-wracking. I don't like not being able to communicate, or having to communicate at the level of a 4 year old. So for cultural differences, we use the Goldilocks method--find the difference that's just right.
Food: that's a big pull, to experience different cuisines. So yes, food is a consideration, but not really a limiting factor as far as choosing a destination. More like learning about the food choices in the place we've chosen and seeking out the local cuisine. Definitely will not eat at American chains outside the U.S., and we tend to avoid those anyway even at home.
Politics and Race: um, where does race come into play? Anyway, politics at the national level is not our concern unless it rises to the level of posing a safety risk or a moral problem perhaps (e.g., a country committing egrigious human rights violations). Although even with the latter, does it do any good to punish the people of a country (assuming innocent hospitality industry personnel) for the sins of the government?
Company: lots of room for variety here. I could consider traveling alone, but traveling nirvana for me is traveling with my wife. And we tend to leave open the possibility of meeting local people rather than taking a group of our friends along. Nothing against getting together with your pals, but we do that enough at home. I think it is harder to meet and talk to local folk when you travel in a large pack.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 12:21 PM
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Hmmm...lots of questions but okay, I'll bite! 
Weather
I definitely consider weather, although I prefer to travel during off-peak season when there aren't mobs of tourists. I'm not a "beach" person so this doesn't affect me too much.
Choice of Destination
I'm open. To be honest I prefer a combination. I love visiting the countryside but I try to throw in a few days of city as well. However, some of my favorite places, like Rome, are cities. I love ocean views, but again I'm not into beach vacations so that isn't a must for me.
Vive la difference
I travel to experience different cultures and different ways of living, so I prefer things to be quite a bit different from home if I'm planning my "ideal" vacation
Culture
I absolutely prefer places that are culturally different. Right now I am addicted to Europe, primarily for this reason. I love to experience new cultures. I don't consider language to be much of an issue. I have been to places where English isn't widely spoken, but I have never had a problem getting my point across when necessary. And I always enjoy learning a little bit of a new language. I am open to traveling almost anywhere.
Food
I'm way too picky to ever pick a destination on food alone. Sure, its a bonus if I'm going somewhere with fantastic cuisine, but overall its not a factor. We are going to Croatia in November and I don't eat any seafood at all so I'm kind of concerned about what I'll eat, but I'm sure I'll be fine.
Politics and race
This doesn't really affect my decision to travel at all. Again, I'm pretty open on where I'll travel. I would love to visit places in the middle east. Sure, I care about my safety, and I wouldn't travel somewhere if I thought it was dangerous, but overall I'm pretty adventurous in that aspect.
Company
My favorite travel companion is my husband. I would consider traveling alone, but I would miss him dearly if I did. We have a lot of similar tastes and to experience something new with him is something I treasure. I usually travel to Europe, and I enjoy meeting new people. However, because I don't always know the language I am a little hesitant to just strike up a conversation. I will let a local take the lead; if they want to chat, I'm all for it.
Most important to me is to pick a place that I find visually and historically appealing. I love the outdoors, and any place with beautiful scenery is always nice. I also love experiencing new cultures. Basically I just do lots of research before I choose my vacations. I think that a vacation is probably a mixture of all of the things you asked and more.
Tracy
Weather
I definitely consider weather, although I prefer to travel during off-peak season when there aren't mobs of tourists. I'm not a "beach" person so this doesn't affect me too much.
Choice of Destination
I'm open. To be honest I prefer a combination. I love visiting the countryside but I try to throw in a few days of city as well. However, some of my favorite places, like Rome, are cities. I love ocean views, but again I'm not into beach vacations so that isn't a must for me.
Vive la difference
I travel to experience different cultures and different ways of living, so I prefer things to be quite a bit different from home if I'm planning my "ideal" vacation
Culture
I absolutely prefer places that are culturally different. Right now I am addicted to Europe, primarily for this reason. I love to experience new cultures. I don't consider language to be much of an issue. I have been to places where English isn't widely spoken, but I have never had a problem getting my point across when necessary. And I always enjoy learning a little bit of a new language. I am open to traveling almost anywhere.
Food
I'm way too picky to ever pick a destination on food alone. Sure, its a bonus if I'm going somewhere with fantastic cuisine, but overall its not a factor. We are going to Croatia in November and I don't eat any seafood at all so I'm kind of concerned about what I'll eat, but I'm sure I'll be fine.
Politics and race
This doesn't really affect my decision to travel at all. Again, I'm pretty open on where I'll travel. I would love to visit places in the middle east. Sure, I care about my safety, and I wouldn't travel somewhere if I thought it was dangerous, but overall I'm pretty adventurous in that aspect.
Company
My favorite travel companion is my husband. I would consider traveling alone, but I would miss him dearly if I did. We have a lot of similar tastes and to experience something new with him is something I treasure. I usually travel to Europe, and I enjoy meeting new people. However, because I don't always know the language I am a little hesitant to just strike up a conversation. I will let a local take the lead; if they want to chat, I'm all for it.
Most important to me is to pick a place that I find visually and historically appealing. I love the outdoors, and any place with beautiful scenery is always nice. I also love experiencing new cultures. Basically I just do lots of research before I choose my vacations. I think that a vacation is probably a mixture of all of the things you asked and more.
Tracy
Aug 23rd, 2006, 02:26 PM
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The perfect vacation(s): Paris in late May, The Northeast and Southeast in October. I like cool and crisp weather and I enjoy both the city and countryside. Most important is good company (aka my husband.)
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