Where have you travelled to?

[AngelPunks]

I was born in the UK, travelled extensively in the British Isles before we got on a boat and travelled to Australia.

I left Australia in 92 to go for a year os - hmmmm I was gone for just over 5 years & here is where I travelled:

Europe: Austria; Belgium; France; Italy; Netherlands; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Switzerland; Andorra; Jersey; Spain; England; Ireland; Scotland; Wales

Oceania: Bali; Singapore; Fiji; New Caledonia; New Hebrides; New Zealand; Australia (All states except Tas, Capital Cities except Darwin & Hobart, Cairns, Airlie Beach, Mackay, Gladstone, Townsville, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, central & west Qld)

America: USA (up and down East Coast, along through the Deep South, LA, Hawaii); Mexico

Africa: Canary Islands; Kenya; Uganda; Rwanda; Zaire; Tanzania; Mozambique; Zambia; Zimbabwe; Namibia; South Africa

Hmmm fave?????
Africa - probably Uganda or Rwanda because they are both beautiful countries even in the middle of civil war (watch Hotel Rwanda - I was there during that time)
Europe - the wine growing region of France
Australia - whitsundays even though our psycho stalker has ruined the area for us
USA - the deep south & New Orleans (I could have lived there quite happily!)

[ZigZag]

Wow - there's some serious travelling been done in this thread - half your luck!!

I've done:
Australia: WA (Kununurra & Broome); Just about all of NSW; VIC (Melb only); QLD (just moved here recently so haven't seen too much but what I've seen, I love)

O/seas: NZ (born there & lived there for 13yrs - seen just about all of it); Bali; Germany; Austria; Italy; London; Amsterdam; Prague & Japan.

Favourite in Austrlia - Broome
Favourite O/Seas - so hard to pick...NZ is a natural favourite being Kiwi & highly recommend Akaroa & Milfound Sounds. That aside, we really enjoyed Sorrento in Italy...very quiet, humble and romantic town.

Want to do heaps more travel one day.....

[Feathertop]

Good thread!!

AUS: VIC, NSW, QLD (my home state), TAS, plus went to Adelaide for a couple of days.

Europe: England (3?times), Scotland, Northern Ireland (lived there for a year), Ireland, France, Spain, Andorra (great skiing), Switzerland (beautiful), Italy (twice), Gibraltar

Africa: Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Cote D'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Zaire (the other Congo), Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana (very civilised indeed!!), Malawi, Tanzania (Zanzibar was unreal), Kenya, plus a quick overnight in Egypt.

Asia Pacific etc: New Zealand twice, Singapore, Vietnam (2-3 times), Thailand (Bangkok only), Vanuatu, Cook Islands.

And the US (East Coast).

Favourites? Loved Zanzibar, such a history and fantastic mix of cultures. Cook Islands had wonderful people and such a beautiful relaxed place (we had our honeymoon there). Great shopping in Vietnam and nice people. And of course I love any place I can go skiing!!!

[runnermum]

Yes, I am both lucky and I have inherited the travel bug from my parents who also met overseas like my hubby and I did. I really made my own head spin when I realised I had been to every continent in the world (and before the age of 30). Since turning 30 not so much travelling, but still a fair amount, and a LOT different type of travelling with a toddler.

[Chalalan]

Wow, there are some well travelled people on this thread!

Travel is addictive and I am coming up to 3 years away from home at the moment...DF & I are currently doing a tour of South America. You should hear us though, tonights conversation over dinner was all about "oneday when we have our own fridge....."
We are looking forward to getting home and starting a family and having a place to call our own!

Here's a list of countries I have been to:

Australia (all states except Tasmania and ACT) - LOVE the South West of WA - Its my favourite place in the world (apart from New York City!)
Japan (Need to go back, is too fantastic!)
New Zealand (could retire to the South Island!)
Fiji (ah, take it or leave it, full of honeymooners and young kids on Gap year who want to get ****ed...interesting mix/clash of cultures with the Indian migrants and the Fijians.)
Bali (I hated Bali...sorry to all who loved it...but its a tourist nightmare!)
Tanzania (lived there for 2.5 years, met my DF there! And I agree about Zanzibar! Have a look at my profile as it has my blog address and if you go to the very start of the blog there are photos of Zanzibar (and lots of other places) for anyone interested...)
Kenya - Nairobi mainly
Zambia - Victoria Falls(and walked across the bridge into Zimbawe but it felt really eerie and we didn't want to be anywhere near Robert Mugabe!)
Mali-for work for a couple of weeks, doesn't really count, but Bamako is crazy place - french designer dress shops in streets with open sewers running past the front door!
United States (New York x3 - my fave city!, Washington DC (my dad lives there but the poverty there is SURPRISING!), Orlando Florida (NASA rocks!), Key West for diving, New Orleans (Bourbon St is sleazy but fun for the music and being able to walk the streets with Margharita slushies!), Vegas (how can anyone NOT love Vegas?? Going back in a week to get married there with Elvis! Grand Canyon is worth a look as well as the sinking of the pirate ships outside Treasure Island casino), saling in Chesapeake Bay, and into the Virginia countryside where the "South" starts and old homesteads sit on tabacco estates...more to see in the States, its a big country!
United Arab Emirates - Dubai only, I like Dubai but its seriously hot in summer!
Turkey - The Poms have ruined some of the most beautiful beachtowns in Turkey, such a shame to have young Turkish men say in broad English accents "hows it going Love?" Get into the countryside though and the landscape & people are fantastic! There are Greek & Roman ruins EVERYWHERE and 'cos there are so many, they dont care if you climb all over them!
Spain - Barcelona is gorgeous and tapas and sangria...yum!
Austria - Vienna is kinda boring city but great opera,
Slovenia -This country is a gem, stunningly beautiful covered in a layer of snow and Lubjana is a fairytale city,
Czech Republic -Prague is another fairytale city,
Germany-Berlin is another city I would love to spend more time in,
Italy- I got pickpocketed my a bunch of ten year olds - not happy! - but so full of history and stunning architecture,
Belgium - over 400 varieties of BEER!!,
France - Champagne & St Emmilon - absolute highlights if you are into wine and food and lets face it - who isn't?, [
B]England[/B], Ireland,The Netherlands - Europe is fantastic but still more to see and do there...need to have more time and money!
Peru x2 -Machu Pichu is a 7th wonder for a reason!,
Ecuador (not the Galapigos Islands unfortunately...),
Bolivia (one of the BEST value countries going! Going back after Vegas to hit the jungle (Amazon basin) and travel through Bolivia to Chile),
Argentina Buenas Aires is more European than Europe! Has fantastic cafe culture. Heading back after Chile to Patagonia and End of The World (Ushuaia) to try and do Antartic cruise.

Then home via London & Dubai for Christmas! Yay!

Sorry if this is too long, but travel is a passion. I am really keen to get to Asia but its on my "oneday" list at the moment. I'm dead keen on travelling to Vietnam and want to get there before it changes too much, but then I think that about Eastern Europe and Russia too and they are still on the list... Ah, life is too short and things like earning a living really get in the way!

[slyder]

Runnermum - I have a scene from the South Georgia Islands as my computer desktop. You're very lucky if you can find another person who's actually heard of them!

[dusty]

how did i miss this thread! i used to love travel, now i just love my little love nest with DH in the ‘urbs of canberra and exploring aus. however, as the daughter of two travel agents it was expected that my 3 sibblings and i explore the world.

as a child i travelled extensively in the pacific with my folks
fiji, new caledonia, tonga, new zealand, vanuatu, uk, singapore, new zealand

as an adult i lived, worked and traveled independently for 5 years. here are some random snap shots from my memory.
czech republic - just post berlin wall, split of czech and slovakia, pivo (beer), living in communist housing, trams and underground arty crowd
poland - ahh the dumplings (and tripe soup!) auschwitz was both the high and lowlight
hungary - what a language! how does anyone ever learn it.
turkey - the romans left a big mark and the limestone pools of pamukale are out of this world as are the heads at nemrut dagi
israel - a country with a buzz and tension you will never experience anywhere else.
jordan - bring on Raiders of the Lost Ark backdrop of Petra. some of the loveliest people
egypt - probably the most generous people in the world (once you get away from the tourist spots). organised chaos on a huge scale.
greece, lived and worked on boats in the sporades, dodecanese, cyclades. where you can never eat too much yoghurt, haloumi and 'horta'
gibraltar - illegal border crossing to spain, cheeky monkeys are sure to steal your purse.
spain, well if you count algeciras and ceuta in north africa.
switzerland, the country of rules where you can never step on the grass, but the chocolate makes up for it
austria, frozen lakes, dancing horses and the most expensive coffee
france, a country that is given a bad rap for rudeness, but where I found a proud and generous people
england, where you must go hiking in leather boots, red laces and black leggings – and it must be raining. dry weather is no fun for hiking.
wales, my home base for many years – it really is wonderful place and some of the longest town names in the world
scotland, wild wild wild and wonderful.
northern Ireland, a complex place when i visited but the most enjoyable place for hitch hiking and meeting the locals
republic of ireland, wild wild wild too. baileys, music, music and guiness
morocco, a difficult but rewarding journey,
western sahara, a no mans land, covered with mines, hitched through with a one armed frenchman
mauritania, fond memories of ramadan, feet and hand henna painting, traveling on a 3km long ire ore train 500miles through the dessert, wild affair
senegal, an oasis after the desert. boabob, the vibrant colours of west Africa everywhere. bandits, and malaria
gambia, bogged for 3 days in a mangrove, boring English cuisine after franco/african food
guinea bissau, portuguese architecture in ruins, remote islands, and conversing in russian to get out of being arrested.
mali, hot dry, riots, hitch hiking with contraband smugglers
ivory coast, 3 day mask festival, sloths, malaria and hospital
ghana, living in a tower room of a coastal fort, witnessing a suicide attempt, illness, sweet white bread, also magnificent cloths and jewelry
togo, bribing a border crossing, love bite from a monkey, and a drug raid by the police
benin, juju (voodoo),
nigeria, complete bedlam, amazing art, cultural diversity, secret police and intimidation. poverty on a huge scale. a population exploding.
cameroon, end of the line, no way out – overland journey halted, english and french areas, split by colonial times,
kenya, so many mazungus (white folk), massai, kikuyu, samburu, safari!
uganda, matatu parks, wild mountains, rest and work, the jewel of east africa
ethiopia, mind blowing christian culture, best food ever, lip plate mursi people, lions roaring, being arrested (again), living with tribal people
india, trains, vegetarian food everywhere, people people people, weird europeans
nepal, mtns mtns mtns, beauty, serenity and dhal bhat.
east malaysia, orangutans, forests and clear felling, erosion, dyak people, assault
brunei, gold plated mosques, night markets, free theme park
singapore, order and rules, shopping shopping shopping, minority groups
hong kong, shopping, shopping shopping
thailand, meditation, illness, monks and self awakening
solomon islands, poverty on our doorstep, lagoons, reefs, volcanic islands
east coast USA, broken thumb, shopping shopping shopping. leaves in the fall.

favourite: no competition - ethiopia, so much to explore and experience
place wld like to visit: kimberleys, WA
tropical diseases picked up along the way: you dont want to know!

dusty

[dusty]

babylove, i hear you on the fridge! when i returned home all i wanted was a fridge and my own bed.
sounds like you are having a fabulous time over there in SA!

[Chalalan]

Dusty, you are one well travelled chick! I LOVE ethiopian food, my fave restaurant in the world is "Addis in Dar", a small & intimate restaurant in Dar Es Salaam. I tried cooking it once for my folks and made them eat with their hands! It turned out great. Getting the crepey pancakey thingys right was the hardest bit, there are that many variations on the recipe. My only experience with Ethiopia itself was 12 hours in the airport on a stopover, but I have heard fantastic things about the country. Oneday!!!

[rurumummy]

Hi,

In Aus ive lived in Vic and Syd(havnt seen much of australia despite being here all my life)

O/S-Ive been to Egypt x2 and Morocco x2 Dubai

I loved Morocco ,because its my DHs home country i stayed with my dhs family and my expirence was not that of a tourist but i got to see there day to day lives ,i love the moroccan culture

Didnt like Egypt much,the poverty is really bad and depressing

I love travelling also and would love to go all over the world.......but with 2 kids and 1 on the way ..i dont think so!!! lol

[MrsFabuloso]

I'm jealous of all of you wha have been able to travel the world!! One day I hope to be well travelled...

In Aus: various parts of NSW, Melbourne, a few places in Qld, Canberra

OS: (On a cruise) Vanautu, New Caledonia, Fiji

My favourite places are Melbourne, Cooloongatta(good memories more than the place ) and Vanautu.

I really hope that I can go to (in particular) Spain, Greek Islands, Denmark......lotsof places. I must get saving...

[jaspen]

Australia - most of Qld; most of NSW and ACT; NT; SA; good chunk of Victoria; and Perth and south in WA
Overseas - almost all of NZ; the west coast (top to bottom), Nevada, Arizona Hawaii and wisconsin areas of USA; British Columbia and Alberta in Canada

Am waiting to get to Europe but since DHs been numerous times that could be a long time coming. And will be doing more of the USA and Canada at some stage maybe also skiing in Japan. Asia doesn't interest DH (except skiing in Japan) so I doubt I'll ever get to see any of it.

At 6 months of age my youngest son had been on 20 plus flights and done 1000s of kms in the car.

My fave is probably Canada (other than coming home to my own bed of course)

[lil_chookie]

I have travelled all over Australia - I love our country. My DH has not been to the Northern Territory so I am keen to take him there.

New Zealand - spent time snowboarding in Queenstown and then spent 2 weeks driving around. What a beautiful country, like driving through a postcard.

Singapore, London, Ireland (drove all around Ireland - another beautiful country), Switzerland (Bern, Zurich, Nechetal, Geneva), Holland (Amsterdam - what a crazy place!!), Germany (Rhine - beautiful), Austria, Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome, Pisa), France (Nice, Wine Region, Paris).

My favourites are:

Switzerland - such a beautiful country with beautiful people. Spending time boating on the big beautiful lakes was one fo the best times of my life.

French Riveria - If I could, I would live in Nice. I just love the old town. After sunning myself on the beach I would wander through the markets, friendly & relaxed people help make the place as great as it is.

Paris - I LOVE Paris. I don't know what else to say!!

Venice - I also LOVE Venice!!

Rome - While it is not one of my favourite cities, I was in awe of the history the whole time I was there. I kept saying to myself, "wow I am walking around Rome!!".

[Chalalan]

Lil Chookie, Rome is like that huh...I expected to love it but I didn't. I really liked it but it wasn't that instant affinity with a place that you get sometimes. Maybe the people there are just too stylish and slobby backbacker chic just doesn't cut it there!

Jaspen, what is it like travelling with kids? It looks like a nightmare (seeing the really tired mums on long haul flights with arms full of bags 'n kids is not pretty) but when they are a bit older, its got to be good fun?? Its one of the things I'm most looking forward to about having kids, showing them the world and having an excuse to go to theme parks!!

KellieM - you will travel more! If you want it, it will happen! Its easy once you decide to do it. Its expensive, yes, and no, we dont have a house...but we decided that having the life experience was more important and the rest would happen later (loosing a friend who was only 27 made a big impact on us too and made us realise that we had to live the life we wanted to live).

[lil_chookie]

Lil Chookie, Rome is like that huh...I expected to love it but I didn't. I really liked it but it wasn't that instant affinity with a place that you get sometimes. Maybe the people there are just too stylish and slobby backbacker chic just doesn't cut it there!

The people were so rude and I found the city really dirty (my feet were black walking around Rome in thongs). But I would still go back!!

[MrsFabuloso]

Jen, I do really want to travel, but we have a mortgage and loans, etc... so at the mo' it can't be a priority. When I go back to work it will be though and we will specifically save for it. I aim to go overseas somewhere within the next few yrs. I want my children to be well travelled as I never went anywhere further than around NSW when I was little and I always wanted to, but it's not something an 8 yr old asks for christmas, KWIM??

[Chalalan]

Where would you have asked to go to when you were 8 KellieM - and dont say DisneyLand!! I think thats great saving specifically for travel, I´m thinking that I´ll set up an account when I get home and get back to work too and just get automatic deductions straight into in of small ammounts every week and hope it builds up over time. Luckily Asia is right on our door stop and not too expensive!

[Tracey]

In Aus: Melb, Sydney, NT (school camp for 4wks) & QLD..

O/S:Indonesia (A few different islands), Singapore, Malaysia..

Without a doubt my favourite place is Bali, it's where I met my beloved Hubby, it's where I feel alive, It gave me the strength to stand up for myself at a time when I was in a real bad spot..
I have been to Bali atleast 50 times, including living there for 8mths of a year for 4-5yrs & then working in OZ, to support my next trip, Maddison is on her 3rd passport & the littlies have just had their first trip to Bali to see the inlaws too...
I dont think it will be too much longer before we do return to live...
I agree with Bali being too Touristy in some parts, however in Hubbys village being the only non Balinese ppl, it is a true/real experience.... Head out of Kuta/Legian/Seminyak & you'll see how life really is in Bali.

A place I want to see.... Kathmandu, Maddy & I are going to travel there for 3mths when she's 16!