After roughly 8 months on the road we decided it was time to put
together our own list of favorites and not so favorites, together with other
miscellaneous lists. While not always
following a format of "Best & Worst", you get the idea. We
have included links from time to time to a photo page or a journal entry, so as
to give you a better idea as to why it has made the "Best and Worst"
list.
LAST UPDATED: June 1, 2001 (Most recent
updates are in green)
MOST AMAZING DESTINATIONS:
1. Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, Africa--live National Geographic-like game viewing in the beautiful Masai Mara
and quality visit with the Maasai tribes people (see
photos)
2. Galápagos Islands, Equador--amazing wildlife with
no instinctual fear of man (see
photos)
3. Nepal Himalaya, Nepal--awe-inspiring landscapes and
panoramas; tremendous physical beauty (see
photos)
4. Vietnam--Rich landscape, culture and friendly
people. What helped to make this one of our favorites was the
company: our friends Bo and Heidi and their Vietnamese mother, Mrs. Jansen
and her two nephews who live in Saigon traveled up the coast with us to
Hanoi. (see
photos)
5. Santorini Island, Greece--We stayed in a fabulous
white washed studio that overlooked a volcanic caldera which was filled with the
blue waters of the Aegean Sea. The village of Oia was a wonderful place to
stay. We had a great time with our old friends, Lou and Andrea, and some
new island friends too. (see
photos)
MOST DISAPPOINTING DESTINATIONS:
Fortunately, this was a difficult list to create as we have rarely been
disappointed; instead, we are usually amazed and overwhelmed:
1. Jodhpur, India--perhaps we didn't give it a chance,
but it just didn't do it for us
2. Rio Dulce, Guatemala--while the trip up the river
was beautiful, it wasn't all we expected.
MOST SPECTACULAR NATURAL BEAUTY:
1. Nepal Himalaya--also one of our favorite
destinations (see
photos).
2. Western USA--Grand
Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Mt.
Zion, Arches
National Park, Death
Valley..to name a few.
3. Western coast of Norway, including the Lofoten
Islands--fjords, mountains, lakes, small villages, and the Norwegian Sea.
Neither words not photos can do this scenery justice. You must go
yourself. Until then, you can see 2
Go Norway Photos.
4. The Greek Isles--Amazing blue water, white washed
homes hugging the cliff side and the Greek people living their lives, without
being interrupted by tourism. (see
photos)
5. Sumatra,
Indonesia--Rainforests, crystal clear lakes and rivers, rice paddies and
mountains.
6. The beautiful beaches and spectacular water of
Zanzibar (see
photos).
CITIES WE COULD LIVE AND WORK IN (Besides Atlanta):
1. Singapore--English speaking with all the culture of
Southeast Asia, but the modernity of western countries (see
photos)
2. Paris, France--World renown
architecture, delicious food, romantic setting. We would definitely need
to learn French. (see
photos)
3. Stockholm,
Sweden--stunning architecture and beautiful setting. (see
photos)
4. Tokyo, Japan--chic and modern, with lots of culture
and tons to do (see
photos)
5. Barcelona, Spain--There is an
exciting atmosphere to this city 24 hours a day. We love the modernisme
architecture. It would also be a great opportunity to perfect our Spanish
and learn a little Catalan. (see
photos)
6. London--Stylish and classic; however, a bit
expensive. (see
photos)
7. San Francisco, USA--amazing livable city, but
awfully expensive (see
photos)
PLACES WE COULD RETIRE IN:
1. The Greek Islands--especially Santorini
2. Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia
3. Riudoso, New Mexico, USA
4. Any quiet village in Central America
HILLIEST CITIES
1. La Paz, Bolivia
2. San Francisco, California, USA
3. Lisbon, Portugal
BEST NOT SO TYPICAL VACATION SPOTS:
These suggested destinations are perfect for those who have approximately two
weeks to travel (most Americans) and want to spend it off the beaten
track. We have factored in novelty, adventure, natural beauty, culture,
historical sites, convenience and safety. Also,
these vacations could be done with children.
1. The Greek Isles
2. Egypt
3. Turkey
4. Japan
5. The Norwegian Hurtigruten Coastal Steamer
6. The Galápagos Islands
7. Africa
8. Guatemala
FRIENDLIEST LOCAL PEOPLE:
1. Syria--So friendly and curious are the Syrian
people. Each day involves several invitations for tea. We took many
of them up on this offer and had a wonderful time discussing world politics,
sports and music despite the huge language barriers.
2. Cambodia--wonderfully gracious...even the vendors
3. Egypt--sure, some only want to sell you something,
but on the whole the people are amazingly friendly, warm and sincere; and
everyone is always telling you "welcome"
4. Jordan--Our friendly grocer would offer us free
candy just because he liked us.
5. Greece--Dinner was on everyone.
6. Indonesia--Curious and
friendly. Everyone just wants to chat.
7. Quetzaltenango,
Guatemala--Their casa (home) was our casa (home).
COUNTRY IN WHICH YOU ARE LEAST LIKELY TO FEEL WELCOME:
1. France--It is not that they are mean, it is just
that they do not feel the need to go out of their way to please you.
COUNTRIES OR REGIONS IN WHICH WE WERE MOST LIKELY TO BE
ABDUCTED BY TERRORISTS (GIVEN RECENT EVENTS):
1. Israel
2. Egypt
3. The Basque Region of northern Spain
4. Indonesia--we were in a safe
region of Sumatra. Unfortunately, people think all of Indonesia is
dangerous due to a few isolated incidents.
MOST UNDERRATED COUNTRIES:
1. Vietnam--we were surprised by the tremendous
physical and cultural beauty; truly a great travel destination (see
photos)
2. Egypt--loads of great archaeological sites, cheap
accommodation, great food, and efficient trains and buses; terrorism and the
fear of the Middle East unfortunately keep too many away (see
photos)
3. Guatemala--So much culture
and natural beauty. Everybody is very friendly. Extremely cheap as
well.
BEST FOOD:
1. Thailand--there is a reason Thai food is so popular
in the States
2. Greece--Boklava, saganaki, stuffed grape leaves,
gyros and much more. Eating is an event in Greece.
3. Italy--pizza, pasta, gelati, cannelloni, olives,
salami, cheeses. Each region of Italy offers a different delicious
variety.
4. Malaysia--with its population of Malays, Chinese and
Indians, you get all kinds of great food, including Indian food that is far
better than what you can get in India. Best restaurant of all is Yasmeen
in Georgetown, Penang.
5. Vietnam--wonderful and cheap; plenty of greens and
meat and, of course, "pho", the delicious noodle soup (see
photo of our Vietnamese family enjoying traditional food)
6. Honduras--the best food in all of South and Central
America--except the food that is cooked in Doña Marie's
kitchen in Xela, Guatemala.
BEST NATIONAL DISH:
1. Kushari from Egypt--rice, pasta, lentils, carmelized
onions, chick peas and tomato sauce all mixed together; wonderfully tasting,
filling and cheap; we ate it most every day while in Egypt (see
2 the Essence of Egypt)
2. Pad Thai from Thailand--you've ordered it yourself
in the States; but its much better in Thailand.
3. Pide from Turkey--Turkish pizza. Quick, easy,
cheap and delicious.
4. Pinto Gallo--rice black beans and spiced
oh-so-nice. A Honduran/Nicaraguan specialty.
BEST COFFEE:
1. Vietnam--a wonderful legacy of French colonialism
2. Italy--every morning Italians line up at the coffee bars and
gulp down an espresso or savor the delicious smooth taste of a cappuccino.
We were delighted to join them in this tradition.
3. Indonesia--We have all heard
of Sumatran coffee. It is delicious, especially with sweet milk.
FAVORITE SNACK:
1. Magnum ice cream bars (found all around the world,
fortunately-- do they
have these in the USA?)
2. McDonald's. We favor the Mcflurry ice cream treat and the cheap ice cream cones. However,
after
Rich's Big Mac attack in the middle of the night after a late Big Mac, fast food
dinners have been deleted from our menu.
AND THE "I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD EAT THAT"
AWARD GOES TO:
1. Bull's
testicles--Tapas bar in Barcelona, Spain.
2. The adorable little impala
that we saw running around the Selous game reserve.
MOST EXPENSIVE COUNTRIES (not including the USA):
1. Japan--comparable to New York or San Francisco, but
maybe even a little more expensive (although when we were there the dollar was
reasonably strong against the Yen)
2. Israel--after traveling through ultra-cheap Egypt
and Jordan, the expense of Israel was a shock; but its still cheaper than the
States
3. Costa Rica--given its well-developed tourist
infrastructure and the number of visitors it receives each year, prices are well
above those in the rest of Central America
4. Belize--very expensive; a fixed exchange ratio
against the US dollar for the past several years, and often you don't think
you're getting your moneys worth
5. All of Europe, especially
Scandinavia with Norway leading the pack. Oh well, we knew it
would be.
LEAST EXPENSIVE COUNTRIES;
1. Indonesia--So
inexpensive, you cannot spend your money if you try. Quality lodging for
as little as $1 per day. Upscale accomodation for $6 usd per day.
Delicious meals and drinks average $3 usd for 2 people. Indonesia is by
far the cheapest country that we visited.
2. Ecuador--cheap, cheap; but its people are suffering,
as their live savings become less valuable each day
3. Vietnam--food and accommodation are a great value,
but a two-tier pricing schedule (rates for locals and rates for foreigners) for
most transportation makes things a bit more expensive
4. India--everything is dirt cheap; the real challenge
is getting the "local" price instead of the grossly inflated
"tourist" price
5. Syria--this relatively undiscovered country is a
huge bargain now, especially when you have a student card.
6. Guatemala--Study
Spanish! 5 hours of one-on-one instruction per day plus home stay with a
Guatemalan family which includes room and board combined costs approximately
$125 per week. You cannot afford not to learn Español.
MOST DIFFICULT COUNTRY IN WHICH TO TRAVEL:
India--bureaucracy, scams, scores of dishonest, persistent
and aggravating people, and crowds beyond belief; sometimes everything is
difficult......
MOST COLORFUL AND CULTURALLY INTERESTING COUNTRY:
India--....but in the end, its all worthwhile (see
photos)
MOST CULTURALLY INTERESTING CITY:
Jerusalem, Israel--Orthodox Jews, Christians and Arabs
tenuously coexisting in this city that holds some of the most sacred spots in
the world to their respective religions. We can only hope that they all
can live among each other in peace some day. (see
photos)
MOST BEAUTIFUL WATER:
1. Zanzibar Island (east
coast), Tanzania (Indian Ocean)--crystal clear!
2. Caye Caulker, Belize (Caribbean Sea)--beautiful
blue and awesome visibility
3. Nha Trang, Vietnam (South China Sea)--great
color; visibility not quite to Belize standards
4. Krabi, Thailand (Andaman
Sea)--great color and very clear
5. Fethiye, Turkey (Aegean Sea)--so clear you can see
your bathing suit fall down when you jump into the water from the top of the
ship
6. Lake Titicaca, Peru--great, large, lake that looks
like an ocean
NASTIEST WATER:
1. Barada River, Damascus, Syria--described by
the Lonely Planet as a "Sluggish foul smelling drain", this is a gross
understatement.
2. Lake Nicaragua, Nicaragua--polluted and brown; as
waves roll in so does garbage and filth
3. Agra River, India--polluted, polluted, polluted
BEST TROPICAL BEACHES:
1. East coast beaches on
Zanzibar Island, Tanzania--beautiful water, white sandy beaches and lots of
culture! (see
photos)
2. Montezuma, Costa Rica--amazingly wide, long and
unoccupied; and good waves to boot
(see photos)
3. Rai Leh beach in Krabi,
Thailand--beautiful water and limestone cliffs. Only negative--holiday
crowds. (see
photos)
4. Ko Samui, Thailand--perfect tropical paradise;
developed enough, but still a lot of fun (see
photos)
BEST URBAN BEACH:
Tel Aviv, Israel--like Miami
FAVORITE OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES:
1. Masai Mara National
Reserve in Kenya--seeing lions, rhinos, buffalos, elephants, leopards, cheetah
and so much more in the beautiful Masai Mara.
2. Trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp in Nepal--the trek is
stunning
3. Snorkeling with sea turtles in the Galápagos Islands,
Equador--like snorkeling in a big aquarium full of sea turtles
4. Climb to the top of Mt.
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania--trek through the lush rainforest all the way up to the
glaciers and snow capped peak
5. Releasing baby sea turtles in Playa Grande, Costa Rica--what
an experience, watching the little fellas scamper towards the sea
6. Trek to Machu Picchu in Peru--great trek with a
great conclusion: descending into the lost city of Machu Picchu
7. Rock climbing on the limestone
cliffs in Krabi Thailand.
8. Snow skiing in the Swiss Alps in Zermatt on August
2nd!!
9. Jungle trekking with George of
the Jungle in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia.
BEST STARS:
1. Nepal Himalaya
2. Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania
3. Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley
4. Santorini, Greece
5. The India Desert
6. Zion National Park in Utah,
USA
THINGS WE ARE NOT DOING AGAIN ANY TIME SOON:
1. Riding a camel through the desert...or anywhere--while
it was fun while we did it, boy does it get to hurting after a while
2. Visiting Managua, Nicaragua--"Thank God we got
outta Managua...that place sucks."
3. Under appreciating the
inexpensive countries.
4. Taking USA home life for granted--we have it made in
the good old USA; let's not forget that!
5. Staying any longer than
necessary in Nairobi (often referred to as nai-robbery), Kenya.
FAVORITE ACCOMMODATIONS:
(this takes into consideration value, service, cleanliness, comfort, atmosphere
and scenery)
1. Olonana, Masai Mara National
Reserve, Kenya--Luxury safari camp. Huge tent with hard wood floors and
private porch overlooking the hippos playing in the Mara river. Food,
drink, game drives and walking safaris included. Service impeccable.
2. The Samba, Galápagos Islands motor yacht--floating
luxury in the most amazing of destinations
3. The Peninsula, Bangkok, Thailand--perhaps the nicest
hotel room we've ever stayed in, and all for only $85 a night
4. Cliffside studio in Oia, Santorini--eating breakfast
on our porch overlooking the Aegean Sea, we decided that this was one of our
favorites. If you are ever in Santorini, contact Manos at
09777948.46. or [email protected].
He will hook you up with your dream studio in the darling
village of Oia. Our dream studio cost $45 per night.
5. Tabo Cottages, Danao Toba,
Sumatra, Indonesia--Comfortable traditional batak cottage with loft.
Fabulous views and friendly owners. $6-$8 usd per night for the honeymoon
suite.
6. Golden Sands Resort, Ko Samui, Thailand--great value
bungalow on the beach. $29 per night.
7. Casa de Don David, El Remate, Guatemala near Tikal--clean
with a great setting and a wonderful open air dining room with great food.
$16 per night in 1999. See www.lacasadedondavid.com
for more info.
8. The Pinar 111, Fethiye, Turkey--brand new ship with
private cabin and bathroom. Beautiful and fun. $90 for 3 days 4
nights all inclusive.
9. Pushkar Palace, Pushkar, India--elegant rooms in a
charming town; nice lakeside location. $20 per night.
10. Casa Theresa, Positano on the Amalfi Coast,
Italy--beautiful, luxurious rooms with porches and views of the cliffside
town. Beautiful flower gardens and friendly staff. $70 per
night--bargain for Positano.
11. The Birders Inn, Bharatpur, India--our vacation from
India. $12 per night.
12. Cairo Hotel, Hama, Syria--Marble floors, new bathrooms, BBC news and
a/c for under $10 usd.
LEAST FAVORITE ACCOMMODATIONS:
1. The Hostal Choquechaka, Cusco, Peru--First
hotel of the trip. We did not know any better. Tengo
Miedo!
2. The Hotel Piasta, Krakow, Poland--A cross between a
college dorm and a prison.
3. Marta's Flop House of Hungarian Women Wrestlers,
Budapest, Hungaria--dusty, junky, filthy. Marta is a pack rat. She did not
like us. She tried to lock us out once and she and her girlfriend demanded
that we pay at once. Weird scene.
4. The Rainbow, Chiquimulla, Guatemala--the only saving grace was that there was a
television
5. Hotel Zakia, Medan, Sumatra,
Indonesia--Scary, dirty prison cell. Unfortunately the best low budget
pick in the city.
MOST INTERESTING PLACE OF WORSHIP:
Karni Mata Temple a/k/a "The Rat Temple" near
Bikaner, India--they're worshiping rats! (See
article from Creative Loafing magazine)
MOST SPECTACULAR FESTIVAL:
1. Thaipusam, outside of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia--Hindu festival
of faith and penance (see
photos)
2. San Sebastián
International Film Festival, Spain--Wonderful films and opportunities to see
great movie stars like Javier Bardem and Robert DeNiro in the beautiful setting
of San Sebastian. (see
photos)
3. Festa de la Verge de la Mercé, Barcelona
France--parades, music, fireworks, and happy people in honor of Barcelona's
patron saint. (see
photos)
WORST BUS/TRUCK RIDE:
1. Bus ride from Varanasi, India to Nepal Border--9
hours of tortuous hell (see
Rich's Travelogue)
2. Pickup truck ride from Poipet, Cambodia (border with
Thailand) to Siem Reap, Cambodia--the most horrible roads you could ever imagine,
with a dozen travelers stuffed into a small pickup truck
WORST PLANE RIDE:
AeroContinente flight from Lima, Peru to Tombes, Peru--mayday!
mayday! (See
Rich's Travelogue)
WORST BOAT RIDE:
1. Ferry from Sumatra,
Indonesia to Penang, Malaysia. Let's put it this way--they handed out
plastic vomit bags as the boat left the docks. Most passengers used them.
BEST PLANE RIDE:
1. Singapore Air flight from San Francisco, USA to Tokyo,
Japan--upstairs in Raffles (Business) Class with gourmet menus, choice of over a
dozen movies and "Special Drinks"; pure, decadent, luxury. We
used our frequent flyer points. (See
Kelly's Travelogue)
2. Singapore Air flight from
Singapore to Newark, NJ, USA--return flight back home. Back in Raffles
Class. Delicious food and new Video on Command feature made our 24 hour
flight a wonderful experience.
3. British Airways flight from
London, England to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Economy class that feels like
first class. Personal TV screen with choice of 12 channels and a lot of
good movies to choose from, gourmet food and very roomy. Thumbs up to BA!
BEST TRAIN RIDE:
The Signature Plus train ride from Oslo to Dombas,
Norway. First class atmosphere and service with spectacular views.
Delicious dinner and drinks included. Supplement only a little more than
$10 usd.
WORST TRAIN RIDE:
Second Class sleeping car in Varanasi, India. When we
boarded the train, we were told by the conductor that we did not have
seats. He finally found us one in a very crowded car, but told us we would
have to move at 2:00 a.m.
COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST PIERCED NOSES:
1. India--they've been doing it for hundreds of years
2. Israel--they've been doing it for several years
COOLEST SPORTING EVENTS:
1. Sumo Wresteling (see
photos)
2. Thai Boxing (see
photos)
3. Guatemalan Futbol (see
photo)
MOST DISTURBING SPORTING EVENT:
1. Spanish style Bullfighting (see
photos). As you will see, there is not actually much sport to it.
MOST INTERESTING LOCAL CURRENCY
1. Turkey-- Exchange rate: One US dollar is
equal to approximately 670,000 Turkish lira. Everyone is a Millionaire!
2. Belize--Fixed exchange rate. One US dollar
will always equal two Belize dollars. This keeps the prices high and the
number of good values low. We still highly suggest it though!
3. India--This should go into the most beat up money
category. The bills have rips, holes, staples, and scribbles. In
fact, when they bundle the currency in banks (for instance, a bundle of 100
notes) they actually staple it together! Sometimes you may even get half of a bill. It is time to print some new
currency in India. It is things like this that make India such a
fascinating and culturally stimulating country.
4. Israel--Prettiest money. Colorful, artsy, and
crisp and clean. It is the anti-India money.
BEST VOMITING SCENES
1. Guy from Belgium who sat next to Rich on bus in
Guatemala. After telling Rich that all Americans were a bunch of
capitalists, he asks for a plastic bag to vomit in. He insisted on holding
on to his puke bag for quite some time.
2. Guy in The Hostal Choquechaka in Cusco, Peru.
He vomited in our shared bathroom all night long. We thought that he may
die.
3. Woman on hydrofoil from Sumatra, Indonesia to Penang,
Malaysia. It was her first boat ride and the seas were especially angry
that day. More than 50% of the passengers ended up vomiting at some point,
but hers was the most disturbing because she was sitting next to us.
4. Vomiting, drunk guys in Managua, Nicaragua.
They must have been on every street corner.
