I mean there are a thousand places offering mouth-watering food, incredible scenery, beautiful sunsets, shopping, entertainment/night life, and I'm just curious as to how you make your decision.

It's kinda difficult for us (my partner) because he's not really fond of the beach so whenever I want to have a holiday, I have to consider his choices. Aside from that, we always consider the staff to guest ratio, security (had the unfortunate experience of losing my mobile phone, wallet with all my credit cards), and of course, the food!

How about you? Let me know! I might consider it as well.

$$$ vs Fun vs food, etc.

I also rely on tales of personal experiences too. Word of mouth.
I guess I'm lucky as I have some friends that travel to strange places....

most of the time I rely on the recommendation I hear about a certain place. Then I research about a place, check out what they have, or what they offer. And if I feel like I'll be able to enjoy my stay, then I book a flight. Well, it's not all the time that you'll be able to get a good experience. at least you knew, and you don't go back to that place again.

Well it looks as though this topic has not been fully explored. I'm a travel Whore!! I can't get enough of it. From the gorgeous beaches of Bora Bora to the Andes mountains, I'm there in a heart beat. But I can't give any advice until I have a better knowledge of what you are interested in.

I have never been outside the UK.

When I take a vacation / holiday its usually on the couch, in the deer stand, or Igoto work for dad for a week. Sorry I dont travel at all, been to Mexico once (dont want to go back) outside of Maryland and North carolina I dont really care to go.

I am so disappointed in both of you....... J/K ........ Seriously though. You gotta have a desire to want to see new places and meet new people. Other wise vacations or Holidays are not going to be as fun.

Here are my traveling destinations that I have already taken this year alone and am about to venture out on.
2008
January - Las Vegas (Twice)
February - 2 weeks in Ambergris Caye, Small quite gorgeous island off the coast of Belize
March - Six day cruise to Catalina island off the coast of California and Mexico
April - Las Vegas
May -
June -
July -
August -
September -
October - 2 weeks in Cancun (all inclusive) and then spending Halloween in Salem Massachusetts (i.e Boston)
November - Thanksgiving week in Kauai, Hawaii
December - Orlando Florida (Gotta take on Disney and Universal Studios)
New Years - Las Vegas or New Orleans I haven't decided yet

I suggest at least one destination a year just to shake things up. My roommates don't have a lot of money but they managed to make it to Japan, and Italy this year. They stayed in local hostels got cheap flights and only ate the local food not the tourist areas and they had more fun then I think most travelers do. You don't have to have a lot of money to travel just the strong drive for awesome experiences.

In My Opinion

Superjay

It is not lack of desire, it is lack of money and confidence.

Well when you get your confidence I'll tell ya how to do it with little to no money.

The confidence thing would have been more help. Then again, perhaps LaVey holds the key to that. There are similarities after all.

Are you referring to Laveys Bible?? I'm not familiar with his work. What does he say about confidence?

Oh come on, you live in the most history rich area on the planet plus you are right around the corner from places with tons of cool stuff. And even if you didn't want that type of travel you got Stone Hendge which I am dying to see, as well as some of the most beautiful landscapes in ireland, scotland, not to mention just a hope skip and a jump down to the Parthenon, Athens for some serious Greek Mythology....... Damn all this talk of travel makes me want to get on a plane.

Nothing exactly. I was just thinking about his version of satanism, with it's focus on 'me first', and celebrating what other religions may see as sinful.



Weston-Super-Mare is the furthest I get these days, about 20 miles from Bristol.

Yep, I like word of mouth reports - I have strange friends that travel to odd places but they do come back with details of wonderful places to go. In Australia however, we have such a variety of geography and climate areas that one can spend ten years of holidays just really exploring this huge island - I guess that Americans could say the same. I've only "passed though L.A. aiport on way to the U.K. but having spent most of my transit waiting time talking to americans, (nice, warm friendly people) I'd love to work at getting over there for an extended stay - that's definitely on my list of 'plan for the future'!!

I would love to go to Australia and see all the dangerous creatures(and I am not talking about the cast of Prisoner Cell Block H).

Our poisonous creatures in the UK are a bit of a joke. I would have loved to have met Steve Irwin, who was a great loss -Crikey!

You would have a ball! You get a bit blase about them, but still have to be aware of Redbacks, funnel-webs, brown/black/taipan/fierce snakes, and the water predators - sharks, crocs of course, and"stingers" are nasty to swim with - but nevertheless, we have very few fatalities and this wonderful country makes being here really worthwhile. the average person actually has very little contact with the nasties - and you can enjoy the real outback with little or no problem, with just a few simple precautions. If you can get out here, by all means enjoy our moden cities, but make sure you travel the undeveloped coasts and inland areas.

Closest brush I had with the U.K. wildlife, apart from punks, was nearly treading on (I think) an adder near Thetford in Norfolk - I beat the record for a standing jump!

Steve Irwin's death was a tremendous loss to Australians and the world - he was a genuine bloke who brought animal wildlife into a fascinating reality for us all and did an enormous amount of good preservation/ecological work - we just hope that his survivors carry on the good stuff and don't just go for the cash his reputation will earn.

How about arranging a house swap Mike?? I'd love to go to Australia and since you'd like to see the States,Hey, it might just work. Just as soon as I work up my swimming stamina to get to Australia. I checked on the price of flights and needless to say it will be a cold day in.....well, you know. You are right about having so much to see and do in America. I've traveled to alot of areas here but there's so much that I have yet to see and I'm afraid it would take more than one life time for me to see all that I want to see here. One of the biggest problems here for travel right now seems to be the price of gas. Yikes!!! There are many here,as I'm sure elsewhere in the world, that have decided against traveling very far from home this year because of it ,including your's truely. Heck of a way to start out on my hubby's retirement. There'll be no Mesa Valley in Arizona for me this year, rats!!

Hi Iodine - we're obviously thinking on parallell lines - I've toyed with the idea of one of those pedal powered tin cans, towing an inflatable with supplies etc., but common sense prevailed - I couldn't fit enough supplies in an inflatable..... seriously, if I win lotto, we'll definitely do a swap and I'll cover the costs!!! Only condition is we'll need to give each other a bit of a guide on places to see over say, 12 months??? After that we'll each have enough experience to be selective.

Something else I would like to do if I had the money+nerve+confidence would be stormchasing.

Great, me too! With the same provisos...... Although my chasing would have to be gropund-based - wouldn't have the nerve to follow them in the air! Did you ever see that documentary/interest film on chasing tornadoes in America? Got pretty hairy at times but what an adrenalin rush they must have had!

Yes, we watch that program ourselves sometimes - and part of me always hopes their Life Insurance Company isn't watching it too - grin!

Leaping out of planes is an adrenalin rush - chasing tornadoes, well, they scare me!

I don't have this option but one of my lovely friends had a unique way of choosing her next vacation spot. She literally would twirl a globe, shut her eyes and touch a spot - and that's where she'd head off to. (Envied her something fierce until she got a nasty bug at one spot and took nearly a year to recover).

Maybe more of us should try her method - or, at least in our own Country - blindly pick a spot and discover!