I want to go everywhere... where do I go first?
November 20, 2011 6:16 PM Subscribe
Travel suggestions please! Solo female traveling some time between February and May, looking for a good combination of activity and relaxing.
I have to take 2 weeks off before the end of May next year, and I'm long overdue for some travel. There are a lot of places on my "go here someday" list, but I've no idea where to start or where would be a good place to be in the spring. (I had my heart set on somewhere in particular, but that trip has been postponed due to timing, so I'm sort of in "What now?" mode.)
I'm 24, female, and I have traveled alone before. I don't mind staying in hostels, and I have couchsurfed before, but I'm open to staying in a hotel if the cost is reasonable. My ideal vacation includes things to do (museums, art galleries, great food, sights, a little bit of outdoorsy activity) and also the chance to relax and unwind. I haven't taken any vacation time since I started my job so I'm due for some relaxing.
I'll be traveling from Vancouver, Canada and from what I can tell, the flight will probably be a big expense (compared to traveling from Toronto where I used to live). My overall budget for the entire vacation is somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000 (the higher end for something truly amazing). I have 12-14 days to work with, so could potentially do more than 1 spot if it's within my budget.
My only major requests: outside of North America and Europe, and somewhere that isn't cold/snowy/rainy (if I travel in Feb/Mar especially). In the past, I've traveled to various cities in North America, throughout the UK and Ireland, western Europe, and to Cuba.
Specific suggestions welcome! A city/country is helpful, but specifics (make sure you do X in Y or check out A in B!) are especially useful.
Thanks for your help.
I have to take 2 weeks off before the end of May next year, and I'm long overdue for some travel. There are a lot of places on my "go here someday" list, but I've no idea where to start or where would be a good place to be in the spring. (I had my heart set on somewhere in particular, but that trip has been postponed due to timing, so I'm sort of in "What now?" mode.)
I'm 24, female, and I have traveled alone before. I don't mind staying in hostels, and I have couchsurfed before, but I'm open to staying in a hotel if the cost is reasonable. My ideal vacation includes things to do (museums, art galleries, great food, sights, a little bit of outdoorsy activity) and also the chance to relax and unwind. I haven't taken any vacation time since I started my job so I'm due for some relaxing.
I'll be traveling from Vancouver, Canada and from what I can tell, the flight will probably be a big expense (compared to traveling from Toronto where I used to live). My overall budget for the entire vacation is somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000 (the higher end for something truly amazing). I have 12-14 days to work with, so could potentially do more than 1 spot if it's within my budget.
My only major requests: outside of North America and Europe, and somewhere that isn't cold/snowy/rainy (if I travel in Feb/Mar especially). In the past, I've traveled to various cities in North America, throughout the UK and Ireland, western Europe, and to Cuba.
Specific suggestions welcome! A city/country is helpful, but specifics (make sure you do X in Y or check out A in B!) are especially useful.
Thanks for your help.
With that kind of budget I'd imagine you'd have to go somewhere cheap -- Vietnam, Thailand, Laos come to mind. Parts of Central America would fit the "bill," too. Have fun!
posted by AwkwardPause at 6:56 PM on November 20, 2011
posted by AwkwardPause at 6:56 PM on November 20, 2011
If Hawaii isn't excluded, I found some tickets for < 600 in February. Not sure if Hawaii counts as "not North America" in your book (it does in mine), but it's got food, museums, sights, relaxing and outdoorsy stuff down.
http://www.hipmunk.com/#!YVR.HNL,Feb04.Feb18
posted by jeffch at 7:27 PM on November 20, 2011
http://www.hipmunk.com/#!YVR.HNL,Feb04.Feb18
posted by jeffch at 7:27 PM on November 20, 2011
Taiwan? Flights look to be around 900 in April. My dad used to travel there for business a lot. Says great food, friendly people, and nice beaches.
Karaoke is super popular there as well.
posted by fuzzysoft at 8:12 PM on November 20, 2011
Karaoke is super popular there as well.
posted by fuzzysoft at 8:12 PM on November 20, 2011
If you're looking for flights from Vancouver, check out Skyscanner. You can do a search from a specific airport to "everywhere" for a specific month and it will return designations based on prices. As an example, here's the listings for Vancouver for March. I would vote for South Korea or Japan if you go somewhere closer to May. I was there two years ago for the cherry blossoms blooming and it was amazing. Lots of outdoors stuff to do as well.
posted by snowysoul at 2:24 AM on November 21, 2011
posted by snowysoul at 2:24 AM on November 21, 2011
I went to Thailand last March to escape the awful New York winter and it was great. Nice and warm -- March is the very start of the hot season; it's still bearable, but just past the peak tourist season, so things aren't as crowded. Very very cheap -- you can get a great meal for the equivalent of a couple American dollars (not sure how that translates to Canadian dollars); clean room in a guest house for about $10, and you can travel all over the country by train or bus very cheaply too.
The people are super-friendly and there's usually someone around who speaks a little English if you need help. Guest house owners and people who work at train/bus stations are typically pretty fluent in English. There's a huge variety of things to do; lots of museums and temples and historical sites, especially in Sukkothai and Ayuttaya. Or if you like beaches, head to the southern part of the country (I didn't go down there, so can't give specific recommendations). Another very cool place is Chiang Mai -- a bit touristy, but tons of stuff to do: cooking classes, shopping the endless bazaars for local handcrafts, trekking in the more remote northern parts of the country, etc.
Stay in guest houses instead of hotels -- they tend to be cheaper, are friendly and clean, and are better for meeting other travelers. Pick up Lonely Planet for recommendations.
If you want to squeeze in another side-trip, I've heard that it's easy to get to Angkor Wat (in Cambodia) from Bangkok; haven't done it myself, though.
Have a great time! :)
posted by phoenix_rising at 8:14 AM on November 21, 2011
The people are super-friendly and there's usually someone around who speaks a little English if you need help. Guest house owners and people who work at train/bus stations are typically pretty fluent in English. There's a huge variety of things to do; lots of museums and temples and historical sites, especially in Sukkothai and Ayuttaya. Or if you like beaches, head to the southern part of the country (I didn't go down there, so can't give specific recommendations). Another very cool place is Chiang Mai -- a bit touristy, but tons of stuff to do: cooking classes, shopping the endless bazaars for local handcrafts, trekking in the more remote northern parts of the country, etc.
Stay in guest houses instead of hotels -- they tend to be cheaper, are friendly and clean, and are better for meeting other travelers. Pick up Lonely Planet for recommendations.
If you want to squeeze in another side-trip, I've heard that it's easy to get to Angkor Wat (in Cambodia) from Bangkok; haven't done it myself, though.
Have a great time! :)
posted by phoenix_rising at 8:14 AM on November 21, 2011
Oh forgot to mention, I also did this as a solo female traveler and had almost no problems (aside from almost getting mugged in Bangkok, but that was mostly my own fault). Bangkok can be a bit sketchy, but anywhere else is fine; I always felt safe.
posted by phoenix_rising at 8:17 AM on November 21, 2011
posted by phoenix_rising at 8:17 AM on November 21, 2011
I'd definitely recommend Thailand if you think two weeks will be enough to get over jetlag etc - perhaps aim for three weeks if possible to get really recharged. If you specifically want to relax rather than do a lot of sightseeing I'd recommend one of the Thai islands - cheap, beaches, hot weather, good food, very friendly...I've been living on Koh Samui since March and it's a great spot with plenty to do and lots of nightlife if you want to go out and party. It's very safe and I've never had any problems as a single female traveller
Also, if you do end up here drop me a line and I'll show you around or give you some suggestions about what to see and do :)
posted by mudkicker at 12:40 PM on November 22, 2011
Also, if you do end up here drop me a line and I'll show you around or give you some suggestions about what to see and do :)
posted by mudkicker at 12:40 PM on November 22, 2011
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posted by lahersedor at 6:50 PM on November 20, 2011