Coolest things you have ever seen on your travels - Top 10

[Travelman6]

What is your Top 10?

It was hard to narrow it down to 10, but these are it:

Petra - Jordan
Machu Picchu - Peru
Angkor Wat - Cambodia
Great Wall - China
Tikal - Guatemala
Chichen Itza - Mexico
Nazca Lines* - Peru
Cappadocia - Turkey
Salt Flats - Bolivia
Desert - Morocco


*Took a 6-person plane over the lines for about an hour seeing the various parts of it.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

What is your Top 10?

It was hard to narrow it down to 10, but these are it:

Petra - Jordan
Machu Picchu - Peru
Angkor Wat - Cambodia
Great Wall - China
Tikal - Guatemala
Chichen Itza - Mexico
Nazca Lines* - Peru
Cappadocia - Turkey
Salt Flats - Bolivia
Desert - Morocco


*Took a 6-person plane over the lines for about an hour seeing the various parts of it.

Did u fly over them or just go up in the tower? I've been to it but just saw from the tower, pretty cool but wouldnt be close to anything as fascinating as Machu Picchu.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I'm sure I'll think of a bunch more, but off the top of my head.

Petra- Jordan.
Jerusalem- Tomb of David, Wailing Wall....
Dead Sea on Israeli side. So weird to go for a dip in it
Death Valley- US
General Sherman and the Sequoias- US
Northern Lights- Fairbanks, Alaska
Augusta National Golf Course. You feel like you are in a time warp and there is not a single weed on the course anywhere, nor is there a blade of grass which isn't perfect.
Sapporo Japan in December- Felt like you were in 1800's Germany. Plus taking the bullet train under water from main island of Japan to Sapporo was pretty wild.
The Queen's Castle in Sandringham, England.

 

[HuskyHawk]

No point in putting them in order.

• Newgrange. Inside, they simulate what you see on the Solstice. Oldest room on earth.
• The American Cemetary - Normandy. Most moving place I've ever been.
• Matt Molloy's Pub - Westport Ireland. Matt was there, playing sessions with the locals.
• Edinburgh Castle - Queens Birthday celebration (missed the Tattoo).
• Mont St. Michel, Normandy
• Ise of Iona - off Mull, Scotland. Water looks almost tropical. Ruins where St Columba founded an Abby. Book of Kells created here.
• Monsanto, Portugal.
• Paris river cruise at night when it was 100 degrees F. Whole city seemed to line the banks of the river to stay cooler.
• Sunsets at Old Silver Beach, Falmouth. Dozens of them.
• Dún Aonghasa, Arran Islands.

 

[Chin Diesel]

One more I'll add, as someone who was in the Navy, when you are at sea in the middle of the ocean hundreds of miles from any point of land or other artificial light sources, the sky at night, especially with no or little moon light, is incredible.

 

[Waquoit]

While we were driving through New Zealand, it was time for a break so we pull over at "SCENIC AREA". We get out to stretch our legs, wondering how scenic it was going to be. Turns out we're looking across this valley at an incredible waterfall. I had to chuckle because if it was in Connecticut, it would be the top tourist attraction. In New Zealand, there wasn't even a sign telling us the name of it.

 

[storrsroars]

I'm weird in that I don't go looking for the most famous stuff because I always feel I'll be let down. Things I don't know about tend to be more memorable because of the surprise factor. The three that come to top of mind:

Probably #1 is Rila Monastery. It's a trek from anywhere as it was built in an extremely difficult to reach spot in the mountains to deter the Turks from attacking. The colors are amazing, and inside is this intricate religious carving a guy made with a needle that took decades and caused him to go blind - and he finished it anyway. I'm not religious, but this was admittedly pretty damned moving. As a bonus, it's also supposedly the birthplace of yogurt (bacillus Bulgarius), and you can get a cup there. It does not taste like what you get in the US. If it did, yogurt wouldn't be a thing here, lol.

#2 Edinburgh during August, and basically Scotland. I was there on my first ever solo vacation in 1996, the 50th anniversary of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I've been a lot of places but this is still my favorite vacation ever. Got adopted by a lesbian punk band 20 years younger than me and we had a grand time. Miltary Tattoo also happening at same time. And I got to play the Old Course at St. Andrews, which is a whole other story. While I've never been in the middle of the ocean like Chin, I did lie on the grass while in Fort William with very little light pollution, and the night sky seemed like it was in 3D. Driving through the Grampians was like stepping back in time. And climbing Ben Nevis where my only companions were mountain sheep was incredible.

#3 Xochimilco. Had no clue this existed until I was living in Mexico City. I've never been to SE Asia, but I guess this is the North American version of a floating market. Your gondola goes up and down canals passing all sorts of food. Pull over for tacos at one gondola, grabs some beers at the next one. Funny story about this was I had a rental car and lost the keys. The word for key is "llave", but I kept getting it wrong, so they thought I was complaining about rain or needing to wash up, lol. Anyway it was Sunday but the townsfolk found me a guy who could make a key. Took a couple of hours and the dude really did a job on the steering column, but I was able to drive out of there. The other thing my wife wasn't fond of were the pit toilets with a little girl standing there giving out toilet paper, 10 pesos for three squares. Wife typically used five times that many.

 

[storrsroars]

While we were driving through New Zealand, it was time for a break so we pull over at "SCENIC AREA". We get out to stretch our legs, wondering how scenic it was going to be. Turns out we're looking across this valley at an incredible waterfall. I had to chuckle because if it was in Connecticut, it would be the top tourist attraction. In New Zealand, there wasn't even a sign telling us the name of it.

Have to ask... did you do Kelly Tarleton's Aquarium? Was in Auckland in 2003 and we'd never had the experience of being in one of those aquariums where you're in a tunnel under the fish and sharks. At the time I think it was still a novelty and we were pretty damned impressed with the place. Had perhaps the greatest meal I ever had at Cin Cin, which sadly closed a few years ago. But the owner gave me a nice logo'd polo shirt.

 

[Waquoit]

Have to ask... did you do Kelly Tarleton's Aquarium? Was in Auckland in 2003 and we'd never had the experience of being in one of those aquariums where you're in a tunnel under the fish and sharks. At the time I think it was still a novelty and we were pretty damned impressed with the place. Had perhaps the greatest meal I ever had at Cin Cin, which sadly closed a few years ago. But the owner gave me a nice logo'd polo shirt.

We decided that Sydney and Melbourne would be the urban part of our trip. When we flew into Auckland we grabbed the car and started south. No lie on a UConn board, we had some of our most memorable times in cities called Hamilton and Napier.

 

[storrsroars]

We decided that Sydney and Melbourne would be the urban part of our trip. When we flew into Auckland we grabbed the car and started south. No lie on a UConn board, we had some of our most memorable times in cities called Hamilton and Napier.

We were actually only in Auckland for a day to break up the flight to Sydney. But we made a day of it! If I had to spend another 3.5 hours in that plane to make it w/o stopping, I think I might've jumped, lol. To me, Sydney reminded me of a warm Toronto. But damn, the wine was so cheap. And got to see La Boheme at the Opera House. We went north instead of west, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Cairns, out to the Great Barrier Reef. Glad we did it, but likely never again. Just can't deal with the 17 hour flights. Or the traffic cameras that send you tickets weeks after you get home

 

[Palatine]

I saw two guys fishing in a lake from a small plane, then I jumped out of the plane. That was intensely cool.

I was at a Arizona National Guard life fire howitzer drill where they were firing at targets twelve miles a way. When they fired the ground shook and the tongue of flame that came out of the end of the barrel was about 15 feet long.

Everyone has see it but the Colosseum in Rome is pretty darn awesome.

I went on a shark dive. We were down about 50 feet in the open ocean and sharks were everywhere. Cool isn't the right word.

The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuanan, Mexico is pretty amazing and they let you climb it. Which I did.

On a cruise at sunset sitting alone in an empty ship top club, I saw a whale in the distance as the ship caught up to it and slowly passed it. It was very beautiful.

Some other stuff.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I like the approach @Palatine took. I was considering physical things, natural or manmade, not events.

One of the most awe inspiring things I ever saw was a forest fire. I was at Lake Tahoe gambling with a law school friend who was staying in condos with his family. I lived in NoCal. We got word about a fire. Drove him up the mountain to his Condo, past police blockades. Looking out from there you could see a wall of flame in the distance, consuming everything. The story of how it started is pretty wild.

I've seen a few tornados as well. In law school I was heading to my apartment, crested a hill and the sky was green. Deep green. Got home, roommate said we were under a warning, so we bailed. Saw a funnel cloud from my grandparents' basement outside Wichita as a little kid.

 

[Palatine]

I like the approach @Palatine took. I was considering physical things, natural or manmade, not events.

One of the most awe inspiring things I ever saw was a forest fire. I was at Lake Tahoe gambling with a law school friend who was staying in condos with his family. I lived in NoCal. We got word about a fire. Drove him up the mountain to his Condo, past police blockades. Looking out from there you could see a wall of flame in the distance, consuming everything. The story of how it started is pretty wild.

I've seen a few tornados as well. In law school I was heading to my apartment, crested a hill and the sky was green. Deep green. Got home, roommate said we were under a warning, so we bailed. Saw a funnel cloud from my grandparents' basement outside Wichita as a little kid.

I agree a about seeing a tornado. I once saw a water spout form on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans. A little tail came out of the clouds turned into a funnel and reached the water. It was a twisty silver spinning column just powerful and awesome. I was sitting in a traffic jam and kept thinking, please don't come over here.

 

[husky429]

One of the 2 (maybe 3?) male white lions in the wild on the planet in Kruger National Park near Satara rest camp. His name is Casper. Stunning beast. I was leaving in the morning on our last day and rushing to get home. He was laying in the middle of the dirt road getting some sun and no other cars were around. Ended up having to miss our flight to see him and stayed for an extra hour. At one point he leaned right against my front left tire and kept on sleeping. Well worth it! Here's a picture of him: Casper the White Lion of Kruger National Park

 

[Excalibur]

A few I haven’t seen mentioned:

The Waterfalls at Krka national park in Croatia.

The Ellora caves near Aurangabad, India (far more impressive than Petra, the downside being that you need to go to Aurangabad, India).

Melissani Cave Lake in Cephalonia

The Sistine Chapel

The Grand Prismatic Spring

 

[Waquoit]

And got to see La Boheme at the Opera House.

We caught Tosca set in Nazi Germany. What I thought was fantastic in itself, were the Intermissions spent looking out at Sydney Harbor at night. Quite the light show.

 

[husky429]

The Ellora caves near Aurangabad, India (far more impressive than Petra, the downside being that you need to go to Aurangabad, India).

I'm probably in the minority. Just didn't find Petra that interesting. I'm happy I went because it's a cultural icon, but have no desire to go again. The mountain of tourists taking "candids" with abused camels certainly didn't help.

I did love Wadi Rum in Jordan though.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

No point in putting them in order.

• Newgrange. Inside, they simulate what you see on the Solstice. Oldest room on earth.
• The American Cemetary - Normandy. Most moving place I've ever been.
• Matt Molloy's Pub - Westport Ireland. Matt was there, playing sessions with the locals.
• Edinburgh Castle - Queens Birthday celebration (missed the Tattoo).
• Mont St. Michel, Normandy
• Ise of Iona - off Mull, Scotland. Water looks almost tropical. Ruins where St Columba founded an Abby. Book of Kells created here.
• Monsanto, Portugal.
• Paris river cruise at night when it was 100 degrees F. Whole city seemed to line the banks of the river to stay cooler.
• Sunsets at Old Silver Beach, Falmouth. Dozens of them.
• Dún Aonghasa, Arran Islands.

We are history buffs and stopped into Bayeux to see the Tapestry while traveling through that part of France. Good list. Also made it into Chartres on market day. Cheeses, vegetables especially the tomatoes, breads, butters, roasting chickens and rabbit. Everything was amazing.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We are history buffs and stopped into Bayeux to see the Tapestry while traveling through that part of France. Good list. Also made it into Chartres on market day. Cheeses, vegetables especially the tomatoes, breads, butters, roasting chickens and rabbit. Everything was amazing.

I forgot the tapestry. We made that stop as well. It was pretty amazing, but also almost got boring at some point. Didn't get to Chartres. We did really like Honfleur.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I'm probably in the minority. Just didn't find Petra that interesting. I'm happy I went because it's a cultural icon, but have no desire to go again. The mountain of tourists taking "candids" with abused camels certainly didn't help.

I did love Wadi Rum in Jordan though.

Petra is definitely a tourist trap/attraction. There's literally no other reason to be there other than to site see the site. I found the parts of the tour interesting about how they captured and stored water using conduits and aqueducts and storing it inside the carved out rock so it wouldn't evaporate. They were better at it then than California is at it now. Also, the parts of how the narrow entrance to the area allowed a much smaller defense able to ward off larger armies trying to invade.

 

[Chin Diesel]

A couple of other places which were cool when I was in England.

Stonehenge was a dud. I was more intrigued by the sheep feeding in the field next to the parking lot than the actual site. Also, a bunch of tour busses with tourists but for some reason the Japanese tourists all were walking around Stonehenge with their luggage in tow. Not sure why and not judging the behavior, just found it to be different. And the odd thing to me with Stonehenge is it's just in the middle of some rolling fields. It's not even like the highest point or part of some unique geographical feature. It's just rocks in a field.

Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury, England was a neat visit. Home to an original copy of the Magna Carta and also home to the world's oldest working mechanical clock.

Visited the Queen's and now Chuck's home in Sandringham. The collection of cars and the room with all the rifles and shotguns which had been gifted was quite impressive. None of them by themselves is impressive but the overall narrative and story lines was interesting.

 

[Travelman6]

I'm probably in the minority. Just didn't find Petra that interesting. I'm happy I went because it's a cultural icon, but have no desire to go again. The mountain of tourists taking "candids" with abused camels certainly didn't help.

I did love Wadi Rum in Jordan though.

Those poor animals. My gf was in tears at one point after seeing how a donkey was treated. I was a few hundred meters away snapping a shot of the scenery and didn't see it, but it really hit her. There are a ton of insta-wannabe influencers snapping all sorts of photos too, that is true. A few times we had to fight through the sea of "influencers" lol and at one point a tout was running after us yelling "*u*k you" after asking if we needed a guide to go to a viewpoint. Before he was even done with his sales pitch I had turned around and walked in another direction, didn't even say anything, and he was just so aggressive, swearing at me. I have no issue with people chilling selling trinkets, but the touts are an issue the govt really needs to tackle, but they won't.

Did u fly over them or just go up in the tower? I've been to it but just saw from the tower, pretty cool but wouldnt be close to anything as fascinating as Machu Picchu.

I took the plane and we flew over many of the most known. I loved both!

 

[husky429]

Those poor animals. My gf was in tears at one point after seeing how a donkey was treated. I was a few hundred meters away snapping a shot of the scenery and didn't see it, but it really hit her. There are a ton of insta-wannabe influencers snapping all sorts of photos too, that is true. A few times we had to fight through the sea of "influencers" lol and at one point a tout was running after us yelling "*u*k you" after asking if we needed a guide to go to a viewpoint. Before he was even done with his sales pitch I had turned around and walked in another direction, didn't even say anything, and he was just so aggressive, swearing at me. I have no issue with people chilling selling trinkets, but the touts are an issue the govt really needs to tackle, but they won't.

I took the plane and we flew over many of the most known. I loved both!

Other place I felt terrible for the animals was in Santorini. The 300lb cruise ship slobs all think it's cute to ride the donkey up the hill instead of taking the gondola, and the poor animals were DEAD tired by the end of the night.

Potential other cool travel stories I had completely forgotten about: We went to Santorini as part of our Greece trip--it was my wife's Post-PhD gift. We stayed at a small hotel/BnB with 6 rooms that was run by a family. Almost directly under that church with the 3 bells. Well, the wedding gets canceled the day before the ceremony and none of the other 5 rooms showed up. So we ended up with a private pool, a driver, a chef who cooked for us any time we wanted when he was home (we just bought ingredients at the store and he'd make us all food), all for something like 320$ a night overlooking the water on the top of the cliff. I think we stayed for 5 nights.

I didn't have the same experience with the touts in Jordan though. I've heard some pretty horrible stories about Egypt and we're planning to go next winter over my winter break.

 

[Travelman6]

I didn't have the same experience with the touts in Jordan though. I've heard some pretty horrible stories about Egypt and we're planning to go next winter over my winter break.

When did you go? I went a few weeks ago and, at times, they were pretty unrelenting or would flat-out lie ("No bus my friend, only taxi" but then I would walk a few blocks and find the bus, asked a local who said "all locals know about the bus" but then the bus driver tried to rip us off too, for example). I have heard stories about Egypt, especially the Pyramids and it felt to me like some of the touts I dealt with in parts of Jordan had read those stories and taken note.

For example, I love Syrian food, don't get me wrong, adore it, but I went to a really bad Syrian restaurant in Aqaba where the owner tried to scam my gf and me, so we felt, at times, like we kept having to dodge scams and touts. Maybe it's gotten worse?

With that said I'd like t go to Egypt in the next year (as well as Lebanon) and wouldn't mind hearing how your trip goes, I mean if you wouldn't mind sharing.