I need a vacation, Where should I go?

General lounge
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Continuing the discussion from I'm going to Paris France for a week, what should I do?:

I need a vacation, but I don’t know where to go. So I created a map of a bunch of interesting places around the world that I would like to see one day. The idea was that if a certain location has a high concentration of interesting locations, then I would just travel there and see all the small interesting things instead of one really big thing. I added over 100 locations/pins but they are pretty scattered across the world.

Here is my map so far.

Do you have any suggestions on some interesting places I should go visit?

They can be small interesting places like a Nicola Tesla museum in Belgrade or a island filled with dead eyed dolls, or a a door way to hell. I am up for just about anything.

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Do you have the Deutsches Museum in Munich - Its a technical museum everything from aircraft to machining to chemistry.

Or the checkpoint Charlie Museum in Berlin.

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Some of the places I have not added yet, but where suggested by my co-workers.

Thor’s Well, USA

Trolltunga, (Troll’s tongue), Norway

Hang Sơn Đoòng (cave of the mountain river), Vietnamese

Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, China’s northwestern Gansu province

Yanar Dag, Azerbaijan

Santorini, Greece

Endemic tree species Dracaena cinnabari, found in Socotra, Yemen

The pools of Pamukkale, southwestern Turkey

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Japanese bunny island

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image692×373 275 KB

Mt. Huashan is one of China’s five Great Mountains
As wonderful as Chinese tea is, it is definitely not something you’d closely associate with exhilaration, adrenaline and the fear of death. Mt. Huashan in China, however, manages to bring all of these things together by featuring a death-defying cliff-side mountain climb that brings daring visitors to a tea house 2,160 m (7,087 ft) up on the mountain’s southern peak.

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From the stuff on your map, I know the southwest US well, cool place, and
definitely lots of interesting and unique things. For tech stuff Los Alamos
is pretty great, plus it’s in an amazing place. This place is cool:
http://www.blackholesurplus.com. The thing is, it’s all a big place and
you’d do have to do a fair bit of driving to see most places, not sure if
you mind that.

Mexico city I also know quite well, that island of the dolls is probably
among the least interesting places I’d say, but the surrounding canals are
amazing. There’s a ton of historical stuff inside the city (pyramids and
all), precolonial times, spanish rebuild, brief French occupation, and the
current hipsterization of the core. Uber works, it’s relatively safe, good
public transit. Bias there.

If it was me planning a trip, no strings attached, I’d probably go to
Japan. Big factor is the fast trains (Europe too), so you can see a lot of
different stuff. Nice beaches in the south, good hiking/skiing places in
Hokaido, historical stuff in Kyoto, WWII memorials, and then there’s Tokyo.

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If you haven’t made it to Mexico City, then I would very much recommend it. It is probably North America’s oldest city. It’s got more museums than any other city in the world, it is extremely easy to get around, and has a ton of really interesting architecture/history. Big tourist attractions there are:

  • Casa Azul and Leon Trotski museum
  • Plaza de la Constitución
  • Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (yes, actual name… had to google it)
  • Palacio de Bellas Artes
  • Palacio Nacional
  • National Museum of Anthropology

While these are the big ones, it seems like every other corner has something interesting to see. There is an absolutely fantastic antique market which I would urge you to see. A great music and art scene. 3am taco stands are a must. I would also recommend learning something of this city’s geologic history - the whole city is sinking due a combination of it being built on an old drained lake (lake titicaca) and massive over-use of the aquifer from the city’s population. When you look around, you see evidence of this problem in everywhere - it is both fascinating and depressing. That being said, my partner is a geological/civil engineer, so I got an expert’s point of view of this.

I was there about 2 years ago and was expecting to only stay a few days. I ended up extending my trip an extra week just to get more out of the city. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back; I would probably move there given the chance and a job paying remotely close to Canadian wages. Try to go couch surfing if possible and meet locals.

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https://www.christmas.net.au/experiences/red-crab-migration.html

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Prague

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I see Hiroshima is on your list, I was really moved by visiting there - try to avoid the school kids. Nagasaki, less so (not so much to see). It was on my list because I’ve always been intrigued about the notion of manipulation of scientists. Mount Aso is worth a visit if you do get down to Nagasaki.

With a Japanese high speed rail pass you can cover a lot of space in limited time. I left early, stopped somewhere for the day, moved on in the evening elsewhere, taking two trains every second day covers hundreds of km with ease.

You can also visit Akihabara, although I was a little underwhelmed (lots of bright lights and heated toilet seats).

I’m not sure if he takes visitors but Akhiba from Hacker Camper apparently has a hacking farm in Japan.

Japan is expensive but it is very very different, their culture goes back so so far and they’ve retained it. This is becoming rarer and rarer.

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Looks awesome, the evolution of motors, and high voltage demonstration, sounds awesome. Thank you.

A few people have told me this now. I have removed it from the list.

[quote=“Logan_Buchy, post:6, topic:3930”]
If you haven’t made it to Mexico City, then I would very much recommend it. It is probably North America’s oldest city. It’s got more museums than any other city in the world, it is extremely easy to get around, and has a ton of really interesting architecture/history. [/quote]

Mexico city excites me, I have co workers down there that I have never met before.

What should I see in Prague?

Japan is on my list but at this point its too expensive for me. In the future for sure.

More highlights from my research

Mountain Coaster (Kandersteg, Switzerland)

Haiku Stairs - Stairway To Heaven Hawaii

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In line with Hiroshima…

Also, when in Europe…

There’s a few other things in general, just strolling around Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Brussel or Paris are great ways to experience different cultures.

Montmartre - Wikipedia is a great starting point.

Ramblas in Barcelona is also a good starting point to explore the neighboring areas and explore traditional Spanish tapas.

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Bletchley Park and the National Museum of Computing, are located right next to each other, a fairly short daytrip from London.

I enjoyed them -
Bletchley park is more “touristy” while the National Museum of Computing is more nerd centric.

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Sana’a, Sokotra island, Marib (the temple of the Queen of Sheebah) and
Shibam (the Manhattan mud city in the desert) all in Yemen! History that
transcends milinnia.
jon https://talk.vanhack.ca/users/jon Keyholder
March 7

Bletchley Park https://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/ and the National Museum
of Computing http://www.tnmoc.org/, are located right next to each other,
a fairly short daytrip from London.

I enjoyed them -
Bletchley park is more “touristy” while the National Museum of Computing is
more nerd centric.

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I’ve done the Haiku Stairs - it’s definitely a worthwhile experience (though exhausting). I went in the middle of the night to be up top for the sunrise, which was breathtaking. There was even a rainbow!

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Speaking of climbing, I forgot Machu Picchu.

http://www.travelculturemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Machu-Picchu.jpg

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Go to hell, I hear its warm.

Plus, apparently this lady is there:

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Have been to, would recommend:
Palau, jellyfish lake, it was pretty surreal.

Bhutan was pretty amazing, but it’s much more expensive than Nepal.

The Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku, Tokyo, words cannot describe the wtfuckery going on there.

Yakushima, Japan, if you liked Princess Mononoke, this island is pretty cool.

Kentucky- bourbon tours, very interesting. Turn on your gps on your phone in case you get lost coming home from the bar.

Boracay, Philippines, for perfect sand beaches and 40 cent beer.

Closer to home:
Dinosaur provincial park + royal tyrell museum. Dinosaurs, badlands yeah! There’s now even a glamping thing there.

Kettle Valley railway canyon bridges and tunnels are pretty cool.

Have not been, but heard is interesting.

BVI, Caribbean, specifically the Soggy Dollar Bar (swimming access only until recently) where the Painkiller cocktail was invented.

Mass Games, PyongYang.

Churchill Manitoba to watch polar bears attack the town.

Las Vegas to watch dreams die.

Kazantip. Pro tip, image search it in cyrillic.

There’s a place where you can go tubing through an old irrigation tunnel through a mountain in Kauai.

I’ve also heard of places in Vietnam where you can fire really big guns, like RPGs.

There’s always Fake Paris in China too.

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Forgot all about the Parasite museum in Tokyo

Also, the earthquake simulator in Ikebukuro.

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I would highly recommend roadtripping across our great country. It’s such a rich and diverse place.

Highlights include (heading East from Vancouver)

  • Halcyon Hot Springs - where you get to bath in hot water with a nice view
  • Ainsworth Hot Springs - where you can go swin the mountain, where the hot springs are coming from.
  • The Foothills of Alberta - absolutely beautiful drive with crazy thunderstorms.
  • Badlands of Alberta - they’ve got dinosaurs there!
  • I’ve heard the Winnipeg Museum of Human Rights is quite good, haven’t been myself
  • Winnipeg Art Gallery was quite good when I was there. That is largely dependant on what they are showing though.

I’m just going to start adding to the map instead of posting…

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I’ve been in Machu Picchu in the early 80’s. I’m sure things have changed since then, but I was glad that I stayed overnight. During the day, the place is overrun with day trippers. Once they leave in the afternoon, you pretty much have the place to yourself.