Yah, the architecture is fascinating. That particular piece descends a mere inch. The fact that Roman engineers constructed it with such precision in the 1st century AD is pretty mind-boggling.

Kicked Ass or Exceeded Expectations
1. Namibia
Friendly, nicely paved roads, excellent wildlife. Easy to arrange "do it yourself" travel. Very few people/remote.

2. Beijing
Easy to navigate public transportation. Inexpensive taxis and food. Interesting cool stuff (temples, buildings, etc..) to check out.

3. Southern Utah
Amazing scenery. Easy to get away from crowds especially in winter time.. Interesting "wild west" experiences in places like Kanab, Bluff, Blanding, etc..

Absolutely Hated or Didn't meet expectations
1. Jamaica
Felt like a target for harassment. Hassle factor super high, especially if you are not looking to buy weed. Fake friendly with people seeming to always have some type of angle they were working.

2. Bali
Ok, it's beautiful, friendly, good food, but way over developed and tons of Aussie Frat Boy types on drinking holiday. Lot's of road traffic not conducive to walking around and exploring.

3. Manila
Place is a colossal cluster fukk. Especially the older part of city by the water or near Robinson Mall. If you want crowded, lot's of traffic, grime, petty crime, then Manila is a great option. If you are looking for "interesting", sleepy Asian city and getting laid is not a priority, then avoid Manila and head to Phnom Penh or Vientiane instead.

I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with my opinions of Bali and Manila, I probably had too high expectations for each. Glad I've been there, just not rushing back to either. Jamaica you couldn't pay me to go back to.

Manila is an awful choice for a vacation, great place to live though imo.

I can definitely agree with Namibia and S Utah. Those places in Namibia out in the desert with the stars blazing and wildlife running around the campsites, great stuff. For Utah I only did arches, bryce, and zion and loved all of them. I've been wanting to go back for several years now and hit some of the lesser known places!

I'm not so sure about Beijing, granted I was only in the city for a few hours during a long layover, but I've been to lots of big Chinese cities and haven't really cared for any of them. Maybe Beijing will be different! but with all that smog and pollution, I have my doubts.

Now that I think about it, the only big city in Asia that I've ever wanted to stay for more than a few days as a traveler is Hong Kong. I haven't been to Japan or S. Korea though, but just about everywhere else.

I would agree with you on Bali if you're only talking about the Kuta/Legian/Seminyak area. I rented a scooter and drove around the island and there were lots of really cool, not touristy places around the island.

Manila... yea pretty much. Most SE Asian cities I like to have 2-3 full days to explore. Manila I'm definitely okay with 1. Loved the Jeepneys though.

I haven't been to Jamaica and don't plan on it!

My short list of places I didn't like/found very underwhelming in no particular order:

1. Macau

I was pretty surprised at just how dead the "Las Vegas of Asia" was. I mean walking around the casinos at night was a dead zone. Even in the casinos if you weren't going to high end clubs it seemed like there was nothing to do besides gambling. And of course it's super expensive. I'll take the fun atmosphere and the grit and grime of Vegas anyday.

2. Costa Rica

Every once in a while I get asked, what is your least favorite country? And it's of course a difficult question to answer, but I think this is my answer. It's obnoxiously overpriced, way too touristy, boring local culture, boring food, and despite having beaches and rainforests there is nothing special about the beaches and I think being in a rainforest is highly overrated. The town of Monteverde was the single biggest tourist trap town I have ever been in. And it's a hotbed for American tourists who are happy to just throw a bunch of cash down for whatever package activity is on the brochure during their one week holiday. I mean you can get any of the things you'd want to see in Costa Rica in other parts of Central America for way less money and be far less crowded. The whole country just rubbed me the wrong way, although I only spent 10 days there and never really got off the tourist trail.

3: Penang/Langkawi

These islands off the NW coast of Malaysia I didn't exactly dislike, just found very underwhelming/boring. Especially in Langkawi it seems as if tourism has dropped off and the whole place feels kind of dead. Plus the main beach sucks and sand just whips in your face. It's muslim, so alcohol is expensive. Also got busted by the police for not wearing my helmet on trip down the street, cops wouldn't take a small bribe, kept claiming had to pay like $100 or go to jail. Ended up coughing up the cash. I'm pretty sure I ended up getting drugged in a night club here as well.

4. Thai Islands

Beautiful of course, but just crazy touristy and devoid of any real local culture. There are so many other beach locations around the world I'd rather go to than go back to Thailand.

Agree 100% that the beaches are highly over rated. Jungle is great though. I was lucky to be house sitting a house out in it, so that was cool . Having monkeys swing past your house is pretty cool. Not when it's at 5am though

Agree that it was boring. Not much to do there. Wouldn't want to stay there for any extended period.

Can't disagree with this either.

My rainforest experiences include lots of mud, rain, high humidity, bugs, and a total lack of animals besides rats, so I might be biased.

Place that did not meet expectations:

Dubrovnik, Croatia - I really don't know how this place became so popular. Sure, Game of Thrones was in part filmed in Dubrovnik but the CGI is so excessive that you could barely tell. You have two beaches where people are basically packed like sardines and tourists from all over the world ravage the place in August. You take a walk along the walls and take a few pictures but after that there's not much more unless you're into low-quality souvenirs, overpriced tourist restaurants and equally overpriced night clubs.

An alternate that exceeded my expectations:

Kotor, Montenegro - It is a more unassuming place with fewer tourists* that is way cheaper and has the same appeal (a walled in city with gimmicky stores) that Dubrovnik has. Kotor Bay is absolutely beautiful and the beach I had access to had almost nobody on it despite the weather being scorching hot. Highly recommended.

*That was in 2014. Things might have changed since then

It does sound like Montenegro is on the up and up for tourism. Still, it seems like a place I'd like.

I wonder how much extra tourist revenue GoT has gotten Dubrovnik!

Seeing those Scotland pics makes me want that on my bucket list. Is a car needed to get the most out of a trip there? I'm assuming it is and I worry about the whole left side driving thing. Have any of you driven opposite to what you are used to and managed?

left side driving is easy, takes you about half an hour to adjust (maybe a bit more for roundabouts )

either there are people on the road and it's clear where you have to go, or there aren't and it doesn't matter

Very nice thread

Exceeded expectations :

- Dawson City, Canada : Well, this is kind of a cheat, since it is the place I call home, but still figures to be 6700kms from where I was born (Montreal). Dawson has all the appeals of a northern arctic town (kms upon kms of desolated bush, rivers, mountains, incredible scenery etc.) while still offering a ton of jobs due to its summer tourist industry (Americans and Germans) and gold mining. Also has a casino with 3 poker tables, which is unheard of for a town of 1600 (lost) souls .













Also worth mentioning : with the advent of the internet, one can have access to all this desolate nature while having access to instant news online (the newspaper arrives 2 days late in Dawson), movies, and... you get my drift

Jaisalmer (or Pushkar) India : Ok, I am quite buyest over here, and perhaps if I had visited different deserts in my life, I might not rate this town as highly, but I enjoyed immensely this place, the camel safari and just roaming in the desert.

Higuera Blanka, Mexico : I am sure there are quite a few of these unknown-gem-beach-towns, but stayed 2 months here, tented on a desolated beach (no neighbors for 1km) and simply enjoyed the rural Mexican life a-la-Robinson-Crusoe


Overrated :

Manila, Philippines : spent a month, hated it. It has been mentioned a few times ITT already.

Tijuana, Mexico : All the negative that can be found in a border town. Dreaded this place. It felt apocalyptic with everything/everyone being for sale.

I could include a few other places that felt like ****holes to me (like Sihanoukville, for instance), but then it becomes a matter of what you are seeking for...

Many of us have traveled far & wide in search of an "island paradise".

However, as someone who is interested in potentially living overseas in the not-too-distant future, I'd love to find somewhere exotic and with abundant natural beauty, AND where I can live comfortably, own property, own a business, and rest easy that my rights are protected. I don't know if this would ever FULLY be the case in the typical destinations like Indo, Thailand, Philippines, etc.. Hawaii fits the bill nearly perfectly, but a major downside is that property values in Hawaii are uber expensive.

I'd be very interested to hear from anyone who has spent any significant amount of time in the American territories of Guam, American Samoa, or Saipan.

My favorite island paradise is Zanzibar, especially the east side which was totally undeveloped in 1990's when I was there, I'm sure it has changed some. The west side of Zanzibar had lot's of interesting culture and an amazing night food market. Some wildlife in middle of island, including red monkeys which I had not seen anywhere else in Africa.

Seychelles are amazing too, but VERY expensive. Went to a smaller island called Bird Island in Seychelles, went hiking and didn't see another person, so if you are looking for remote...

Next up for me is probably Sri Lanka, anybody who's been there would be interested in hearing their experiences and suggestions.

It takes me forever to get the god damn blinkers right. I end up hitting the windshield wipers like 8 billion times.

Had to look up Dawson City, damn its wayyyy up there! Sound like it's got some pretty cool history with the gold rush and all.

Jaisalmer was my favorite city in Rajasthan! There is something enchanting about all that sandstone architecture and it being a fortress square in the middle of the desert. And the dunes were great too.


While it's not an island paradise, I did talk with many locals two years ago who built some really nice houses on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. They own the property and all the expats seemed to really enjoy the place. I believe foreigners can also run business in Guatemala. Just some food for thought.

Ok I'm bored, so I thought I'd write up another place high up on my list of recommended places to travel: Myanmar!


the infamous Bagan

This is one of my favorite places. If I was judging countries with a priority on having a unique cultural experience, Myanmar is my number one. I mean as far as tourist attractions go, once you get beyond the temples and pagodas there isn't a whole lot. But never in my life have I enjoyed just wandering around and watching daily life go by as I did in Myanmar. I'm not exactly sure why I was so smitten, but it's probably has something to due with fact that Myanmar is so underdeveloped and in many places you feel like you could be walking around in the 1950's or hell maybe even the 1850's. Plus I loved inquisitiveness and friendliness of the locals, the monks abound, the men's lungyi's and the women's faces painted with thanaka bark, the oxen prattling down the street, the little coffee shops, their love for football and beer, so many things.

Most people that go to Myanmar usually just come to visit the 'Big 4' meaning Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, and Inle Lake. And while all those places are certainly worth visiting, especially Bagan, there are many more interesting places around the country, so I'm going to focus on them. More specifically the northern part of the country. If you like getting off the beaten track a little bit and somewhat more adventurous travel, Myanmar is perfect for you.

When I was there (2013) I flew to Mandalay first, then to Bagan, then bused it a little north to town called Monywa, then to Schwebo, took the train all the way up to Myitkyina, the capital of the Kachin State and then took a boat back south down the Irawaddy river.



blue for bus, green for train, red for boat. The boat journey from Myitkyina to Mandalay was supposed to take 4 full days, but we had enough after 3 and decided to go back by train instead.

Monywa: the big buddha looms in the distance


the laying down buddha:


countryside:


buddhas in caves:


wedding celebrations:


Train station at Shwebo:



The train is pretty interesting experience in itself. The scenery is nice, it's all locals, but it was seriously the most bumpy, swaying, and lurching train I have ever been ridden. At some points your ass is getting removed from your seat and getting solid airtime and there is just no avoiding it. Just make sure your stuff is fastened securely overhead! I did a side trip to a place called Indawgyi lake, which only averages one or two tourists a day during high season. You have to get off the train and then wait with the locals for a truck and then hop on back. 3 hours from there. Hopefully there is a nice bag of rice to sit on!

There is one guesthouse in town and by looking at the guestbook you can tell how few tourists the place gets. The first night I met an American NGO worker and his Burmese girlfriend, which was nice because I got to learn all the phrases I needed to in Burmese. But they left the next morning, so I had the whole place to myself after that. There are basically 3 things you can do here, rent a bicycle and bike as far as the military checkpoints will let you, take a guide and hike up a river to a waterfall, and rent a kayak to go out on the lake. They told me I needed a guide for this in case I'd flip over my kayak and drowned, but I wasn't having any of that bs. The kayaking is definitely the best part, but it does get hot as hell during the middle of the day in the middle of the lake. It's also fun to watch all the local fishermen.

my neighbors on the train


the ride on the back of the truck:


pagoda in the middle of the lake:


monk taking my photo as I took his, ha


on the lake in my kayak at sunset:


the morning fog and the fishermen coming in


getting the water


the dusty roads


After 2d3n I hopped on the back of another truck and headed back to the train station and then caught a train up to Myitkyina.

They love burning trash by the side of the road, which does make for some pretty cool photos



There really isn't a whole lot to do in town. There was supposed to be a local festival going on but it turns out the government had shut it down for the third straight year. Some of the minority ethnicities do not get along well with national government. Well that's an understatement. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has been fighting the government forces for years and the reason why most areas around Myitkyina are closed off to tourists. But I did find out the boat route back to Mandalay was open for the first time in a year or two, so why not?! The trip would be 4 days down the vast Irawaddy river.











My favorite town was Bhamo, a bustling port city, which also had a fascinating bamboo bridge stretching over one of the smaller rivers. But as much as I liked all the towns we stopped at, spending 8 hours a day on the wooden benches of the boat and not really seeing a whole lot scenery on the river got kind of boring. So we decided to stop at a town called Katha, which is known for being where George Orwell lived during his Burmese days.

foggy morning in Katha


We ended up taking the night train back to Mandalay, which was a thoroughly terrible idea, being how bumpy and shakey the whole thing is, but eventually we made it back to Mandalay. So besides the boat trip being a bit too long, I thoroughly enjoyed this part of country, which has a lot to offer tourists, even though you won't be encountering many others. My recommendation for you is to get to Myanmar because it's an awesome country and try and get outside the big 4 if you can!

amazing pics, thanks for the writeup

you make me regret doing only the big 4. will have to go back I guess

Yea car needed imo, all the cities(in which I visited) are pretty mediocre barring Edinburgh, but the driving through lough lomond, the highlands, And through Skye is exceptional. The person I did it with hadn't driven left sided before, but took to it pretty well, didn't seem like much of a problem after the first few hours.

Nice write up cardshark! Makes me regret just using myanmar as a stop and go visa run place.

Very nice post Myanmar has been high on my list for quite a few years, but have yet managed to make it (despite holding a plane ticket in my hand last winter It is the go-to destination for vipassana meditators (the form of meditation I practiced) which regularly go on pilgrimages in Burma, or for long term meditation retreats

All your photos are great, but I really love this one.