Your Top 3 Vacation Spots?

[El Presidente]

Maybe it is because we are well and truly into the second half of the year and I am yearning for the Christmas break in Phuket! I try and plan vacations 12-18 months out and am always on the lookout for new locales to explore. Let us know your personal top 3

My top 3.

1. Noosa Heads (Australia)

We are blessed as it is only two hours north of Brisbane. Outside of school holidays it is a dream of a location. Great beach, natural beauty, brilliant restaurants. It is really based around one road. You park your car in the apartment complex and don't need to touch it again for the week as everything is in walking distance.

2. Havana

If only it were closer! There is just a rhythm of "life" beating through the air. Music, rum,smoke, architecture, history, a sexiness. The people are its' strength.

3 Hong Kong

If I ever need 4 days away, Hong Kong is my preference. New York in Asia. The place is abuzz. The food is sensational, the bars second to none, the play districts can be upmarket or seedy dependent on your mood. Great cigar divans. After 4 days I am a wreck and need a holiday.

Let us know yours

[GernBlansten]

1. Botswana Camping Safari: Excitement, beauty, amazing food and memories galore. I can still smell the heard of elephants that decided to come into our camp at 4am to have a snack from the trees.

2. Kangaroo Island: When we went it was pretty spartan. Felt like we were two of ten on the island. Got to see the Southern Ocean in full on angry mode: Impressive doesn't scratch the surface. Seal beach and the Remarkables were a lot of fun!

3. Paris (my big city entry): just so much to do and see. Easy launching pad to the rest of Europe.

[treberty]

1. Paris & Languedoc-Roussillon region

2. NYC - need my yearly fix

3. Havana - Rob summed up why pretty well

[leftimatic]

To Date:

1 Varadero Cuba: Only been there once but it was perfect to just kick back with the wife and kids and forget you had a job and responsibilities back home waiting. Plus I did come home with a nasty cigar habit. Would like to see a bit more of the Island one day.

2 Long Beach Vancouver Island: Great camping and an amazing place to walk along the beach forever. We try and get there at least twice a year.

3 Victoria BC: We don't get out much as you can see. But being the simple country folk we are it's just big enough to take the big city urges away, plus lots for the whole family to enjoy.

I guess this list would change if the I was single without kids or if the kids were grown up and it was just the wife and I at home. But until then.....

[ayepatz]

1) Rome - if you want to walk throughout history all day long, and enjoy aperitivi, antipasti, and great wine afterwards, there's no better city.

2) Malibu - America at its best. Surf, cocktails, fine dining, and the fish shack next to the pier.

3) Skye - The jewel in Scotland's crown. Witness all the weather has to offer. Like being in an ever-changing watercolour painting. Hike the Cuillins and enjoy a wee dram by the fire at the end of the day. Magic.

[smokeyjoe01]

1 Brighton - 1 hour away & all things to all people, family there & an apartment I can borrow

2 Sharm el Sheikh - 4 hours on a plane, sun sea & amazing sea life

3 Las Vegas - what happens in Vegas...

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[MrGTO]

Lake Tahoe

Pacific Ocean on a sailboat

Yosemite

[madbunny]

1.anywhere in new zealand

2.queensland's gold coast for the kids

3.hat head national park,nsw,close to home can be the only person on the beach if timing is right

[MrGinger]

In no particular order

Koh Phangan - Thailand

Havana - Cuba

Galiano Island,BC - Canada

[joeskow]

Lake Como - Italy

Maui - USA

The Bahamas

[SofaKing]

London England for Europe

Kaui Hawaii just plain peaceful paradise

South Beach Miami for a quick weekend

[kuma]

1. Any where on the French Riviera during spring time.

2. Again spring time in Japan. Yufin near Oita. Regarded as some of the best

hot baths in Japan. Located on the side of two mountains.

3. Winter time to the white sand beaches of the Bahamas. Can still hide your funny money there.

[airtrade]

1 The big Island,Hawaii

Beautiful like a rural Island and every type of climate you would like within a five hour drive.

2 Marco Island Florida.

Great sunsets, just a beautiful beach area.

3 Cruising in the carribean.

BLUE water! White sand.

[markmurase]

1. Tuscany

Few places live up to their post-card reputation but Tuscany was everything I imagined it would be: rolling hills covered with olive tress, grape vines and pencil pines. Great food, good wine and wonderful people. Relaxing countryside but fantastic cities like Florence and Sienna to explore. It's just a great part of the world.

2. London

One of the world's great cities. There is so much to do and see - summer or winter. I love Jermyn Street for the men's fashion and original Dunhill store (alas the humidor is now at another location so much of it's allure is gone). I love Fortnum & Mason with their shop assistants in tail coats and striped pants. I love the 'quirkiness' of the place.

3. Southern Africa

Truly one of the most remarkable places I have ever visited. We did a safari in Mala Mala private game reserve, with private guide for the whole trip. It's unforgettable to be just metres from a family of lions or a leopard in a tree. The up-market resorts like Mala Mala are truly luxurious and are filled with old-world charm.

4. Sorry - I had to include this extra one: O'Reilly's Rainforest Resort, Gold Coast Hinterland

My favourite holiday destination in Queensland. A secluded resort in the rainforest. Run by the O'Reilly family for over 100 years. Luxury accommodation with old charm and hospitality. The focus is nature activities with long hikes & bird-watching. It's a place to unwind and get away.

[earthson]

Penzance, Cornwall. The most beautiful place I've seen and some of the friendliest (and drunkliest) people I've met!

Chiapas, Mexico. Was blown away how laid-back, welcoming, and funny the people are down there. Way easy to get around, too.

New Orleans, Louisiana. When you wanna get debauched and live it up (while spending lots of money), this is the place! Beat out Amsterdam as my favorite party city.

[brschoppe]

Hawaii - Did a cruise for our honeymoon and plan to go back in the next few years. Really enjoyed Maui. Kauai was nice and less crowded, but very rainy when we were there. The big island had a bit of everything. Heard you could go skiing and surfing on the same day there. It was very cool to see the volcano from the boat that night.

Cabo - Just returned from Cabo last month. Cashed in my points with Hilton down there and their place was really top notch. Great service. I loved weather, the architecture and the food. It was just nice to crash by the pool all day and the place had great service. Plus, it isn't as built up in the hotel corridor yet so it didn't feel busy. There are a few high end hotels going up there. Also, the ocean was pretty rough when we were down there.

London - Have not been back since I studied there in 1996. Loved exploring that city I have seen it has changed so much since then. There was so much culture and history to be taken in. It was so easy getting around that city. It was a great jumping place to other cities in Europe as we stayed 1/2 between the city and Heathrow. I also had my first cigars (Cuban) while living in London back then.

[Anth87]

Great topic Prez!

I can't put these in numerical order but;

Rome - Being Italian, naturally I loved it - great sights, wine and food. Plus, you can smoke a cigar on an outdoor table and nobody looks twice!

Bali - Seminyak only (HATED Kuta) - just relaxing - get one of the villas with the private pools - load up on Bintang! Food is QUALITY (I swear the Italian and Mexican were better than anything I've had in Australia - AND CHEAP) - Best part is the people in Bali are just beautiful people very friendly and accommodating

Vegas - Been 5 times - My father manages Jerry Lewis so there quite a bit - nothing beats walking around the casino, cigar in hand!!!!!!

That being said, DYING to go to Cuba - I'm in Vegas twice next year, once for Jerry's 90th Birthday in March, another for a charity event in June, so i do want to make the trip whilst im on that side of the world!

[LordAnubis]

Jordan, great place, great food, great people.

Istanbul, same as above.

Morocco, everything from the atlas mountains to ocean at essaouira, the sahara desert at the medina at marrakech.

Close finishes would be Argentina, England and Ireland.

[Ryan]

1. Costa de la Luz, Spain. Mostly Spanish tourists, so more 'Spanish' than the Costa del Sol. No "all-day English breakfast" or premier-league shirt-uniform.

Some of the best beaches in the world and Cadiz, Jerez, Seville, Cordoba, Gibraltar close by. Roman, Moorish, Spanish architecture.

2. Inisbofin Island, 7 miles off the west coast of Ireland. Tourists can't bring cars on but everything is walkable. 200 people live there. One shop, 4 pubs, great beaches, no police, people selling steamed crab and fresh bread from their doorways for next to nothing.

http://www.inishbofin.com/gallery

3. Havana, I feel a bit guilty including this as I haven't brought the family yet. But for people, bars, nightclubs, cigars, laughs and that "far away from home" feeling, it's hard to beat.

[madandana]

Wow, this is like asking which of my children I love most. Sorry can't chose 3 but some of my favorites.

Sitges Spain

Tuscany

Cinque Terre Italy

Cuba

Playa Del Carmen. MX

Key West

[JohnnyC]

Decisions, Decisions...hard to chose

Italy: Last year Rome,Venice and Florence.

Hawaii : Oahu and Maui

Chicago : Always enjoy visiting the windy city

[jkdooley]

Negril, Jamaica - As the ad campaign says "Once you go, you know".

Lahaina, Maui - Hawaii - We got married on the beach 20 years ago - ready to go back

Captiva Island, FL - Just a beautiful island - great food, wonderful sunsets.

[Guest Robusto 107]

Havana

railway to Tibet

Maldives

[ImTripN2]

My favorite trips in no particular order:

USA;

Fly to Las Vegas or Phoenix, rent a 4x4 vehicle, buy a cheap cooler, head out to the Grand Canyon then spend the next two weeks driving around to all the REALLY cool sites.

Fiji;

Get a round trip ticket on the Yasawa Flyer and do some resort / island hopping.

Europe; Get a Eurail Pass, take one easily carried bag and some comfortable shoes and go anywhere you like.

Honorable Mention; Central America is a cultural experience like nowhere else. Once you leave any big city you will find a most amazing sub-continent filled with incredible sights and super friendly people. And some pretty good cigars too. :-)

[CigarDarr111]

To Date:

1 Varadero Cuba: Only been there once but it was perfect to just kick back with the wife and kids and forget you had a job and responsibilities back home waiting. Plus I did come home with a nasty cigar habit. Would like to see a bit more of the Island one day.

2 Long Beach Vancouver Island: Great camping and an amazing place to walk along the beach forever. We try and get there at least twice a year.

3 Victoria BC: We don't get out much as you can see. But being the simple country folk we are it's just big enough to take the big city urges away, plus lots for the whole family to enjoy.

I guess this list would change if the I was single without kids or if the kids were grown up and it was just the wife and I at home. But until then.....

Just got back from a week on Salt Spring Island, also Hornby is great. The Gulf islands are a nice staycation if your from the mainland.