CC International Destination Guide

College Confidential Community
1

<p>I love to travel internationally, so I thought I'd set up a thread for people to share their stories about the world beyond our borders. Aside from India, the two extended trips I took were to Japan and Italy.</p>

<p>Italy: We took a guided tour, which was great. We got to see the sights and hear the sounds, and believe me, trying to arrange transportation in Italy is a mess and a hassle. Walking around Rome was a pleasure. The Roman ruins are also great. Pisa is OK- as soon as we got off the bus, African vendors came up hawking jewelry, toys, and watches. The commercialism that has overrun the town is mindboggling (not corporate as much as the above mentioned street sellers). Venice was also a blast. Nothing to complain about there. Overall, no worries and no hassles when you are on a guided tour.</p>

<p>Japan: Tours are so expensive here, so we opted to go it alone. Best buy: Japan Rail Pass. For about $250 (depending on exchange rate) you get to travel on all local and most bullet trains in the country for free (except the superexpress, which is no big deal- it just makes fewer stops) for a week. All you have to do is show the pass to the conductors, and you're set. BTW the Japanese are the most polite and helpful people I have ever met. When I got back to the US, it was a little weird to not have the airport bus driver cheerfully greet you and get out to help carry the baggage. Tokyo is modern and bustling, and I wish I had more than a day there. However, nothing can match the history of Kyoto, which was the only major city not bombed during WWII, so there are many ancient temples (a couple are nearly a 1000 years old). Johnny Hillwalker's walking tour is a must-do. For only $20, he takes you into the backalleys and workshops of old Kyoto for 3 hours. He's been doing it for decades, and is listed in Lonely Planet Guide, so check it out. Another great value is a bus pass. For $5 or so, you can ride on the city's extensive and English-speaking-tourist-friendly bus system. In Nara, 20 min south of Kyoto, is the world's largest Buddha (cast in the 700s), housed in the world's largest wooden structure, which is old in itself. Nara Park houses many tame deer, which are fun to feed. Hiroshima is also worth a visit. If you get the chance, there is an island (starts with an M) off the harbor that is beautiful to visit, and features the "floating shrine", a Heian Gate in shallow water that looks as if it is floating when the tide is in. A 15 min train ride and a 5 min ferry from Hiroshima station get you there. And finally, Hemeji Castle, halfway between Kyoto and Hiroshima is very beautiful and imposing, and is worth a visit if you love history. There is a lot more I havn't covered, but this gives you a taste of what to do in Japan. I personally am proud to have successfully navigated Tokyo and Kyoto's extensive bus/subway/train system. Hopefully you can too.</p>

<p>Anyone else have any other stories/advice/recommendations about where to go and what to do around the world?</p>

2

<p>I've been to Asia this summer (Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo) and plan on going back next summer (Singapore, Kuala Kumpur and Bangkok). But I'll have to visit Japan again, probably to Osaka and Kyoto this time. I have to agree that Japanese people are the most polite people on earth. They bow all the time and want to do everything they can to help you. Japanese culture has inspired me to study Japanese in college. I really enjoyed a "kaiseki" lunch (there is a dinner version but costs are ound $200 per person). It was so beautifully presented and was sooooo good. In Tokyo I stayed at the Park Hotel, which is one of the less expensive hotels ($250 a night!) but I must say that it was one of the best hotels I've stayed at. The staff especially was realy friendly, though I'm not sure if that isn't typical of Japanese people in general. In Beijing, the sites were really interesting, but it was soooo hot and the people were annoying (they all tried to sell us things we didn't want or need). Hong Kong was nice too, and I especially enjoyed the subway. Overall, Asia is a very interesting place to visit!!</p>

3

<p>Great thread! I love to travel internationally as well.</p>

<p>Flyertalk.com is a wonderful travel resource for all things esoteric. Their discussion forums are full of interesting, thoughtful posts about every piece of anything you could think of, with an understandable bent toward the art of flying. Especially interesting is the phenomenon of "mileage runs", which are quick round trips to various destinations for the sole purpose of accruing frequent flyer miles.</p>

<p>I'm feeling pretty rotten today and will probably hit the hay shortly. I'll get back to this thread with some stories and experiences when I'm better rested :)</p>

4

<p>Yeah, I was going to say that too--India, Italy, Istanbul, South Africa and Botswana. When I have nothing to do I'll edit this post into some stories about those places.</p>

5

<p>Nice thread idea. I have been to Italy, England, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain, France, Malta and Canada. As like tagran, when I have the time, I will post stories from there.</p>

6

<p>Anyone else have stories to add?</p>

7

<p>Not a big story
When I was 10 my parents and I went to London. I did not appreciate it then so I kept whining throughout the whole trip. We went to the Tower of London and I did not want to go there because it was haunted. We went there to see Heathcliff, a Wuthering Height play with the British singer Cliff Richard if anyone knows who he is.
We went there again when I was 12, at this age I was more into shopping and getting accessories. I got to stand on the Prime Merdian in Greenwich. My mom wanted to see a Cliff Richard concert again (we saw him perform 3 times in two weeks) I cried and complained about that too.<br>
I don't care to go to London again, really nothing there for me.</p>

8

<p>I went to Israel,Egypt and Jordan at age 12.</p>

9

<p>I have been like... nowhere..? haha okay not really in line with the thread and i clearly shouldnt be posting but i feel pretty pathetic</p>

10

<p>Cool, two people from India. That's pretty interesting to me.</p>

11

<p>There's more than a billion of us... cant be that interesting :p</p>

12

<p>to me it is :D</p>

13

<p>The spring break before last I went to Italy with my Latin Club. What a trip--in about 2 weeks, actually more like 11 days, we went to Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, Naples, Venice, Florence, Benevento, and Capri. Capri was perhaps the most breathtaking place I've ever been--it makes you so jealuos when you look at the people walking around and think, they get to LIVE here--and I get to live in the middle of some cornfields--great. My favorite city was Florence and I hope to study Italian in college and go there for study abroad, I fell in love with that city. I'm planning on studying art in college, so this trip was one of my best oppurtunities to see every sculpture and painting I've seen in art history books. It was one of those trips where it really doesnt even settle in what you've seen until later because you're so familiar with it to begin with that it's almost as if you're still looking at a postcard when in reality you're standing right in the Uffizi. What a great trip, however fast paced. I won't elaborate too much, but yeah. It's great when American tourists come up to you and ask you dooveee tooyleettuhh? because they think you're Italian. And what good looking people--it always makes you think, wow, like 1 in 10 people are really good looking where I live...and here...its like 9 in 10...what a great country. Same goes for Turkey and India. England....not so much...sorry family.</p>

<p>Which brings me to my next place--England. My mom's family lives there so I've been a number of times. We mainly jsut go to visit family, so there aren't really any touristy stories. I've been over to France for some day trips when I've been to England, and to other areas of the UK--but yes, yet again, it's all about my family when we go. </p>

<p>I went to India over my last spring break with 3 of my best friends and my girlfriend, and it was fantastic. Our layover was in Istanbul, Turkey, so I got to be there for two days as well. Turkey was amazing, great food, great people, our hotel was a 30 second walk from the hagia sofia and the blue mosque--it was just a fantastic couple days. We then went to India where we landed in Delhi, travelled through the night to Jaipur, stayed there for a bit and went to Rathampur--no tigers, sigh, from Jaipur to Mumbai, from Mumbai to Agra, Agra to Hothras Hapur Delhi (Sorry if I spelled wrong,only heard them in thick Indian accent the whole trip). Everything was beautiful, and I mean everything. The people, their clothes, the food I love, the buildings, everything. The trip really left you with a kind of bewilderement between such beauty and such poverty, especially in Bombay--that was the toughest it got. On the light side though, fabulous hotels, fabuluos people, fabulous scenery, fabulous clothes (made me feel slovenly), fabulous food, fabulous country. Oh and yes...could it be any more dirt cheap...</p>

<p>This summer I also went to Botswana. Pretty much a safari-esque trip. We flew from Cincy to JFK, JFK to Johannesbrg, then from there to Maun in Botswana. We went from the Chobe River to Kings Pool to Xigera and lastly to Chitabe over about two weeks. The scenery and wildlife is amazing in the Okavanga--I feel like a NGS person or something....But yeah, that trip was out of control. We got so close to so many animals--we saw over 200 species--though many of those were birds. Was able to step into Namibia on the Caprivi Strip so I could log another country--so that was exciting. The people here were also just incredibly generous and nice. I won't go on because it was pretty much -- beautiful animals very very close, walking around in the delta and scooting around on mokoros, hiking through the grasslands--fantastic trip. I thank my aunt who took me a million times over.</p>

<p>My sister is going to teach in Costa Rica for a year, so hopefully, I'll have another international story to add to this relatively soon.</p>

<p>Until then, thanks for the post, silmon.</p>

14

<p>In the past few years, been to India, China, Hong Kong, Germany, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. I've never been to the northern part of India, although I was born and have lived in the southern part for many years, until my family and I came to the US. Most people are from north India, so for any of you interested in visiting southern India, I'll outline some sites you may want to visit. First of, the southern-most state in India is called Tamil Nadu, whose capital is Madras (and now called Chennai). Chennai has a lot to offer, including the beach and also the site where St. Thomas (the doubter) was killed. The other two interesting cities include: Madurai (where a lot of Hindu temples are located, as well as a cliffside that looks like an elephant - I've seen it in person, and it's pretty amazing!), and also the city of Trichy (my birthplace, and home to a few other temples, including one located at the top of a mountain top - it takes like 2,000-4,000 steps to get to the temple).</p>

<p>Either taxi, bus, or train will get you from place to place, but definitely be street-safe in India. The pictures of former President Clinton getting a warm welcome in India are a bit deceiving, b/c in all parts of India, there is a problem with poverty (as well as crime). I shouldn't exaggerate it though - you'll probably be fine. One thing to watch out for is make sure your family DOES NOT stay at hotels run by the Indian railway system. These hotels are dirty, infested with bugs, and have rats running everywhere. My family stayed at one of these hotels b/c we tried to be frugal and we literally couldn't sleep that night - and in the morning when I tried to get off the bed, fur brushed against the end of my feet (the fur of a huge rat).</p>

<p>Ahh, now that I re-read my post, it seems like I made it seem more of a bad experience, lol. The point is that you should be careful in India, but if you are careful, you'll definitely have a great time there - the people, the food, the scenery are all great.</p>