Vacation plans

[chickenfeet]

Seeking the wisdom of the f-list.

If lemur_catta and I were contemplating a vacation in say May/June where should we go?

Considerations
Cost is a consideration
It needs to be fairly relaxing
Lemurs like warmer places
If there is driving involved I get to do it all
We both like 'cultural' tourism
Neither of us are into lying on a beach

Current thoughts
Turkey
South Eastern Europe
Quebec City, Lac St. Jean. Gaspe
Massachusetts coast
Cornwall
The Carolinas
Peru and/or Chile

What do you lot think?

Comments

[panjianlien.livejournal.com]

Croatia. Just go.

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

Dubrovnik is lovely in May.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

My parents like Croatia a lot. They go there most winters.

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

Is Barcelona too expensive? One thing that I really liked about it was that if I was sick of looking at amazing buildings, I could go to the beach, but it didn't need to be the focus of the time.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hypatia_/]

If you don't mind moving about a bit you could tour Turkey.
Visit Istanbul then go down the coast to Ephesus or see Pammukale with its related ancient sites and wind up down on the Dalyan peninsular. That would give you a mix of cultural and geographic sites. Even if you don't want to spend days lying on the beach, Olu Deniz down by the Dalyan is nice out of season with boat trips and walks around the lagoon and sitting on the beach in the evening watching postcard sunsets. It is vastly popular by comparison with 20 years ago (when backpackers could scab a cheap room in the village and drink at the hut which was the only bar) but in May/June it should be quite quiet.
Turkey has become incredibly popular but is still quite cheap to visit and May/June is outside the busy times. The black sea coast is also a good trek but gets a lot less visitors for some reason.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

All of the destinations on your side of the Pond seem more exciting than the one's on our side :)

So just to throw in another possibility, if you can reach Turkey you can probably reach Morocco - I had a wonderful time there, the mix of cultures, especially on the West coast is rich, and despite the efforts to make Marakesh trendy, it's still a vital, bewildering place.

But of your list, I'd most want to see Peru.

[ann1962]

Quebec City is tied for first place with Edinburgh for my favorite city. I absolutely loved it there.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

The trouble is I never feel qualified to suggest anywhere I haven't been, and there's only one place on your list I have visited. But I certainly enjoyed Turkey, and I recommend Cappadocia for the weird rock formations, hollowed-out churches and underground cities.

Also, I love mosques.

[nikkyb.livejournal.com]

Cornwall is lovely, but last time I was there in May/June it was rather rainy. Perhaps that is a consideration?

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

There's always a risk of that but July and August are far worse. To be honest, Cornwall is a comfort option for me. I know it like the back of my hand, especially the far West.

[helianthas.livejournal.com]

I loved Turkey. How long would you be going for?

1)Cost: airfare = $, but we found decent priced places to stay and meals were not expensive. "Things" were not nearly as cheap as I thought they would be, slightly lower than US prices.

2) It needs to be fairly relaxing: My trip had relaxing parts to it, but getting from place-to-place is not everyone's idea of a relaxing time. I think if you drive it will be more relaxing! I liked Olympus for a great chill-out place (beach, ruins, the "Chimera" fire that never goes out...) and there are other pleasant towns that will have cultural & natural attractions.

3) Lemurs like warmer places: Check

4) If there is driving involved I get to do it all: The buses are very comfortable with comprehensive coverage of the country.

5) We both like 'cultural' tourism: Mosques, Carpet weaving demonstrations, palaces, cisterns, ruins, all cool stuff. THe natural things were amazing to me: Pammukale was UNBELIEVABLE for the topography/formations AND the ruins, where you can swim in a heated spring over the ancient city of Heiropolis and watch the marble heads stare up at you.

6) Neither of us are into lying on a beach: Heathens.

Other thoughts:

I loved coast of Maine & New Brunswick. Lots of bird-watching, did some rock-climbing, ate lobsters, camping, etc. I'm betting Gaspe/Massachusetts will have similar things to offer, Quebec w/more culture, but possibly not all that warm?

The Carolinas: I stayed at the Outer Banks and it felt like mostly a beachy kind of place to me. (I loved it.) If there was any cultural stuff to do, I missed it.

UPSTATE NY!!! (Ithaca is Gorges ;) )You can drive there in your own vehicle, and spring is amazing, and you can go on wine tours and fruit picking and gorge hikes and stay at little B&B's and get the best "Finger Lakes Chicken Barbeque" ever, even stop in and see mhaithaca to cook up a gourmet meal, tell him I sent ya. ;); Cappodocia was cool to see as well but a bit over-touristy.

[helianthas.livejournal.com]

Uh, that "Cappodocia" part? should be with the Turkey section, mmmkay?

[shezan.livejournal.com]

It's the dead of winter in Peru and chile in May-June...

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

Good point

[lemur-catta.livejournal.com]

The lemur is also thinking of Andalucia and perhaps Catalonia (yes, much time in Barcelona would be too expensive, but a quick Gaudi and Miro run before heading off the beaten path might not be)

Dan, I did give Dubrovnik some thought, but hasn't it become a very expensive and resort-y place to see and be seen?Initial investigations made me think it might be too fashionable to be affordable anymore. That doesn't mean we can't
spend a day gawping at the lovely architechture, of course.

Any thoughts on Bulgaria or or Macedonia?