Flights to Europe booked, into London and returning home from Rome...woohoo!

I didn't go over to Sentosa. I spent most of my time around Orchard where the booze was (relatively) cheap in the cafes. Being able to buy alcohol in the 7/11's is pretty cool too. The big Casino development at Marina Bay did go ahead and it looks absolutely spectacular. The whole city does at night - no wonder they made the Formula 1 a night race there.

Singapore is an amazing city. The public transport is cheap as chips, very efficient and well air conditioned. The Taxi drivers know where they're going too. Everyone's really polite and helpful and the city is so very clean - until the Australians showed up at any rate :oops:. It's a really interesting melting pot of nationalities and ethnicities. Seeing everything written out in English, Mandarin, Tamil and Malay on just about every freaking sign is a bit bizarre at first.

It took me about 4 days to get acclimatised to the weather and I hadn't got sunburnt up until that point then *BAM* pink as a lobster after the race on Sunday :lol: And then flying out the next day and Melbourne seems cold now even though it's a nice day.

I never even noticed this thread.




The whole fear factor behind Zim is quite silly. Yes its not the safest place in the world, but the political reputation and government arguments have preceded what a beautiful country it actually is.


Places ive travelled:

Zim: 05/06 - fantastic holiday. loved going back home and having a cousins reunion. Was one of my best trips ever. need to go back.Obviously being from there ive been to quite a few places within Zim, Nyanga, Vic Falls, Kariba. All amazing places especially if you love fishing. If you love fishing that Kariba has to be on the bucket list.

South Africa: been too many times to list the years. Nice place but you always have the sense of fear when you there. In 05/06 trip we went out one day shopping, when we returned the neighbour walking in front the house with a samurai sword. Our house we were staying in was robbed. They took a TV, a phone I bought for my bro, my cousins whole suitcase. Still a lovely country, but you do always get that sense of fear when you there. Feel much safer in Zim.

Singapore: 05/06 - Quick 3 day trip. Was a nice trip. Prefer the main city to the outer areas. Feel like there wasn't really much to see or do apart from shopping. Sentosa Island was ok, the laser show was good, but I believe they were turning in to a casino resort back then, not sure if it went ahead.

Egypt: 98 - Nice trip. Hot and people are always hooting when driving. Lots of history to the country though.

USA: Went when I was young, don't remember much of it. I do know we went Kentucky and Disneyland and those places.

Saudi Arabia: 98 - Its not really a holiday destination. You only really go there for pilgrimage. We went for the small pilgrimage, so I hope to do the proper pilgrimage one day.

England: Been about 4 times now. Love the place, mainly because of the weather, football and my cousins, otherwise couldn't really be bothered with there I suppose. I guess youd have to know the area im talking about to understand why. Not really a very pleasant area. Too much gossiping, still quite backward and old age in terms of mentality

Mozambique: Went when I was young. I remember not being allowed on the beach because it was taken over by the rebels. Holding people hostage. Otherwise it was quite a nice place.

Aus: Been to many coastal areas and Sydney. Getting a bit tired of the coastal areas now. Only really go because it with family and such, but otherwise its a bit too much.

How to explore Australia
Our guide to getting there, getting in, and getting around

SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 13

Seasons

Air fares to Australia are extremely sensitive to the seasons, so adjusting your departure date by a few days or weeks could make a difference of many hundreds of pounds to the cost of your trip.

The cheapest time to travel is between April and June; precise dates vary from one year to the next (depending on when Easter falls) and from one airline to another, but mid-April to mid-June is normally the time when you will see the very lowest fares – perhaps under £800 return. September to early December and mid-January to Easter also offer good fares, typically £1,000 or less.

High fares prevail in July and August – an unappealing time to travel to the southern half of Australia anyway, because it corresponds with the depths of winter. The absolute peak, though, covers a time when many of us would most want to be in Australia: Christmas and New Year. Fly out to Sydney on BA on 22 December, returning on 2 January, and you will barely get enough change from £2,500 to pay for the train into town.

Getting to Sydney

Australia's largest city is the main gateway for British visitors and there is a formidable amount of competition. You can fly direct – but not non-stop – from Heathrow on British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) via Singapore; Qantas (0845 774 7767; qantas.com) via Dubai; and Virgin Atlantic (0844 874 7747; virgin-atlantic.com) via Hong Kong.

If you are prepared to change planes en route, there is a wide range of stopover options. For the cheapest fares, it's worth consulting Vietnam Airlines (020-3263 2062; vietnamairlines.com) from Gatwick via Ho Chi Minh City and China Southern (csair.com) from Heathrow via Guangzhou. Look out also for good fares on Garuda (01293 874985; garuda-indonesia.com) via Jakarta when the link from Gatwick is reinstated.

Emirates (0844 800 2777; emirates.com) has the widest range of one-stop connections, with flights from Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow to Dubai, from where there are two daily Airbus A380 non-stops to Sydney.

Getting to other cities

With the single exception of Qantas's daily link from Heathrow via Dubai to Melbourne, to reach other Australian cities from the UK requires at least one change of plane. Emirates is the market leader by a mile, with non-stops from Dubai to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. Singapore Airlines (020-8961 6993; singaporeair.co.uk), Malaysia Airlines (0871 423 9090; malaysiaairlines.com) and Cathay Pacific (020-8834 8888; cathaypacific.com) also offer a wide choice from their hubs in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong respectively.

The two other leading Gulf-based airlines offer connections at their hubs – Abu Dhabi on Etihad (020-3450 7300; etihadairways.com) and Doha on Qatar Airways (0844 846 8380; qatarairways.com) – to several Australian cities.

The most exotic stopover option? Mauritius. Air Mauritius (020-7434 4375; airmauritius.com) has three non-stop flights a week to Perth, with connections from Heathrow.

Round-the-world flights

While flights via Asia are shorter and therefore faster, Australia is also easily accessible via the Pacific. Round-the-world specialists can organise trips that take a wide range of stopovers. A simple London-Hong Kong/Singapore/Dubai-Sydney-Los Angeles-London ticket can cost less than £1,500, and many other stopovers are available.

Getting in

UK passport holders travelling on leisure or business can stay up to three months on an "eVisitor". This is a free-to-obtain online permit that allows you to enter Australia for tourism or business purposes. Avoid all the rip-off websites that will charge you money unnecessarily. Instead, go to bit.ly/eVisitor to apply.

Getting around

Air

Qantas and Virgin Australia (0800 051 1281; virginaustralia.com) are the main domestic airlines. While you can buy individual flights via their websites, it is a much better idea to book the tickets as part of an international journey – probably through a specialist travel agent. They may well cost you less and also confer extra security: if your flight from Hobart to Melbourne for your trip home is delayed or cancelled, with separate tickets you are flummoxed. On a single ticket, the airline has to look after you.

Rail

The Australian network is sparse in its scope but magnificent in its scale. See railaustralia.com.au for a range of options, including excellent-value rail passes. Seat61.com/Australia can fill in useful details about other possibilities.

Road

Whether you plan to drive or travel by bus, bear in mind the scale of Australia. Melbourne and Sydney are more than 650 miles apart by road – a full day's drive. Greyhound (greyhound.com.au) is the main long-distance bus line.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/ausandpacific/how-to-explore-australia-8828888.html

Edited by Joffa: 20/9/2013 11:04:38 PM

Yeah, I've definitely been urged to do this and I think we may look into it. Driving around the UK would be amazing.

As for travelling around South America, I would however I have mates who will be on their uni break next year who will only have 2 or 3 months off and are just doing Europe so I'd be strapped for time to do South America. Keen however I might leave it for 2015 or something and try and do it proper.

Last year we went to the UK and Ireland and had a hire care for everywhere but London, I'd recommend a hire car as a way to tour the UK and Ireland, although you don't need one if you are just visiting the main cities, I will use a hire car again....

For Mainland Europe I would recommend a rail pass, especially if once again you're doing the main stops.

Edited by Joffa: 16/9/2013 09:54:56 PM

Finished school last year, attending uni this year, however taking the whole of 2014 off to travel. Few weeks ago booked a flight to Brazil for June-July next year because I hear there is some major football tournament on. At this stage don't think I'll travel around South America and rather after a month, will fly out of Sao Paolo to Europe. Yet to be overseas so unbelievably keen. Going to these places with a few mates however we're not sure whether when in Europe to do a Contiki tour (or something of that sort) or just travel around the continent independently. Anyone have any advice on what would be best? Hope to be going to the fairly mainstream places: Britain, Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain.

Need to book a flight out of Brazil now...

How Disneyland is losing its magic
by: PETER ALLEN
From: Daily Mail September 16, 2013 10:02AM

THOUSANDS of holiday-makers have signed a petition claiming that Disneyland Paris is in decline and needs major investment.

"The upkeep of parks, attractions and hotels has been neglected so often during the past 20 years that many facilities are not 'Disney standard'," claims the petition.

Translated into six languages and signed by more than 5000 people, it adds: "Many themed elements are decaying and crumbling, while others are literally falling apart".

The petition was launched by Guillaume Gallant, a Belgian, who claimed that on a recent visit he found four live shows cancelled and attractions closed.

A record 16 million people visited Disneyland Paris last year.

Mr Gallant said the lack of live entertainment reached a 'critical point' this year, as it was the first summer season with not a single stage show at the park.

He has received support from many Britons. Jake Howarth, from London, said: "I have long been a visitor to Disneyland Paris, and over the last few years have sadly seen a decline in a number of things, all of which have been mentioned in the petition."

Tim Nightingale, of Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, said: "I expect value for money and having stayed there a number of times I feel the value has dropped with each subsequent visit."

A Disneyland Paris spokesman said the management is "dedicated to ensuring that our resort offers each of its guests a magical experience. We take guest comments very seriously and use them to help us evaluate our processes and procedures."



Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/world/how-disneyland-is-losing-its-magic/story-e6frfqai-1226719991498#ixzz2f3P6KiIr

Edited by Joffa: 16/9/2013 09:24:34 PM

Best Aus destination was Alice Springs

Only there for a week but was awesome...

If only I didn't have a family... that's what I think of this thread! [jks]

I've travelled OS on three occassions, twice for work (Milan 2009, Paris 2011) and once on a holiday with my wife and then 7yo son in 2006. It was the best trip.

I took in many a Euro adventure but most enjoyably I went to Highbury before becoming decommissioned, saw Arsenal v Man City in Manchester, did stadium tours of Highbury, Anfield, Celtic Park, Hampden Park and Croke Park. Went to Aus v Brazil and Aus v Croatia at the WC in Germany and just generally filled every waking moment with a new experience.

I would highly recommend a driving holiday - we were in Europe for about 20 or so days and were able to lease a car and this gave us so much freedom to explore where we wanted to go. We took off the beaten trips to smaller destinations like Trieste and Padova, Salzburg etc and weren't realiant on bus/train connections etc.

London - 3 May - 12 May (excl day trip to Manchester for EPL match, Windsor - Legoland!, Stonehenge)

Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Inverness, Highlands (land of my and my wife's heritage), Edinburgh, York - all in my mate's car that he let us use for a couple of weeks.

Dublin with a high school mate for a few nights

Paris for a week then drove to Disneyland then South through Bourges, Lyon, Avingnon to Nice (WC kicked off while we were in Nice).

Cinque Terre, Pisa, Padova, Venice, Trieste

Small resort town of Ossiach in Austria, then Salzburg

Small quintessential Bavarian town Siegdorf and a trip to Dachau prior to Aus v Bra. Gunzberg, then Switzerland for a couple of days before back to Germany and Stuttgart for Aus v Cro.

Drove back to Calais via Strasbourg, through Luxemburg, Belgium (Brussels) before ferry back to Dover. Train to London (watching Aus v Italy as the flights were being called - if it went to penalty we wouldn't have known the result until arriving in Singapore).

Plenty of memories but they are withering with time.

Time to travel again but need the coin and the time.

Have lived in Vanuatu,

Have been to

New Caledonia
Malaysia
Vietnam
Thailand

Heading out to Italy Spain Greece and Turkey next week. Doing a cruise through the Greek Islands.

Im absolutely BUZZING!!!

Dark lands: The places few tourists dare to visit
by: Staff Writers
From:
news.com.au
August 23, 2013 3:40PM

WAR zones. Riots. Corruption. Drug dealers. Plane crashes. Kidnappings. Murder. Terrible roads and terrifying public transport.
They are the places few tourists would put at the top of their bucket lists.

But one travel writer has ventured where most tourists fear to tread in order to shine light on the darkest of locations.

Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet, has visited more than 150 countries since beginning his adventures in 1973. For his most recent challenge he explored some of the world's most dangerous locations to reveal what they're really like - and the hidden gems that lie within, for his new book Dark Lands.

So just how worrisome is travel in these countries, and what do tourists who dare to visit have to look forward to?

Tony, 66, who was mugged in Colombia, had stones thrown at him in Palestine and was detained for taking a photo in the Congo, reveals all.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Fear Factor: 'Don't go unless you absolutely have to. If you're already there, think about leaving. And if you absolutely have to go then take care, don't go out after dark, take a taxi - don't walk - and keep the windows wound up and the doors locked. Don't take photographs. Watch out for pickpockets. Watch out for the military and, most important of all, watch out for the police. Oh, and don't fly anywhere.'

The DRC scores 'don't go there' travel advisories from any Western nation you care to mention. The last warning was perhaps with good cause: a week after I left DRC the very Hewa Bora Airlines aircraft I'd flown on twice crashed in the worst airline disaster anywhere in the world that year.

In fact, almost every local airline is on the 'don't fly' list.

You need to take care everywhere. Parts of the country can still become a war zone at short notice. Crime rates are high, the roads are bad and the transport is often shoddy. Bureaucracy, the police and the military are all problems due to corruption.

Highlights: The most amazing volcano I've ever seen (and climbed), the Nyiragongo Volcano, and getting up close with mountain gorillas in the wild. The jungles are also home to weird and wonderful creatures, like the cross-between-a-zebra-and-a-giraffe - the Okapi. What a country!


The Okapi. Picture: Supplied
Pakistan

Fear factor: Pakistan is on all the 'don't go' lists as well, and we (my wife Maureen, co-founder of Lonely Planet, who came with me on this trip) managed to arrive just as the 'blasphemous American movie' trouble hit the headlines and riots started last year. Protesters had taken to the streets to vent their fury over an anti-Islam movie that mocked Prophet Muhammed.

However, we travelled through the country with no difficulties and only minor concerns, except for the recent massacre of climbers at the Nanga Parbat base camp, which was close to our route via the Karakoram Highway.

Highlights: It's actually a fascinating country, which is often very beautiful. There are hardly any tourists at all - with good reason given its reputation. The Karakoram Highway is one of the most spectacular roads in the world climbing over the western extremity of the Himalaya and descending into China.

Papua New Guinea

Fear factor: Its capital Port Moresby rates right down towards the bottom of the 'most livable cities' rankings. I spent most of my trip on the island of Bougainville which is still recovering from its long civil war.

It can be a jungle out there, but it's also surprising how polite people are in general. Despite rating poorly in terms of quality of life, every taxi driver I met would lean over, shake my hand, introduce himself and then tell me where he was from. Polite? You could underline it.

Highlights: The huge abandoned Rio Tinto open cut mine at Panguna, and tracking down the wreckage of Admiral Yamamoto's (the 'architect' of the attack on Pearl Harbor) aircraft where it has lain in the jungle for 70 years.


Colombia

Fear factor: Colombia is really coming out of its long period of turmoil - left wing guerilla groups, right wing paramilitaries and if that wasn't enough there were the cocaine drug lords as well. Fortunately things are much more peaceful today and tourists are beginning to come back in increasing numbers to enjoy the most geographically diverse country in South America.

However, while it's so much better than it was a few years ago, there are still areas (city or country) where it's wise to be careful (I was mugged in the capital of Bogota). Inquire locally as usual.


Highlights: That beautiful architecture and Ciudad Perdida (the 'Lost City'), Colombia's Machu Picchu - except it's much bigger. And it has the best Spanish colonial architecture on the continent - the sculptures in Plazoleta de los Esculturas, Botero, were also quite amazing.

Israel &The Palestinian Territories

Fear factor: All the usual travel warnings apply here. I left Israel and The Palestinian Territories saddened, disappointed and worried. One state, two states - there was no solution and nobody I spoke to could see one. On both sides, the focus seemed to be on a pessimistic worst case: 'Things will have to get much worse' or 'There will have to be some sort of cataclysm'.

Highlights: It was great walking on the Nativity Trail in Palestine, the Jesus Trail in northern Israel and on a stretch of the Israel National Trail through the Negev Desert in the south of Israel.


Haiti

Fear factor: Everybody seems to fret about Haiti, but it never seemed that bad. People blame the horrendous traffic in Port-au-Prince on the huge number of NGOs and aid groups, all with their white Land Cruisers because their organisations forbid them from using local transport. Yes, there are areas of the capital, Port-au-Prince, which are dicey.

My favourite moment in Haiti was on my first arrival. I switched on my Australian mobile wondering if I had a roaming arrangement in Haiti and got a message: 'g'day mate, Digicel welcomes you to Haiti.'

Zimbabwe

Fear factor: Remarkably, Zimbabwe wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. Everything seemed to work and was much neater, cleaner, tidier and even better off than a bunch of other African countries I've travelled around.

Overall impressions of the trip:

Overall the places are never as bad as the reputations, advisories and stories would have us believe. Although it always seems to me that when I do get into any sort of trouble or problems it's always from not taking enough care, not following the advice carefully enough.

In all of the 'dangerous countries' the usual rules apply - be careful where you go, follow local advice and, most important it always seems to me, never do something away from home you wouldn't do at home. It often seems to me that people put their minds in neutral when they go somewhere new.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advisor/dark-lands-the-places-few-tourists-dare-to-visit/story-e6frfqfr-1226702943051#ixzz2cyXnr6Vh

Australian travellers face greatest arrest risk in the US, higher chance of death in Thailand

by: DEBRA KILLALEA
From:
news.com.au
August 11, 2013 8:06AM


MILLIONS of Australians travel each year without even so much as a hitch, yet hundreds more wind up in hospital, in jail or in the worst case scenario - dead.
But if you think it's just war-torn countries, sheer bad luck or a drunken night out in Bali that pose the greatest risk to intrepid Aussies, think again.

As it turns out, more Australians are in jail in the US than any other country and we face the greatest risk of dying while travelling through Thailand - at least if believe the statistics.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 90 Australians were arrested or in jail in the US alone on December 31, 2012.

This group made up a total of 572 Australians who had been arrested or were in jail overseas on the same date in countries including China, Thailand, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates.

And all up, the number of Aussies arrested overseas increased from 970 in 2007-2008 to 1181 in 2011-2012.

However it's not just the threat of jail tourists face.

Last year 111 Aussies died in Thailand, accounting for the largest number of deaths in one country, followed by The Philippines, 68, Greece, 50, and Indonesia 48 with 904 Aussies passing away all up.

And while tourists are advised against travelling to countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan, the figures show travellers can get into trouble in countries seen as relatively safe.

Other tourists find themselves in trouble for offences seen as harmless back in their own countries.

Here's a list of some of places where tourists have wound up going from having the holiday of a lifetime to the nightmare from hell.

Bali, Indonesia:

Bali has around eight million visitors a year and is a popular destinations for Aussies, but has gained a dangerous reputation in recent years, not just because of drugs and cheap alcohol.

Information released by the Department of Foreign Affairs reveal an Australian dies in Bali every nine days with 39 Australians passing away last year.

Another 93 sought consular assistance after being taken to hospital, while 36 were arrested, and 18 jailed.

Aussies are also finding themselves as victims of assault or disputes which have spiralled out of control.


Paul Conibeer who is in Bali's notorious Kerobokan prison
In April an Australian tourist was raped at knifepoint.

The 28-year-old Perth tourist was attacked after being woken by an intruder who had entered her room at Villa Damais in Kerobokan.

Australian Paul Conibeer ended up in Kerobokan prison over an unpaid hotel bill in Kuta.

According to him, the dispute led to police involvement, but once he was in custody he claims police demanded bribe money to release him, which he wasn't able to pay.

Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Victorian surfer Jayden Irving spent 25 days locked in a Democratic Republic of the Congo prison after a surfing adventure went horribly wrong last year.

The 22-year-old was hitchhiking along the west coast of Africa, surfing the region's remote beaches when he ran into trouble over a visa issue.

Authorities accused him of plotting to bomb the president and interfere with the country's fibre-optic cable network.

It took the diplomatic approach of three countries to secure his release.


Jayden Irving was arrested on a beach in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Picture: Tony Gough
Dubai, UAE:

Mate Deborah Dalelv found herself sentenced to 16 months in prison for extramarital sex after she reported being raped.

The 24-year-old claims Dubai police asked her: "Are you sure you called the police because you just didn't like it?''

She was later released and allowed to go back to Norway.

Two million Australians through Dubai each year with many unaware of the cultural practices which seem harmless here but are offences over there.

Female travellers and workers are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault.

Australian Alicia Gali was jailed for adultery for eight months in 2008 after she complained to police that her co-workers at a resort in nearby Fujairah drugged her and raped her.


Mate Deborah Dalelv had her 16-month sentence for having sex outside marriage dropped. Picture: AP
Thailand

The deadliest destination for Aussies with more of our countrymen dying here than in any other country last year with 111 passing away there last year.

Melbourne man Sebastian Eric Faulkner, 21, was the first Australian to die in Thailand in 2013 when he fell to his death from a Phuket hotel balcony early on New Year's Day.

Just this month, American Bobby Ray Carter, 51, died after he was stabbed twice in the chest while his son Adam, 27, suffered a stab wound to his arm, during a fight with members of the house band from the Longhorn Saloon in Krabi.

Police said the three musicians were arrested at the scene and confessed to stabbing the Americans.

United States

More than 900,000 Aussies visited the US in 2012-13, spurred on by the low US dollar and ease of travel.

But while the arrest rate may be higher here for travellers than elsewhere, it is still regarded as fairly safe country for Australian travellers.

Port Adelaide player John McCarthy died during a trip to Las Vegas in September last year. His death was classified as an accident.


AFL player John McCarthy passed away while in America.
Greece:

This country which boasts large numbers of dual Australian citizens, was the next most likely spot for Australian passport holders to die, with 58 passing away last year, figures show.

Laos:

A country growing in popularity, a trip to the Asian country is not without some risk.

Travellers have got into trouble through tubing accidents along the country's rivers and through drinking black-market alcohol.

Three young Australians died in Laos in tubing accident just last year.

Alexander Lee, 22, was found dead with his Dutch girlfriend in a Luang Prabang hotel and

Sydney man Lee Hudswell, 26, and Daniel Eimutis, 19, died in separate incidents while tubing in Vang Vieng in 2012.

Other travellers have suffered after drinking a black-market concoction called Lao-Lao whiskey, which has been blamed in travel blogs for people undertaking risky behaviour

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/australian-travellers-face-greatest-arrest-risk-in-the-us-higher-chance-of-death-in-thailand/story-fnizu68q-1226694951575#ixzz2be4VnwYS

Got back two days ago from Tanzania,I was there for 3 weeks climbing MT Kilimanjaro and safari, went via Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Nairobi.

Did the Kokoda Track in PNG in 2009 in grade 12

NZ for a week.

Been to Whistler Skiing 2 times and to Canada a total of 8 times.

Been to Disneyland and New York once each and America total 8 times

Going to Canada and Disneyland again July 2014

Im pretty happy with the amount of stamps in my passport having just turned 21.

The five most dangerous cities in the world

Times LIVE | 11 March, 2013 13:29

Many consider Johannesburg to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world but in most recent surveys, Johannesburg is ranked in the top 50. Which leaves the question, what are the most dangerous cities in the world? These are the top 5.

San Pedro Sula, Honduras

A Citizen Council study reported that a whopping 1 143 out of 719 447 of San Pedro Sula’s residents were murdered in 2011.

That’s 159 people killed for every 100 000 residents. That’s a murder rate 40 times higher than the average US city, and 8 times higher than the most dangerous city in America (New Orleans). Even the US peace corps was forced to withdraw from Honduras after a member of the peace corps was shot in the leg in San Pedro Sula.

Like many struggling Latin American countries, San Pedro Sula’s spike in extreme violence is largely a product of the drug trade, mixed with extreme poverty and high levels of corruption.

Maceio, Brazil

Brazil is now the most violent city in Brazil, with a per capita murder rate of 135.26 per 100 000 inhabitants. Known for its white sandy beaches, it is a land where sugarcane farmers settle their scores with machetes and clubs, while the rich rely on paid assassins to get what they want.

Ciudad Juarez Mexico

In the past few years Ciudad Juarez would have easily been in the top spot on this list. Some parts of the city could be mistaken for a warzone thanks to the murderous drug battles they have played host to.

Yet over the last year the murder rate in this border town dropped over 57%. The shift has been drastic - in October 2010 there were 359 murders in the city, while in October 2012 there were “only 30″.

The city is still far from safe as this border town is still controlled by gangsters. Kidnappings and extortion are still very common, and some human rights groups have found that incidents of torture are on the rise.

Acapulco Mexico

For the last few years Acapulco was associated with images of tourism and sandy beaches. It is now known for decapitated bodies. 10 mutilated bodies were found in and around the resort city in a single weekend – the outside world has recognised that this once prosperous tourist resort had fallen victim to the extreme, often sadistic drug violence that has plagues much of Mexico.

Mogadishu, Somalia

A huge contender for most dangerous city in the world, Mogadishu has been continuously been involved in urban warfare for much of the past 2 decades.

While there has been plenty of fighting since August 2011 Somalia has ousted the Islamic extremists that were controlling a large portion of the city. Since then they have been in rebuilding mode. It’s even safe enough now that Turkish Airlines is flying in and out of the city.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/entertainment/2013/03/11/the-five-most-dangerous-cities-in-the-world

I believe they filmed all the Hobbiton scenes in Glenorchy just south of QT. Shitloads of LotR tours available in QT. The remarkables were used for the snowy mountain scenes, and the Shotover or the Kawaarararururuatuaua river was used for the scene at the end of the first movie with those big statue things

Edited by bundi: 26/7/2013 03:28:34

No doubt the highlight of your travelling adventures and you're chomping at the bit to get back there I'm sure?


Lived 6 months in Queenstown in NZ but spent a bit of time around the South Island and Wellington (and Palmerston North :-# )
Queenstown is amazing and if you havent been there yet go!

1 week in London, didn't take my fancy too much. No hurry to get back there.

1 week in Madrid - Absolutely loved it, great night life and architecture.

2 weeks in Belgium - Was more relaxing, stayed at my cousins house in a small village on the border of Netherlands Belgium and Germany, its a beautiful area and countryside. Would recommend it to people looking for a bit more history, scenery and less partying.

1 week in Japan - Tokyo and Kyoto. Probably fighting for top spot on my list. Absolutely loved it. Felt like Mars. Was safe and amazing history and also great nightlife. Expensive.

2 weeks in Greece - Also fighting for top spot on my list. Went in June last year and stayed in Athens Ios and Santorini. Has everything, night life, amazing weather, history, scenery, beaches (kind of). Very nice people too.

3 years in Brazil - Beautiful scenery, beaches, women - but the people arent all they are made out to be. Rio is obviously something you have to do once in your life. Salvador is surrounded by some nice islands and beaches but the city itself is a dangerous dump. São Paulo is a concrete jungle, good nightlife but expensive. Florianopolis is alright, all the beaches looked like South Australian beaches to me so I wasnt overly excited by it all. The interior is lovely, my state is rolling hills and coffee plantations with a few little historical towns thrown in the mix. Best place to go in Brazil - Trindade and Paraty.

Edited by bundi: 26/7/2013 03:19:00

Bloody mission to find this thread.., but heading back to page 7, there are a few gem threads we let slip thought the cracks :lol:

Anywho, off to Hawaii in January for a week. Got a wedding and making a mini holiday of it. Big Erik Paartalu is gonna be at the wedding too :)

Someone else mentioned it but I can't seem to find a response anywhere (or is there a specific thread for it?) When are people looking at booking the world cup, I'll probably go even if australia don't qualify

Anyone done The Camino de Santiago?

How can you not know where the capital of New Zealand is?

I have no idea where Hobbiton is, but definitely check out Taupo/Rotorua, plenty of touristy things to do there.

Also lived in the UK, and did a lot of England, particulary the South East. Also Wales, Scotland and Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Germany and France.
Spent a lot of time in Italy, doing the south where my family is from, Rome, Modena, Florence, Pisa, Bolongna, Cinque Terre, Milan, Venice. Driving the Selvio Pass between Merano and Bormio, then into Switzerland to St Moritz.
Toured the 'Motor Valley', visiting the Ferrari factory and museum, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati factories.
Lived in Canada for a while, based in Toronto and did mostly eastern Canada. Niagra Falls, Montreal, Halifax and Nova Scotia.
Done a bit of the US while I was there too, New York, Washington DC, Arlington VA, Baltimore, Green Bay, South Bend Indiana (Notre Dame). Since then I've been back to visit Los Angeles (well, Anaheim) and San Franciso and Oakland.
Also spent a week in Fiji and in my last year of school took a family P&O cruise that went to Fiji and New Caledonia.
Would like to do heaps more of the US, the Grand Canyon, Memphis, Florida top the list. Would love to see Mount Rushmore and tour Civil War sites.

I asked you a question bitches be polite and fucking answer me now

Edited by Jay_Swann: 17/4/2013 06:13:22 PM

Lived in the UK for about 18 months over 2007-2008. While I was there I went to a few places around the continent (Finland, Norway, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, France, Belgium)

Have also been through Asia a bit - China (Beijing), Laos, Cambodia.

I went to New Zealand for about four days to go skiing.

Havent really been to that many places in Australia though. Have never been out of the three eastern states, and even then i've only been as far north as Brisbane.

Interestingly, the Mrs is being scouted by her work for a permanent move to Nashville, Tennessee, in which I would be able to go with her. No idea what that would be like but will probably go if it happens. Not sure what i'd do with myself once there tho.

East coast US
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
Thailand
France
Belgium
UK (Scotland & England)

Vietnam and Laos are the best..

When are people looking at booking world cup trips and how much are they intending to save?

Can confirm Hobbiton is awesome. Some of the stories that the guides tell you about previous people who have visited The Shire are hillarious.

so i've locked in my sydney-melbourne-around-nz cruise for late november. we roll in to auckland at the end of it, at which time we're going to get a hire car and tour around the island for a while.

nz people - i've got somewhere between 3-7 days, what must i see?

only thing i really care/know about is hobbiton, which is a must.

i do not mind driving around a bit

Re Isle of Pines - next time I'm going to fly over ex Bris and stay there for the week, talk about chill out relax, swim fish etc be a great holiday !

Dominican Republic - we stayed in a amazing Punta Cuna resort - check out Paradisis Punta Cuna Resort on the web, great packages not as expensive as you'd think.
Place is tropical paradise as you'd expect, resort has eveything you need incl private beach front, 12 odd restaurants, bars, huge outdoor cyrstal clear pools, own casino etc. plus some great golf course's just what I like as well !
Walking out onto the beach past other resorts is great, meeting locals and there's 2 markets on the beachs, naturally you get hassled a bit but buying is well worth it.
Locals are cool and very helpful,took a day cruise for more snorkelling then a fantastic island bbq on another beach just perfect got to say.
Naturally you wouldn't go walking out of the resort grounds at night in case of being held up but only the silly unwise would risk this.
Highly recommend experiencing the place - same goes for mexico amazing place as well.