Travel

[KirstyEkua]

One of my biggest passions is travel and i'm interested to hear other peoples experiences. Whats your favourite country? where do you most want to go? where didn't you like? etc, etc.

My favourite place i've ever been to is Ghana, West Africa. I lived there for 6 months volunteering as a teacher, and i'm now in love with the place, the people, the culture etc. It was the most amazing experience. What i love most about Ghana is that there's nothing remotely Western about it. I remember when i was in Botswana a few years back on an overland trip i saw a KFC and was really shocked. There's just something not right about it. I've been to a lot of Southern African countries too on an overland trip which was fantastic. There's nothing like lying in your tent a night and hearing lions and hyenas.

The people i met in Ghana (and actually, everywhere i've been in Sub-Saharan Africa) were so inspiring and humbling. They were so friendly, and during my time there i never once felt scared, threatened, etc, even when we travelled to some really remote little villages in the middle of nowhere. The same when i was in Mexico, although i wasn't there very long. But i think the people make the place, and the Mexicans were lovely (and of course Mexican food is delicious, hehe.)

I love Thailand, mainly for the amazing food!! lol and gerogus beaches. I didn't get to spend as much time there as i'd have liked, but Bangkok is a fasinating city, even though i found it really smells awful in some parts, it does grow on you!

I want to see more of Eastern Europe, especially Romania, Bulgaria, Russia. I love central (Barcelona is one of my favourite cities) but it's nice to go somewhere a little different.

Anyone been to New York? I love it. Really love it. I get the biggest buzz being there, walking 5th avenue, hehe. But San Francisco is my favourite American city, it's so pretty and there's something European about it, i don't know what it is. Vermont is also beautiful. I worked there for a few months at a camp and it actually looks a lot like Scotland (just not as cold).

I desperately want to go to South America, especially Peru, Brazil and Ecuador. And of course, Australia. Hopefully in a few years i'm going to work my work around

Anyways, hope to hear some of your thoughts and experiences

[suzannelgnz]

Hmm, where do I get started...

Well I have been to Germany for 8 weeks during 2005/2006 on a South island schools exchange.We all travelled together there and back but we lived in different towns and cities throughout Nord-Rhein Westfalen. I lived in Guetersloh and although i though that there wouldn't be many other people from my exchange group there was and we also got to meet another exchange group from Sydney(another girl from my school who had done the exchange 2 years before me actually lived across the road from my own host family when she was there). even though I had to go to school during the week we were still able to explore other places during the weekend and holidays.I visited Cologne 3 times, Münster, Hamburg, Sylt, Sauerland, Bielefeld, Potsdam and I spent a week in Berlin(I also went to some smaller places like Bünde, Kleve, Rheda-wiedenbrück). Berlin, what an awesome place!! both of my host parents had lived there at some stage and i can easily see why, the stark contrast within 1 city when you travel between the former east and west, the night life, and the fact that even if you go to one place over and over again there is always something you have never seen before.Sylt was also really cool. I spent new-years there and the street party at Westerland was just so different from anything we have in NZ, but it is something everyone needs to experience. I also spent a little time in Nijmegen(The Netherlands, and Tøndor (Denmark) too. My only regret was not knowing I could have stayed an extra week because I would have travelled to The Netherlands and visited my family that live there.

Hopefully in the next 2-3 years I will go back to Europe on an university exchange to either Copenhagen, Constance, or Tilburg(NL). My future travel plans include seeing the rest of the North Island (i have barely even been out of Wellington since i moved to Wellington), seeing the top half of the South Island (i have only been as far as Oxford on the east coast and Kumara on the west coast).Backpacking in Oz, Travelling extensively throughout Europe,and Scandinavia, going to Russia and Maybe America too.

But I suppose that I will have to see where my future career plans will take me!!

[January]

Anyone been to New York? I love it. Really love it. I get the biggest buzz being there, walking 5th avenue, hehe. But San Francisco is my favourite American city, it's so pretty and there's something European about it, i don't know what it is. Vermont is also beautiful. I worked there for a few months at a camp and it actually looks a lot like Scotland (just not as cold).

Anyways, hope to hear some of your thoughts and experiences

Yes, I was there last year.

Did mainly touristy things like visit Liberty, Empire State Building etc. On and off the subway, I thought nothing of walking twenty blocks like the locals. Ellis Is is an absolutely fascinating place. Ground Zero was a moving experience. Went to Central Park 4 times and still didn’t see it all. Managed to catch the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, just wonderful and it was free! Still had time for shopping and caught a show. As for the US if I had a spare 6 months I’d probably spend it in the Smithsonian in DC and even that wouldn’t be enough time.

My favourite city.....Boston.

[rockstarrr08]

I went to New Zealand two times.

Once in 2002 and again this year (2008) for my 16th.

I loved my 16th more as it was just me and mum. We went to Christchurch , Ashburton and Queenstown. I adored Ashburton I got a real BIG milkshake! it was creamy and chocolatly

I love it

[suzannelgnz]

I have family in both Ashburton and Christchurch so have spent a lot of time in both places, and I used to go to queenstown most winters to go skiing or boarding. Queenstown is a pretty sweet place, but everything is just so expensive there though

[rachel&kim]

I've done a fair bit of travelling over the last few years but I think my favourite was Morocco. There was something so incredibly chaotic about it, it's just so busy and there are just no rules. I love the clothes and the culture. Sometimes it can be a bit confronting, the men can be a bit worrying, and it's not particularly western woman friendly but it's harmless. I think it was just that I hadn't been anywhere like that before and I didn't know what to expect. There's something really biblical about it as well, just seeing a guy ride a donkey down a dirt track getting from one place to the next.

I can't really explain what it was about Morocco but it just grabbed me. I love the 'go with the flow' kind of life style - I'm a bit of a hippy! So it just suited me I guess.

[whispered_envy]

I envy everyone who has travelled extensively!

I've only been to New Zealand, because we had relatives over there...we started at Auckland, went down to Rotorua, Palmerston North, to Wellington and caught the ferry over to Picton, continued on to Greymouth, Franz Joseph, Queenstown, and finally finished up at Christchurch...I really liked New Zealand, but we didn't spend nearly enough time in each place! I would love to go back there sometime.

My ultimate destination would be Italy...there's something about that country that really appeals to me- the history, the atmosphere, the scenery, the people, the food! I also want to travel through Europe- France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Spain...and I would really love to go to the UK as well! Plus Iceland would be very interesting I think...

I love Australia, but the one thing that I hate about it is it's remoteness from the rest of the world...I would love to be able to travel for a couple of hours and be in a completely different country, or pop on a plane and go somewhere else in Europe for a relatively cheap price...I'm really hoping that what I finish my university degree, whatever job I get allows me to travel all over the world, experience new cultures and meet new people...that would be so amazing!

[rachel&kim]

My ultimate destination would be Italy...there's something about that country that really appeals to me- the history, the atmosphere, the scenery, the people, the food! I also want to travel through Europe- France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Spain...and I would really love to go to the UK as well! Plus Iceland would be very interesting I think...

Ah yes Italy is amazing! I lived there for three months earlier this year and it was magic! And there were loads of australians there actually, all travelling around Europe. I think I take it for granted sometimes how easy it is to see other countries. I mean, it takes like two hours to get to France.

I love Australia, I have a lot of family in Fremantle and up the coast as well and I just love it. I can't wait to go back one day.

Thailand is incredible, although a bit too touristy after a while but the beaches are just amazing. It's like a dream!

India is the next on my list, I can't wait to go. Of course I have to actually earn some money first...

[KirstyEkua]

I've done a fair bit of travelling over the last few years but I think my favourite was Morocco. There was something so incredibly chaotic about it, it's just so busy and there are just no rules. I love the clothes and the culture.

My friend and i are thinking of going there for in December, only for around a week though. Do you have any tips? We want to travel a bit, visit a few different places.

I'd love to go to India too one day, and China, well pretty much everywhere!! I wish i had the money just to travel the world for a few years But sadly i don't.

I guess we're lucky here in Europe we can get to other countries pretty easily.

[Formerly Known as FKAJ]

I spent a month in Africa two years ago, mostly staying with my aunt and uncle in Pretoria, South Africa, but my mum, my uncle and I went on a Safari tour through Botswana to Zambia, as well as a a couple of hours in Zimbabwe. Including Singapore Airport, that's six countries in a few days. Not too bad for my first flight overseas. The flight was brilliant on its own - I couldn't sleep, but there was plenty of in-flight entertainment to keep me occupied.

The highlights for me were white-water rafting on the Zambezi river, (the biggest adrenaline rush of my life, although I only fell out once), Victoria Falls and wandering around Livingston. Later, we visited Kruger National Park and Soweto.