Your Top 5 non-cities that you have visited, and/or want to visit

[TranaGreg]

since we're getting into this a bit in the cities thread I thought I'd start this ... I'm thinking parks, historical sites, natural areas, etc. I thought it was tough coming up with 5 cities ...

my Top5 visited:

Gros Morne park, Newfoundland
Jasper, Canadian Rockies
South Dakota Badlands
Li River valley, China
Amalfi Coast, Italy

Want to Visit (just a few):

I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I still haven't seen the Grand Canyon!
Kenyan Safari (Tsavo East National Park)
Nahani River tour, Northwest Territories
others to be added ...

[ironfist]

Top 5 visited:
Niagara Falls
St. Thomas
Oahu, Hawaii (haven't been to the other islands yet)
Disney World (so what!)
Chichen Itza (probably the most ancient place I've visited)

Want to visit (pretty hard to narrow down to only 5):
Grand Canyon
Yellowstone
Egyptian Pyramids
Antarctica
Machu Picchu (does it count as a city if no one lives there?)

[BuckyBuckner]

Galapagos Islands

I've been on a safari in South Africa, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, Niagara Falls, Yellowstone and so on but none of them seem to deserve being on a list with the Galapagos Islands.

[DMT]

Galapagos Islands

I've been on a safari in South Africa, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, Niagara Falls, Yellowstone and so on but none of them seem to deserve being on a list with the Galapagos Islands.

Definitely #1 on my list as well. Damn, this one will take me awhile...really should be separate threads for places we've been and places we'd like to go but no biggie. Those other places you listed are definitely among my favorites.

[BuckyBuckner]

Definitely #1 on my list as well. Damn, this one will take me awhile...really should be separate threads for places we've been and places we'd like to go but no biggie. Those other places you listed are definitely among my favorites.

I've been very lucky to have a Dad that could afford to take our family on vacations every year. I've also been to Spain, France, Italy, England, Greece, Scotland (but sadly not Ireland), Israel and the Canary Islands.

[rhd]

I've been a lot of great places. Here are 5:

1) Yosemite Park, Calif (my favorite scenery in the world! I can't recommend it enough.)
2) Iguacu Falls, Brazil/Argentina (absolutely awesome!)
3) Yellowstone Park, Wyo (best place I've ever been to see large wildlife; it's everywhere!)
4) Grand Canyon Park, Ariz (see it from both rims, but South rim is better)
5) Sequoia Park, Calif (you've never seen trees until you've seen these! They only grow 7000-8000 ft up so it's a long climb to get to them.)
Bonus selection: Mt St Helens, Washington State. Not the same now that everything is growing back, but I saw it 11 years after the eruption and it was one of the most awesome sights I've ever seen. Seeing pictures or video of it doesnt do it justice; you need to have stood there w nothing but devastated landscape in all directions as far as you can see.

Some places I'd like to see:
1) Angkor Wat, Cambodia (I've heard it's spectacular; I'll probably never get there)
2) Great Wall of China
3) Pyramids at Giza, Egypt
4) Taj Mahal, India
5) Victoria Falls, Zambezi River, Africa

[DMT]

Ok, as many of you know like ElD I went on a RTW trip back in 2007-8. Because it would be impossible for me to narrow down to a list of 5, I'll say there are at least 5 different categories: islands, landscapes/natural wonders, man-made wonders, wildlife viewing areas/national parks, and cities. Obviously they aren't mutually exclusive categories but it's a convenient way to list some more awesome places.

We also kept a blog that is still up if anyone is interested (I recommend starting from the beginning, we ran out of steam by the end). www.aroundtheworld365.blogspot.com

Favorite islands

Palawan, Phillipines -
Kauai
Gili Trawangan, Bali, Indonesia
Maui
Fiji

Favorite landscapes

Bryce Canyon NP
Yellowstone NP
Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina
Grand Canyon NP
Arches NP
Abel Tasman NP, New Zealand
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

Favorite man-made wonders

Petra, Jordan
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Taj Majal, India
Great Pyramids, Egypt
Rajasthan, India
Old Jerusalem

Favorite wildlife viewing

Etosha NP, Namibia
Denali NP, Alaska
Madagascar
Kinabatangan River, Malaysia
Kruger NP, South Africa

I have to go but I'll add some brief descriptions later.

[johnnya24]

Been all over Europe, but love the Cyclades more than anywhere else.



So many to-do's:

Yet to do Scandinavia properly, just a few major cities. Really wouldn't know where to start though.
West Cost South American trek ... Machu Pichu, Galapagos etc. Have friends in Columbia, Ecuador and Chile.
All of the great-outdoor American experiences ... Yellowstone, Grand Canyons, largest ball of twine in the world, and that cross-Canada rail trip looks amazing.
Japan ... seems like such a wonderfully strange, weird and different place.
Safari ... a proper safari, not Range Rovering it between 5 star hotels.

Will try and do these this coming spring and summer:

Rome and Florence
Madrid ---> Cordoba ----> Granada ----> Malaga

[DMT]

I've been very lucky to have a Dad that could afford to take our family on vacations every year. I've also been to Spain, France, Italy, England, Greece, Scotland (but sadly not Ireland), Israel and the Canary Islands.

Your dad is still paying for your vacations? Lucky indeed.

[BuckyBuckner]

Your dad is still paying for your vacations? Lucky indeed.

Hehe. No, a lot of those trips were when I was pretty young, like 10-16 or so. now he and my step mom go on their own vacations now. They are both retired so they go on 2 month long vacations. A few years back they did fly me out to Spain to join them in Marbella. That was beautiful.

[rhd]

Japan ... seems like such a wonderfully strange, weird and different place.

I highly recommend Japan. It's exotic, but not weird. It's a good place for Americans to visit, as they seem to like us, at least as 'tourists'. Not many that speak much English, but most seem to speak enough to help w basic things like directions. People generally are friendly and will go out of their way to help you. Lots of things to do: castles, temples, nature scenery, museums, plays, concerts, and shopping (if you're into that). And they play baseball! I found it to be very much like the US, except for the language. Some will tell you to be very mindful of cultural taboos, but I never encountered any problems; just be respectful and use common sense. If you're doing something wrong, someone may point this out to you in a friendly way. E.g., at ballparks and other events, you're supposed to dispose of your own trash. I didnt know this, but someone nicely pointed it out to me.

[Trader Mac]

I have been fortunate to visit many cool places in America and China:

America:
Great Smoky Mountains (probably my favorite--very beautiful)
Grand Canyon
Devil's Tower
Mt. Rushmore
Badlands
Muir Woods National Forest (along with all the other tourist spots in SF)
Everglades
Niagara Falls (went on the Maid of the Mist boat ride--expensive, but cool)
Gateway Arch (it was cool the first time I did it. After the 10th time, not so much)

China:
The Great Wall
Summer Palace
Tiananmen Square
Forbidden City
Hanging Monastery
Yungang Grottoes (real, real cool--in Datong)
Terracotta Warriors
Karst Mountains (extremely beautiful around Yangshuo)
Three Gorges Dam (took a boat cruise along the Yangtze River)

Places I want to visit:
Rome (all the ancient ruins)
Athens (all the ancient ruins)
Great Pyramids
Jerusalem (to see the places mentioned in the Bible)
Machu Picchu
Stonehenge

For me, I love history and scenery. If a place has that, I want to see it.