Any Holiday Suggestions?

I’m looking to book a holiday in the next few months and unsure of where to go? I’ve been to a lot of varied places and normally love to go skiing but with my tinnitus I’m wary of skiing as don’t want a bad fall and it affecting me (I know this could happen anywhere I go but at this present time I’m not looking to add to that chance) I’m really stuck on ideas and appreciate any suggestions

 

Visit Australia.

 

I may well do, but been looking at Canada and think I’m going to book somewhere there after reading some threads on here.

 

You could go on a road trip where you drive along scenic roads of Alberta and British Columbia and experience Coastal and Rocky Mountains. You can fly to Vancouver and then rent a car there. Take highway 99 (the Sea to Sky Highway) to Lillooet. That road is scenic and remote.
(Note, many of the images below are GoogleStreetView, so you can get a 360 degree view if you use your mouse to drag the images)
https://www.google.com/maps/@49.4898958,-123.2377404,3a,75y,265.2h,80.96t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPEF_soQl06a_KFnct1IUGU_Md0WKxzrKIkmabR!2e10!3e11!6shttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipPEF_soQl06a_KFnct1IUGU_Md0WKxzrKIkmabR=w203-h100-k-no-pi-2.9999962-ya54.50002-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.5925272,-123.2184038,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipN1bAukx92RQwXS_6iAMKF2s2pY2axAxunAmFSS!2e10!3e12!6shttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipN1bAukx92RQwXS_6iAMKF2s2pY2axAxunAmFSS=w203-h135-k-no!7i1500!8i1001
https://www.google.com/maps/@49.957829,-123.1212138,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipNEev7oBeG3ET1ERwcgMSr7SAA_s7URy6qwVYj9!2e10!3e12!6shttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipNEev7oBeG3ET1ERwcgMSr7SAA_s7URy6qwVYj9=w203-h114-k-no!7i2560!8i1440

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.975201,-123.152603,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipNMYbLK4ZjmCv8FBpt2x48iB6U9frb0H4ws6xxt!2e10!3e12!6shttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipNMYbLK4ZjmCv8FBpt2x48iB6U9frb0H4ws6xxt=w203-h135-k-no!7i1600!8i1067
(You will need to go on a hike to see the view below)https://www.google.com/maps/@49.9533347,-123.0174217,3a,75y,163.37h,89.37t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPWFk6W45l1WL3GoKT4_zMX8Oag4yEplM0MlX-f!2e10!3e11!6shttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipPWFk6W45l1WL3GoKT4_zMX8Oag4yEplM0MlX-f=w203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya340.5-ro0-fo100!7i7168!8i3584

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.3467613,-122.4800827,3a,75y,77.04h,90.41t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMs__-2hhBM1CzhjKeGJwC3awl7dyjnwmB7Jj54!2e10!3e11!6shttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipMs__-2hhBM1CzhjKeGJwC3awl7dyjnwmB7Jj54=w203-h100-k-no-pi-14.999992-ya312.5-ro0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352

The area around Lillooet is very special and scenic.


https://www.google.com/maps/@50.7487119,-121.848707,3a,75y,32.68h,92.81t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPc-GDh3P78zWO-XAZu5LD6__wJHoqKxpMTlpSc!2e10!3e11!6shttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipPc-GDh3P78zWO-XAZu5LD6__wJHoqKxpMTlpSc=w203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya26.500013-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352

Then you can take highways 12 and 1 to Hope.
https://www.google.com/maps/@49.78348,-121.4473771,3a,75y,122.97h,86.36t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipOAghvsLMM0t8CJcpdU6Fz1gKo_cnYJS4_Lnfaf!2e10!3e11!6shttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipOAghvsLMM0t8CJcpdU6Fz1gKo_cnYJS4_Lnfaf=w203-h100-k-no-pi-2.9999962-ya352.6-ro-0-fo100!7i5270!8i2634

To be continued.

 

austria

 

Oh wow this looks amazing, I think I might plan out something like this. I’ve never actually done a “road trip” thinks it’s something me and my partner would love.
Cheers Bill.

 

Some of my favorite vacations had been road trips. You can take in the sights at your own pace. I never have any reservations. (When it starts getting dark, I just use my GPS to find a hotel that is nearby.) This way if the weather changes, or if some place is more interesting than I thought, I can easily adjust my plans accordingly.

I am looking forward to continuing this series of posts.

 

I like the sound of that, not having any reservations.... I would never of thought of doing something like this. I’ve been looking at different places in Canada, think I’ll decide over the weekend and book something so it’s done.
Have you ever had an issue were you couldn’t book in at a hotel?

 

I hear Cambodia is a nice holiday destination.

 

Cambodia looks absolutely beautiful, It’s somewhere I could see myself going tbh.

 

Absolutely. Angkor Wat is beautiful and the country is very nice to visit. Just be sure to pack your wife. People often forget.

 

Have you been before? I’ve just been googling places there and it actually does look so serene. Haha doubt my partner would like it if I packed a “wife” but thanks for the heads up

 

I've been traveling like this for well over 10 years. I ran into problems only a few times. One time was in Iceland. July is the most popular month, and the hotels around the Ring Road (that circles Iceland) are normally full. My Garmin GPS provides phone numbers in addition to the address for all of the hotels. I don't own a cell phone, so I can't call ahead. In any case, I kept driving on the Ring Road and not finding any vacancies. Eventually I tried to drive to a hotel located half an hour off of the Ring Road, and I found a vacancy there. Since that time, I've been back to Iceland a number of times. I spent a total of about 6 weeks there (on different trips). Most of this was during the busiest season in July and August, and I never had any trouble finding accommodations (as I would look for hotels off of the Ring Road).

Another time happened in Newfoundland, Canada. It was a similar story - the hotel located on Trans Canada Highway (Highway 1) didn't have any vacancies. The receptionist called other hotels and told me that the closest hotel with a vacancy was an hour and a half away in the direction I just came from. I went back to the parking lot, and used my GPS to find the phone numbers of hotels that were off of Trans Canada Highway. The receptionist let me use the hotel's phone, and the first hotel I called (a 45 minute drive away) had a vacancy. Newfoundland is truly remote and this might explain it.

I have never had any problems finding accommodation in other places in Canada, U.S., and Europe. [Well, sometimes I would spend an hour longer looking for a hotel (while continuing driving in the direction where I was going anyway) than I expected.] Surprisingly when one is close to a major city or a town, it takes a little longer to find a hotel than it does when one is in the middle of nowhere. Also note that getting a quiet, clean, private room is important to me. Only one time, in Iceland, I had to stay at a hostel where I was given a room and a shared bathroom.

This minor risk adds some spice to the trip. But keep in mind that the price that you get quoted when you walk-in is probably higher than the price you would get online or if you call and ask for a quote. If you have a smart phone, you should be able to get that lower price.

 

Before I go on a road trip, I look up road fatality statistics. For many countries those statistics are unacceptable...

 

Part 2. Take TransCanada Highway (Highway 1) to Revelstoke, and visit the Revelstoke National Park

Canadian Rockies begin in Revelstoke, so from now on your will be driving in the mountains.

Then continue to Yoho National Park (Yoho means "Awe" in the language of the local tribes).

Yoho National Park has the beautiful Lake O'Hara in it. Unfortunately, you need a reservation to get on a bus that will take you from the highway to Lake O'Hara.
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/yoho/activ/randonnee-hike/ohara/reserve
You will need to make that reservation sometime in the spring.

Here are some images of Lake O'Hara:



Now drive to Banff National Park, where you will be able to see many things, including the classic Moraine Lake view (which used to be featured on the Canadian $20 bill)


Another lake at Banff National Park (but you will have to go on a hike to see this view):

To be continued.

 

At Banff National Park, make sure to visit Banff Gondola

Also, check out Lake Louise


==
I completely forgot - when you visit Yoho National Park, don't forget to stop and check out Emerald Lake

==
After you experience Banff National Park, drive on the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) north to Jasper National Park. The Icefields Parkway is 230 km long. It is a scenic road and is itself a major destination.


To me, the mountains in Jasper National Park look more spectacular and striking than the mountains in Banff National Park.

When you get to Jasper NP, make sure to take a short hike to Angel Glacier



Check out Maligne Lake
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.597...&pitch=-14.933861&thumbfov=100!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.661...VpIB_A3jPZre7aJJ=w203-h106-k-no!7i7224!8i3807

From the town of Jasper, you will want to take highway 16 to Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies:

This is what you get to see if you hike 13 miles one way to Berg Lake


To be continued.

 

@Jcb two weeks ago I went to Jamaica, negril and worked out my fear of flying one flying, two T ears, well T ears I bought head rest and ear covers and it worked. Also when I went into the water my T did not spike. But they played reggae music, great masker, but to my surprise the best at first I thought it was the restaurant it was a pure masking sound from a bird. And it was long sound. And if I could have that sound canned that would be something, anyway I found it T friendly. I also like skiing,

 

@Bill Bauer your pictures are spectacular, I might have to try road trips one day.

 

On the East Coast, driving for four hours can get boring. But on the West Coast, the scenery normally keeps changing, and it is unlikely that you will be bored.

I go only on the easiest/shortest hikes. Normally, I pull over when I see something I like, and just stand there besides my car (assuming the road is deserted and that I have all of the scenery around me to myself) contemplating it, while thinking about how I wish for the time to stop to allow me to stay in that moment forever.

 

@Bill Bauer - west coast has beautiful scenery, and I would love to see that part of the country and I know canada has places to see, but I know what you mean by quiet spot when you find something nice you have to catch your breath for a minute. I thought bar harbor Maine had just that.

 

Looks nice.

 

You can drive up Cadillac mountain park to see the view and go hikiing around the carriage trails, eat at Jordan pond, the beach is a must see, also has a quaint town with nice places to stay and eat.

 

Now turn around and take highways 16 and 93 back to Banff National Park. The scenery on the way back will look different to you, and you ought to enjoy this drive as much as you enjoyed it on the way to Mount Robson.

Next you want to get to Waterton Lakes National Park. You can get there by either taking Highway 93 through Kootenay National Park, or by taking highway 40 through Kananaskis country. Kootenay National Park will have fewer visitors than Banff. Kananaskis country will have a lot fewer tourists (and other visitors) in it than Kootenay National Park. Note that highway 40 opens only on June 15.

Kootenay National Park:


Kananskis country


If I remember correctly, an hour-long ascent from the visitor center at Waterton Lakes National Park can get you the view below


From Waterton Lakes NP, you will want to go to Glacier National Park in Montana in the U.S. It is spectacular.

On your way back from Montana to Vancouver airport, you will want to take highway 20 through North Cascades National Park (Washington State). North Cascades is a mountain range with a very distinct look (different from the Rockies and from the Coastal mountains). I believe the rock here is dolomite.

Of all of the national parks mentioned in my posts in this thread, Glacier NP in Montana and Jasper NP in Alberta are my favorites. You will see the most wildlife in Jasper and in Waterton Lakes National Parks.

 

@Bill Bauer - stunning scenery.
My misus grew up in Vancouver from age 13 to 23y.
When we married in 1986 we went back to Vancouver to visit her ancestors several times, and saw much of that scenery. Beautiful.

 

Jamaica is absolutely stunning. Love everything about it, especially the music. Glad you enjoyed yourself, sounds like you had an amazing time. I love the whole vibe of the place and of course the weather (we had a mild hurricane last time and it was quite the experience)

 

These really do look stunning Bill. Just come back from a mini break in Italy over Easter it was just what I needed. We are going on a hunt for the Northern Lights, it’s a cruise which I’ve never been on but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do so no better time to do that.

 

I also hope to see Northern Lights, one day...

 

Yes me too, there’s no guarantees unfortunately that you will see them but the best chance is between September to April apparently.

 

@Jcb Jamaica was very nice we loved Rick's and the great beach & restaurants, but reggae music was fun to hear and the bird masking wonderful to hear.

 

Yes, love reggae anyway and the whole vibe of Jamaica is just so magical. Would recommend anybody to go there.