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It really is about money and especially...time. There are many jobs in the US that require you to work a couple of years with them before one can receive a two week vacation. Usually by accumulation of days worked. For many, it would take two years. Add to it, many employers do not offer sick leave, forcing the employee to use vacation pay instead, also the cost of health insurance. Many employers these days either contribute little or none at all.
I think there's a lot of truth to this. We like joining small group tours to visit new places. On many of these tours we meet younger Australians and Europeans that have already travelled extensively. Many have 5 or 6 weeks of vacation per year. Combine a week off with two weekends and you've got 9 days of travel 5 or 6 times per year or several longer trips.
It's been our experience that most jobs in the U.S., ours included, don't give new hires nearly that much vacation time.
Retirement has given us the time and flexibility that we didn't have during our working years and we're taking advantage while we're still healthy. Travel plans for the next 12 months include Spain, Italy, Kenya, South Africa, Poland, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and Mazatlan for the eclipse next April.
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Originally Posted by beachmouse
My theory is that Americans are going to the ‘big name’ places they’ve heard of a bunch and who have easy air links to. You’ll find tons of them in London or Paris or Rome because they’ve had friends who went there. Not so much in lower publicity.
And most Americans don’t have the time for a Austrian deep dive and are going to stick to Vienna or Salzburg if they do go to Austria rather than a lake town where people from Vienna go for a quick vacation.
Guilty. Hit both of those and a couple more on a Christmas Markets tour last December. Also had a very nice long stopover in Lisbon on that trip. Loved that trip and are definitely considering deeper dives in the future - especially to Portugal.
Last edited by Gator Fan 79; 04-22-2023 at 02:38 PM..
Reason: addition
What is it like traveling to African continent for someone who is primarily interested in natural and cultural attractions? Anyone else who has been to Africa, also feel free to chime in.
Africa is a huge and varied place, with many different natural and cultural attractions to be experienced. Flying there on a plane is like flying anywhere else. Once there, there are a variety of accommodations, a variety of ways of getting around, and a variety of ways to satisfy your interests. I think, however, you may be looking for something other than this to answer your question. Could you please be a little more specific as to what you would like to know?
Africa is a huge and varied place, with many different natural and cultural attractions to be experienced. Flying there on a plane is like flying anywhere else. Once there, there are a variety of accommodations, a variety of ways of getting around, and a variety of ways to satisfy your interests. I think, however, you may be looking for something other than this to answer your question. Could you please be a little more specific as to what you would like to know?
Yes! My main interests are hiking/ sight seeing. To give you an idea, my favorite places to travel so far have been US national parks.. Is Africa worth it for someone whose travel primarily revolves around nature?
I also like visiting ancient sites: temples/ churches/ forts/ pyramids etc.
We leave for Sth Africa the week after next so will update you on my return. We have been there before and to Zimbabwe, in 1998. We loved that trip, the natural attractions are amazing. We were booked to go to Kenya and Tanzania in 2020 but covid got in the way.
This will be our first overseas trip post Covid and we had to get our heads around all the requirements such as travel insurance and currencies. And to keep in mind that Sth Africa is greatly affected by load shedding, with power outages for hours a day. South African cash is essential. Our phones will be used only for emergencies so it will feel like travelling in the olden days!
July we head to the Whitsundays and southern Queensland, October to Portugal, Morocco, Spain and Malta, for a month. Then we have just booked to visit Taiwan next February. So pretty exciting to be able to do all this again. Husband was saying his favourite trip was to Alaska and Utah in 2018 but unfortunately our dollar is too low against the US to even contemplate a return at this time.
Sounds exciting! Please let us know about your upcoming trip. Happy travels!
What is it like traveling to African continent for someone who is primarily interested in natural and cultural attractions? Anyone else who has been to Africa, also feel free to chime in.
We visited Morocco for three weeks in January and loved it. Flew directly over the Strait of Gibraltar on the way in and could see Europe and Africa out of the same window. We had an overnight in a tent camp in the Sahara and honestly that's what I thought most of the country would be like - blue skies and orange sand. It wasn't. Flew into Casablanca and I was surprised how green it was. Turns out agriculture is one of their top industries. Stopped at the Roman ruins near Volubilis on the way to Fes and was blown away by how well-preserved they were. The market at Fes was amazing. The colors, smells, and energy of the place were almost too much at times. There are over 9,000 narrow alleyways in the market and donkeys are used to transport many goods. It was pretty common to hear someone behind you yell to get out of the way so they could pass with their donkey. We spent 5 days in the High Atlas Mountains and saw snow, ski resorts, Barbary macaques, nomad camps, and absolutely gorgeous scenery. Hard to explain, but the market in Marrakech is both touristy and authentic at the same time. Went to a market near Erfoud that is away from the major cities that had a donkey and horse parking lot for the vendors, amazing organic produce/spices/dates etc, many women wearing burkas, and people selling things like sandals made out of tires. The Hassan II mosque in Casablanca is open to the public and I highly recommend it. The food was excellent but got to be a bit repetitive at times. Finally, the major cities are modern with good transportation and we felt very safe.
Morocco was our first time in Africa. Heading to Sub-Saharan Africa in June and will visit Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana. Should be interesting.
Namibia has the oldest desert in the world. A very rural, full of animals, beautiful place. Never been there, but would like to visit. Sometimes I watch a YouTuber called Luxury Travel Expert. Check this trip out....I'll bet this is a little pricey, but would consider such a trip to another planet...sort of.
Sometimes it's not where you travel but how you travel that will dictate your co-travelers.
Were you on Avalon Waterways's or Viking's Mekong river cruises? Avalon and Viking generally have a more US-centric group of passengers than local tour companies.
Namibia has the oldest desert in the world. A very rural, full of animals, beautiful place. Never been there, but would like to visit. Sometimes I watch a YouTuber called Luxury Travel Expert. Check this trip out....I'll bet this is a little pricey, but would consider such a trip to another planet...sort of.
They say the closest thing to outer space, here on Earth, is Antarctica and having lived and worked down there for 15 months over a 3 and a half year period (I did 2 full winters and a part of a third), it is a very extreme and unforgiving continent, but you still can wear your shorts, flip flops and Hawaiian shirt if you want!
We visited Morocco for three weeks in January and loved it. Flew directly over the Strait of Gibraltar on the way in and could see Europe and Africa out of the same window. We had an overnight in a tent camp in the Sahara and honestly that's what I thought most of the country would be like - blue skies and orange sand. It wasn't. Flew into Casablanca and I was surprised how green it was. Turns out agriculture is one of their top industries. Stopped at the Roman ruins near Volubilis on the way to Fes and was blown away by how well-preserved they were. The market at Fes was amazing. The colors, smells, and energy of the place were almost too much at times. There are over 9,000 narrow alleyways in the market and donkeys are used to transport many goods. It was pretty common to hear someone behind you yell to get out of the way so they could pass with their donkey. We spent 5 days in the High Atlas Mountains and saw snow, ski resorts, Barbary macaques, nomad camps, and absolutely gorgeous scenery. Hard to explain, but the market in Marrakech is both touristy and authentic at the same time. Went to a market near Erfoud that is away from the major cities that had a donkey and horse parking lot for the vendors, amazing organic produce/spices/dates etc, many women wearing burkas, and people selling things like sandals made out of tires. The Hassan II mosque in Casablanca is open to the public and I highly recommend it. The food was excellent but got to be a bit repetitive at times. Finally, the major cities are modern with good transportation and we felt very safe.
Morocco was our first time in Africa. Heading to Sub-Saharan Africa in June and will visit Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana. Should be interesting.
Thanks for taking time and writing a detailed response. I enjoyed it Please update us on June trip.
Yes! My main interests are hiking/ sight seeing. To give you an idea, my favorite places to travel so far have been US national parks.. Is Africa worth it for someone whose travel primarily revolves around nature?
I also like visiting ancient sites: temples/ churches/ forts/ pyramids etc.
Thanks a lot for the additional info! It sounds like we might share a lot of the same interests as I am a big fan of the US national parks and what they have to offer in terms of nature as well. As for Africa, I cannot imagine you being disappointed. Nature, yes! Wildlife, mountains, deserts, jungle, savannah, spectacular seacoasts, on such a large continent you can find it all. For me, a big bonus to Africa is that you can experience marvelous nature and history with the backdrop of different peoples and cultures and all that implies.
Morocco, as has been suggested, is fantastic and would certainly check your boxes while being a relatively short flight from the US. Pyramids? Egypt, needless to say! Churches? Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Ethiopia! Read up on Lalibela, among others. Likewise for Ethiopia, amazing nature such as the Danakil Depression and the Simien Mountains (hiking). A caveat about Ethiopia is the current political instability. But timed and planned right, a trip to the Horn of Africa is something that will change you.
Nature in Southern Africa is on a whole different level. In 2019, I traveled to Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. South Africa has it all, and the infrastructure is certainly traveler friendly. Namibia has landscapes and seascapes that are out of this world, and wildlife abounds, as it does in Botswana and South Africa. It was a very long flight for me to reach this part of the world, but it was absolutely worth it.
I have also been twice to West Africa. More wonderful places offering nature, hiking, history, music, and culture galore.
I hope this helps, maybe even a little, to whet your appetite. I am always happy to answer questions, if I can.
Happy travels!
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