Travel Survey

KevinK

Looks like there is no travel possible for the immediate (Maybe long term)future and I can’t be the only one having withdrawal symptoms.

I thought this travel survey/questionnaire might be an interesting way to reminisce about past trips and share experiences.

Earliest travel/holiday memory:

First trip abroad:

First solo trip abroad (without family if different to above)

Number of Continents visited:

Favourite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you):

Least favourite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you):

A place that exceed expectations, somewhere you went with low expectations but actually turned out to be a surprisingly positive experience:

A place that didn’t live up to expectations, somewhere that you looked forward to visiting, and while maybe not your worst experience definitely not as good as everyone says:

Next three places on the bucket list:


Feel free to add your own questions also, I will put my answers below.

KevinK

Earliest travel/holiday memory: Travelling from Carrick on Shannon to Beleek with my family on a boat aged 6 or 7

First trip abroad: Went with my mother and sister to visit our uncle in London when I was about 10.

First solo trip abroad (without family if different to above): After my first year in university I got a cheap Ryanair flight to Treviso and visited Venice, then got an overnight boat to Greece from Ancona and spent a week in the Greek Islands.

Number of Continents visited: 6, all except Antarctica

Favourite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you): Tanzania I think, everything about it was amazing. The people, the food, thape language, the mountain and the beautiful beaches in Zanzibar.

Least favourite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you): Ethiopia, people attempted to rob me twice on my first day there and never enjoyed it or felt comfortable after that.

A place that exceed expectations, somewhere you went with low expectations but actually turned out to be a surprisingly positive experience: This is a close one between Romania which was amazing and Uzbekistan. I knew absolutely nothing about Uzbekistan but it is an absolutely fascinating place with super friendly people (we were invited to a wedding!) , great food and really beautiful old historical cities. Would recommend.

A place that didn’t live to expectations, somewhere that you looked forward to visiting, and while maybe not your worst experience definitely not as good as everyone says: Bali, really didn’t enjoy it. Dirty, crowded and not a very pleasant experience. They food was good in fairness and I hear the north of the island is lovely. We probably went at the wrong time of year also.

Next three places on the bucket list: India (particularly Kerala and the North eastern states), Peru and Japan.

cee_jay

Earliest travel/holiday memory: Family holidays in Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry

First trip abroad: Isle of Man (I was less than 2, I don't remember it)

First solo trip abroad (without family if different to above): Cologne, for a German student exchange aged 15

Number of Continents visited: 4

Favourite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you): Monument Valley, Utah. So peaceful

Least favourite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you): Pattaya, Thailand

A place that exceed expectations, somewhere you went with low expectations but actually turned out to be a surprisingly positive experience: Lubbock, Texas - was just a stop over, but had a great visit there.

A place that didn’t live to expectations, somewhere that you looked forward to visiting, and while maybe not your worst experience definitely not as good as everyone says: Rome - unorganised, crowded, dirty. Food wasn't great.

Next three places on the bucket list: I was supposed to be visiting Hong Kong and Japan in November, so those even though it is doubtful that it will happen. 3rd Place would be Alaska - always top of my wish list.

Strumms

Earliest travel/holiday memory:

Isle of Man

First trip abroad:

Isle of Man, was about 2 or 3

First solo trip abroad (without family if different to above)

I was 18, Paris, to live and work for a few months.

Number of Continents visited:

3 Europe, Asia and North America

Favorite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you):

I love the South of France and the quiet little haven of Villefranche Sur Mer

Least favourite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you):

Nowhere I hated, I was a bit bored in Malmo though.

A place that exceed expectations, somewhere you went with low expectations but actually turned out to be a surprisingly positive experience:

I went to Madrid on a work trip. It’s now firmly in my top two or three destinations in Europe. Much to see and do, people are lovely, a beautiful city, not expensive, very walkable but with great public transport and tonnes of culture.

A place that didn’t live to expectations, somewhere that you looked forward to visiting, and while maybe not your worst experience definitely not as good as everyone says:

My first Barcelona trip, it was for work and I just about escaped a mugging. There was an ‘atmosphere’ around the city, not a good one. Been back since all be it 5 years later and enjoyed it more, felt a lot safer.

Next three places on the bucket list:

Brazil, Salvador... girlfriend is from there, I’m overdue a trip.
Florida... family there and been too long since I visited.
Nice... a home away from home, want to take my folks down next year hopefully.

Greg81

Earliest travel/holiday memory:

Zakopane, Poland

First trip abroad:

Heidelberg, Germany (3yo)

First solo trip abroad (without family if different to above)

Malmo (16yo)

Number of Continents visited:

4 Europe, Asia, North America, Australia

Favorite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you):

Iceland

Least favourite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you):

Prince Edward Island, Canada

A place that exceed expectations, somewhere you went with low expectations but actually turned out to be a surprisingly positive experience:

Whistler, Canada If I knew it is so awesome I would probably stay at least 2 days longer.

A place that didn’t live to expectations, somewhere that you looked forward to visiting, and while maybe not your worst experience definitely not as good as everyone says:

Jasper, Canada. Everyone was saying it's a super posh place. For me it was just another town in the Rockies.

Next three places on the bucket list:

I should be in Japan in the middle of May but that is already cancelled.
So whenever I get a chance...
- Alaska
- New Zealand
- Greenland

woodchuck

Earliest travel/holiday memory: I have a vague recollection of visiting Trabolgan when I was very young.

First trip abroad: Majorca as a pre-teen with my family.

First solo trip abroad (without family if different to above): Rome in my early 20s for a conference and stayed on for a few days extra to see the sites.

Number of Continents visited: 5. Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa.

Favourite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you): Botswana. Went on two week wilderness camping safari there last year and the wildlife was amazing.

Least favourite place you have visited (can be a country, city, landmark, island etc. up to you): I'm finding it hard to think of anything as I wouldn't visit somewhere if I didn't think I was going to like it.

A place that exceed expectations, somewhere you went with low expectations but actually turned out to be a surprisingly positive experience: Varese in Northern Italy. I went for work and it's a very random town that most people haven't heard of, so wasn't expecting much. I found it had the same Italian charm as most touristy destinations in Italy (good architecture, food etc), but without the hoards of tourists.

A place that didn’t live up to expectations, somewhere that you looked forward to visiting, and while maybe not your worst experience definitely not as good as everyone says: New York. It's still worth a visit. I loved the Broadway musicals and certain areas (e.g. central park), but as a city to just wander around in, I wasn't a fan. Manhattan is mainly just skyscrappers all laid out in a grid pattern. I missed that sense of exploration and coming across random beauty spots I get in most other cities.

Next three places on the bucket list:
Morocco - was supposed to go there at the end of March.
The Galapagos Islands - had been considering this as a honeymoon destination in September
Indonesia