# Looking for somewhere to go in 2019



## tarahsu (Sep 22, 2017)

Hi All:

Anyone have a fabulous trade somewhere outside of the USA that they would recommend?

Thanks


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## classiclincoln (Sep 22, 2017)

It all depends on what you like to do.  If you're a beach type person, we love Aruba.  Or maybe some beach place in Europe (Costa del Sol in Spain or some place in Italy).  If you're a cultural type person, pretty much anyplace in Europe or Asia, if you can handle the flight.  South America would be neat, but I'd stay away from Venezuela.


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## Jimster (Sep 22, 2017)

I have been to Thailand 5 times and there are several destinations there which are very nice including Phukett.  Incidiently, I was NOT really impressed with Bali but I would recommend you go to the wildlife park there and ride the elephants and see their exotic birds etc.  It is costly but I think well worth it.  I don't recall the exact name of it but I am sure they advertise. If you can't find it let me know and i will check.  They also have several Kimodo Dragons which i really wanted to see.  Their restaurant is in the middle of the lion area so you can look out the window wall and watch them as you eat.

If you like to shop Hong Kong and Singapore are great destinations too.  As mentioned above it all depends on what constitutes "fabulous" in your mind.  I also like Italy and Scotland(if the weather cooperates).


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## geist1223 (Sep 23, 2017)

We loved Tasmania 18 months ago and were sorry we only had a week there. We are planning on going back in 16 months and spend 2 to 3 weeks. There is also Fiji and New Zealand. We have only been to the North Island - Rotarua and Bay of Islands. We loved both areas.


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## tarahsu (Sep 23, 2017)

Thanks for all the recommendations.  We have been to most countries in Europe and Asia but have limited travel to South America or Aruba so might check that out.  
I am from Hong Kong and am heading there again as well as Bali next month and will be diving with Mantra Rays and Mola fish.  
We have been to Thailand many times.  Thanks for the recommendation Jimster, but I avoid elephant rides as I have volunteered at a Thailand Wildlife Animal Rescue and the fact they steal baby elephants from their mothers, lock them in a cage, starve & beat them until they become obedient is deplorable and I don't want to support that type of tourism.  
We have been to Fiji but only stopped in New Zealand so that is interesting.  Never thought of Tasmania so thanks!  I will check if those places have volunteer tourism for 1 week and then we usually vacation the next.  Have also been considering Vietnam, Cambodia and South Africa as well but the trip to South Africa from California is a LONG one. Bucket list is the Maldives.


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## bailey (Oct 4, 2017)

Jimster said:


> I have been to Thailand 5 times and there are several destinations there which are very nice including Phukett.  Incidiently, I was NOT really impressed with Bali but I would recommend you go to the wildlife park there and ride the elephants and see their exotic birds etc.  It is costly but I think well worth it.  I don't recall the exact name of it but I am sure they advertise. If you can't find it let me know and i will check.  They also have several Kimodo Dragons which i really wanted to see.  Their restaurant is in the middle of the lion area so you can look out the window wall and watch them as you eat.
> 
> If you like to shop Hong Kong and Singapore are great destinations too.  As mentioned above it all depends on what constitutes "fabulous" in your mind.  I also like Italy and Scotland(if the weather cooperates).



Jimster...
Wanting to go to Thailand and considering June because that's when I'm able to take a large chunk of time off from work but I'm told is monsoon season and very humid.  Have you ever gone in June?


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## Jimster (Oct 5, 2017)

No, i have not been there in June.  But if it is monsoon season, to me that means rain and lots of it.  One week i spent in Phukett we had 5 days out of 7 with constant rain.  To say the least, that dampened my enthusiasm.

As to the point made by Tarahsu and elephant rides, the place i am recommending is on Bali and i think that is more humane.  I have seen the elephant rides in thailand and most of those seem to have elephants that look beaten and worn and often harshly confined.  The wildlife park in Bali is a huge complex and all the animals looked well cared for and they had ample space to roam.  Of course, they are still confined and perhaps that is sufficient to avoid them, but they definitely appeared to be in much better condition than those in Thailand and i have seen plenty of places in Thailand offering rides.


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## pedro47 (Oct 5, 2017)

May I suggest New Zealand and the world's smallest continent Australia. After this vacation you will not want to come back to the USA.


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## GetawaysRus (Oct 5, 2017)

You mentioned South America.  There are some possibilities, but the problem would be: if you are trading for a week, is there enough to do to fill a week in these locations?

There are a few timeshares in Urubamba, Peru.  (On Interval, these will show up under "Peru, Machu Picchu," but the timeshares are not in Machu Picchu.)  Peru is interesting, and I have visited this area, though I stayed at the Starwood hotel (Tambo del Inka) rather than a timeshare.  It's pretty easy to fill 2 days in the Sacred Valley - there's Ollantaytambo, the salt evaporation pools at Maras, and the agricultural site Moray.  You would probably need a car, or a tour guide, to get around.  The ruins at Pisac would be further (about 1 hour 15 minutes).  You'd also want to travel to Aguas Calientes (by train? via hike?), perhaps stay in a hotel there overnight, and then want a full day for Machu Picchu (catch an early bus up to the site), so that might tack on a few more days of things to do.  Cusco is further still (nearly 2 hours by car), so you could add that on to your trip as a several day separate stay.

Once in Peru, there are other areas to visit: Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Lima.  So if you're adventurous, you could build a several week vacation in Peru around a timeshare stay.  My wife and I spent nearly 3 weeks in Peru and we still didn't see everything.  We used a South American tour company to help us arrange our sightseeing while I arranged the flights and hotel accommodations.

A second South America possibility is Bariloche.  (On Interval, look at Argentina, "Patagonia and Cuyo.")  I have never visited this area, so I can't say anything more, but I do recall someone recommending it to me.  If I were looking at a stay in Bariloche, I would see if it were possible to build a trip to Argentina around the timeshare week.  That might very well include visits to Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls.


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## tarahsu (Oct 6, 2017)

Thanks everyone for some awesome ideas.  Starting to plan my 2019 and 2020 trips  WooHoo


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## GetawaysRus (Oct 6, 2017)

I wanted to add that even though Interval shows timeshares in the Sacred Valley of Peru, I have no idea how difficult a trade this might be.


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## VacationForever (Oct 6, 2017)

If you haven't tried a cruise and have the time, try go go on a cruise - through Panama Canal, Chile & Argentina, through SE Asia, Transatlantic, Transpacific, NZ and Australia etc....


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## tarahsu (Oct 7, 2017)

VacationForever said:


> If you haven't tried a cruise and have the time, try go go on a cruise - through Panama Canal, Chile & Argentina, through SE Asia, Transatlantic, Transpacific, NZ and Australia etc....


Thanks!  Not really a cruise person but showed my husband that we can trade for the Rhine or Danube River Cruises and those look interesting.


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## pedro47 (Oct 7, 2017)

What are your top five (5) vacation choices for 2019?


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## dmurray007 (Oct 11, 2017)

Have you thought about South Africa?  That is on my bucket. Definitely 2nd. NZ and  OZ. was a great experience.


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