Where have you been? What's your favorite trip experience?
 

As the title says, I'm interested in hearing where you have traveled to and what you liked most about the areas you've visited. [:)]

I'll start!

I've been all along the west coast of America (it's my country of origin), Canada (Vancouver mostly), Japan (current country of residence), Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, and Malaysia.

I have several favorite traveling experiences. Within America, I loved visiting the Grand Canyon. It was gorgeous! Pictures really can't convey the size of it.

In Thailand, I went to a place called Tiger Kingdom and got to pet at take pictures with real live tigers! (They were fairly tame so it wasn't scary. But once they become adults they are dangerous so they're sent to zoos after a certain age). I rode an elephant too!

In Malaysia, I went hiking through the jungle in the Cameron Highlands and saw a real live rafflesia flower. It's the largest flower in the world and it stinks like rotting flesh. But it was a new bloom so it didn't smell bad when we saw it.

And in Japan, I'm fond of visiting hot springs with my boyfriend. They're super relaxing and often have special water full of minerals that are supposedly good for your skin. I've been to one while it was snowing, so I was toasty warm while snow was falling on my head. I've been to a few with beautiful views of waterfalls and rivers. And I've even been to one built right into the coastline of the ocean, so you're sitting in a tub looking out at the ocean waters.

Anyway, enough about me! Where have you been? How was it?

I still can't believe that a rafflesia could be a country's official flower. [barf]

One of my favorite trips was when I went on a tour from Shanghai to HuangShan. I wish I knew where to begin when describing my trip. Everything about the countryside was beautiful and unspoiled. I'm talking about huge mountains and bamboo thickets, miles and miles of farmland, and historic looking villages.

Sigh, I wish I could return soon!

I love traveling! I need to do more of it. Abroad so far one of my favorite countries is Scotland. Pretty much from Glasgow and Edinburgh UP. The Trossachs, Glen Coe, Stirling, Fort William, Ben Nevis and Aonach Mhor.....even though I had horrible weather mishaps on the mountain. Should have seen that coming... It was a long while ago now, so I need to go back!

Road signs on the Isle of Skye

Domestically, I was thrilled finally getting out to the Pacific Northwest, and living there for a while in Seattle and Portland. I finally got to see Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, Multinomah Falls, the Japanese and Chinese Gardens in Portland.


Seattle Public Market. Yes, fish tossing and all!

Mt. Hood in Oregon, when I was in Hood River

I'm currently in China, been here for 8 months and am returning to the States in a week. Less than a week, actually, now that I think about it. o___o;; I've been doing some volunteer work over here for my sister and brother-in-law's nonprofit.

The Great Wall is fun, as well as a local hot pot place. Hot pot is so delicious. *drools* Unfortunately I haven't been particularly driven to learn much Chinese (I know, whut), but I have picked up some words. :3 I can say "AWESOME" in Mandarin, for example, so that's cool.

Woodlandnymph, your picture of Mt. Hood makes me want to see it up close!

I've traveled a few places and some of the places I've been to is because of where I lived. I'm from the US so I've been to some "hot spots" and major cities. I've traveled as far west as Hawaii and as far east as New York. I visited the US territory of St. Thomas as well.

Out of the country I've been to Costa Rica, Germany, Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Sapporo, the island of Okinawa), Hong Kong, Macau, and most recently, South Korea.

My favorite trip would be between Kyoto, Japan and Seoul, South Korea. The beauty and culture of Kyoto was captivating and I've wanted to visit Seoul since I was younger. All the places were amazing.

I've been up and down the east border of the US (Maine to Florida) and then I've been to Georgia, Ohio, Michigan... And then we go to Canada every few years. Internationally I can say I've set foot in Switzerland because we had a layover there. Mine lasted about seven hours. ;_; Don't wanna talk about that.

But I did spend three months in Italy. At first I thought I'd do nothing but hate it, but everything's dripping with art there and I have to say, I love art. Like really love it.

I've always wanted to go somewhere that I could see panthers in the wild and mongooses in the wild because they are two of my favorite animals ever.