What's the most awesome place you've ever been on vacation?

[Orbinaut Pete]

Sorry, couldn't help noticing that.
If there is anywhere I'd advise people to go to in SA it is Cape Town and the surrounding areas, though it is a popular touist destination (not "off the beaten track") and does get cold and rainy during winter (southern winter = northern summer, In case anyone would forget ).
Other then that, SA is a dangerous country and one must have their wits abouth them at all times. I don't want to scare anyone off, I'm just warning you to be alert.

Off-topic here:

But is it true that in SA, it's fully legal for people to have flame-throwers underneath their car doors, so if a car-jacking occurs, you can just flick a switch & toast the robbers?

Or is that just a rumour I heard?

 

[T.Neo]

Off-topic here:

But is it true that in SA, it's fully legal for people to have flame-throwers underneath their car doors, so if a car-jacking occurs, you can just flick a switch & toast the robbers?

Or is that just a rumour I heard?

:rofl:

I wish I had a flamethower in my car to toast robbers.
Where did you exactly hear this rumor?

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

:rofl:

I wish I had a flamethower in my car to toast robbers.
Where did you exactly hear this rumor?

I don't remember exactly. I think it was on the news sometime here in England, or else a travel guide or something....
Probably just a hoax

--EDIT--
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9812/11/flame.thrower.car/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/232777.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaster_(flamethrower)

I think it's just an extreme "optional extra"

--EDIT 2--
Well, per the CNN article, at least it causes no damage to the paint

Scenario:
You just used this on a carjacker who was about to shoot you:
"aww man, I hope this didn't damage my paintwork":rofl:

That's just crazy. I can't believe this is actually legal.

What if someone approaches you car simply to ask directions?:rofl:

--EDIT 3--

Apparently the creator is now working on a "hand-held version"!!!!

You just never hear of anything like this in the northern hemisphere. It surprises me that there are still places in the world where this stuff happens.
Maybe I will visit SA wearing a fireproof kevlar suit, although that may somewhat spoil the view of table mountain:rofl:

 

[T.Neo]

I don't remember exactly. I think it was on the news sometime here in England, or else a travel guide of something....

Are you sure it wasn't April fools day when you heard this on the news?
That story really made my day though.

The law doesn't really provide much protection to us, the police themselves are often corrupt.

Overall, it isn't nearly as bad here as in other African countries, we are far better of then Zimbabwe, just to our north.

If you want to learn about South African culture and politics in a humorous fashion, I suggest you read Madam & Eve:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madam_%26_Eve
I think it is available internationally, maybe check amazon.com or similar.
(Disclaimer: real south africans do not sleep on ironing boards or chase people with slingshots.)

EDIT:
Ah, you edited while I posted.
I'm surprised to see this is a real thing. Wow! :speakcool:

aww man, I hope this didn't damage my paintwork":rofl:

LOL :rofl:

Here's a youtube clip:

EDIT:

What if someone approaches you car simply to ask directions?:rofl:

If they want to ask directions then they shouldn't have a gun...

 

[cjp]

It's tough to pick just one, but I'd have to say New Zealand's South Island. Milford Sound was just one of the highlights. The pictures below are from Wikipedia, but the three-masted boat is the one we stayed on. It looked this when we went to bed:

Wow. Realizing that this is actually not a computer rendering, I want to live there!

Still, I've lived in Canada almost all my life, but I still feel the biggest pull to the Netherlands. I'm taking my kids there for the first time this summer, and I'm really excited by that!

I wondered why anyone would ever want to visit the Netherlands as a tourist, but looking at your profile, I understand. I think Holland looks nicest from above, on one of those rare days when the sky isn't covered with clouds. It must be the most perfectly organized, artificial landscapes on the planet. Look, for instance, at the street patterns and the farm borders here.

11. Tokyo, Japan

This is the only one on your list I visited so far, and I have to say this huge concrete jungle is the one I wanted to mention here as my most impressive 'holiday' destination. AFAIK the metropolitan area (together with Kawasaki, Yokohama and some other large cities) is still the largest one on the planet, with over 35 million citizens (Tokyo itself only has about 8 million citizens).

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

If they want to ask directions then they shouldn't have a gun...

Someone approaches your car. They tap on the window. You lower it a few inches. They suddenly put their hand into their inside coat pocket. You tap the flame-thrower pedal.

They pull out a map:rofl::rofl:

 

[tblaxland]

8. Sydney, Australia

Well, I live there and I think it is pretty awesome!

14. Singapore, Singapore

I've been there at Christmas time. Very nice light displays on the main shopping strip. Sentosa Island was also quite nice and there was interesting Australian military history in the museums there. Port of SIngapore was very impressive too (world's busiest container port, although Shanghai is fast catching).

I wouldn't mind a road trip across Australia either: 4X4, open road, sleeping rough in the bush, barbaques, ice-cold Fosters, catching crocodiles to eat with your bear hands (Crocodile-Dundee style)! Or maybe I just watched too many movies, & my somewhat stereotypical view of Oz is not entirely correct....

Well, its not too far off - I occasionally enjoy all of those on your list except for catching crocs. I think I can find you a better beer than Fosters though.

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

It must be the most perfectly organized, artificial landscapes on the planet. Look, for instance, at the street patterns and the farm borders here.

True (mostly man made), but the landscapes borders/orientation in the Netherlands are much more 'organic'.
I was pretty shocked when I watched aerial photos of the USA for the first time, example here. I thought the NL landscape was artificial, but most of the USA is covered with exact squares, it almost seems insane! Try moving around on the map, it seems everywhere. So basically everyone in the USA (outside the cities) is living in an exact square at a street exactly aligned with the grid? ...

I've never been to the USA, but this extremely artificial landscape grid must be an impressive sight from the air.

 

[tl8]

I wouldn't mind a road trip across Australia either: 4X4, open road, sleeping rough in the bush, barbaques, ice-cold Fosters, catching crocodiles to eat with your bear hands (Crocodile-Dundee style)! Or maybe I just watched too many movies, & my somewhat stereotypical view of Oz is not entirely correct....

Most of it is correct but I should warn you
[YOUTUBE]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ci3b-IsWg"]YouTube - The Gruen Transfer - Australian Anti-Tourism #2[/ame][/YOUTUBE]

The movie Wolf Creek would be an Eye opener.

 

[Eagle]

True (mostly man made), but the landscapes borders/orientation in the Netherlands are much more 'organic'.
I was pretty shocked when I watched aerial photos of the USA for the first time, example here. I thought the NL landscape was artificial, but most of the USA is covered with exact squares, it almost seems insane! Try moving around on the map, it seems everywhere. So basically everyone in the USA (outside the cities) is living in an exact square at a street exactly aligned with the grid? ...

I've never been to the USA, but this extremely artificial landscape grid must be an impressive sight from the air.

In the US its a result of the Land_Ordinance_of_1785. That is why you see it primarily west of the Appalachian Mountains (i.e. not on the East coast.) It pretty much says how to survey land, divide it up, and how to set up a township. Pretty neat stuff.

 

[T.Neo]

@tl8

:lol:

Only 22? By SA standards that's rather low.

 

[ripley1]

Very nice places in this thread. For me,the southwest USA have some of the most beautiful places,Utah,Arizona,Colorado,of course N.M.
Me and my wife went to the Czech republic few times and that was very nice. Also parts of Ireland are very pretty. I wish to travel more in the future.
Maybe South America and Africa.

 

[Kyle]

Kennedy Space Center on Launch day was my personal favorite.

Took it back in 96.