Favorites Around the World

By Julia
Stowe, VT

  I have been planning this post since we've returned, but the tiny hiccup of planning a wedding has prevented me from remembering to do so.  But now with only a few days to spare before the Big Day, I am now finding this blog post a convenient distraction from "moving tables" or "cross-checking meal selections".

  And now, without further ado,

Tom and Julia's Official Trip Superlatives:

Favorite Small Villages/Towns
Julia

1. Luang Prabang, Laos

2. Goreme, Turkey

3. Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

Honorable Mention: Hoi An, Vietnam
Tom:

1. Goreme, Turkey

2. Luang Prabang, Laos

3. Wanaka, New Zealand

Goreme, Turkey

Favorite Cities
Julia:

1. London, UK

2. Granada, Nicaragua

3. Hanoi, Vietnam
Honorable Mention: Wellington, NZ

Tom:

1. London, UK

2. Hanoi, Vietnam

3. Istanbul, Turkey

London, UK

Favorite Region
Julia:

1.  Lepcha Villages/Sikkim, India

2.  Isla de Ometempe, Nicaragua

3.  Aegean Coast, Turkey

Tom:

1.  Aegean Coast, Turkey

2.  Greater Darjeeling Area, India

3.  Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

Lepcha Village Visits, Darjeeling, India

Favorite Tourist Attractions

Julia:
1.  Taj Mahal, India

2.  Waterfall/Bear Rescue Center outside Luang Prabang

3.  Bhaktapur, Nepal
Tom:

1.  Taj Mahal, Agra, India

2.  Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

3.  Choko Dhani, Jaipur, India

Favorite Cultural Activities

Julia:
1. School Visits; Lepcha Villages, India

2. Thai Cooking Class; Chiang Mai, Thailand

3. Yoga Ashram; Rishikesh, India

Honorable Mention: Fishing with Locals; Nong Kiau, Laos

Tom:

1. School Visits; Lepcha Villages, India

2. Indian Classical Music Performance; Rishikesh, India

3. National Ballet and Orchestra; Hanoi, Vietnam

Cooking School in Thailand

Best Meals

Julia:
1. Red Curry with Giant Prawn; Morning Glory Restaurant, Hoi An, Vietnam

2. Crayfish Dinner, Bernie and Anne’s House, Wanaka, New Zealand

3. Lobster Tails; Bridget’s Café, Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

Honorable Mention: Every meal in Thailand

Tom:

1. Thai Cooking School Meal; Chiang Mai, Thailand

2. Spiral Pastry with tomato sauce; Goreme, Turkey

3. Chicken Amok; Les Orientalistes, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Beef salad with sticky rice in Vietnam

Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks

Julia:
1. Pineapple-Coconut Smoothie; Ethos Café, Bangkok, Thailand

2. Chai Tea; Everywhere in India and Nepal

3. Fresh Coffee, Jinotega, Nicaragua

Honorable Mention: Apple Tea in Turkey

Tom:

1. Mixed Berry Smoothie; Chiang Mai, Thailand

2. Mango-Mint Smoothie; Pai, Thailand

3. Pineapple-Coconut Smoothie; Ethos Café, Bangkok, Thailand

Best Alcoholic Drinks

Julia:
1. Rippon Winery Special Reserve Pinot Noir

2. Invercargill Brewery Wasp Pilsner
3. Dead Man Brewery Blonde Ale
Tom:

1. Monteith’s Summer Ale

2. Invercargill Brewery’s Black Ale

3. Freehouse’s Wit Beer

Beer and New Zealand, they go together well!

Favorite Hotels

Julia:
1. Miss Anne’s, Hoi An, Vietnam

2. Casa Iguana, Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

3. Lazy Cow, Murchinson, New Zealand

Honorable Mention: Krishna Palace, Jaipur, India AND Casa Blanco, Montazuma, Costa Rica

Tom:

1. Taksiyarhis Pansiyon, Ayvalik Turkey

2. Casa Iguana, Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

3. Miss Anne’s Place, Hoi An, Vietnam

Ah, Ayvalik

Best Hikes

Julia:
1. Annapurna Base Camp Trek (8 days), Nepal

2. Routeburn Track (1 day), New Zealand

3. Heaphy Track (5 days), New Zealand

Tom:

1. Anapurna Base Camp, Nepal

2. Copo Blanco, Costa Rica

3. Heaphy Trek, New Zealand

Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal

Favorite Outdoor Activities (non-hiking)

Julia:
1. Scuba Diving; Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

2. Mountain Biking; Goreme, Turkey

3. Rafting the Paquare River, Costa Rica

Tom:

1. Rafting the Bota Kosi River, Nepal

2. Scuba Diving, Little Corn Islands

3. Mountain Biking, Goreme, Turkey

Snorkeling Little Corn Island

Best Natural Attractions

Julia:
1. The Himalayas!

2. Waterfalls and Rainforest of Montazuma, Costa Rica

3. Karsts, Laos and Vietnam

Tom:

1. The Himilayas, Nepal

2. Milford Sound, New Zealand

3. Fairy Chimneys, Goreme Turkey

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Favorite Human-Altered Landscapes

Julia:
1. Mushroom Houses of Cappadocia, Turkey

2. Tea Plantations of Darjeeling, India

3. Rice Paddies of Pokhara, Nepal

Favorite Days

Julia:
1. Thanksgiving, Luang Prabang, Laos

2. Staying on the Vineyard in Bozcaada, Turkey

3. Motorbiking with Suzanne in Jinotega, Turkey

Tom:

1. Fun Day in Luang Prabang, Laos

2. Julia’s Birthday celebration, Little Corn Island, Nicaragaua

3. Touring Bozgada with Emere and friends

Bozcaada, Turkey

Favorite Transport:

Julia
1. Quantas Flight NZ - LA

2. Slow Boat, Mekong River, Laos

3.  Bicycles in Luang Prabang, Laos

Tom:

1. Motorbiking on Koh Chang, Thailand

2. Royal Nepal Airlines, Kathmandu to Bangkok

3. Bicycle Rickshaw, Varanasi, India

Mekong slow boat, Laos

Memorable Characters

Julia:
1.  Bernie
2.  Nerd Cruise crew
3.  Rob and Silvia (who just had a baby!)
Tom:
1. Bernie

2. Steve

3. Anup

oh, Bernie!