Interesting topic.

Home town Ottawa. Small enough to avoid gridlock, big enough and capital city to have most of the amenities you need. Borders Gatineau Quebec so mix of cultures, 30 minutes and you can camp, canoe and swim in beautiful clean lakes. Ski hill 20 minutes away, winter ice huts on the Ottawa River. WINTERS TOO LONG!

Panajachel Guatemala: small quaint town on the edge of one of the most beautiful lakes I've ever seen (and I'm from Canada) surrounded by 3 inactive volcanoes, Lake Atitlán. Ferry goes to small Mayan villages with great guesthouses. Great if you can get there from Guatemala City without being kidnapped robbed or worse.

Also Antigua Guatemala. Original capital city of Guatemala destroyed by volcano 16th century? Still partially collapsed ancient churches turned into restaurants and hotel, cobblestone streets. Great Zocalo (city centre square)

Medellin Colombia. Completely turned around from Bad old Pablo Escobar days. Transit system includes light rail system, street car/trams, cable cars like ski lifts that transport once isolated slum dwellers to the rest of the city. Year round spring like temperatures never much above 27 degrees goes down to a comfortable 20 at night to sleep. Surrounded by mountains to explore. A real effort to create a complete greening of the city, full time army of staff maintaining trees flowers parks, amazingly clean. Friendly people easy retirement visas $800 monthly income requirement. Spanish easy language to learn. One of the cheapest places in the world to live.

Loved Chiang Mai but too hot.

Agree Kunming China. Gateway to the far west, mountains and great culture further north towards Tibet: Dali, Lijiang, so called Shangri-La, Tiger Leaping Gorge. Easy access to Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar.

Beijing. Amazing 14th century alleys beside glittering massive 70 story buildings. Easy cycling, Forbidden City, modern. Close to the Great wall. Very hot women.

Oaxaca Mexico. Great Mayan culture, cool city close to coast (Puerto Escondido surfing , Huatulco beautiful clean reef snorkeling)

San Cristobal de las Casas Chiapas Mexico. Temperate climate again great Mayan culture.


Mexico city. Polluted air trapped in by surrounding mountains but dripping with culture, great nightlife, subway system, fantastic Zocalo around central government buildings churches. Huge food markets. Close to world's 2nd and 3rd largest ancient pyramids. Yes not in Egypt. Pyramids of Teotihuacan. Temperate climate. Unbelievable museums.


Manila. Huge, cheap, friendly people who largely speak English making it much easier to navigate your stay. Great to walk around at night when it's not fucking too hot. Close to Angeles/Clark for a little naughty fun. Easy access to ferries to the more vacation oriented Islands. Dirty, poor must see. Oh and met with a few ("Where you from, oh my sister lives there" scams)

Bangkok
Kampala
Jakarta
Edinburgh

Where it's ended to where it started, Asia, Africa & Europe.

Anchor Moy wrote: ↑Sat Nov 12, 2022 9:34 pm

atst wrote: ↑Sat Nov 12, 2022 8:39 pm Venice, good food, very quiet and no cars.

Crazy amounts of tourists outnumbering local residents - this was reported by friends recently. (sept/oct)

Yes but they travel isolated routes away from the main attractions you won't see them.

Of places I've been to at least 2 or 3 times
Istanbul
New York
Mexico City
Delhi
London

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:15 am The recent comment on Penang and the differences of opinions here got me thinking;
what are your favorite cites ?
Most enjoyable, relaxing, culture, people, parks, food, architecture, scenic, vibrancy, photographic
does not have to have them all
for me, not in any order other than moving east and ones i always enjoy

...Mandalay...

Agree with most of your other choices, but Mandalay? Why?

In no particular order:

Bangkok
New York
New Orleans
Chiang Mai (part time home)
L.A. (part time home)
San Francisco
London
Milan
Austin
Luang Prabang
Kathmandu (purely based on memories, haven't returned in recent years)
Paris
Dubai (with some misgivings)
Portland (with some misgivings)

So it seems I have lived a sheltered life.....

Barcelona: You've got to love a city on the beach.
Melbourne and San Francisco, for similar reasons. I think it's the melting pot.
Sihanoukville, pre-one decade ago.
New York, just because.
London, in the summer with money. It should be noted the city gets the raspberry award in the winter with no money.
Vancouver, in the summer.
And the winner is... Tokyo!

Rio de Janeiro
Bangkok
Munich

#1 Havana. A city full of life, culture and fabulous music.
#2 Amsterdam. Canels, tulips, and great food.
#3 London. There is in London all that life can afford. ( I wouldnt want to live there)
#4 Santa Barbara California
Much nicer than L. A.
#5 Ottawa. Great capital city, lots of amenities, good healthcare but long winters.
#6 Victoria British Columbia.
Pretty ocean city, not as expensive as Vancouver.