Official MM Travel Thread

[Jake]

Bringing this thread back from the dead.

I have decided that the few months after I graduate should be cherished rather than rushing into the working world. Because of this, I figure I might as well go to all the countries I've always wanted to go to. Let me start this by saying the only countries I have ever been to were taking a bus into Canada during high school and going to the Dominican Republic to sit on the beach for a week. Needless to say, I have little out of country travel experience, and definitely, need to renew my passport from my old high school picture.

I'm thinking I want to do two trips, one during this winter break, and another in May until June. So since December is right around the corner, what are some recommendations on where to go during those Winter months? I'm thinking somewhere warm like Australia, New Zealand, etc. Should I be rethinking that? Paris on Christmas morning sounds pretty cool as well.

Any good sites to find plane tickets, travel deals, lodging on? I want to do experiences out of the norm. Touring museums is fun for about an hour, and then I get bored. I want to go jump off cliffs into the water, tour the countryside on a rented motorcycle, see wild animals on a safari, etc.

How much do y'all budget for experiences/food/etc once you get there? Do you plan everything out beforehand down to an itinerary, or make rough plans and try to do as much as you can?

Finally, recommendations on going alone vs going with others? I hopefully will have some friends who want to do something like this, but part of me wants to travel a little on my own. Has anyone done this and can speak to it?

I thought you were gonna buy a whole condo building or something