Topic: Vacations 2024

[valuator]

very cool trip, did you book it all your self or use one of the safari companies ?

We booked it ourselves, with the help of a local independent travel agent who specializes in that sort of thing. My BIL has been to Africa probably a dozen times in the last five years, so we also leaned on his experience and contacts (for example, he hooked us up with a fantastic driver/guide/bodyguard in Nairobi that he knew well).

[valuator]

Details on the fishing?

Spent a few early mornings fishing for African Tigerfish on the Chobe River. I only caught a pile of catfish, but it was still fun (and relaxing/peaceful). Was great to spend those hours with an amazing guide with many stories to tell about the region. I’m just thankful a croc didn’t get me…

[WP v3.32]

Went out to Nova Scotia (and a little of New Brunswick). Did the Cabot trail, Hopewell Rocks/Bay of Fundy, Magnetic Hill, Peggy's Cove, etc.

Was this your first trip out east>

[OliverD]

Just got back home from our 24-day African family adventure. 10 flights and over 34,000km of flying. New countries for me on this trip:

The Netherlands
South Africa
Zimbabwe
Botswana
Namibia
Zambia
Kenya
Tanzania (I crossed the border and have photographic proof, but no official border crossing or passport stamp)

Highlights:
- visiting some NGO projects in Nairobi
- my kids visiting some public schools and projects in Nairobi
- 4 days on a houseboat on the Chobe River with absolutely tons of wildlife and also some great fishing
- 5 days at the Elephant Pepper camp in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya for game drives / safari
- a 4 days stop in Paris sightseeing on the way home

No real low points other than I got quite ill in Nairobi (nothing that a course of Ciprofloxen couldn’t cure), and in our second time through Nairobi post-safari, we got caught up in the government protests which absolutely terrified my son.

Highlight was seeing a leopard in the Maasai Mara….we hadn’t seen one the entire time, but as we sat down for dinner after our last game drive, one of our guides rushed up to us and said he heard there was a sighting….so we dropped everything and rushed back out and drove an hour into the bush and saw it just after it had killed an impala. Then did the reverse drive in the pitch dark, which was also fun.

That sounds like an awesome trip, you should post more pictures.

Just got back from a road trip to Ontario and Quebec to visit a bunch of friends. All of them are from Fredericton and in the past few years have settled in ON. Last time my wife and I were there together was before COVID and some we hadn't visited since they moved there.

- Two nights in Casselman (outside of Ottawa) visiting a couple that moved there two years ago. Friends from Ottawa and Montreal also joined us there.
- Three nights in Guelph where two of my friends are professors at the university
- Three nights in St. Catharines with another friend, also took some time to check out a few wineries and Niagara on the Lake. The last night our Guelph friends came down as well and it was the first time the eight of us had been together since a wedding in 2017.
- Two nights in Montreal on the way home, we wanted to stay with friends there that are moving back to Fredericton at the end of August

Was an awesome trip, didn't really partake in any activities, just lots of great times with great people.

[Firm]

Just got back home from our 24-day African family adventure. 10 flights and over 34,000km of flying. New countries for me on this trip:

The Netherlands
South Africa
Zimbabwe
Botswana
Namibia
Zambia
Kenya
Tanzania (I crossed the border and have photographic proof, but no official border crossing or passport stamp)

Highlights:
- visiting some NGO projects in Nairobi
- my kids visiting some public schools and projects in Nairobi
- 4 days on a houseboat on the Chobe River with absolutely tons of wildlife and also some great fishing
- 5 days at the Elephant Pepper camp in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya for game drives / safari
- a 4 days stop in Paris sightseeing on the way home

No real low points other than I got quite ill in Nairobi (nothing that a course of Ciprofloxen couldn’t cure), and in our second time through Nairobi post-safari, we got caught up in the government protests which absolutely terrified my son.

Highlight was seeing a leopard in the Maasai Mara….we hadn’t seen one the entire time, but as we sat down for dinner after our last game drive, one of our guides rushed up to us and said he heard there was a sighting….so we dropped everything and rushed back out and drove an hour into the bush and saw it just after it had killed an impala. Then did the reverse drive in the pitch dark, which was also fun.

That sounds like an awesome trip, you should post more pictures.

Just got back from a road trip to Ontario and Quebec to visit a bunch of friends. All of them are from Fredericton and in the past few years have settled in ON. Last time my wife and I were there together was before COVID and some we hadn't visited since they moved there.

- Two nights in Casselman (outside of Ottawa) visiting a couple that moved there two years ago. Friends from Ottawa and Montreal also joined us there.
- Three nights in Guelph where two of my friends are professors at the university
- Three nights in St. Catharines with another friend, also took some time to check out a few wineries and Niagara on the Lake. The last night our Guelph friends came down as well and it was the first time the eight of us had been together since a wedding in 2017.
- Two nights in Montreal on the way home, we wanted to stay with friends there that are moving back to Fredericton at the end of August

Was an awesome trip, didn't really partake in any activities, just lots of great times with great people.

Sounds Awesome! How did the people who moved from Frederiction to ON feel about the move now that they've had some time to settle in?


Mrs.Firm and the kids were in Mississauga for 2 weeks, and I drove up 2 weekends ago (made it a 4 day weekend), visited some friends and family, took care of a few things I needed to do in-person, and then we all drove back down. I maintain that the GTA is a great spot to visit, with tons to do, but a terrible place it grind out a life.

I was also in Vancouver for 3 days earlier this week....Work trip, but the work stuff only took about 3/4 of a day, so we had a bit of time to explore. Walked the downtown waterfront, and then drove up Grouse Mountain, rode the chair lift thing up to the top and took in some of the sights up there. Just an absolutely beautiful part of the country.

[OliverD]

Sounds Awesome! How did the people who moved from Frederiction to ON feel about the move now that they've had some time to settle in?

For the most part they like it, but given the opportunity to return to the east coast they would take it.

The exception would be my friend in St. Catharines. He's a doctor and the opportunities for him are simply much better in ON, and he's able to have a great lifestyle without grinding himself to the bone. His wife is from ON and two of his siblings also live in ON now.

[Fobroader]

The wife, myself and a friend of ours are looking into Palm Springs in November, none of us have been and were thinking of doing that house rental thing instead of a hotel so we can have a private pool 

[Allen]

In Inverness Scotland today, never knew VW made a pickup truck..V6 Amarok

[OliverD]

In Inverness Scotland today, never knew VW made a pickup truck..V6 Amarok

Basically a clone of the RoW Ranger.

[WP v3.32]

In Inverness Scotland today, never knew VW made a pickup truck..V6 Amarok

I believe they are also sold in Mexico/south America.  I might be wrong but just before the VW diesel scandal I think there was though of selling these in America,  the same time when Nissan was developing the Frontier Cummins.

[WP v3.32]

Has anyone done the Viking Cruise from Asmterdam to Budapest?

[Allen]

I am on a Viking cruise right now doing the British Isles, I was asking some people the same question about the Amsterdam river cruise and all said it was really  good .. what I am seeing is alot of folks have been on multiple Viking cruises so they must be doing something right.. this is our 3rd day of 15 and everything has been very good so far

[WP v3.32]

I am on a Viking cruise right now doing the British Isles, I was asking some people the same question about the Amsterdam river cruise and all said it was really  good .. what I am seeing is alot of folks have been on multiple Viking cruises so they must be doing something right.. this is our 3rd day of 15 and everything has been very good so far

yeah it looks like a lot of fun.

[ktm525]

Dont go late summer/fall or your tour could end on a bus due to low water levels.

[Allen]

Was in Liverpool today anyone ever heard of a Cupra  ?

[quadzilla]

Saw a lot of those in Italy. Same with Peugeot, Citroen, Seat, Opel, ect.

The one brand I hardly saw was Honda, thought that was strange.

[Allen]

In Dover today and spotted this Morgan