What's the most far-flung country/place you've visited?

[fryguy]

For me it was a 10 day trip to the Maldives, followed closely by several visits to Georgia (the Caucasus, not the south)...

Where've you been?

[markus]

1. Delacroix

I didn't, however, work on a fishing boat there.

Actually, it was only about an hour and a half from home, but it's one little part of the Edge of the World.

Connnaught should count for something, as well.

[lilymidnite]

20. Far Northern Queensland, Australia

LA to Sydney -- 13 hours by plane

Sydney to Cairns -- 2 hours by plane

Cairns to Cape Weymouth -- 2 days 4 WD roads

[heidiho]

2. Laos

Felt like I had stepped back in time 100 years. It was really great, unspoiled people, few tourists, very very fascinating.

[yellowcanine]

3. Mongolia - 12 hrs to Tokyo, 2hrs to Seoul, 4 hrs to Mongolia.

Now that's far-flung.

[fryguy]

24. Ulaanbaatar

now that is a journey.....bet it was an amazing place to visit, had a colleague that went out there a few times and he always came back with such great stories....

[yellowcanine]

44. Yeah, UB was fun - countryside was even better

Went about 6 hrs by road north of UB to a place called Sukbaatar - almost on the Siberian border. That was great. Trip to the Gobi desert is supposed to be fantastic also but I haven't been there. Sometime I would like to do a motorcycle/fishing trip through Mongolia. Now that would be an awesome adventure vacation.

[fryguy]

48. do all place names have double "a" in them?

/sarcasm

[LoneStarLiberal]

4. Indonesia, Samoa

Indonesia and Samoa...next year I'll hopefully add Vietnam to the list (biking from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) north to Hanoi and then west to the Northern Highlands).

[theivoryqueen]

5. Midland Texas. Wait - before protesting

be assured this is the most flung out part of the world I have ever seen... middle of no-where, butt-ugly and hot dry horrible. It is little wonder bush sprung to notoriety from here.

[fryguy]

31. i know what you mean completely

I drove across the country one time along I-40, passing north of that area, but can tell you it was one of the most desolet places I've seen - secong, only perhaps to eastern Idaho arond Arco (site of the first nuclear breeder reactor)

[markus]

41. World's Largest (Stuffed) Roadrunner

I-10 isn't much better, unless you want to see that sucker. I passed.

I was passed by a officer of the law, while going at least 30 miles an hour over the speed limit. He was going much faster.

Big and Empty.

[fryguy]

49. missed that....but saw the Jackalopes in Wyoming...

as for the speed limits - wasn't really sure if there were any....more like suggestions....

[jmowreader]

57. Arco isn't far-flung!

I used to live there, dammit! My dad built the roads leading into the Idaho Nuclear Engineering Laboratory.

[fryguy]

78. for a NYer driving alone across country

it seemed far flung....didn't mean any insult....

by the way, seeing all those big yellow buses coming out of, what appears to be, no where was a sight out of an X-Files episode for me....

[bobbieinok]

6. when my mother was 60 (in 1983) she spent 1 month in So Korea where 1

of my brothers was teaching English as a 2nd language.

She had a great time; she especially enjoyed the honor So Koreans give older citizens.

Mom's 91 now and in assisted living. On Mother's Day I reminded her of this visit and how much she enjoyed it. She has some memory loss and had forgotten this trip. But as we talked she remembered more details and how much fun she had had.

[Gunit_Sangh]

7. far-flung place I've visited

Back in the 70's I was in the Navy and we had a port visit to Tunisia (Northern Africa).

There was nothing at the port. We had to ride a bus a couple of hours to get to the capital and we had to use the radiation wash-down system to wash the outside of the ship when we left due to all the sand.

The only things I remember about the place was that I had a picture taken on a camel and that while we could get alcohol in the city, "ladies of the night" were locked in filthy cages in a market place. Needless to say, I remained celebate that trip :o)

[schyzo-nas]

8. Two round the world trips yet.

Somewhere between the Western Samoa and Auckland, New Zealand, approximatively 20'000 km from where i live. I don't think i can go further.

[Donkeyboy75]

9. Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo, Japan

[fryguy]

38. I was born in Seoul

both parents are american (caucasian), there in 71 studying. never been back, but am dying to some time. i'm sure, from what i've heard, my folks wouldn't recognize the country anymore....

[Donkeyboy75]

47. Sounds about right. I was there for

two weeks and loved it. Crowded, but vibrant and excellent public transport. My only complaint was the rampant air pollution. If you make it over there, head to Pusan. Great great seafood!

[pmbryant]

10. I haven't been very far-flung

Perhaps Hawaii, where I lived for two years in the late 1990s, counts.

If not, East Berlin in December 1999 would have to be my selection.

Peter

[bobbieinok]

11. spent 1 year in St John's, Newfoundland, Canada in the mid 1970s

Geographically it's not so far away, but psychologically/emotionally it was in the middle of nowhere.

It was a great place to spend some time, but really isolated.

I met students at Memorial University who had lived all their lives in outports - small fishing villages on the coast; for many, the only transportation between outports was a fishing boat. Some of the students had never ridden in a car until they were 19 or so.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

12. Rondônia, smack in the middle of the Amazon forest...

...to teach LINUX! :crazy:

[fryguy]

30. such an odd thing to imagine

LINUX in the middle of the rain forrest - but then I guess we truly are becoming one global village....

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

34. It was a city called Ji-Paraná. A very strange experience.

It's a, well, city. It has about 100,000 people, and looks like any other 100,000-people city you've ever been to. Now, when you look from the top of a tall building, it seems you're in an island surrounded by dark green sea everywhere. EVERY physical interaction with ANY other urban area has to be by plane.

And it's HOT. All year round. This was not pleasant (at least to me).

[fryguy]

37. is the city growing?

i.e. are the encroaching further into the rainforrest there or is it more that they're trying to keep pace with it?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

39. In terms of population/economic growth, yes, they are.

Don't know about area/deforesting. Anyway, the big culprits in that department are not cities, but rogue mining and lumber operations.

[fryguy]

40. cool - learn somthing new every day

i'll have to put it on my wish-list of places to travel, sounds interesting.

thanks!

[librechik]

13. 6 months in Sucre, Bolivia

very nice

[fryguy]

26. butch cassidy and the sundance kid

i can't ever think about bolivia withouth thinking about paul newman and robert redford....

"Kid, the next time I say, 'let's go someplace like Bolivia,' let's GO someplace live Bolivia."

"This might be the garden spot of the whole country. People may travel hundreds of miles just to get to this spot where we're standing now. This might be the Atlantic City, New Jersey of all Bolivia for all you know."

[carolinayellowdog]

14. Reykjavik

Summer 1986, not long before Reagan and Gorbachev met there. Icelandair gave free lodging and a city tour to people flying from USA to Europe who had long layovers there.

[fryguy]

25. closest thing to a lunar surface without leaving terra firma

i spent 3 hours in the airport there and wished i could have left to see more of the country. the views from the plane coming in were amazing, the waves crashing on the shores could be seen clearly from the air. read somewhere that the appolo astronauts trained there, makes sense cnosidering the volcanic landscape. and how cool is it that the country is powered by geothermal energy?

[On the Road]

15. You Have Me Beat

Been to northwestern Newfoundland, which is pretty far flung -- I remember looking across the straits at Labrador the last week of June. It was freezing and there were icebergs in the water. The sun was up until almost midnight. It was like Alaska.

Five years ago, I took a train from Germany to Istanbul via Eastern Europe. It was not the Orient Express -- farmers got on with huge bags of potatoes. I was the only American or Western European. Would have like to spend more time in Romania/Bulgaria -- the Carpathian mountains are beautiful.

I've also been in the Canary Islands, which are European tourist spots but which don't attract many Americans.

Going to Venezuela in July. Will try to get off the beaten track a little.

The remote place I most want to visit is Mauritania. I have no idea why other than its one of the emptiest and most isolated countries on the globe. There's absolutely nothing there of interest to anyone -- maybe that's the fascination.

[Az]

16. Other side of the rock: Japan

2 weeks in Japan. Quite an adventure. Went on a business trip and managed to muddle my way with just a smattering of Japanese language.

Most interesting day: Took a train out about 20 miles and got off. Walked back to the hotel. If you really want to get to know a place in a short time this way is tough to beat. You see the real people. Not the tourist traps. Incidently this is not for those with a bad sense of direction. Particularly in a place with few signs you can actually read.

Oddest thing: Here I traveled to the other side of the planet from Michigan. And the hotel I was staying in had a restaurant that would rotate it's specialities. During my stay their focus was ...Canadian food. Here I travelled half way around the planet to find Canadian Cuisine. It was a bit odd seeing the Japanese take on Canadian food. Sauce everywhere.

[mainer]

17. Kapingamarangi, Micronesia

It's a gorgeous tropical atoll. Only way to get there is on the once-a-month supply boat from Pohnpei. We happened to have a can of soda pop with us, and the island kids wanted to taste it. They spat it out in surprise, because they had never tasted a carbonated beverage before!


We ended up there as doctors paying a monthly clinic visit.

[fryguy]

23. FSM

very nice. I was down in Palau once, but had much contact with people from FSM, RMI and Palau in a former job. Always wanted to get out there again, never was able to.

Did you bring back Ponepe Pepper? Best pepper in the world, too bad the FSM government forced out the people who owned the plant and started churning out such low-grade stuff.....

[ThoughtCriminal]

18. Got lost in South Alabama once

No people. Dirt county roads. No signs. No landmarks.

[fryguy]

36. was it at night

i think that would be the start of an excellent film....

[Rick Myers]

19. Galena, Alaska

in the USAF

[GOPisEvil]

22. My dad was stationed there once.

But then, once is all you need, apparently.

[gula]

21. Somewhere between Talkeetna and Mt McKinley park, Alaska

Spent a couple of weeks hiking in the middle of absolutely nothing but gorgeous wilderness. Saw grizzlys, large herds of caribou and other wildlife. Even the trip up there was incredible. Flew in a 4-seater Cessna from Montreal and then back via Vancouver.

And best of all, it was all on the spur of the moment. Definitely an unforgettable trip.

[fryguy]

33. bush flying?

i've been dying to go up there and do one of those trips where they fly you in, leave you at a campsite and come back a few days later to get you...is that what you did? or did you hike in from somewhere?

[gula]

50. Flew in to Talkeetna and then on by train and then on foot

Neatest thing was on the train you tell them at which mile you want to get off and if you're not at a station you flag it down.

One of the guys on the trip had contacted a young couple he had read about in the National Geographic. They had moved to the back of beyond and built a house there. By the time he contacted them though they had already moved back to civilization and they let us stay in their empty house. There was only one other cabin at the other end of the lake. They came over by boat one evening with their goat and everything so it wouldn't get attacked by an animal.

The hiking was awesome since it was never really night and total daylight for over 20 hours when we were there. The only bad things are the black flies, million and millions of them.

[russian33]

27. how was Georgia?

I've been there, I was born in Azerbaijan.....far-flung? I've been to Novosibirsk many times, smack in the middle of Russia...nothing farther than that

[fryguy]

29. wonderful and an eye-opener

I really enjoyed myself overall. Was there back in 2000/2001, I'd imagine there's been some changes there with everthing that's been going on there. The people are great, so hospitable. Loved the food and wine. The history was fascinating, especially since next to nothing of the region is taught in US schools, other than it was part of the USSR and perhaps that Stalin came from there.

It was also quite difficult place to be sometimes. Poverty is ramant and corruption is everywhere. There were riots when I was there for several nights in a row because the power was only turned on for the city for a few hours a day - if even.

[russian33]

53. ahhh, brings back memories of back home...

I am lucky enough to find Georgian wine in NYC, so I don't miss to drink a bottle...introduced all my American friends to it, they love it

[Donkeyboy75]

56. Never had Georgian wine, but I know the Georgians invented it.

Good stuff, eh? What would you recommend?

[russian33]

60. my favorites are...

Kindzmaraulli and Khvanchkara (not sure of the spelling), I believe the first one was Stalin's favorite. They are both semi-sweet, there's also Saperavi, which is dry. The sell it in a few liquior stors around here (NYC).

[Donkeyboy75]

72. Thanks! We have a HUGE wine store here in Chicago.

I'll check it out. :hi:

[fryguy]

80. the wines are really good

but tend not to be as "complex" as some from other regions. not that that's a bad thing at all, but just so you're aware and not expecting something that tastes like French or Californian. Also, Georgian reds tend to be on the sweet or semi-sweet side, and are sometimes best serves a little chilled.

some of the wine I drank while I was there was home made stuff, brought to the table in re-used 2 litre coke bottles, I kid you not. that stuff tended to be more like grape juice with a low alcohol content and a bit of evanescence. the low alcohol was a good thing, since its tradition to toast throughout the supra (formal meal), drink out of horns and bowls. of course the low alcohol in the wine was made up for by the home made vodka!

if your wine store sells some Georgian wine, buy it and enjoy it!

[fryguy]

82. Na zdorovje

I miss the supras of Georgia. The wine, the food, the toasting. What fun! I know there are two Georgian restaraunts here in NY (at least that I am aware of) but haven't had a chance to try either...do you know where one can get good Khachapuri and Khinkali?

[tjwash]

28. Well...

...three years in Malaysia (Penang, and K.L.), 2 years in Thailand (Bangkok and Hat Yai), 2 years in the Philipines (Manilla and Cavite), and of course my favorite city of all time--a year in Tokyo.

[blindpig]

32. Amazonian Peru

100k downstream from Iquitos. Still not far enough to escape the deprivations of man, river folk had hunted out most of the large animals. But the birding was wowie zowie and a great variety of small critters. What a forest, what a place!

[TrogL]

35. Germany 1972

Saw the Wall!

[mitchtv]

42. Tierra Del Fuego

Arg-Ushuaia Chile -Punta Arenas Hitchiked from Colombia/ecaudor/peru' Bolivia to Bs As

[fryguy]

43. now that's far flung!

tip of the world and all....

[Zero Gravitas]

45. Naviti Island, Yasawas, Fiji

You can't get there from here.

[nini]

46. San Blas islands off of Panama

http://www.bluewateryachtcharters.com/SanBlas.html


very primitive culture and beautful islands!

[AlecBGreen]

52. The Woolong Panda Preserve

Woolong, Sichuan Province, China. It was the most beautiful place I have ever been. Temperate rain forests growing up mountain slopes. Crystal clear rivers. Cant wait to go back!

[BringEmOn]

51. Driving through Louisiana in 2000...David Duke signs everywhere

Should have been a sign that read "Entering Louisiana: Set you watch back 50 years." I was praying...Lord, don't let the car break down!

[markus]

59. Were you wearing your red, white and blue helmet?

Or just a floppy fedora? And how do you get those to stay on while riding?

[BringEmOn]

61. These boys had some problems down there, too

[Eye and Monkey]

64. Y'all need to get a grip.

[BringEmOn]

66. David Duke's just a good ol' boy???

[Eye and Monkey]

68. How did you get THAT out of my post?

If driving on an interstate across Louisiana is the most far-flung experience you've had, perhaps you should get out more.

[BringEmOn]

69. If you don't have a sense of humor, maybe you should get out more.

[Eye and Monkey]

71. Well, I guess you told me! You can put down your Dukes now.

Next time you're down here, stop and stay awhile. It's not all that scary. And the food's great.

[maveric]

54. I've only been to 2 countries and the USA is one so Mexico

has to be my choice.

[HornBuckler]

55. Cleveland

Hands Down, Cleveland

[chrisesq]

58. Diego Garcia. Teeny atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

on a stopover when I was in the military. It serves as an airbase for the UK and the US is permitted to use it. I don't think there is a person on it that is not affiliated with some military unit.

Actually many of the long range bomber flights into Afghanistan came from there

[Teddy_Salad]

67. Diego Garcia: Exiles Still Barred

When I read your story there it reminded me of this article I saw last year. It was pretty disgusting how the indigenous inhabitants of Diego Garcia were forced from their home but I guess it's very typical of superpowers getting their own way at the expense of the 'little people'.

Four decades ago, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union were racing to get footholds in this region, the U.S. discovered Diego Garcia, a coral island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

The Americans had asked the British, their longtime allies, who still had colonies in the region, to find an uninhabited island for their base.

There was just one problem -- there were inhabitants on Diego Garcia and they have been living there for more than 200 years. Correspondent Christiane Amanpour reports.

But the British didn't see that as a problem. They simply moved all the inhabitants 1,200 miles away to other tropical islands, Mauritius and the Seychelles.

More here...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/12/60minutes/main558378.shtml

[Eye and Monkey]

62. Burundi. Serendipity. Tai Shan. Sebastipol. Peshawar. Ashkabat.

More places than you can shake a stick at.

[MrScorpio]

63. The Phillipines

The Adult Fun capitol of the south Pacific

[DemoTex]

65. Dien Bien Phu, North Vietnam

Low-level mission in early 1971. Made several low recce passes. Unarmed, unafraid, and scared shitless.

[qwertyMike]

70. Libya

Not really far-flung, but try getting in there in 1974

TIP: Go to Algeria, head south deep into the Sahara, turn left., take bearing to prove you were really over the border.
Retreat fast.

Also visited Albania on that trip. Closed to the outside world since 1945.
TIP: Hop ride on Albanian truck with scary driver.
Pray

[Philosophy]

73. Australia

It's damn far away, but except for the strange animals it's not much different than here.

[richmwill]

74. Michigan

NY'ers don't really travel much, so for me- Michigan would be it. The Grand Rapids area, to be more specific. Nice area (was visiting a "female friend" ;)).

[fryguy]

81. I don't know about that statement of NYers

I grew up in Brooklyn, don't get more NY than that, but I've traveled quite a bit.

[arwalden]

75. Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Cambodia

[clyrc]

76. Buraimi, Oman, I guess

It seemed far flung and exotic enough to me. My two young, blonde daughters bought Bedoin face masks.

[Cascadian]

77. Bulgaria.

I was there in 1993. They were just getting out of Communism during that time. You still had that Soviet influence but it was starting to change. I enjoyed it though as it was cheap. I got a $17 a night hotel room right along the Black Sea. You could get a five course fish dinner for $5 and local beer was only 75 cents for a pint. It was good actually and pretty strong. I would like to go back again and see how much it's changed. It's probably not as cheap as it once was though.



John

[Insider]

79. Russia: Moscow & St. Petersburg

far-flung, indeed

[Gildor Inglorion]

83. Vietnam, Japan, England

and Okinawa when it was under US occupation. By the way, if anyone is looking for a tropical paradise that's off the beaten path, Nha Trang, Vietnam, is just breathtaking. :D

[alittlelark]

84. The Galapagos

we spent 8 days living on a ship. We travelled at night, and spent the days on the islands. We had a German botanist who was our guide. It was the best vacation of my life!!