India! How do you safely and comfortably? I want an authentic experience minus getting sick or being uncomfortable (read: not the the ritz, not a back alley hostel. I love the food, music, and colors of India. Where to go? It is such a big country!

Posted By Laurel on February 13, 2010, 12:45 PM

Winter vacation to Iceland- enjoying the northern lights, glaciers, and geothermals baths. Its been my dream trip since I was 5 years old!

Posted By Phyllis on February 13, 2010, 1:16 PM

Rapa Nui and French polynesia, but without the extreem expensive luxury resorts that seem to dominate the islands. You can't pur a price on paradise, but some of us can't stay for a week at Le meridien. And don't want a croissant for breakfast, but maybe something more authentic. An affordable, original way of traveling and staying in the pacific. Local style.

Posted By Aubri on February 15, 2010, 2:04 PM

A luxury cabin in the far north of Canada during the summer!!!!! AHHHHHH

Posted By Marcie Ligons on February 15, 2010, 6:56 PM

Italy...south end to north end with everything in between

Posted By Wendy on February 16, 2010, 11:23 AM

Pacific Islands!

Posted By Lea Anne on February 16, 2010, 12:49 PM

I have two:

1) Ireland, mostly for ancestry

2) Australia. It's been our dream vacation and hope to go next year for our 30th anniversary. We love the Country from all that we have read, heard and seen. All the Australians we have meet have been a true joy.

Posted By Robi Malone on February 16, 2010, 1:29 PM

All of italy, and it's islands.
It sweems that Italy has the Content of twenty
countries, given its art, history, landmarks, beautiful countryside, and enogastronomy.
This is definately my dream trip, no matter how many times I visit I always want to go back again.

Posted By mary on February 16, 2010, 2:15 PM

A world cruise.

If I only had the time AND money! Seeing places like Dubai, Singapore, Australia and all the way to Spain and Turkey.... but only having to unpack once!

Posted By Kerri on February 16, 2010, 2:47 PM

Zanzibar is my favorite Island...get away from it all, a different world and just beautiful. Dream away especially for "lovers"! Picture perfect!
Love the people and the spicy smells.....

If it was not so far to fly I would love to own a 2nd home in Cape town, love the climate, the people, the ocean, the variety of foods, the flowers, the trees, the wines, the penguins, the beeches,just everything!

Safari park-wise, I prefer Botswana. I was very impressed by this country how it has improved. I visited in 1975 and again in 2007. Great job Botswana, you should be proud of the fantastic job you did! Not so impressed at Kruger Park, too "touristy" in my opinion....maybe if one stays at one of the super duper safari tented camps deep inside, it might be quieter...and you might observe more animals...I was disappointed and preferred Botswana, also the Rangers in that Country, sorry.

Posted By Annelies on February 16, 2010, 3:16 PM

My dream vacation is Montreux Switzerland. It sits on Lake Geneva and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. There is also beautiful countryside where wine and cheese reign. Truly the trip of a lifetime for a HUGE Queen fan. The Freddie Mercury memorial is located on the shore of Lake Geneva in Montreux.

Posted By Brenda on February 16, 2010, 4:41 PM

A Winter In Italy. No crowds, mild weather and the whole country is a museum! As active & young retirees, we spent the last three months in Italy (Nov '09 thru Jan '10. Two months were spent in Spoleto, Umbria, getting to know one town as well as our situation allowed. Then it was onto to Sicily for most of the rest of the winter which we spent in Ortigia, a bridge drive away from Siracusa. There were many, many interesting day trips from both locations, lots of foods we didn't know about, distinctive body language we hadn't seen before, and always local pride which was well deserved. We stumbled into a crossbow tournament, several food festivals (very big in Umbria and Tuscany) participated in the evening passagiatta (town folks promenade the main street visiting with friends and family) and came to love the cultural attitude about alcohol - social pleasantry not an opportunity to get drunk. We met many ex-pats who were as helpful as the locals. No, we aren't fluent in Italian, and yes,we made the plunge to rent out our home (in Florida in the winter this is pretty easy to do) and yes, we would do this again. Maybe this time in the northern parts. I posted a personal blog of the entire trip, complete with photos - if anyone wants to read about and see a successful dream destination you can visit it at http://awinterinitaly.blogspot.com

Posted By Susan Connell on February 16, 2010, 4:57 PM

Ischia, Italy a beautiful island off Sorrento. Tourists go to Capri, but Italians go to Ischia. Think of the movie The Talented Mr. Rippley with Matt Damon and that's where the sunny beach area was filmed. Every turn is more beautiful than the last. Wonderful fresh seafood, interesting people and what more is there.

Posted By bjw on February 16, 2010, 5:08 PM

Hi Laurel,
My husband and I went to India. I was petrified, but when we got there it was wonderful. I flourished in that climate. You should go with an experienced tour. We went with Gate 1. As for being ill. Just drink bottled water only and bring Imodium just in case. I would go again in a heart beat. We took the northern tour and loved every minute of it.
Cathy

Posted By Cathy Trudel on February 16, 2010, 5:18 PM

Italy is my dream destination, especially the 5 towns area in the north.

Posted By Joan on February 16, 2010, 7:14 PM

Laurel, So many beautiful places in India! (I've lived there and travelled again.) Goa is phenomenal with beautiiful beaches, interesting history (was a Portugese port). Kerala is a very clean state - lush, with 90-plus literacy - You can find clean places to stay on the internet. Darjeeling in the Himalayas - tea plantations, toy train to get there, views of Mt. Everest, etc. Re: getting sick (dysentary) - Indians get sick visiting the U.S. often because of a difference in germs, I'm told. Anyway, don't drink water that isn't bottled or treated and dont' eat salads or other uncooked foods. Indians are extraordinarily friendly. If you are going alone, email me. I plan to go again myself. Ooti is beautiful (southern mtn town), Madras, and you probably want to see the Taj Mahal. Also, Nepal is a great place to be. Email me and I'll give you more info/ideas. dawn_delong@hotmail.com

Posted By Dawn DeLong on February 16, 2010, 11:49 PM

Egypt was my ultimate trip accompanied by my daughter and son-in-law and an Egyptologist. Now the next on my wish list is Galapagos Islands.

Posted By Kate Cullen on February 17, 2010, 10:51 AM

Italy is absolutely beatiful, you must go to Sicily if you visit Italy. But in USA, Havasu Falls at the Havasupai tribe, the area and the blue green falls are out of this world!!!A must in USA is the Grand Canyon, hiking to the bottom and enjoying the view will never have enough words to describe the beauty, you become part of nature.

Posted By Leticia Gil on February 18, 2010, 1:54 PM

A month to visit the cities that tantalize the tongue and fall on the ear as a whisper; Granada, Toledo, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia. It beckons the senses with music of guitars, art of Picasso, scent of flowers, mystery of it's past, and sweet juice of it's fruits. Ah,¡España!

Posted By Brenda Neal on February 18, 2010, 11:06 PM

Croatia
Australia
Caribbean
Seychelles
Maldives
Miami FL

Are my pixs.

Posted By stephen russell on February 19, 2010, 9:17 PM

My ultimate dream destination is Tenerife. It is one of the Canary Islands. We spent a day there while on a cruise. The main town is splendid. Walk to the beach; sit outside under an umbrella, for cafe, as the world goes by.

Poinsietta's grow wild as you head up toward the mountainous region. I've got a home in my head, towards the mountains. It would be "U" shaped, with an infinity pool, and all rooms would open to it.

There is no quarantine for pets. Our two "pekes" would be our palace guards.

We have the income, but, unforunately, not the health requirements, to move there. Shoul we come into a few million dollars, I'm sure we could work around that.

You must go and visit; and you will as we did, never want to leave.

Posted By Sandra on February 19, 2010, 9:43 PM

Koh Mak, Trat Thailand. Great prices, amazingly beautiful Island.

Posted By Skipper Oakes on February 19, 2010, 10:49 PM

It is time to give stunning Colombia a chance. With the world's greatest biodiversity, fantastic landscapes, incredibly warm and inviting people, historical treasures, ultra-modern cities and a very rich cultural heritage, Colombia is an amazing place to experience.

The sheer variety of fruits and vegetables alone is staggering. Colombian food is incredibly varied from region to region and international restaurants are found throughout the country.

Festivals abound, including the Iberoamericano Festival de Teatro de Bogota - the world's largest international theatre festival held every two years, and the Cartegena Film Festival an important international event. Bogota Fashion Week enjoys world-wide recognition and the Barranquilla Carnaval rivals Rio's and out-does Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Bogota, the capital, is an incredible city located in the Andes that is bejeweled with cultural offerings, a great literary heritage, incredible history and progressive urban policies (New York and Paris - among other cities - have implemented some of these measures to make their own cities more liveable). Medellin, known as The City of Eternal Spring, is a leader in flower production and the annual Flower Festival is a must see. Cartagena is a UNESCO world heritage site famous for its walled city. The Coffee Triangle offers a lush paradise of coffee plantations, bamboo trees, huge leaved plants, tropical flowers, a butterfly park and finca hotels. Chicamocha Canyon was nominated to be one of new eight wonders of the world. A state-of-the-art cable car system allows vistitors to experience the canyon's wonder from the air. The Pacific coast has amazing beaches and incredible seafood. Los Llanos, or the plains, transport visitors to the vast "cowby" country and treats the eyes to historical beauty and romantic sunsets. The Amazon basin offers a truly unique experience in eco-tourism.
There is so much more to see and experience.

Waterfalls, lakes, grand rivers, tributaries, marshes, desert, oceans, five-star hotels and resorts or a hammock in a national park, all of Colombia is truly a dream come true!

Posted By Tigre Haller on February 20, 2010, 2:49 AM

Selecting a dream destination is very difficult. But I would love to explore as many places with rugged natural beauty as possible. For instance, the Himalayas, Mangolia and Siberia to name but a few.

Posted By Abha on February 21, 2010, 7:38 AM

My top three dream destinations have been: Antarctica, the Galapagos, and Everest Base Camp.

In 2007, I took a six-week trip to China. (Two back to back tours with GAP Adventures.) Starting in Shanghai, I traveled around eastern China, and then took the cross-Tibet train from Beijing to Lhasa. From there, it was overland by SUVs to Rombuk and Everest Base Camp... an absolutely sensational trip and one I look forward to repeating some day. I would also like to make the trek in to EBC on the Nepalese side of the mountain.

Antarctica and Galapagos are still my top dream destinations, although close behind them are places like the Seychelles, Iceland, and the Azores. As a kid, I spent an awful lot of time curled up with National Geographics, imagining traveling to all these exotic and far-flung places - the more remote and difficult to get to, the better! (Yes, I was enthralled with Robinson Crusoe, too!)

Posted By Cheryl Lemanski on February 22, 2010, 12:20 PM

An AROUND-THE-WORLD-CRUISE!

Discuss in your article:
(1) What's the typical cost including shore excursions and incidentals?
(2) Creative ways to pay for a world cruise which is likely to cost a couple tens of thousands.
(3) What's a good preparation checklist e.g., leaving-it-all-behind (residence, mail, etc.) while you cruise for a hundred or more days
(4) Insurance (medical, emergency evacuation, trip cancellation).
(5) Recommended itineraries and cruise lines.

Posted By Dave T on February 22, 2010, 4:53 PM

1 Oia,Santorini,Greece
2 Nikolaos,Crete,Greece
3 Lake Tahoe,California/Nevada

Posted By R.SCOTT on February 25, 2010, 11:04 PM

Eventually, I'd love to see ALL of Europe!!!

Posted By Laura on March 2, 2010, 9:02 AM

Italy is always at the top of my list, for obvious reasons, and because it's my motherland. But besides Italy, right now my dream destination is Argentina. Beautiful landscapes, rich heritage, diversity, great food and wine... what more can one ask for?

Posted By Francesca on March 2, 2010, 9:16 AM

I would have to say, Greece and Ireland. Besides, my husband being Greek and I, being Irish we have been to both countries. They each have their own natural beauty, great destinations and people. Not to mention the food. Also, great.

Greece is absolutely beautiful, the beaches, outside tavernas and blue skies and glorious sunsets. Very romantic!! Ireland, has green fields and glorious countrysides. The people are so warm and friendly. The pubs are alot of fun. I love both places.

Posted By Marie Neroulas on March 3, 2010, 12:13 PM

Isn't travel itself supposed to be the ultimate destination? I mean, it's less about WHERE and more about HOW you go about getting there. Example, booking passage on a camel caravan from Timbuktu to the great salt mines in the Sahara. Or applying for an internship at McMurdo Bay, Antartica. Though I've traveled extensively, I would have to say I know the least about my own backyard! And the traveler's caveat should be known that destinations are often filled with surprises although usually not the ones you expected. These, the joy of discovery, are for me always the Ultimate when it comes to any destination.

Posted By boredwell on March 4, 2010, 12:41 AM

For as long as I can remember the one vacation I fantasize about the most is an African adventure. I've traveled to Europe and South America and, of course, all over the US, but I'd love to see the Serengeti and Kruger National Park. I'd love to go to Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls and visit the elephant orphanage in Zambia. I've heard that Cape Town is amazing and I'd like to see the beautiful beaches and amazing markets of Zanzibar.

Its such an amazing continent with so much to see and do. I also want to see first hand the culture, so unique from anything you would see in the US. I have a friend who travels to Africa every year to buy handicrafts, cloths & clothing, drums, baskets, and so many other items. I would very much enjoy the opportunity to see these items being made.

When I go, I hope to spend at least a month there, but it would be nice to get a picture of do-able itineraries in several different time frames. Even a northern Africa itinerary that included places like Egypt or Morrocco would be interesting. You know, what can you reasonably see in a week or 10 days or a month. There is so much to fit in, its challenging to know what are don't miss locations and what might be able to be passed by in order to make the trip happen. Even looking at the type of trip from the casual observer to the adventurer could be some options in deveopling itineraries.

Also, while a luxury safari idea is nice, not everyone can afford that so multiple pricing options for people of different economic status (even some mixing and matching!) would be an awesome addition to any article about this dream vacation.

Posted By Jennifer on March 8, 2010, 4:22 PM

Mira Mesa, the suburb north of San Diego, CA. It is diverse and exciting. Stay in the Mira Mesa Inn and dine at Callahans at the Village Center. You can walk the length of the town in a few hours. Check out the Miramar Lake, The Mira Mesa Mall and pick up some nifty souvenirs at Vinh Hung Vietnamese Market in the Village Center. You are only minutes away from La Jolla Shores, and crazy night life that is Scripps Ranch is only a 5 minute drive. Visit the Penasquitos Reserve for outdoor hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The locals are very friendly and the area is bursting with ethnic diversity. Put your dancing shoes on, and visit the Senior Center on Mira Mesa Boulevard on any given Sunday afternoon or just pack a lunch and hang out at one of the town's many neighborhood parks. A perfect vacation can be had for pennies on the dollar...all you need is time to see it all. I would give it at least 9 days. A true Gem...diamond in the rough!

Posted By Cathy Paradise on October 13, 2010, 5:04 PM