What would be your first choice holiday destination?

My best vacation experience to date was a trip to Ireland. The county is beautiful and the people are incredibly friendly.
I'm planning a brief trip Austria and Germany in the fall and I'm really looking forward to it!

Bali, without a doubt.
The most beautiful island, heavenly beaches, utter peace and quiet and the coldest, cheapest beer imaginable. Food is incredible, people are charming. I went alone for 3 weeks and felt utterly safe.Wonderful.

Ballykissangel, I hope you have a really wonderful time in Germany and Austria. What places are you planning to visit?

I don't have any *one* favourite destination. During the last few years I've visited a number of former Eastern Bloc countries - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania so far. (There's a rather long travelogue in this Forum about my trip to Romania in May 2002). One of the great advantages of the former Eastern Bloc countries is that, on the whole, they're not yet swarming with tourists; another is generally very reasonable prices. Last but not least, Eastern Central Europe is something a little out of the ordinary, too. Sighisoara (inTransylvania) was like something out of a dream or fairy tale.

My favourite trip so far was to Prague last Summer. I think Prague is almost too beautiful to be true. I wouldn't go there at the time being, however (considering those awful floods).
The place I would like to visit the most is probably Nepal, or Tibet.
By the way, Bloomsby, I think you won't be disappointed if you visit Estonia, which is, too, a former Eastern Bloc country. Tallinn has a really beautiful Old Town, and there aren't as many tourists as in Prague.

Tallinn, possibly combined with a trip to Riga and even Vilnius, is on my list.

BallyK....I'm glad you enjoyed Ireland. My favourite country to visit is probably France because I'm a francophile...loads of places I want to see really, top of my list is South Africa.

I have been to some great places so it is hard to pick a favorite: ie, Majorca, southern Germany (Bavaria) where I without a doubt had the best time, Athens and the Greek Isles, Barcelona was great fun, Paris was wonderful and the French Riviera and Monoco was even better....but the place I have always wanted to go is Scandinavia and Norway in particular. It is my dream to visit this beautiful and charming part of the world before I depart.

I'd like to preface this by saying that the closest I've come to going "overseas" is Phillip Island. For those of you who don't know Phillip Island, it's an island (funnily enough) off the coast of Victoria. There's a bridge to get to it....

If I had to choose one straight away, I'd choose Ireland. My Dad has (mostly) Irish ancestry and I seem to be spending most of my life in an Irish pub, so why not Ireland?

Then maybe Scotland to check out the caves. (My plan in life is to find a cave in the Scottish Highlands where I can start my life as a recluse. All I need is a stereo and a computer...)

Then...?

Great Yarmouth... Yes, really!!!

My dream vacation spot is Ireland - on my list for "someday". But because I have never been out of the US, I would have to say it is a tie between Gulf Shores, AL and the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area of the Great Smoky Mountains.