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OT: Vacations

Highly suggest Mexico City to everyone. Don't try to do everything though. Even with it's reputation, it's bigger and busier than you think.
 
I'd only go for a few days and yeah, I'm not much of a "jam a bunch of shit into the itinerary" kind of traveller even if it's spread out over a couple weeks. Just give me some tacos and I'll go home happy.
 
Preston said:
I'd only go for a few days and yeah, I'm not much of a "jam a bunch of shit into the itinerary" kind of traveller even if it's spread out over a couple weeks. Just give me some tacos and I'll go home happy.
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La Condesa and Roma are probably the two most gringo friendly areas, stay there. There's tons to do there, could do 4-5 days just in those neighbourhoods easily, 10+ days easy if you throw in the bosque next to it.. Mexico City al pastor hits different than anywhere else I've had al pastor. Mexico City is an elite elite food city, it's all incredible. Just use google maps/reviews, but mexicans aren't like us where any decent local spot gets an auto 5 and any place with lower than a 4.5 overall score is red flagged for being meh or worse. Anything from 4-4.5 is excellent in Mexico, anything over 4.5 is generally otherwordly. Don't overthink it.
 
MindzEye said:
La Condesa and Roma are probably the two most gringo friendly areas, stay there. There's tons to do there, could do 4-5 days just in those neighbourhoods easily, 10+ days easy if you throw in the bosque next to it.. Mexico City al pastor hits different than anywhere else I've had al pastor. Mexico City is an elite elite food city, it's all incredible. Just use google maps/reviews, but mexicans aren't like us where any decent local spot gets an auto 5 and any place with lower than a 4.5 overall score is red flagged for being meh or worse. Anything from 4-4.5 is excellent in Mexico, anything over 4.5 is generally otherwordly. Don't overthink it.
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AirBNB or Trivago?
 
Trivago. Locals in most mexican cities are cranky about short term rentals & gentrification these days. Airbnb's are really just a defence against local food being shit or expensive anyway. Entirely unnecessary in Mexico City. The food is crazy good, and cheap.

I've only been a few times and stayed at the Rodona each time, and it's fantastic. I have no other lodging guidance to give other than to price shop heavy. Those are the trendiest and most gringo heavy zonas in the city, and they're priced accordingly.
 
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Deckie left me on read so I'm doing a Japan winter instead early next year, maybe for a few weeks. @CH1 my previous Tokyo travels have been shit (or underwhelming, which is still elite by japan standards) and I feel I didn't get the most of it. I think I did it wrong. Any advice on how I can do better? Where to stay etc? It's too effing big there and I always get decision paralysis.

I need to try it one more time to officially determine if I just prefer the non Tokyo version of Japan.
 
It's been a while since my Japan trip (thanks Covid!)...so I'll have to check my notes and get back.

I absolutely love Tokyo, the sheer density of it is incredible. Where else are you hopping on an elevator of a medical building because someone said this restaurant serves amazing French food by the radiology lab? Where else can you get lost even with Google Maps and asking a bunch of locals because the jean store you're looking for is actually nestled in between floors at the back of the building?

But, like you, I also really love non Tokyo cities and towns. Much more manageable and accessible and just as quirky and fun and tasty.

More later....
 
CH1 said:
It's been a while since my Japan trip (thanks Covid!)...so I'll have to check my notes and get back.

I absolutely love Tokyo, the sheer density of it is incredible. Where else are you hopping on an elevator of a medical building because someone said this restaurant serves amazing French food by the radiology lab? Where else can you get lost even with Google Maps and asking a bunch of locals because the jean store you're looking for is actually nestled in between floors at the back of the building?

But, like you, I also really love non Tokyo cities and towns. Much more manageable and accessible and just as quirky and fun and tasty.

More later....
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The challenge that I have is coming to terms that Tokyo is not just a city. It's beyond even what nyc is. They have a governor for fucks sake. It's a group of cities that are all lively in their own right, but all pretty different. Shinjuku, Shibuya, Gonza, Ueno etc. Last time I stayed at the Ritz in Akasaka, but the location on that one was not the best, as it bordered on Roppongi, and it was at the end of a very long trip so some fatigue set in. We didn't explore as much as we could have.

I know hopping on a subway is easy as fuck, but having a convenient home base for those days you just want to step outside and do something extremely enjoyable is a beautiful luxury.

But then it's like where do you stay to get the most of it? And what do you do? How do you navigate this monstrosity? I plan on splitting it between 2 (maybe Ueno and Shinjuku or some shit, idk what matches our vibe most) and spending some time in my favorite city, Osaka, in between the Tokyo stints as well. Maybe I just love Osaka because I don't have to make a decision on where to stay or what to do. It's easy, more confined and fun as fuck.
 
Also the yen becoming weak as fuck + Japan's inflation being less than what Canada's has been in the last ~7 years makes this a much cheaper trip than when we went years ago. Tldr: I encourage all to visit japan
 
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