Your favourite places to "chill out"

...Hello World!!

My wife and I are hoping to leave on our RTW mid-May 2011. The one rule of thumb that seems to be pretty common in order to get the most out of your time and money, is to travel slow. I seem to recall someone had posted on their blog, that they plan on staying in one spot for 3 weeks, every 6 weeks or so...I love this philosophy! So, what were some of YOUR most memorable chill out points, where you simply rented a place for a month and existed.

If it is helpful, we are likely heading west from Canada, starting in Oz for a brief period of time, before hanging in SEA for a decent period of time July 2011-TFN.....and that is just the beginning!!!

Thanks for all your insight!

My BF and I spent about 8 weeks in Chiang Mai, Thailand and absolutely loved it! We rented an amazing studio apartment (fully furnished, weekly maid service, and killer infiniti pool in complex) for $120/month! There was no kitchen in apt, but eating out costs next to nothing so this was no big deal. We also decided to spring for a monthly gym membership ($50) during this time to get back into shape.
This was about 5 years ago.... so not sure how much the prices have increased.

Stopping for some breaks is a fantastic idea... it gives you some time to regroup, relax and save some $. Also, depending on where you stop, it is a great time to take some classes (e.g. language, yoga etc) or volunteer.

Yeah, I definately like the idea of language classes (and yoga/meditation courses even)...as far as a language we would be interested, Spanish seems to be the one we want to learn the most, so if you have any great Spanish lesson schools you have attended, please let us know as well. The other reason we would stay in one place for a bit is to volunteer, so any cool volunteer experiences which you have would be greatly appreciated.

my wife and i are leaving next May for a RTW trip, and from research/reading reviews we're planning on staying 2-weeks plus in each of the following:
Lisbon, Portugal
Provence, France (this is kinda our big splurge on the trip)
Mediterranean Turkey (not quite sure what town...maybe Kas)
Hanoi, Vietnam
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Melbourne, Aus
also probably going to try and WWOOF in Italy for a couple weeks.

we're not going to SA, but i've read great things about renting an apartment for a month or so in Buenos Aires.

For just chilling Don Det in Laos's, Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) is a hard act to follow.

White Beach on Boracay Island was nice but a lot busier.

Hsipaw in Myanmar was also pretty quiet & relaxing, although only spent a couple days there.

It has to be Laos for that chill-out factor - by the river in Vang Vieng (away from the tubing of course!) Though I found Luang Namtha pretty relaxed too. It's nice to laze around in the town by the river or go for strolls through the nearby rice paddies, especially after all that trekking!

Mai Chau in Vietnam is also a great place to hang out during low-season. We were there while the rice was being harvested - watching it from our hammocks with a cold beer.

These are great...I am taking notes!

Any other possible suggestions for Central America?

Luang Nam Tha is definitely a chill place, but then there's nowhere in Laos I wouldn't classify as such! (except some parts of Vang Vieng, but if you just get a hut on the far side of the river it's fine) If I was going to spend a month in Australia then Melbourne is certainly where I'd pick as well. Alas can't say much about Central America as I haven't been yet, but have yet to hear about someone regretting a month or so in Buenos Aires in South America- supposedly it's a city best for living in rather than just visiting, whatever that means.

If you're interested at all in NZ btw I'd think of hitting up Wellington or Queenstown for a little bit- I lived in Auckland for four months and really liked that too but most travelers don't seem to like it much, as it's one of those cities best for living in.

skottandshawna wrote:These are great...I am taking notes!

Any other possible suggestions for Central America?

Hostel El Roble near Playa Diego just outside La Libertad El Salvador
The Monkey Hut, owned by the Bearded Monkey Hostel in Granada Nicaragua
Boquette Panama
Caye Caulker Belize
Most anywhere in Guatemala, even just sitting in Parque Central in Antigua people watching

When chilling out for a month, does everyone stay in hostels or rent an apartment or what? I am also writing down all these locations suggested.

For 2-4 weeks usually do a home stay, longer I rent an apartment.

You usually rent an apartment because the cost of having a hostel bunk for that long (if the hostel allows longer stays) is probably going to be comparable to a studio rental anyway. So you might as well go for the space.

One good hint if you still want to do things cheaply is if it's during the summer check out if the local university has rooms in their student housing they're letting out. Usually cheap for your own spot and often in an amazing area to boot!

busman7 wrote:For 2-4 weeks usually do a home stay, longer I rent an apartment.

What's a home stay?

K2 wrote:

busman7 wrote:For 2-4 weeks usually do a home stay, longer I rent an apartment.

What's a home stay?

A homestay is when you essentially find a local family to take you in for x number of days/weeks, even months. Usually you get meals from them and it's a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture of wherever you are- some great memories, but can sometimes be hard to arrange depending on where you are.

I did one in Africa through a hostel that organized them at a local X'hosa village and a few that were essentially homestays in Eastern Europe by accepting offers from those little old ladies at the bus station holding "soba room zimmer" signs. Meals usually weren't included in the latter but those old ladies kept insisting on feeding me anyway!