Someone posed a question the other day as to the most romantic place/city in the world. It got me thinking about my own travels. Now, for the record, I have never actually been out of the country with a girlfriend. So, the hypothetical Chris thinks the following....Let's start with a short-list of places that aren't on the list:
1. The Prague train station. Seriously, is there a place in all of Europe you'd rather not be? I'd say the likelihood of seeing: A. A rat; B. A sketchy transaction; or C. Something transpire that will in short order put your life in danger, are all quite likely. In fact, if one were to ever bring a date/spouse/or crush into that station with hopes of anything romantic, you'd be quickly left on one of those unsanitary benches to debate what went wrong.
2. The gate/warehouse at the Rafah crossing point in Palestine: For all of you adventure seekers out there: If you'd like to impress someone with glorious new sites and experiences, let it not be here (unless you like sitting on foreign concrete with water dripping on your head).
3. Khao San Road, Thailand: Fake purses: Check. Tiger beer: Check, check. General mayhem: Check, check, check. Romantic evening on a patio of a local eatery: Abort.
4. A falafel stand in Luxor, Egypt: For any of you wondering what this romatic evening may look like, I'll give you a peak:
"I'd like two falafel's please. Can I also have one of those tables with a candle?"
Falafel man: "Those tables are plastic, and the legs are broken."
"Oh, in that case, can I get the tinfoil shaped into a little swan?"
Falafel man: "What's swan"
"Ahh, forget it"
(Your date gets run over by another mobile falafel stand making a bee-line for the crowd of people)
"Those are nice tire treads on your calf, honey"
Now for the romantic out there, here's a shortlist of some well-known and not so well-known places to take your significant other:
1. Koh Phi Phi Island, Thailand. Stay at the Phi Phi Natural Resort on the Northern-most part at Laem Tong. Ask for a bungalow near their private beach. Trust me on this one.
2. Venice at night. Any restaurant near the water. Enough said.
3. Petra, Jordan. Aside from the ancient city, stay in present-day Petra. When night falls and the musician's come out, soak the night away on the street with some Arabian tea and feta salad by candlelight.
4. Crepes at dusk on the back side of the Basilique Sacré-Coeur, Paris.
5. Quadra Island, British Columbia. Haven't heard of it? Find it, and take your significant other there with a backpack, canoe, and a tent. You'll never find silence quite like it.
6. Hypostyle Hall, Karnak Temple in Luxor (at night). Bring a sandwich and hang out at the base of the far columns.
7. Casita restaurant, Tokyo, Japan.
Where are your favorite overseas romantic or non-romantic places? Respond to the post and let us know!
3 comments:
As someone who just spent ample time in the prague train station, I am in general agreement that it is not a place you can go without fear of catching some horrid bacterial infection. Not really a romantic thought. Accompanied with the pungent smell of urine on the air, romance is not what one is thinking about.
I am also in complete agreement on the Prague train station assessment.
As for romantic spots for dinner. I had an amazing dinner on a rooftop in Prague. It would have been 10X more romantic if the 9 other fraternity boys my boyfriend and i were traveling with had not been there. Dinner with 10 frat boys is SO not romantic.
angkor wat - sunrise or sunset overlooking the temples is amazingly romantic.
traveling to cambodia in the back of a pick up truck along with about 20 other people and their bags...not romantic.
never been to prague... but it sounds like i can probably skip the train station. ew.
oh, and the paradisus punta cana in the dominican... totally and utterly romantic beach resort.
Post a Comment