Battle of the Best Vacation Spots

Greek Islands - you are in the Aegean, a homeric fairy tale where the east and west have met and battle for thousands of years. The Greeks and the Persians. The crusaders. Magnificent. The sea is beautiful but the beaches are often rocky (depending on the island). Everything is overpriced and as of late it’s become the influencer hot spot even in America.

Cote D’Azur - you’re in the south of France. Women can be found topless and Conor mcgregor can be found ridding a bicycle around town completely blasted. The Monaco casino makes you feel like you’re an MI6 agent but on an Investment Bankers income. Cannes is a short drive away. You smoke more cigarettes a day than you would ever even consider as a sophomore off of three trash cans at your dirty college watering hole. Fantastique

The Caribbean - you’re practically Jack Sparrow down here except you’re wearing a Yacht Master. Some of the worlds finest beaches. It’s chill here and beautiful. Something about it breathes adventure and a true getaway. You wonder how many millionaires there are in the world, every island is covered with villas on the hilltops. Is this the end goal?

Hawaii - maybe too commercialized? Maybe too cliche? It’s absolutely paradise so who cares.

 

I'm just not a huge fan of Greek Islands - I find it to be way too chaotic, way too full of tourists (especially Americans), and the country (as a whole) to feel a bit like a third world country at times (hence the comment on toilet paper). Maybe I just haven't found the island for me yet, but I've been to >5 and less than 10 islands at this point. It also goes without saying, but it depends on what you are looking for and its just not my cup of tea. I'm married in late 30s with kids so I am either a) looking for a relaxing weekend with my wife or 2) I am travelling with wife, kids, and nanny and neither are particularly well suited to that environment.

In terms of other islands, I really enjoy many parts of Sicily (including islands off it like Pantelleria, Aeolians), Sardinia, Corsica, Mallorca, et al...

 

I'm not sure where you live, but the vast majority of people in finance live in New York or London. I currently live in London.... so yes, it is right there. From New York (where I lived before London), the calculus was not quite as clear cut, but it is around 8 hours from New York to South of France and then a short drive vs. an 11hr flight to Honolulu plus another short flight for most final destinations.

 

Never been but I’d love to go to them south east-asian countries/islands.

They look beautiful, remote, cheap as fuck where you can live like a king. Gonna try go before starting FT.

 

Summers in Bodrum, Turkey - close to the Greek Islands but cheaper, better food, and way more beautiful women!

"The obedient always think of themselves as virtuous rather than cowardly" - Robert A. Wilson | "If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion
 

Spring - Andalucía, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, some parts of Asia (Japan, HK, Thailand, Indonesia in May/June), Canaries Islands

Summer: Italy, Greece, Spain, France

Fall: Turkey/Morocco/Egypt, Japan, Canaries Islands, anywhere where the weather doesn’t suck

Winter: Mexico, Caribbean islands, the French/Swiss/Austrian Alps

 
Most Helpful

Uh ah. Sure, St. Tropez is nice, but world is too incredible to spend tons of money for pretentious European hotspots every year.

Go down to Pereira, Colombia. Be the only gringo in town, party in sweaty nightclubs with some of the most beautiful women in the world, leave just before local narcos pull up. 

Fly to Ushuaia, Argentina. Hike the insane Patagonian nature, see wild seals, orcas, whales and alaskan malamute dogs running around, take a cruise to Antarctica, see icebergs, polar bears and Drake's Passage.

Go to Rio de Janeiro in February to experience carnaval, get sweaty in a barely covering outfit, kiss, dance, hike, play beach volleyball with insanely fit locals.

Take a trip to Cape Town, see the stunning beauty of South Africa, go for a self-drive safari, spot leopards in the wild, party like crazy in the Motherland.

Life's too short to not travel.

 

Provident ullam architecto adipisci ad sunt. Ut quaerat est tempore dolor dolor. Numquam commodi et tenetur unde reprehenderit. Dolores omnis molestiae corporis enim rem in maiores.

Accusantium rerum sit est voluptatem eum. Aut voluptates modi aut eaque quaerat nulla. Deserunt alias voluptas nesciunt culpa.

Aut reiciendis quae praesentium. Aspernatur rerum deleniti incidunt ut amet. Voluptate quisquam reiciendis necessitatibus et accusamus voluptatem et. Accusamus accusamus ut est quo tempora minima consequatur. Eos iste nam voluptatum omnis odit facilis eligendi. Voluptas ea enim autem enim sed.

Harum corporis omnis excepturi et. Perspiciatis distinctio minus neque voluptatibus fugit autem. Reiciendis aut eligendi id nihil in eaque et. Architecto repudiandae laborum cupiditate. Iste quibusdam sit natus a minima. Modi non porro magnam dolor.

“Destiny is a gift. Some go their entire lives, living existences of quiet desperation, never learning the truth that what feels as though a burden pushing down upon their shoulders is really a sense of purpose that lifts us to greater heights. Never forget that fear is but the precursor to valor, that to strive and triumph in the face of fear is what it means to be a hero. Don’t think. Become.”

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”