What's Your Dream Vacation Destination?

I would choose Myanmar. The pagodas and temples look sweet, food sounds pretty good, and I've read it's relatively easy to go backpacking there. Also, Bagan looks incredible.

Monkeys with wanderlust, if you could drop everything and take a vacation right now where would you go?

 

Sounds legit, relevant bodybuilding post:

I said "wanna get a chimichunga"

when I woke up from my black out, I was in the middle of the living room naked, covered in vanilla lube and glitter getting beat with a purse by her daughter....

they love that MTV culture, so it's easier if you look like Jay Z than Bubba Sparxxx, but you can still get it easy enough............

 
  1. Some type of cultural immersion where you go to a very strong esoteric tight-knit community and you get to live within their culture for a certain amount of time and they bring you in.

  2. Beach, mountain, great plains, really any setting/scene but totally off the grid, totally unreachable, i bring a girl, a few books, and escape for a while.

very different i know

 

My brother did #1 for 6 months and he absolutely loved it.

2 is something I definitely want to do, even if for only a week. Take a step away from society, bonus points for a visible milky way which is something I've always wanted to see.

 
WheyOfLife:

... a visible milky way which is something I've always wanted to see.

Who else here has never seen the actual Milky Way? This is blowing my mind. Did everyone here grow up in the Northeastern uninterrupted mega-burb?

Here's what I would do if I were you. Hop on a flight to Minneapolis (if you're coming from the East Coast) or Salt Lake City (if you're coming from the West). Catch a small plane to Bozeman. Rent a car. Drive south on 191 along the Gallatin River to Big Sky. Stay in a cabin away from everyone. See more night sky than you could ever see in pictures and be completely blown away by the grandeur of nature.

Or this one: Fly to Las Vegas. Immediately leave Las Vegas, heading east on I-15. Hang a right just after St. George and make your way down to the North Rim. Make sure you catch the Grand Canyon at sunset. Stay in a cabin. In the morning, get up early enough that you can make it the hour and a half out to Marble Canyon as the sun starts to peek over the top of the Vermilion Cliffs. Drive south on 89A and then 89 on one of the most picturesque drives this planet has to offer, and spend the night in the hills north of Flagstaff for some more starseeking. Head back to Phoenix and to destinations unknown the next day.

I know it's more fashionable to travel overseas, but the American West is unrivaled in this world for sheer natural beauty. Also, the flight is shorter, you don't need a passport, US law prevails, and you can drink the tap water.

"Son, life is hard. But it's harder if you're stupid." - my dad
 

Ahhhh I was waiting for this comment. Unfortunately, it really is.

Still, the sights and the surrounding areas in Myanmar really give me an itch to go. If I were to visit one day, I'd limit my time in Burma but I definitely wanna see it one day.

 

Here's some Latin American ideas in case you feel like using your spanish Ecuador - Quito,Pacific Coast Beaches, Amazon, plus you can hop over to the Galapgos Island San Cristobal for not that much more $ Nicaragua & Panama - Bocas del Toro & San Blas Islands Colombia - Cartagena, Sanata Marta, Taganga Buenos Aires, Rio, Iguazu Waterfalls

WSO Content & Social Media. Follow us: Linkedin, IG, Facebook, Twitter.
 

Thailand is not a very popular choice amongst American tourists, but prices there are ridiculously cheap. $4 buckets of whisky, $30-40/night hotel rooms, $4/person restaurants with huge portions. The nightlife is also great (Patong Beach in Phuket is insane.)

 

I found Prague to be beautiful and very inexpensive, though the flight might be a little pricey. Once you're there though our currency is darn strong (assuming you're USD based) and you can take pretty short train or plane trips. Might be a fun trip to fly into Prague, bounce around a few countries and then fly out of Rome or something (Rome has some of the cheaper flights)

"I am not sure who this 'Anonymous' person is - one thing is for certain, they have been one hell of a prolific writer" - Anonymous
 

I second the Eastern Europe suggestion. I did a 2 week trip a few years back which included Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, and Krakow. Beautiful part of the world with TONS of culture/interesting things to do. Also, I will say that I had some unbelievable nights out in Prague, Budapest and Krakow. Plus very good on $$$... You can get awesome AirBnb places in each of those cities.

Or you could just say f*** it and buy a motorcycle and ride the west coast like a bauss...

 
2P:

I second the Eastern Europe suggestion. I did a 2 week trip a few years back which included Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, and Krakow. Beautiful part of the world with TONS of culture/interesting things to do. Also, I will say that I had some unbelievable nights out in Prague, Budapest and Krakow. Plus very good on $$$... You can get awesome AirBnb places in each of those cities.

Or you could just say f*** it and buy a motorcycle and ride the west coast like a bauss...

These are def places I'm going to try to go to next year. Did Italy and Spain last year but those 3 are now high on my go to list!
 

Thanks to facebook I've seen "friends" take extended trips that don't really cost that much.

One is going all over eastern Asia currently, but started in Eastern Europe. Another did a few week span of hostel/couch surfing through central America. The latest one is biking from Michigan to Portland. Biking as in a bicycle. Her and a friend are camping/couch surfing/hosteling their way there.

make it hard to spot the general by working like a soldier
 

Keep in mind that if you're doing this alone you should keep the risk of death to a minimum. So while you want to avoid the more touristy places, don't go full on Into the Wild and explore the Alaskan wilderness on your own.

Next stop: Flavortown!
 

I'd consider Peru - do the whole Manchu Picchu thing... if you like backpacking (and want to do it on a budget) you can hike a lot of it. You can also spend a few days in Old town Lima, Mira Flores, etc. Some pretty interesting museums and stuff in the area, and costs are almost nil. If you still have time take a trip into Argentina, plenty to do there -- museums, vineyards and the like. If your traveling by yourself, having as passing familiarity with the language will be a big help. If you go, Fly Copa. they are really cheap (I did round trip from the DC area for like $350 a ticket) and they serve (airplane) meals, use real silverware, and give away free booze in coach... it's the little things. haha

 

Two weeks is perfect for a nice stay in Croatia. Went there last year for two weeks and had a perfect time. They have astonishing beaches, great historical cities, wonderful small islands and the people are very friendly and helpful. It depends if you like traveling around with a backpack or not. I can recommend you to do a trip from the far south to the middle of the country. The city Dubrovnik will just amaze you.

 

Found this outstanding site recently. Updated daily with outstanding international travel deals. Many from Texas Airports.

My suggestion Europe will always be there when youre 40 with kids. Go somewhere as far as possible that you think would be much harder to get to considering work,wife, kids, etc.

How about backpacking New Zealand?

http://www.theflightdeal.com/

 

I just studied abroad in Prague for 4 1/2 months and it was incredible. Eastern Europe is an awesome option for a 2 week trip, tons of history and opportunities to have an awesome time without money being a issue. a 1/2 liter of beer in Prague never costs more than 2 USD by the way!

 

I'd say absolutely no to the Greek islands. Not if you're a straight dude looking to party .... I'm a big fan of Amsterdam. I know its been talked about to the point of cliché, its THE best place in Europe for young guys like us.

Otherwise, if you're outdoorsy, try Rejkavik Iceland. Great party spot (only on Friday Saturday) and totally awesome for nature

 

South. East. Asia. Just be aware it's a bit warm this time of year, but language is not an issue, you'll find almost no Americans but a ton of other expats. The food is great. The cultures are interesting. It is super cheap (for the most part, a few cities in Myanmar are actually very expensive for expats--its just an easy form of price discrimination). Anyway, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Philipenes. OR Indo... Bali is a bit played but going east of there is awesome. SE Asia on a Shoestring from Lonely Planet would be a good place to start. That said, I've been to Rio every July for the last two years and had great experiences both times.

 

Eastern Europe is definitely good with its value for money ratio. I would recommend to spend just a day or two in Bratislava (it is the worst of the capital cities in CEE, it does not have a nice architecture or interesting culture) and go to Vienna instead. It's less then 2 hours from there and the city is great. If you choose south of Europe, Milano is hosting Expo this year, so it might be an interesting stop, too. That can be combined with a stay in Switzerland, for example. If you are into hiking (or enjoying a life near lake in case of Geneva), you could have a good time here. (Sorry, I am Europe-centric, thus the recos).

 

The last time I took 2 weeks off, I ended up drunk driving a rental VW around the desert in eastern California for a week picking up hitch-hikers. It was fun but I would not recommend it.

The unintended consequence of living a high stress lifestyle.

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."
 

Check out Montenegro, it definitely has an up and coming jet set scene

"Understanding reality, and financial markets in particular, is a never ending process." - George Soros
 

Who are the idiots that want to go to Burma, the country that is currently experiencing the world's longest civil war. That would be like saying I want to go to Bogota, Colombia back when it was the kidnapping capital of the world.

Why not visit its next door neighbor Thailand! You can practice Muay Thai then have a Mai Thai on the white sand beaches all while spending a few bhat. If you like the esoteric elements of Burma then visit all the awe inspiring Wats that litter the country side.

 

Wow, didn't even realize Burma was under civil war.

Thailand is actually another place I have considered albeit briefly. I have a friend who went there, scored some Beats for $15. They were fake, but I'd still call it a deal.

 

Ignore him, the civil war is (mostly) over and you'll only find occasional minor skirmishes in the northern parts of the country. As a first time visitor you'll not even come anywhere close (the country is pretty big). Myanmar is super safe, the people are incredibly friendly and it's not yet overrun by tourists. You should have at least 2 weeks (preferably 3) and definitely visit Bagan and trek from Kalew to Inle Lake, but Yangon and Mandalay are amazing as well. Was my favourite holiday by far.

 

Did a 2 week Europe trip last year for the first time. Went to all over Ireland and then short visits to Venice, Vienna, Prague and Amsterdam. My favorite of that trip was probably Ireland and Venice. Ireland has so many cool old towns and the whole country is so...green. Venice is cool too because of the canal system, but obviously pretty touristy. I found the people in Vienna and Prague to be extremely rude, but the architecture was amazing.

How often are you guys able to take vacations and for how long?

 

I will never forget my trip to the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. A friend and I were walking toward the Cathedral when a part of one of the Cathedral towers (not sure what the architectural term is) broke off and came crashing down. The structure missed a lady who was walking 50 feet ahead of us by an inch. Had she taken one second longer to walk or missed a step, she would surely have died.

That and the people who enjoyed the monuments in front of the Kafka museum a bit too much....

EDIT: I get three weeks of vacation per year. I have a two-week trip planned for February. I plan to do this every year.

 

1: ballooning over myanmar 2: The sights of China- the mountains, temples, palaces, carvings etc before they get destroyed 3: Pick up a sport: Windsurfing, surfing, biking, wingusiting, paragliding, hang gliding etc. and do it around the world. 4: Tinkerbell? Disney characters are supposed to stay in character...

**How is my grammar? Drop me a note with any errors you see!**
 

First piece of advice is to go asap. You have some free time, plenty of money, and you're not going to have any leisure time once you start full time. I would suggest Europe since you've never been there. You can hit a lot of places in a short amount of time. If you ski, definitely go to Austria and Switzerland. Also, please go to Iceland or northern Scandinavia for the northern lights. I can tell you that it sucks living with the regret of choosing not to see that while living in Europe. If I was in your shoes I'd go to: Tromso fly to Copenhagen->Hamburg->Berlin->Prague->Austria->Switzerland and fly to wherever else you want to visit if time allows. London and Spain are also awesome btw. Tips: 2-3 days a city, take trains and stay in hostels.

 

European here who has spent the last four years exploring quite a few corners. I think I wouldn't visit Austria. It's nice, but Munich is pretty much the same, just prettier. I have never been to Hamburg although I have heard great things about it. There is just not a whole lot around it, except for a very well known red light district. If you like Cold War history and/or hipster culture, you'll enjoy Berlin a lot. I would add Paris, Barcelona and Rome. Barcelona is absolutely incredibly, especially if you like architecture and Gaudi. The light within la sagrada familia is incredible. Take trains whenever you can and fly with Vueling/Ryanair/Hop/Transavia and the likes.

 

Don't go to Bali - even the Kardashians do vacations there... I'd go for a less touristic destination where everyone goes, but most important: don't plan in advance, go spontaneous this time. Fly to Europe and make your own itinerary on the spot. Or even better, set a destination as far as you can think and then make your way back stopping in every place that appeals to you or that seems interesting.

 

Same boat, dude. Starting FT in July and will be spending January traveling since my school has an entire month off for break.

I'll be heading out to Indonesia and exploring Java island before checking out the Gili islands. I originally thought about going to Bali, but I've heard that the Gilis are much more off the beaten path and just as nice without all the commercialization.

 

Depends when this week will occur, but I would think going to Cannes during the festival (mid May) would be sick. Thailand/Dubai will take a day of travel each way, and you'll (probably) need to leave time to adjust for jetlag on the back end before starting your new job, leaving you only a couple of days actually there, unless you end up with more than a week.

Edit: If you're going later than that/into the summer, St. Tropez/Ibiza etc. for the same reasons

 

barcelona!! great bars, good restaurants, clubs that are open til 7, beaches, plenty of historical architecture/tourist spots. it's an unbelievable city.

I would recommend prague too but it sounds like if you want to go crazy, barcelona would be more fitting for your travels

 

France or Italy. I know it sounds too ordinary and boring, but imagine spending time in an old villa somewhere in Provence or Tuscany or Sicily with bunch of good friends, and visiting cognac/wine cellars - getting drunk, driving convertibles/Vespas (while sober of course), eating amazing food in small traditional restaurants, smoking cigars.

 
Asatar:

Got 3 on my current list:

1 - Get a couple of friends and rent Porsches and take a road trip through Southern France, up through the Swiss Alps then down through Italy via the Lakes, ending up at the Amalfi coast.

Nice!
I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 

I can attest to the greatness of Bali. I found myself on the wrong end of a Kuta scooter gang one night and almost died. Would I go back? Probably.

Currently, I'd love to get back to Asia and check out Vietnam, Thailand and South Korea. While I'm in the region, Japan would be a must.

A complete dream would be to work my way by motorcycle across America to see the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Mount Rushmore and of course ride highway 1 in California.

Having done quite a bit of traveling already, visiting all the people I've made connections with and kept track of on social media in their home countries would be a blast.

 

Phu Quoc, Vietnam - place is bomb.

"Some things are believed because they are demonstrably true. But many other things are believed simply because they have been asserted repeatedly—and repetition has been accepted as a substitute for evidence." - Thomas Sowell
 

Flew into Saigon and did that for a few days, which I would recommend as the flight from the east coast is long as shit and if you haven't been Saigon is pretty cool. Then just a 45 minute hop over to Phu Quoc. Stayed at the Salinda which was super nice and compared to US resorts real cheap (even though I think it is the only 5 star resort on the island?). Rented a moped and used that to cruise around all week . . . it was a blast.

Pretty sure Vietnam wants it to be their version of Macau . . . tons of building going on there and in 10+ years will be a completely different place.

"Some things are believed because they are demonstrably true. But many other things are believed simply because they have been asserted repeatedly—and repetition has been accepted as a substitute for evidence." - Thomas Sowell
 

Voluptatibus aut corrupti sit mollitia mollitia id fugit. Quas molestiae autem omnis voluptas cumque fuga. Saepe consequuntur vitae enim earum est libero repellendus. Asperiores tempore rerum molestias ut facilis et.

Id dolorem occaecati inventore molestiae. Error quia quas quis cum aperiam delectus aperiam. Aliquam eius accusantium iure et voluptas est. Quisquam enim delectus quia quod qui unde. Voluptas veniam aut mollitia laborum. Quidem doloremque rerum numquam soluta odio vel sunt ut. Eum qui voluptatem aliquid eos ut eligendi.

Dolor quos ut et deserunt deserunt quia sint. Odit vitae et minus sit. Veniam quae exercitationem distinctio quia sequi quia illum eum. Sit rerum quidem autem sequi perspiciatis.

Mollitia quia excepturi tenetur laboriosam repellat aperiam aliquam consequatur. Dolores necessitatibus accusantium ut dolore ut sunt.

...
 

Nulla qui temporibus culpa numquam. Consequuntur ea odit suscipit quo ipsam. In ut rerum quod. Aperiam voluptas illo ut ut cupiditate suscipit. Omnis velit inventore voluptates provident nemo provident officia. Quis est veniam sapiente impedit dolore.

Illum illum ut dolorem doloribus. Aut sunt laudantium deserunt. Voluptate saepe commodi itaque ipsam voluptate sit.

Fuga debitis qui nisi id possimus voluptatum. Fugiat ut voluptas qui in. Inventore quia est quis eum qui dolorum in.

You killed the Greece spread goes up, spread goes down, from Wall Street they all play like a freak, Goldman Sachs 'o beat.
 

Eveniet voluptatem ut velit architecto dolorem sit iure. Consectetur aspernatur accusantium aut culpa quod.

Sapiente mollitia non iste tempora accusamus sit. Dolorem perspiciatis ratione labore neque eum. Rerum cumque illum aliquam. Nobis in molestiae aut consectetur dolore inventore porro est.

Dolorum nisi facilis vero quos dicta non voluptas. Maxime qui voluptatem quis distinctio dignissimos quae.

Est ullam suscipit repellendus cumque. Adipisci praesentium sint consequuntur voluptate facilis. Ut odit assumenda adipisci provident voluptas iusto.

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 

Voluptatem ratione magni ea sed similique eius aliquam. Optio nostrum veritatis aut vel ex odit. Aperiam voluptas est similique dolorem consectetur ratione deleniti.

Ad dicta et ea quibusdam similique. Labore eos aut saepe enim quis doloremque. Id occaecati ut dignissimos non. At sint quae fugit numquam natus.

You killed the Greece spread goes up, spread goes down, from Wall Street they all play like a freak, Goldman Sachs 'o beat.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 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

March 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

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
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...”