What's the most fascinating place you've ever been?

[ImaLumberJack]

Just read through the disappointing famous places thread, and it got me thinking of the morning at interesting places. For me, it's either Siem Reap (especially Angkor Wat, but all kinds of other things too) or Rome (which made it onto the disappointing thread a few times ). How about you?

Agree with Venice in the quiet season, we went in winter, snow on the ground, it was beautiful. I adored wandering around the streets, and just seeing what was around each corner.

I also find London fascinating. I have worked in the centre for 15 years but still find new things to see and streets to walk along. I have been known to take a days holiday and just jump on and off buses to parts of London I haven’t been to before, a great way of seeing the city and finding new areas to explore.

Flying over the Maldives was pretty memorable and loved El Djem colosseum in Tunisia but I'd probably say Iceland. The sunrises and sunsets were amazing.

West coast of Australia. Karajini Nat. Park.
The beaches in the south west where the sand is white and there's hardly anyone there.

Owakudani (The Great Boiling Valley) an active volcano site in the Hakone region west of Tokyo Japan. It is bleak, but so interesting. We could see the steam coming out the ground and smell the sulphur. We followed the trail to the site where they cook volcanic black eggs.

We were lucky as we visited on a clear day and could also see Mount Fuji In the background. Because of threats of Volcanic eruption this area has often been closed in the past few years.
en.japantravel.com/kanagawa/black-eggs-of-owakudani-hakone/1052

Aswan, Egypt - sailing on a felucca at sunset.
Zimbabwe, watching elephant on a reserve
Zanzibar - Matemwe & Nungwi

All Africa. There's just something about Africa, lodged deep within, that sings to me and makes me feel at one with the world. Visceral.

I have a history loving DH but the first places I thought of were La Coupole

www.lacoupole-france.co.uk/

and La Base, near Lorient - this is my single most fascinating day ever.

www.la-flore.fr/en/surroundings/lorient-la-base

My favourite day out was actually a trip on The Tornado steam train. I felt like something out of the 40's - people lined the track waving and taking photos. We had F&C on the beach, icecream and a return journey!

Burma - amazing place. Especially Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake.

Jerusalem and the West Bank. Every single kind of crazy amongst extraordinary history.

Havana in the early 90s at the height of the American embargo. I stayed with a family. The insight into their life (rationing, black market, nothing available to buy, the fear of all parents that their female children would turn to prostitution with tourists, full employment even if was to just work in a shop with completely empty shelves, no new products or repairs to houses for the last 40 or so years etc etc) was fascinating if not exactly fun.

Jordan, including Petra. And the Golden Triangle in India - Delhi, Jaipur and Agra.

San blas islands, Panama

And Cuba during Castro was fascinating

Rome, Havana, the Grand Canyon utter beauty and I was rendered speechless and Yosemite.

Never tire of visiting London. Also loved Rome despite the overload touristy-ness. Iceland, just incredible to spend a week exploring on horse back. The most brilliant trip ever, topped off with whale watching and natural spring dips. Also loved Mongolia for sheer vastness and culture shock!

Arrived in Athens yesterday and am totally in LOVE! Just back from the Acropolis - it did not disappoint!

Oh and a mention for Kefalonia. A stunningly beautiful Greek Island.

Lake Garda - I was desperate to go to Italy and everything I'd read made me expect to love it but I was really worried it would be disappointing. It wasn't. Absolutely stunning and Verona was beautiful, fab restaurants and architecture. I'm looking at going to Rome but that other thread made me nervous. Our day in Verona included torrential rain but I still loved it!

Canadian Rockies. Breathtaking! Heading back this summer!

Venice. Sailing down the Grand Canal at sunrise was magical.
Rome
South of France- St Paul de Vence. The view across to the Bay of Angels

Jerusalem absolutely amazing - nothing compares in terms of the mix of people. You sit on a tram, next to Orthodox Jews and Palestinians and soldiers and LGBTQ+ activists.

I also worked in Northern Pakistan (Peshawar) and loved every second.

I loved Rome for the architectural and art history. The people are pretty brilliant ime for a capital city and tourist hotspot so I enjoyed being there too.

I loved Rome too, although can see why people would hate it, parts of it horrendously crowded. But I just loved stumbling upon ancient history while walking through side streets to find piazzas. Food was pretty impressive too.

Kruger for the landscape and the epic amounts of wildlife within. Cape Town - a truly beautiful city, especially when seen from afar - Table Mountain is so impressive.

Yosemite National Park. Its stunning.

Rome - beautiful food especially the restaurant next to our hotel where there were a lot of the locals eating. Also blown away by the architecture of the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument, St Peter's Square and the Pantheon.

L.A - family holiday last year, was really nervous because I had heard loads of stories of love/hate .... we absolutely loved it, we hired a car and packed so much in. Yes Hollywood/Walk of Fame wasn't the best but we felt safe and so glad we done it. Areas we enjoyed -Santa Monica/Redondo Beach,
The Griffith Observatory, Hiking in the Hollywood Hills. Best part driving the PCH up to Malibu. We are currently saving to go back !!!

When we were living in Cyprus I regularly had to pass one of the Ghost villages. It was fascinating just looking across at the houses frozen in time, and knowing that the fate of people was so different within 100s of metres. DH was able to visit the green zone in Nicosia and I was very jealous.

Rome. I've been so many times and still adore it.
The pyramids - at Giza and near Mexico City
The Roman Baths at Bath, I was lucky enough to go a wedding that had sole use of them for an hour at sundown so we had lots of guides to ourselves and could wander around while drinking champagne. It was all lit by candles, absolutely magical (dread to think what they spent!).