Simply The Best?

One benefit of our expat situation has been the opportunity to travel.  We have been asked what was/is our favorite place to visit, favorite food and best hotel; the subject of many family discussions.

We have enjoyed all of our vacations but to pinpoint a favorite location is difficult.  Each destination was special and unique.  One must consider the purpose of the vacation, is it to get some sun, take in museums and historical attractions, scenery,  get in as many attractions as possible, relax, etc.  There are several vacations that stick out in my mind as top vacations, not necessarily for tourist value but rather the overall experience and frame of mind that they left us in (e.g. the relaxation of a vacation may outweigh the attractions we had).  I can, however, provide recommendations if you have a specific purpose or intention.

After a few vacations hotels are just hotels.  What makes a good hotel is that it is clean, conveniently located for your purpose and has a friendly helpful staff.  Some of our hotels were simply a place to sleep, nothing fancy required as we were there to do the tourist thing and not be in the room.  Other hotels provided the services and atmosphere to allow us to relax.  Lastly, some of our hotels were selected because they were unique, quaint or historic.

Favorite or best food is impossible to state.  As a family we have become foodies.  The key for good food is that is made with fresh ingredients, care and perhaps that added touch that is impossible to put in a recipe.  Food is always one of my favorite parts of a vacation and am willing to try pretty much anything.  As a family we can tell you where we had two of our favorite items.  Yogurt--at Freddo's in a small mountain village in the south of France and at our riad in Marrakesh--both places had the yogurt made fresh that morning.  Tea--at our cooking class in Morocco, served by the elder master tea server of the village.

To answer the question there is no best place, hotel or food; they were all good for their own unique reasons.  As our son says "Each place has been different and unique in its own special way, so it is impossible to compare them."  Consider what you want out of a vacation and plan accordingly.  Enjoy and make the most of the travels you have even if it is local.