So every 2 years or so I have to get away. I work with technology, and find that the only way to truly disconnect is to put as much distance, both psychologically and physically, between me and my normal obligations. I have a wife and 2 kids, all of whom are incredibly supportive of my need to disappear for a week. My last three trips were to Ecuador, Austria, and Nepal. Now I'm gearing up for another.

Here are my ground rules:

• I have to be able to get there on miles (*A)
• I should be able to find cheap lodging
• It should challenge me in some interesting way (Ecuador = culture, Austria = isolation, Nepal = terrain)
• It should be far from SFO (how far is negotiable, but it should be outside North America)
• I should feel like I'm in a different world/foreign culture/another planet

I have a list of places that sound far away (and, often, are): Mongolia, Kazakhstan, etc. I've toyed with places outside Manaus, Brazil. But I'm looking for thoughts, recommendations, and suggestions about where to go, where to stay, and anything that can be added that might enhance the feeling of social disentanglement.

One last thing. The flight is part of the experience. I've had people question why I'd spend 52 hours in the air for a 4-5 day visit to Nepal. I tell them that this is not a vacation, but rather an experience of escaping the world. So distance shouldn't be a factor, even given the short timeframe (1 week).

So...anyone see anything interesting, go anywhere fascinating, or just have suggestions for places that might meet these needs?

Thanks in advance!

Enki