Originally Posted by
BuildingMyBento
Cairo, Cape Town and Houston...how are they similar?
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Anyway, by planning a 4-5 week trip, it didn't sound like the OP wanted to stay in an urban setting the whole time.
Ruling a battery of innoculations out, Morocco and Egypt could fit the bill. South Africa would be pricier, and as mentioned earlier it would be suggested to get malaria pills for Kruger.
Can't speak for Cape Town. Cairo, Houston, Bangkok... all have high-end shopping areas that for some reason attract tourists. They're all similar, glassy tall buildings with indoor mini-malls and high-end boutiques selling high-end labels. Starbucks.
Cairo on a horse cart tour, now that's a different thing entirely.
My point, poorly made, was that many of the trappings of big cities are similar and people find comfort in the familiar. You won't have that "opportunity" once you get away from the big cities.
Yeah, OK, I'm just displaying my general bias against big cities. Guilty as charged! Oh, wait, one big city did blow me away. Shanghai. The juxtaposition of old with new was mind-boggling. Amazing place, with a super-fancy restaurant sharing a building with a run-down auto repair shop.