New horizons or familiar faces?

[Q.]

Hardly a day goes by that I don't reflect on previous travels or ponder future journeys.

Hell, it would be awesome to ditch the job and jump on a plane tomorrow, but I will have to be patient for now and settle for day-dreaming.

The question I haven't been able to answer is whether I would retrace favourite parts of previous travels or wander into completely new territory.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Some things are so amazing they are worth seeing and experiencing twice, but there are also hundreds of countries and a lifetime hardly seems enough time to cover them all!

What are your thoughts? Which do you prefer?

[AFLflyer]

For me, it's got to be discovering new destinations (if I had to make the choice), the excitiement of something new outweighs the safety of travelling to old destinations. It's about the unknown of what is outside that plane, train or bus door!
However i'm the same, i would do both and full time if i could.

[Q.]

In 'going back' though, you spend less time finding your feet and confidently and quickly absorb yourself in the culture. You spend less time doing touristy things and scratch beyond the surface of a city. It's obviously less exciting than landing somewhere completely foreign, but maybe a second time is more rewarding.

Then again, somewhere new is....somewhere new

[AFLflyer]

In 'going back' though, you spend less time finding your feet and confidently and quickly absorb yourself in the culture. You spend less time doing touristy things and scratch beyond the surface of a city. It's obviously less exciting than landing somewhere completely foreign, but maybe a second time is more rewarding.
Then again, somewhere new is....somewhere new

Very true, if what you are getting is new experiences.
personally i would only do the absolute best again. I would go back to South India (Kerala), Argentina and NZ for convenience! trying re-create experiences can lead to dissapointment in travel and holidays.

[Wedgie]

Very good question, I ponder it myself quite a bit.

[Pseudo]

Found myself with four nights to kill somewhere in France after a conference.

Could have spent it in Paris, which is possibly my best favourite city on the face of the planet ever.

Instead went to La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast (somewhere I'd never been) and put my feet up for a bit.

Would still like to go back to Paris again though.

[JAS]

Can you not try and do both?

Revisit familiar faces but take a different route to visit new places along the way.

Regards
JAS

[Q.]

Definitely JAS, would think if I were to go back to a country or city I'd been to, I'd try and see some things I didn't get to first time around.

[redandblack]

Can you not try and do both?

Revisit familiar faces but take a different route to visit new places along the way.

Regards
JAS

Exactly, JAS.

I regularly do that, best of both worlds.