Where Times readers plan to travel in 2009

Vietnam and Angkor Wat, Cambodia

I have always had an interest in the region, and I am fascinated by its ancient history and culture. I love to visit new places and have not traveled much in Asia, so this year it’s on the list.

--Susanne Hilgefort, Greenwich, Conn.

Pictured: Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam  (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)

Bhutan

Nepal, India and China are Himalayan countries that receive thousands, even millions of visitors a year. Who do you know who’s been to Bhutan?

--Terence Lau, Shanghai, China

Pictured: Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan during his coronation celebration in Thimphu, Bhutan, Nov. 8, 2008.  (Paula Bronstein / Getty Images)

California’s deserts

I want to travel to areas near Los Angeles, day or overnight trips, to view and photograph the desert bloom during the winter.

Editor’s note: Deserts near Southern California include Death Valley National Park, the Mojave Desert, Joshua Tree National Park and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

--Sylvia Fox, Los Angeles, Calif.

Pictured: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park  (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Brazil and Argentina

I am going because these countries have incredible color, great music, the soccer tradition and beautiful women.

--Carlo Alberti, Los Angeles, Calif.

Pictured: Iguazu Falls between Argentina and Brazil.  (Scott Kraft / Los Angeles Times)

Russia

For the last couple of months, Russia has been on the news on a daily basis. It’s usually good or bad news depending on what country the reader occupies. This increased my curiosity about what the country, once a superpower, is like. If the Cold War had turned out differently, the U.S. would be where Russia is today and vice versa. I am going on a 15-day trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway beginning in Moscow and stopping in different towns until arriving at my final destination, which will be Beijing. Along the way I hope to photograph daily life.

--Gabriel Morando, Bellflower, Calif.

Pictured: St. Basil Cathedral in Moscow  (Mikhail Metzel / Associated Press)

Japan

My husband teaches an ancient Japanese martial art and travels to Japan every year for training. My 8-year-old son, following in his father’s footsteps, also loves the idea of all things Japanese. I appreciate the fact that its culture is rich in the arts.

We would like to take a cultural immersion that explores Japanese fabric dyeing and painting, possibly explores brush painting and calligraphy, visits ancient castles, tours homes in the country-house style and visits hot spring resorts. Ideally, the tour would have us stay in one or more little villages dedicated to the arts.

--Patricia Tsoiasue, Long Beach, Calif.

Pictured: The Path of Philosophy leading to the Ginkakuji temple in Kyoto  (Beatrice de Gea / Los Angeles Times)

Vienna, Austria

The hills of Vienna are alive with music. I want to see the famous wall that was built before World War I and look at Klimt paintings in his hometown.

--Catherine S., Los Angeles, Calif.

Pictured: Musikverein concert hall in Vienna  (Samuel Kubani / For The Times)

London

I’m going to London to see the Royal Ballet perform “La Bayadere”!

--Lindsey Brown, Houston, Texas

Pictured: The Millenium Bridge in London  (Jack Leonard / Los Angeles Times)

Prague, Czech Republic

We are going to Prague for our seventh visit in 10 years. Besides being a beautiful city with kind people, it’s full of music. We have tickets to eight operas and three ballets for the two-week visit, in beautiful theaters and at prices that are affordable.

We are in the over-70 group, and this is a wonderful city for a special getaway. Mass transportation is excellent, and we rented an apartment in a perfect location at a reasonable rate.

--Wilma Wuest, Camarillo, Calif.

Pictured: Kampa Canal near Charles Bridge in Prague  (Kirk Christ / Los Angeles Times)

Istanbul, Turkey

We are going to Istanbul. We’re celebrating New Year’s at the cross point of two continents. It’s the capital of the former East Roman empire, Byzantine Empire, Ottoman Empire and the modern Turkish Republic.

--Hakan Aytekin, Riverside, Calif.

Pictured: The Four Seasons Istanbul  (Leslie Brenner / For The Times)

United States

In the last few years I have traveled to Ireland, England, France, Italy, Russia, Spain and China as well as multiple cities in the United States.

Last summer, I decided that I would forego travel outside of the U.S. because the people in the U.S. need tourist dollars more. Since then, I have been to Kansas City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and St. Louis. I mention Kansas City and St. Louis to suggest that the smaller, middle-of-the-country cities also have great museums, easy transport systems and friendly people. I want to return to Denver; Santa Fe, N.M.; Houston; Cleveland; Minneapolis; Savannah, Ga.; Milwaukee; Omaha; Dallas; Philadelphia; Seattle; Atlanta; Chicago; Boston; and Washington. There are great museums in all these places: The Barnes, Nelson-Atkins and Gardner. There also are many regional treasures.

--Elizabeth Nolan, Coronado, Calif.

Pictured: “The Big Sweep” by Coosje van Bruggen and Claes Oldenburg ayt the Denver Art Museum  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Cape Town, South Africa

I am going to Cape Town. I had an experience of a lifetime in South Africa last year, doing a safari in Tanda Tula private game resort. Did the photo safari, saw the big five, changed my life. So now, I want to go back to South Africa and do Cape Town to experience the wineries, beach, etc.

--Eric Lewis, Atlanta, Ga.

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It’s our honeymoon, and we want to see South Africa, particularly Cape Town, the wine lands and go on a safari.

--David Gray, Gary, Ind.

Pictured: Muizenberg beach in Cape Town  (Nic Bothma / EPA)

Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta and Guajira Peninsula, Colombia

The Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta is the highest coastal mountain range in the world. Snow caps only 27 miles from a sweltering Caribbean paradise of unspoiled desolate beaches in Tayrona National Park. Nearly every type of climate imaginable can be found in the “center of the world” as it’s known by the indigenous inhabitants. Neguanje, Playa Cristal, Concha, Cinto, Cabo, Arecifes, Cañaveral, Buritaca, Palomino are some of the amazing white sandy beaches backed by an intense jungle home of the Kogui Native Indians who have rejected developed civilization and stay true to their traditional ways.

At the foot of the Sierra is the city of Santa Marta, the oldest surviving European city in South America. Here three cultures combine to create a sumptuous blend. If Brazil lacks indigenous heritage and Mexico African heritage, this region of Colombia exposes all three and nowhere is it more vivid than in its music. >> Read more

--Jonathan Giraldo, London, England

Pictured: A salt mine on Guajira Peninsula  (Ricardo Mazalan / Associated Press)

Centerline of solar eclipse totality

Right around noon on July 27, roughly 150 miles north of the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, a large cruise ship full of astronomy enthusiasts will make every effort to observe the total solar eclipse. I shall be on the vessel, with my spouse. We love eclipses -- they are as good a show as you get on this planet.

--Jack Romanski, Berkeley, Calif.

Pictured: A solar eclipse over Cham Bley, France in 1999.  (Franck Fife / AFP)

Colorado

I’m going to take my 7-year-old son skiing.

--Tonya Tucker, Mobile, Ala.

Pictured: Loveland Ski Area near Georgetown, Colo.  (Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

Southern California

I’ve lived in Southern California my entire life. But whenever I pick up a travel guidebook for the region, I discover some fascinating new place I’ve never visited or never heard of within a day’s drive of home! Since the airlines and the TSA have made air travel into an ordeal, I’ve taken advantage of the new opportunities to discover all the treasures right in my own backyard that I had overlooked for so long. So in 2009, I plan to just get in my car, hop on the freeway, and I’m off to a world-class adventure! In 2009, I also resolve to do at least some of my exploration using MTA buses and light rail, to reduce some of the stress on myself and on Mother Earth. I recommend that all your readers this year spend one vacation in exploring the innumerable wonders of their own region.

--Ted Marcus, Torrance, Calif.

Pictured: Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Greece

To me, seeing Greece from the deck of a yacht -- away from noise, pollution, crowds and a frenetic pace of life -- seems to me the perfect choice! We chose Seapaths as the company because it offers all-inclusive yacht charters around the Greek islands.

I look forward to being able to decide where I want to go and having our own private cook who gets up at dawn to go into the quaint little fishing village whose marina we’re docked at -- and brings back yogurt, fresh honey and fruits -- isn’t bad either! I’m already dreaming about eating breakfast al fresco on the deck and watching the sun rise over white houses and colorful wooden fishing boats, turning the crystal clear waters of the Med into turquoise and azure blue. I’m already thinking about enjoying the exhilaration of flying over the water, feeling the wind on our faces and taking a turn at the wheel.

After a nap, we’d sail to a new island, exploring the historical and cultural treasures, getting to know the locals and enjoying the “real” Greece, not the tourist traps.

--Cheryl Antier, Toulon, France

Pictured: The Parthenon in Athens  (Orestis Panagiotou / EPA)

Scandinavia and Russia

Having written a business plan for my company to develop mobile marketing services, I want to visit some of the most advanced mobile communications markets including Finland ( Nokia), Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Estonia and St. Petersburg, Russia, to research opportunities. I’ve already visited 30 countries in Asia, Latin America and Europe including South Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico, Italy, France and the U.K. After this trip, I will have a comprehensive view of how consumers use mobile devices worldwide.

--Linda Dorman, Schaumburg, Ill.

Pictured: A temple is reflected in a rain puddle in the city of Novgorod on the Volkhov River in northwestern Russia.  (Sergei L. Loiko / Los Angeles Times)