• 99 Episode Celebration - 9 Of the Best Equestrian Vacation Destinations!


    Our 99 episode celebration continues as we come down from that MASSIVE HYPEFEST that has started to brew for the big episode 100 celebration in a few weeks!

    This time around, we explore some of the awesome destinations littered throughout Equestria! I know I'm not the only one that would spend ALL the money to go tour around ponyland. Fantasy worlds alone are always a blast, but add cartoon equines to the mix with their silly pony ways, and everything about Equestria seems more and more appealing!

    Below the break, join us as we explore some of the best Equestrian vacation destinations, from the relaxing villages up in the high peaks of the Foal Mountains, to the creepy underworld where some of the most dangerous criminals are imprisoned! Why would you vacation there? Who knows!

    Go check it all out below.


    The Everfree Forest


    The Everfree Forest has evolved a lot over the years. What once seemed like a giant pile of mysteries and dangerous creatures, has slowly grown into something much deeper than that. An entire race of sapient Deer take up residence there, along with the Castle of the Two Sisters. Quite a bit of good can be found between the stonegaze cockatrices, giant star bears, and deadly manticores. 

    With how easy it is to access and how many magical oddities it holds, I'm sure we will be seeing loads more of it in the future. Until then, it's sort of a fanon-producing blank canvas isn't it? I've seen so many stories spawned out of it. This would be the ultimate Daring Do style expedition into the unknown. I'd be in.


    Canterlot


    Ahh Canterlot... AKA snobby unicorn central. I'd go nuts living here personally. All that high class fashion world madness is too much of a pain to keep up with. Visiting it would be awesome though. Hanging on the side of a mountain with giant zepplins rolling in causes all sorts of nerd fantasy receptors to fire. It's like combining Final Fantasy IX with Lord of the Rings and sprinkling Disney dust all over.

    Of course, living in the castle would be pretty awesome. Do unique other-wordly species get that kind of treatment I wonder? Can I hang with Moonbutt? My sleep schedule matches hers perfectly.


    Ponyville


    How could we not include Ponyville?  If ever there was a town that could take endless beatings, it's this little Canterlot suburb. How many times has it been completely obliterated since the show started? Considering only ~2 years have passed since Twilight joined the residents according to one of the recent episodes, you have to commend the ponies of Ponyville for even bothering to stick around.

    Was it always like this though? Or does having the Princess of Friendship hanging out in your library/brand new castle just attract monsters and villains? I have a feeling we are going to get some insight into that with Episode 100 in a few weeks.

    Visit Sweet Apple Acres for some fresh apples, or hit up Sugarcube Corner with your tour guide Fluttershy for a double dose of diabetes.  Ponyville is that perfect, friendly little town to relax in.



    Cloudsdale


    If we were numbering these, Cloudsdale would definitely be the first slot. Everything about it is just awe-inspiring. Giant coliseums, waterfalls made out of freakin rainbows, and a Willy Wonka level weather factory make it prime tourism territory. We've seen a lot of fan-made games emulate this place over the years, and it is always my first destination.

    You all do tend to drive me absolutely nuts with the 50 million SFM projects hacking ponies to pieces though. Rainbow Factory was an awesome song, but that fanon... Why you constantly kill my cartoon equines fandom?


    Manehattan


    This one kinda opened my eyes to how similar Equestria is to Earth. It lacks the heavy pollution from our industrial complexes, but the city goers here in Manehattan have definitively adopted an "everypony for themselves" mentality. You have your Coco Pommels doing the good work, but you also have your Suri Polomares and rude random citizens. Be friendly, and they will return the favor though. Gems help.

    The city itself is amazing looking though. It's certainly lives up to the place it is parodying! Giant skyscrapers, boat rides through the harbor. If you like civilization, Manehattan has it all.


    Tartarus


    Maybe "best" is the wrong word for this one, but definitely one of the most interesting. Tartarus was first mentioned back in season two when Cerberus was wreaking havoc in Ponyville (seriously, poor Ponyville!), but we never actually got to see it until the season four finale. While Tirek doesn't appear to be in the middle of eternal torture and suffering, that's still an incredibly dark side of Equestria!

    I want to see more. I wonder how deep it goes? So many mysteries. Ponyland is too interesting! Halloween vacation it up! 


    Our Town


    I suppose visiting this place would sort of depend on when you went and who was in charge at the time. The awful food and uncanny feel might be a unique enough experience to warrant the trip pre-season 5. Assuming Starlight Glimmer lets you leave.

    Post-Starlight would probably be pretty entertaining in itself. Watching a freshly freed society live it up as they carve out a new world for themselves. Our Town has some work ahead of it, but the residence are friendly enough to make it happen.


    Rainbow Falls


    Cloudsdale is awesome, Canterlot is amazing, but if you aren't a snobby unicorn or lack the ability to walk on clouds, Rainbow Falls looks like one of the most badass vacation destinations out there. High up on a cliffside with giant rainbow waterfalls and that mountain village feel? How relaxing would that be?

    It looks like it spans a lot more than the single plateau we saw in the episode if the houses in the distance are any indication. I'd kill to hike along some of those cliffs, and summit whatever mountain it is built next to.


    HONORABLE MENTION/DICTATOR ADDITION
    Trixie's Wagon


    Join the Greatest and Most Powerful unicorn in ALL of Equestria as she shows you some of the most amazing unknown locales1 that only a traveling entertainer could ever discover! Treat your ears to her unique Trixie filled wisdom as she recounts tale after tale of her amazing exploits throughout the land. Be endlessly entertained by her swarms of loyal fans during fantastic shows of brilliant unicorn magic!2

    What could be better than that?

    1[while pulling her wagon]
    2[and clean up after them]



    No doubt about it, a vacation to Equestria would be absolutely packed with things to do. I know I'm not the only one that would kill to check it out. Which place would you want to visit first? What other places do you love in ponyland? Hit the comments up!

    And feel free to recommend more categories as we wait for episode 100!