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Being a part time traveler, I’m in a constant state of flux, alternating between trip planning and daydreaming about places that I want to go explore. Right now I’m in the middle of a daydream phase. While I’ve been able to go on a handful of trips in recent months to Portland, San Francisco and Tofino, none of these places are new to me.
I’m really looking forward to exploring places completely foreign and different. There is something so exciting about going somewhere you’ve never been before. But until then, I’ll have to dream. Here are the top places currently on my mind.
1. Spain
When I was living in Budapest, I had a trip planned to do a mini-tour of Spain visiting a handful of cities including Madrid, Seville and Barcelona. However, life always has some way of mixing things up and I wasn’t able to go on the trip at the last minute. One of my really good friends lives in Madrid and I would love to go visit her. I’m a big architecture fiend and being able to see all of Gaudi’s work in Barcelona would be amazing as well. Not to mention eating all the tapas that I can get my hands on!
2. Iceland
Growing up, I always loved a good underdog story which is why The Mighty Ducks movie series was one I regularly watched and re-watched. One scene in the second movie of the series (D2: The Mighty Ducks) was especially memorable as the coach of the US team went out with a trainer on the opposing team (Iceland):
Coach Bombay: I thought Iceland was covered with ice.
María: No, it’s very green!
Coach Bombay: I thought GREENLAND was green!
María: Greenland is covered with ice, and Iceland is very nice!
For some reason, that quote always stuck with me and what the character says is absolutely true. Iceland is beautiful. With stunning waterfalls, geysers, and national parks to explore, the beauty of Iceland is calling my name. I can’t wait to soak in the Blue Lagoon, go chase the Northern Lights and drive the Golden Circle. Icelandic Air has recently started flying from Vancouver and offer long layover options in Iceland. It’s only a matter of time before I take them up on this offer. Perhaps on the way to Spain?
3. Kenya
Elephants in Masai Mara in Kenya // Photo: Christopher Michel (Check out the rest of his shots – stunning!)
Going to Africa was never high on my places to explore list when I was growing up, but all that changed in when a past boyfriend went to Kenya and Tanzania with his family. When he came back he had these fantastic tales of majestic animals spotted on his safari, the beautiful landscape and amazing people that he had met. I wanted to experience it all for myself. That said, I’m open to any African nation where I’d be able to go on a safari!
4. New Zealand
I’m a major Lord of the Rings fan and I would love to see the country where it was filmed. I long to wander through Hobbiton, explore the Weta workshops where props and costumes were made, and walk into Mordor. Not to mention, the whole country is simply stunning. I met a bunch of people from New Zealand when I was in Budapest, plus half the team I was working with was from there, and they’ve all managed to convince me that I’ll need a month to thoroughly explore what this country has to offer.
5. Vietnam
My reasons for wanting to go to Vietnam are purely for gluttonous reasons. Simply: I love noodles and hot, steaming bowls of noodle soup are calling my name. Pho, Bún Bò Huế, rice noodles, thick noodles – you name it, I want it. And then there are the spring rolls, banh mi sandwiches, rice dishes, and Vietnamese pancakes to be had. Between all that eating I’ll try to make time to explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter, the beaches of Nha Trang, the cute streets of Hoi An, the rice terraces of Sapa, and history in Ho Chi Minh City.
6. New Orleans
It’s pretty incredible that within the United States there is so much diversity in one country. Aside from a visit to Disneyworld in Florida and the airport in Dallas, I haven’t spent much time in the south. New Orleans, with its French influence, would be a fascinating place to visit. Wandering through the French quarter, experiencing Mardi Gras, and relaxing to jazz music with a cocktail in hand is what makes The Big Easy unique. I dream of sinking my teeth into a freshly fried beignet at Café du Monde, chowing down on a po-boy and exploring the Cajun and Creole food scene in the city. Someone will have to roll me home!
7. Japan
I purposely left this one last because I’m actually doing it later this year! My friend and I snagged tickets during a flight sale and will be spending a couple weeks wandering around the land of the rising sun. For the longest time, Japan has completely fascinated me. It has such a unique culture, almost untouched considering today’s modern age and globalization. Not to mention the FOOD. I’m looking forward to getting my fill of sushi, sashimi, and ramen.
Not surprisingly for me, many of my dream destinations revolve around food and unique things that I can eat along my travels. It was hard narrowing it down to just a few top places though. The simple truth is that I want to go everywhere at some point. Hopefully I’ll be able to make these trips happen soon rather than later!
What are some of your dream destinations? How do you pick where you want to go?
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Great list! I did Spain (Andalucia) last year, and I share your interest in #2, 3 ( Doing South Africa, Victoria Falls, and Botswana this year instead of Kenya ), and 6. I’m also warming up to Japan (especially Kyoto). I’ll be headed to SE Asia in Feb (Hong Kong, Thailand, and Malaysia ) but could not fit in Japan, unfortunately. I’m hoping to be able to see Japan at some point in the future. Love this thing called travel 🙂
Nice! Sounds like you’ve been doing a fair bit of traveling. Your picks of SE Asia sound good. I had an amazing time in Hong Kong. With 2 weeks in Japan I’m already feeling overwhelmed. There’s so much to see so I’m of the opinion you should just save Japan for another trip 🙂
Great list Adelina! I have only visited Vietnam on this list. Food’s amazing! From the traditional Pho to the lovely Morning Glory, we ate to our heart’s content in places like Hoi An, Hanoi, and Hue. Always a good meal waiting for you and the people are about the friendliest folks on earth. In Hoi An folks would pull over on their motorbike asking us if we needed directions anywhere.
One lady brought us to a fab little local spot for great food and good vibes. On her own time. We offered to pay her bill and she’d have nothing of it. She just said to pay it forward to someone else, help someone else out. Loved it!
Ryan
Wow! That sounds like an amazing experience. I’m definitely looking forward to visiting Vietnam and tasting everything!
Iceland is in my list too! New Zealand was in my list for a long time but I just made it 🙂 And yes, you need at least a month… it is not so big but there is soooo much to see.
And I highly recommend Barcelona (I’m not partial there, of course, it is my hometown).
So good that you will go this year to one of your dream destinations!
Happy travels!
Thanks Laia! Looking forward to reading about your time in New Zealand 🙂 I really hope to go to Barcelona soon too!
Every one of these destinations is either on ‘my list’ or I’ve been recently (Vietnam) or going soon (Japan!) Vietnam is fabulous and Hoi An is my favourite spot in the country – such a great atmosphere in the old town. And the food…!
Ohhh nice! When are you off to Japan? There’s just so much awesome in the world.
I think gluttonous reasons are the best reasons to do anything! Mmmmm, noodles. Mmm, beignets. I think it’s been too long since I’ve visited my old hometown of New Orleans.
Will you take me with you??
Yaaaey Kenya! I love your list, I keep hoping that I win the lottery (or something) so that I never have to worry about how to pay for my travels.
Yes! The lottery would be amazing 🙂
I can personally recommend going on a safari in Uganda – it’s right next door to Kenya! You can see all the African Big Five animals there – lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo, and rhinos – plus if you go to the jungles in the south you can see the silverback gorillas if you’re lucky enough to spot them. Even though it’s right on the equator, the climate in Uganda is very comfortable due to having a somewhat high elevation. We were there in early August 2007, and the temperatures averaged around 75 during the day and 50s at night. Even better, the flights are oftentimes cheaper than flights to Europe (riddle me that, right?), and once you get there, it is SO cheap for food, lodging, etc. Besides that, the Ugandans themselves are absolute gems. I couldn’t recommend that country more – I want to go back!!!
Ohh great recommendation. That sounds perfect and amazing. I’ll definitely have to keep that in mind for when I finally head to the continent.
Vietnam is on mine also! Not so sure about Kenya, the heat and I don’t match 😀
I hate the heat too, but I hear it can be surprisingly mild at various times of the year. Will have to investigate more.
I like your list. I’ve been craving a trip to both Iceland and New Zealand. I’m also thinking that I could do Iceland as an extended layover on the way to Europe. For Spain, I’ve only been to Barcelona and loved it due to both food and all the Gaudi architecture. Part of me wants to go on an African safari but another part of me wonders if I’d get bored bouncing around in a jeep looking for animals if we aren’t very successful at finding them. New Orleans is within a days’ drive from me, and I’ve been plotting to get back there for a long weekend. My family LOVED Japan. It was probably one of the kids’ favorite places in Asia to visit. I couldn’t convince anyone else in my family to go to Vietnam while we were living in Malaysia, and I didn’t want to go by myself, so I don’t know if I’ll ever get there.
You bring up a good point about the safari. It’s hard to say exactly what kind of animals you’ll see and there’s no guarantee. I would still like to experience it though 🙂 Definitely head to New Orleans! Would love to see it from your perspective 🙂 Did you write about your time in Japan? I’m going to have to go through it all!
Japan will always have a place in my heart. I’ve spent so much time there, but there’s still so much more I want to see! I hope you’ll have a blast! My list includes Ireland, Australia, Italy, and like you, any place in Africa I can go to safari!
Awesome! Feedback on Japan from everyone is that it’s a fab place to go. I definitely can’t wait to see it 🙂 I’d love to go to Australia too! Ireland and Italy I’ve only been to the main cities so I wouldn’t mind exploring further afield like seeing the Cliffs of Moher and Tuscany.
Kenya is on my list!! Or just any African safari, actually. I just want to see some animals in the wild! And yesssss you must go to Vietnam for the food. I still think it was one of the best Asian countries I’ve visited so far food-wise (that and Taipei). Everything in Vietnam was so fresh and delicious!!
It’s always cool to see animals in the wild and to see the ones in Africa would just be so amazing. Your food posts have inspired me to go stuff my face in Vietnam. Hopefully one day 🙂
I’ve only been to a couple of these, but they all look amazing. After our short time in Queenstown NZ recently I can’t wait to go back with the kids and tour around. Breathtakingly beautiful. But one day an African safari would be a dream come true!
The world is just so beautiful, you just need to stop and look 🙂 I definitely can’t wait to scratch off an African safari as well.
You know…it is interesting that you said that the US has so much diversity in one country. Some people that live here think all travel has to be far flung…that if it isn’t out of the US then it doesn’t ‘count’. How sad. All travel is wonderful and a learning experience. We always travel with the kids and consider education a huge part of the journey. We really are a global community now with technology and transportation allowing us to be closer quicker than ever!! Travel helps us understand one another!
So true! There are so many awesome things to see and experience in the US.