Traveling to faraway places is something I really enjoy. Getting to see another culture, beautiful sites, delicious food and beverage, relaxation. I love all of these things. Whenever I go somewhere, people always ask me, would you go back? And I’m always hesitant in my answer because while I may want to go back, changes are I’d rather try a new country that I’ve never been to when considering my next trip. Why go to the same place when there are so many other places to uncover. Here are some of the cool places I’ve been and locations that pique my interest when considering my next vacation.
Where I’ve been:
Sydney Australia (and surrounding areas- Wollongong) – This was my first time out of the country. I traveled here for almost a month in college. I took some summer school classes and experienced life Down Under. I loved the accents, the laid back environment, exploring the town and of course visiting koalas and kangaroos. I also went skydiving over some beautiful land. The one downside was while it was an American summer, it was an Australian summer so we didn’t have much beach weather – it was pants and jacket weather, mostly.
New Zealand – After Australia, we took a layover in New Zealand for a week and this place is beautiful. It is green and hilly and exciting. It’s definitely the home of extreme adventures because I did some cool things while I was there – stayed in a Haunted Hotel (freaky!), did hi-speed jet boating, tried black water rafting (in caves). Such a fun and exciting place.
Hawaii – I visited Maui and I think Hawaii is one of those places that I would do a double visit if my husband wanted to see it. He didn’t get to join me on this trip and it is a gorgeous place. The weather is perfect – always warm and breezy. Theres a 15 minute rain shower daily and then it’s awesome again. The food is delicious – pineapple, macadamia nuts, onion rings, several fish (Ono) and I loved doing the Road to Hana tour where we jumped into the waterfalls and pools and the water is just gorgeous for snorkeling all over the island.
Costa Rica – For our honeymoon the hubs and I went to Costa Rica and we loved all the things we got to do on this trip. There were several days that were just absolute downpours but at the beginning and end, we had great days. One thing that was hard to see (and this is for many vacation places) was once we got out of the resort, we were quickly in an area of poverty – people living in makeshift homes and run down buildings. We saw an active volcano, went to the hot springs and got a mud bath, went ziplining through the rainforest and best of all went on a one-on-one snorkel adventure that was just amazing. Our guide caught a starfish, baby octupus and blowfish for us to hold while we snorkeled in clear blue waters. Very cool.
Venice, Italy – The cool thing about Venice is the water roads, you don’t drive ANYWHERE in this town, everything is on the boat or taking narrow, wandering paths and bridges all over town. The food was delicious and there were tons of cool street vendors and shops. I really loved just riding the water taxi around and seeing the buildings and hotels sitting right on the water. There’s nothing like it!
Split, Croatia – During our Mediterranean cruise, we took a day trip to Croatia. We weren’t docked there for long, but while we were there we enjoyed the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted. In Europe, cafe’s are huge and we hit them up daily – sometimes multiple times a day. We also went through this really cool castle that now houses modern shops and buildings. It is just such a unique set up to be within the castle walls and to see big name stores tucked within the stone walls. I also loved their unique food, it’s not something you’d ever eat in an American restaurant.
Greece – Wow, we made about 6 stops in Greece and they were all so different. I loved visiting the Parthenon in Athens – and being up so high on this historical site and seeing the equivalent of NYC all around me – just tons of buildings, skyscrapers and homes as far as you can see in each direction. What a cool masterpiece at the top of a huge cliff.
I also loved visiting Mykonos and Santorini – they were the cool hotspots – with their trendy stores, little cafes and quaint settings. Of course, these towns look just like they do in the postcards – all the pics I took were amazing, weather it was the whitewashed buildings and windmills of Mykonos or the unique “built into the side of the cliff” setting of Santorini – where we rode donkeys up the cliff into the main area.
The landscape and views were beautiful and the drivers around these parts are crazy! We rented little cars in many of the places we stopped so we could try the non-touristy settings and it was just amazing to see this country towns with houses spread far and wide. Each person with their own slice – and view – of paradise.
Another place we hit in Greece was Olympia and it was cool to see such ancient history. We visited the site of the first olympics and while they are half dessecrated, being in that setting with the ruins of Olympic buildings just felt so cool. They did a great job of describing and showing what things looked like and were used for during the Ancient Games, so you could picture the setting.
Where I want to visit:
Ireland – Something about this setting in the movies always intrigues me. Of course, I’d love to visit a laid back town where it’s not uncommon to share an afternoon pint and delicious, hearty meals!
Spain – Because I minored in Spanish in college, this is always a place I’ve wanted to visit. I’ve done the studies on many of the towns, I’ve retained a little bit of the language. I’d love to see the old history that goes along with it.
England – Something about the presence of the royal family after all these years and the british accent makes me want to visit England. I hear it’s rainy and gray most of the time, but hey, I can pack an umbrella and poncho.
African Safari – Lions. Cheetahs. Giraffes. Sign me up. How cool to go through expanses of dry land, spotting animals that you only see behind glass and barriers at the zoo, living in their natural environment.
Caribbean – Shockingly, living so close to it, I’ve never really been on a vacation to the Caribbean. Nope, never took a spring break trip or a long weekend away to any little island south of Florida. But hopefully, this one will get checked off later this year, as the hubs and I are thinking about a Caribbean hotspot for our 5th anniversary vacation away.
Alaska – After seeing so many cool pictures on Nat Geo channel and hearing many people rave about cruises through arctic water, I think that a trip to Alaska is something I’d like to include on my bucket list of vacation spots. It’s completely opposite of many of the tropical destinations I’ve been to. I think seeing glaciers and wide expanses of icy tundra up close would be so cool.
Thailand – I think experiencing this culture would be beautiful. The colors and flavors. The little markets and the differences from my American culture and comforts. Plus, I like my food a little spicy – I think they could accommodate it!
So, the question is, where next – which one will get checked off the list? Will it be the Caribbean for an anniversary vacation later this year, or will we find another fun destination that we’d like to exlore!
Any others you would suggest I add to the list?
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