If you’re a regular reader you’ve probably spotted that I love to travel. There’s so much world out there and sometimes it scares me that I won’t get to visit all the places I want to see. If I’m not actually travelling I’m daydreaming about my next trip, I get Condé Nast Traveller magazine on subscription and there’s a stack of overflowing box files in my sitting room full of travel features I’ve ripped from magazines to inspire future holidays.
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Last year I took a gap year in order to tick off some of the places on my travel to do list. It helped that my friend showed me a site that offered daily flights from HKG to HND and NRT, which were some of my most desired locations to visit. I ate my way around Tallinn and Sicily, temple-hopped in Cambodia and Laos, got my yoga teacher training qualification in Spain, took a road trip around California, learned to surf in Costa Rica, checked out the street art in Berlin and this year already I’ve lived like a local in Paris, thanks to the brilliant airbnb.
So that’s me, and my recent travel history. Now I want to know more about you and your travels, what are your tips and tricks; have you found a brand of checked luggage that lasts, a way to fold that really cuts down space? I would love it if you would leave a comment and tell me where in the world has stolen your heart, what you’ve got planned for 2014, and where’s on your travel bucket list.
Are you all about thrilling adventures, relaxing getaways, or shopping and sightseeing city breaks? When it comes to accommodation are you more boutique hotel, budget hostel or airbnb all the way? Do you want more about solo holidays, romantic breaks or hotels that welcome all the family? Do share, so we can plan future travel content you’ll love!
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{My Travel To Do List}
- See the Northern Lights
- Yoga retreat in Goa
- Hong Kong city break
- New Zealand road trip
- Surf school in Portugal
- Music festival in Spain
- Party in Buenos Aires
- Visit friends in Sydney
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I can’t say I did much in the way of travelling until I met my husband, he loves an adventure and my favourite places we have visited are Borneo and Langkawi, both are pure paradise and were once in a lifetime trips.
Since having our baby daughter we’ve not really slowed down! In fact she seems to come on in leaps and bounds when we are in different places and trying new foods etc. Next month she will be having her passport stamped for the third time when we visit Sweden.
With using airbnb too we’ve been able to find apartments suitable for a family which makes things much easier than using hotels.
For the rest of 2014 we are planning a winter city break to see the northern lights (not sure where yet) and a UK camping trip (weather permitting!) and on my travel bucket list are a sarafi and trip to New Zealand.
I love your travel posts Miranda, I can see my travel list growing with every post though!
Aw, thank you Emily! I’m adding Borneo to my list for sure. I’m thinking Reykjavik for my Northern Lights trip – I’m loving the look of the Kex hostel, it’s very stylish (lots of Instagram-worthy decor!) and super-cheap, to keep costs down. It’s very inspiring to hear that you haven’t slowed down since having your baby daughter, and great for her to already be a world traveller at such a young age!
Bali- all day every day. I’d go back tomorrow! spent a week there on the honeymoon in a villa on a black sand beach. BREATHTAKING.
Hong Kong is also amazing. The culture is just so different from ours.
Need help deciding where to go next we’ve done Egypt and Malta too. Need culture and site seeing but on a budget this time!
I fell in love with Bali too and would love to go back. I went horse riding on a black sand beach – wonder if it was the same one?! I’m desperate to visit Hong Kong, perhaps on a extended stopover on the way to somewhere else. Culture and sightseeing on a budget – we’ll get thinking!
Miranda it was near tabanan?!. We did 4 nights in ubud and 3 near tabanan after a week in hong kong. BEST HOLIDAY EVEEER
The year before we got engaged we managed Hong Kong (one of my favourite places), Berlin (dying to go back) and I went to Lindos in Rhodes with my family (a lovely little town with donkeys instead of cars) and Milan with friends all in one year and it was awesome. Last year we got married on the Amalfi Coast and travelled around Sicily for our honeymoon which was so relaxing. This year we are buying so things have slowed down however, we are doing frugal breaks and trying to see lots of the UK. On the list is Wales, Cornwall, Bath, Somerset, Lakes, Peaks and a few city breaks thrown in too. Next year we are hoping to finally visit Copenhagen and do a big holiday – my husband’s mum is Indian and so we would like to go travelling around India as neither of us have been.
Anna,
We’ve done UK holidays round Cornwall and Wales. Both are beautiful but I love LOVE Cornwall. Have made the husband promise we can move the Cornwall when we retire : D.
I’m a big fan of Berlin too and I love the sound of Lindos. I’m embarrassed to admit that I haven’t been on many UK holidays, so I still have Cornwall, the Lakes and the Peaks to explore. Copenhagen’s great, but be warned, it’s expensive. A big trip to India will be amazing – very jealous!
Oooooo liking the look at that air bnb website! Might come in handy soon 🙂
So far, as a couple, the Mr & I have been to Kos, Malta and Morocco and my favourite was definitely Morocco! The market square, the food, the culture the architecture – absolutely gorgeous!
So we still have a fair bit of travelling to do!
We spent the afternoon with my great aunt & uncle the other day and hearing all their travel stories was so very inspiring that it definitely had us both dreaming of more travel.
On the dream wish list currently is:
Tour of Italy – MUST include: Verona, Venice, Lake Garda
Thailand
African Safari
Canada & USA
Japan
Berlin
Budapest
Northern Lights
New Zealand
Our only problem comes of having to do all our travel on a budget – Morocco was the most we’ve ever spent on travel and by some people’s standards it was probably pretty cheap for a honeymoon! Not that I’m knocking it – it was still awesome!
So the more tips on budget (but fun) travel, the better! 😉
This year we’ve got a family trip to Devon (week in a cottage with all the Mr’s family, could be amazing, could be carnage! haha) and a trip to see my mum in Limoges (France), coming home via Paris! whoop
Oh and thanks to some friends getting married, we will be visiting Bath – but will have to squeeze all our sightseeing into the one day! Should be fun with a wedding hangover 😉
ps. am happy to hear having a baby hasn’t stopped Emily (above) from travel – my one big worry has always been that as soon as we have kids we will be confined to UK holidays for life! Her comment gives me hope – now to make the other half agree 😉
xxx
Rebecca, I’m exactly the same, worried that once we have kids then the adventures stop, but this give me hope that it doesn’t have to happen. My parents-in-law used a redundancy to travel the world (Austrialia, Fiji, America, Hong Kong the works) and my husband was only about 5 years old and she always says that actually its not too bad, I think his airline seats were free and he was all blond and blue eyed it got them freebees lol! I guess unless you have a brood like Angie & Brad it’s managable. They have a house in Confolens, about 30mins drive from Limoges, been there for 10 years now but plan to move out permenantly in a few years and set up a b&b, how weird they’re so close to your mum xx
Morocco is wonderful isn’t it? I think it’s the most otherworldly place I’ve ever been to, in a really good way. Loving your list, there’s a couple of places on there I need to check out too. I was in Tokyo for 48 hours a couple of years ago and had the best time, really want to go back and spend more time there and explore Japan. Highly recommend airbnb to keep costs down and hostels are getting better and better. There are some seriously stylish ones popping up all over the place and you can get rooms for two-plus, rather than having to share with a bunch of strangers! x
Miranda – I feel exactly the same. I have been lucky in the last couple of years to have traveled the length of Vietnam (getting engaged along the way in the beautiful town of Hoi An), gone on a Pintxos eating tour of Northern Spain (San Sebastian is just the most beautiful place – amazing mix of food, beach and gorgeous old Spanish buildings), enjoyed 5 days in Istanbul (a city that really surprised me by how much I loved it), had a hen do in Paris with 12 of my best friends in the world, a mini moon in Amsterdam (the first place we ever went away together and such a gorgeous city – so much more to it than the red light district!), nearly froze but didn’t mind in Berlin (would move there in a heart beat if I could speak German!) and loved every minuet of a honeymoon doing a the Californian Road trip of my dreams. This year we are booked for 5 days in Marrakesh and can’t wait to get an African stamp in my passport and a week Island hopping in Croatia. Still planning what to do with the remaining leave for this year and a trip to Perth Australia to visit some relatives is on the horizon for 2015!
I met my husband at Benicassim music festival in Spain (if you go hire an apartment – DO NOT CAMP!) which I think has set the tone for us always wanting to travel and do interesting things. We usually Airbnb it wherever possible (we used it in LA, San Fran, Monterey, Paris and they were brilliant) so you feel like you are living somewhere and have no constraints with meals etc or budget hotels such as the Tune as we tend not to spend too much time in them and prefer to be out and about exploring!
Oh my goodness, we’ve done lots of the same trips recently. I’m really keen to visit Croatia, do stop back and share after the trip, would love to hear about your favourite places. Benicassim is great (love that you met your husband there!) but like an endurance test as opposed to a festival – such fun though! The line-up for Primavera this year is amazing, really want to go, just trying to persuade some friends they want to go too!
Oh and backpacking around Italy for 3 weeks – Rome to Piza concluding with a friend’s wedding! How could I forget that?!
Hi!
My boyfriend and I have just caught the travelling bug and next year a looking to travel all over Italy but I’m really struggling to find helpful websites and ways to book, does anyone have any recommendations?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa, not off the top of my head, but will ask around and get back to you! x
Thank you!
Love this! Last year we got engaged in Cornwall staying at the Natural Retreats apartments at Fistral Beach – beautiful! The following day we had a gorgeous spa day at the Scarlet Hotel, that’s on the list of places to go once we’ve saved!
We then headed to NYC in December where I got to choose my diamond! What a magical time of year to go there.
This year we have two weeks in Puerto Pollensa in July followed by our honeymoon in Vietnam and Cambodia…I CANNOT WAIT! x
The Scarlet hotel is on my must-stay list too! Wow, very jealous of your honeymoon, will be wonderful! x
It was a pretty hellish flight but I have to say New Zealand stole our hearts (particularly South Island.) The scenery is like nothing I have ever seen before and you really do feel that sense of being on the other side of the planet. My husband proposed to me on Phia beach- a surfers paradise which was deserted as it was the middle of winter. For that reason it will always be very special xx
I’m desperate to go to New Zealand, in an ideal world would like to go for a month and really explore. Just looked at Phia beach on Google images – sold! x
I’ve already done a fair bit of travelling but I get carried away with all the places I’ve yet to go and then worry that I won’t get to see them, the world is a damn big place! I interrailed round Italy in uni (Pisa, Rome, Naples, Venice, Verona, Milan, Florence) but would go back in a heartbeat, espically Rome. New York, Toronto and Niagra Falls with my mum. I’ve done the greek island student drinking holiday, and spent many a summer in the UK and France and Gurnsey (a treasure so close to home, highly recommended). But I took myself off for 6 months about 5 years ago and went lone ranger to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong (amazing and I was there for Chinese New Year), Mongolia (stayed in yurt under endless clear skies), Russia, Latvia and Berlin (so trendy and I surprised myself how much I loved it). Then with The Boy I’ve been on a Nile cruise in Egypt and our honeymoon was Maritius and Dubai last year (I so wanted to move to Dubai but I don’t think our Cairn Terrier could cope in the heat).
This year I want lots of mini breaks, we’ve already been to Amsterdam to see a random American band, we have Ibiza booked for 4 nights in May and a week in a cottage with a hot tub in North Wales in June and a weekend in Liverpool in July. But I still want to go to Scotland (done Edinburgh but not really explored), Barcalona (investigating Airbnb for this right now), Northern Lights and the Artic Circle, St Petersberg which I missed out on on my travels because my visa ran out and I had to leave the country from Moscow. The Scandanavian countries, learn to ski and have some cold holidays, explore some Greek Islands, the history of Cuba I studied at uni to visit, the West Coast of America to drive along and it would be rude not to fly down to Austrailia and New Zealand (who knows how I’ll pay for all of this) Have adventures everyone xx
Oh and Japan I forgot Japan! xx
How could you forget Japan?! x
So inspired by your travels Claire – you solo six month trip sounds awesome! I really enjoyed travelling solo last year (for the first time, never having done the pre or post-uni gap year). Was surprisingly easy to meet people and loved being able to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to do it. x
Totally agree, I was at a cross roads with jobs shortly after uni and thought it was now or never, I signed up for a tour at the start which meant I taught in a school in Thailand (brilliant experience) and that way I got to bit of a safety net but once you’re out and about you just seem to naturally meet like minded people and I’ve never been as confident as I was during those months, and I miss the carefree attitude. xx
Inspired from the three and a half weeks we spent in Vietnam and Cambodia for our honeymoon at the beginning of last year, my husband and I are taking a career break/quitting jobs at the end of this year.
Flying out on Boxing Day, we are stopping off in Hong Kong for a few nights and then going to Sydney for New Years Eve (bucket list thing!) and then traveling the East Coast of Australia for a month, then a month in New Zealand and the two months in South East Asia with Thailand, Laos, Borneo and Bali on the list.
To say we are excited is an understatement! Just lots of saving to be done. We normally stay in modern accommodation so it’s going to be a bit of a challenge to begin with using hostels but I’m sure we (or I really!) will adjust. Also I imagine there will be a fair amount of Air BnB along the way – used it in Amsterdam last summer – was fab.
Wow, what a wonderful honeymoon and what an amazing trip you have planned Amy! Haha, yes, I’m sure you will adjust to doing the hostel thing, if I can do it, anyone can! Perhaps you can work your budget so you have the odd night in a boutique hotel or a more upmarket hostel (they’re getting increasingly stylish and comfortable in my experience!). And yes, airbnb will be brilliant. Have the best time!
Italy Italy and more Italy! I’ve been several times had a 10 year gap before going last year gand getting married just outside Florence. I forgot just how much I loved the people, the scenery, the food and the wine. I said to my husband if I only ever come back to Italy on holiday I’d be ok with that. I’d never been further south than Napes and would love to check out the Amalfi coast, Sardinia, Sciliy. Also love to go back to Rome and go back to Lake Como or try Lake Garda.
I go to Dubai nearly every year as my Dad lives out there – great for guaranteed sunshine. The place changes every time I go back (he’s been there 10 years) and the shopping and brunches never fail. My favourite place is in the desert where you can’t see any civilisation and the sun goes down. FYI Claire – my folks took our Staffordshire bull terrier Clark out and didn’t think he’d cope but he was grand and would sunbathe on the balcony (he might have burnt his bits though!)
Bucket list – Buenos Aries, New York (why have I not been yet why?), the Maldives, Japan, Sweden, Copenhagen, Monaco (purely for the grand prix), a food tour of northern Spain. Thailand, Santorini.. The list could go on and on really!
I did a year in Australia and Sydney and Melbourne will forever hold a place in my heart. I skipped the backpack trail of the east coast though (west coast is so much nicer and less rowdier so they tell me) but I would like to go to Hamilton Island and the Whitsundays. I so agree with what you say about going travelling solo – it was quite nice to have the freedom to do whatever I want and be selfish for a wee while!
Well if the bull terrier can manage maybe I need to investigate a job in the UAE?! Wouldn’t it be great to visit the world with the F1 season? I mean you’d have had to have just won £109 millions pounds but to see every race in the season and visit the countries while you’re there, that would be the best holiday xx
I know! I’ve ticked off Melbourne GP so that’s just er 18 others to go tot! I quite fancy Spa, Monza, Singapore & Brazil! Oh and the US because I’d love to go to Austin although probably would prefer to go to SXSW !
I’ve only been to Italy on very short work trips, it’s definitely somewhere I want to explore more. Oh you must go to New York, it really is everything you hope for. I’m obsessed with Buenos Aires right now, need to get there soon! Sydney and Melbourne are both brilliant cities aren’t they? I have friends in Sydney so always have the best time there, but loved the time I spent in Melbourne, discovering all the hidden bars and restaurants.
Nice post.Thanks for sharing . I had joined 200 hour yoga teacher training in Goa . I had a great experience. I also love travel . I love to travel Miami and Thailand.