Will 2018 Be The Year I Visit These Destinations?
Though we all want to snuggle up with presents and cheesy Netflix Christmas fare (I’m looking at you Mariah Carey’s Merriest Christmas) I’ve put down the cocoa and decorations to put on my blogger hat and gather up some of the top destinations I’m planning on heading to next year.
1 | New Orleans
NOLA is all by its lonesome as the last remaining ‘must-visit‘ that I posted on this very blog many moons ago. Maybe in 2018 I will finally blow my head off with excitement as i wander around French Quarter, go on a Cemetery Tour or check out the AHS Coven House?
2 | Belarus
As a Balkan Babe (yes we get a gold membership card, secret passcode, discount rakija and everything) it’s a crying shame I haven’t hit up Belarus – one of the few East European countries left on my list. If there was such a thing the evil Baba Roja will be cursing me and witholding all cevapi for at least a year!
3 | Azores
It may be a small rock in a giant pond, but it’s actually incredibly beautiful, lots of ruins and you can actually get a direct return flight from London for less than a £100 (and not at scary early morning times). As I’m typing this I’m still wondering why I haven’t booked this – BAD TEA!
4 | Bilbao
Bilbao would be perfect for a weekend trip where I finally get to see the metallic beauty of the Guggenheim up close with the giant scary Bourgeois spider (plus loads of art of course), plus the little old town, funicular railway and stuff my face full of pinxtos. Seriously, what else does one need?
5 | Hamburg
Ok I must admit I’ve actually been to Hamburg before, but my trip consisted of dancing in a club all night and then spending 2 hours looking for the right car park, so I haven’t really been there. But I’d love to go and wander around the Warehouse District, see if punk died in St Pauli, get my hipster on at Flohschanze market and act out my godzilla dreams at Miniatur Wunderland.
6 | Cotswolds
Yes Cotswolds might sound like a nasty infection (“I’ve got a case of the cotswolds!), but this is a sprawling countryside region with brick houses in fairy tale like villages that have names likes Stow-on-the-Wold, Wotton-under-Edge, Bourton-on-the-Water – nope I’m not making up those names, but just to be sure, let’s go see if they’re real.
7 | Terschelling
Terwhat? Terschelling is one of the Dutch islands (yes, we have islands!) and I simply want to to stroll on the beach, do a mudflat hike and light the hearth in the evening while reading a super cheesy book.
8 | Albania
Yes, another place I should have visited as a Balkan Babe™, plus it’s the ideal budget friendly escape for 2018. To top it off – WOW Air now flies from London to Tirana so there is not really an excuse left. Except you know that by now I don’t have any annual leave left.
9 | Malta
Nope, this isn’t where Maltesars are grown, but in fact it’s still pretty delicious – not only sunshine and beaches, but also historically rich and with prehistoric buildings? Where do I sign up? Skyscanner? On it!
10 | Giethoorn
Everywhere in the world has been called ‘The Venice of ….”, but this little Dutch town might actually have a good claim to it. It’s bursting full of canals so much so that you can only visit it by tiny boats. I doubt their gelato and pasta are as good though, but bitterballen is a good replacement, right?
11 | Wales
There is this trip I’ve been meaning to make to Wales, but whenever I check the weather the area is blocked by a giant cloud and I can’t make this type of trip without a bit of weather security. Global warming is kicking in, so 2018 might be the year.
12 | Taiwan
Aside the amazing food and night markets and a city vs nature balance I want to visit Taiwan for the abandoned beachfront resort and a cat village. Shushh…and don’t tell anyone, but in northeastern Taiwan is Jiufen – the town that inspired the bathhouse in a certain animated Oscar-winning film.
What destinations are you hoping to cross off in 2018?
Oh love your Dutch places on the list! Terschelling or Texel is still on my list as well. And I do not know about Giethoorn, but Delft and Haarlem are pretty amazing too. Utrecht has nice canals too but well just more of a big city. I live in Dordrecht, and I call in “Venice” when the weather is nice. We have an old harbour and well I just love my city. 😉 Hope you can visit these places and the Cotswolds (super a-mazing!) Oh and the Guggenheim in Bilbao and Helsinki are still on my list as well. Damn I need to start working on my list.
Let me know if you come to Hamburg! I’d love to show you around 🙂
great destinations! I’ve got a 6 week old baby so I don’t know how/when I’ll travel again:) but I do have plans:))