Tuesday, 25 August 2020

TRAVEL: My travel bucket list (Part 2)!

We’re back with another instalment of my Travel Bucket List – if you haven’t read Part 1, check that out here. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy reading about where I’d like to travel to over the next however many years! All opinions are my own.



• Malta

I only realised how lucky I was to live in Europe after I’d left it. The ease of travelling from one country to another, spending a long weekend discovering a new European city quite unlike my own, is something that I don’t think I’ll take for granted again, and one place I’m keen to check out is Malta. The island is both naturally and architecturally stunning, and full of history, so a must for my bucket list.



• Poland

I can’t quite place my finger on what it is about Poland that appeals to me so much. Maybe it’s that I’ve really enjoyed visiting other countries in Eastern Europe. Maybe because I love the sounds of the Polish language. Maybe it’s because it seems like the ideal place for a European getaway – long days and late nights, exploring the bars and restaurants of the cities, walking down busy streets full of vibrancy. Only one way to find out.



• Turkey

One word: Cappadocia. Oh my gosh, I have fallen so in love with the photos and videos of hot air balloons taking off over Cappadocia, the beautiful buildings stretching off towards the horizon, and the stunning sunrise skies. I am always looking for experiences that take my breath away, and I have no doubt that this would be one.



• Azerbaijan

I have yet to hear another keen traveller say that Azerbaijan is on their bucket list, because I don’t think that it’s the first place that springs to mind when people think of where they’d like to go. Why not? Somehow the amazingly modern city of Baku seems to have sprung up with nobody noticing. It looks like a fascinating place to visit with some of the coolest buildings I’ve ever seen.



• Russia

I’ve missed far too many chances to visit Russia, so I certainly won’t be letting the next one pass me by. Friends and family who’ve visited Russia have told me that St Petersburg is my kind of city, and if someone tells you that a city like that is made for you, you have to go, right? I’m so keen to check out the history and culture of the city, and maybe hop on a train to visit the likes of Moscow too. Even writing this down is making me want to book a flight right now!



• India

Oh boy, there are so many things about India that appeal to me. Do I want to go on a street food tour to try out all of the delicious vegetarian food? A yoga retreat to search for inner calm? Sightseeing to the Taj Mahal and the Gateway of India? Search for a better quality of life that attracts so many expats? Race down the bustling streets in the back of a tuk tuk? Yes to all!



• South Korea

I’ve been fortunate enough to have travelled to many places over the course of my life so far, and yet the one continent I’d say that I’ve visited least and thus know the least about is Asia. As such, the next decade or so seems the perfect time to learn more about this part of the world, and one country I’d love to visit sooner rather than later is South Korea, indeed it’s even somewhere I could envision living someday. In my career, I’ve worked with so many Korean nationals who all seem so vibrant, and I’m sure that’s something to do with the culture they’ve been brought up with. I’d love to gather even an ounce of that vibrancy.



• Japan

I spoke previously about the thrall of Cuba being its position as a time capsule of the past, and I think Japan absolutely has to be an indication of the future. Whilst most of us are living in 2020, Japan already seems to be in 2050 – bustling cities full of neon, automation, robots, and just altogether more efficient ways of living. Checking into a capsule hotel and then hitting the streets for dinner served at a robot café (or maybe a cat café? Or a Pokemon café?) sounds ideal to me. Add to this the country’s exceeding natural beauty from sakura season in Spring, to bamboo forests, Mount Fuji, and hot springs home to monkeys; plus the wonderful traditional cultural elements of tea ceremonies and Minka houses. So much to see and do! 
 
 

• Philippines

If there was an award for the most beautiful place on planet Earth, I think the Philippines would certainly be in the running. Picture this: start off by exploring Manila, and then island hop to Boracay, Coron, and Siargao, cruise past rice terraces, dive in crystal clear waters, swim underneath waterfalls. Don’t mind if I do. 

Wow, writing all of these down has made me so eager to pack my bags and get going! I’d love to know whether any of the places I’ve spoken about in this series are on your bucket lists too, or indeed if you have other places you’d like to visit that I haven’t even thought of – leave a comment below or drop me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry with your own bucket list ideas. Stay tuned for more travel content coming soon. Thanks for reading!

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