my wanderlust wish list.

During these first few months of the new year, I always find my desire to travel stronger than ever. I don’t know if it’s because of the cold weather or living vicariously through my travel Pinterest board, but I could daydream all day long about these destinations!

Until I can save up enough, though, daydreaming and planning for “one day” is what I’ll be doing. Here are a few of the top places on my wanderlust wish list, along with some fun highlights about them.

 

Croatia

I’ve always been intrigued by Croatia – it seems like such a beautiful hidden gem with beautiful scenery, but also interesting historic sights. It’s also easier than ever to get to countries like Croatia thanks to travel companies such as Thomas Cook or First Choice. I did a bit more research on what traveling to Croatia would look like, and it seems the two main destinations are Cavat and Dubrovnik.

Cavat is a sleepy seaside village set behind a string of pebbly beaches. On the history front, there’s a Medieval town centre and a cluster of Roman ruins to explore, and for active types, there are some lovely walking trails leading up into the hills that back the town.

Dubrovnik – just up the road from Cavtat is one of Croatia’s big hitters – Dubrovnik. Its cobbled lanes, turreted buildings and Medieval architecture have earned it the nickname ‘the Pearl of the Adriatic’. There’s loads to see, from monasteries to plush palaces. When you’ve worn out your guidebook, pull up a chair at an al fresco café and keep your eyes peeled for an A-lister – the likes of Beyonce, Ralph Fiennes and Eva Longoria have been spotted here (source).

Highlights:

1) Explore Dubrovnik. A walking tour of the Old Town brings you an impressive line-up of sights. It’s packed to its stone rafters with Baroque churches, Venetian houses and ornate palaces. Not to mention designer shops and homey restaurants, splashing fountains and bell towers. Top billing, though, has to go to the chunky walls and battlements that surround the city. Places don’t come much prettier than this!

2) Cavtat Summer Festival. Enjoy hearing local folk musicians? Or watching magicians and jugglers at work? The Cavtat Summer Festival lays on a top programme of events, right by the waterfront – one night it might be a classical music show, another a dance troupe. And the best thing of all? It’s all completely free.

3) See Wildlife on Lokrum Island. Jump on a boat from Dubrovnik’s old harbour and you’ll be on this island nature reserve in 5 minutes. There are loads of pebbly beaches skirting its edges, with high rocks where brave swimmers can jump into the sea. Inland, meanwhile, you can spot sub-tropical plants and luminous plumed birds in the botanical garden.

Oh, and don’t even get me started on how much I want to do Yacht Week here…

 

 

Morocco

 

Cheesy confession – I’ve wanted to visit Morocco ever since seeing Casablanca as a kid. It just seems like such a mysterious and enchanting place. The main cities to visit seem to be Marrakech, Agadir, and Essaouira.

Highlights:

1) Travel back in time in Taroudant. Stepping into this walled market town in the middle of the Souss Valley is like taking a ride in Dr Who’s time-travelling Tardis. Taroudant is just like a Berber town of old, with stalls at the weekly market weighed down with spices, and a ramshackle souk filled with jewellery and carpets. Plus, it’s easy to get here – it’s about an hour’s drive from Agadir.

2) Experience the madness of Marrakech. Three hours’ drive from Agadir is Morocco’s most exciting city, Marrakech. Its showpiece is Jemaa el-Fna, the main square where you’ll cross paths with acrobats, fire-swallowers and soothsayers. Other biggies include the Koutoubia Mosque’s soaring minaret, the Saadian Tombs’ mosaics, and the late Yves Saint Laurent’s Majorelle Gardens.

 

 

Greece

Let’s be real – who doesn’t want to visit Greece? Everything about it just screams romance and beauty.

Highlights:

1) Experience Crete. Greece is all about blue-domed churches, bougainvillea-splashed villages and endless rounds of mezes. And nowhere does it better than the biggest of the Greek Islands, Crete. As well as miles of great beaches in places like the Chania area, this island is home to the kind of ancient sites you’ll want to write home about. We’re talking the ruins of the Minoan Palace of Knossos near Heraklion, and the Venetian fortresses in Rethymnon.

2) Go island-hopping on Kalymnos and Pserimos. These two islands, set just to the north of Kos, are great for day-tripping. On Kalymnos, there’s a fortress built by those castle-constructors extraordinaire, the Knights of St John. And no visit here is complete without a nose around the factory dedicated to the island’s star buy, sponges. Little Pserimos, meanwhile, does a mean line in sleepy harbours and quiet beaches.

 

 

Aruba

My aunt who travels a lot always raves about Aruba as being one of the most beautiful and relaxing tropical destinations. Considering I live in one of the busiest cities in the world, and it being winter, Aruba sounds just about perfect right now.

Highlights:

1) Snorkel at Rodger’s Beach. Swing around the peninsula to the west of Baby Beach in Seroe Colorado, and you’ll come across this sandy number. Rodger’s Beach is really popular with locals, and you’ll often see them playing football or having a picnic on the sand. There’s also a hut where you can rent snorkelling equipment.

 

2) Visit Arikok National Park. Aruba’s interior is the cherry on top of the island’s cake. The walking trails in Arikok National park will introduce you to shoulder-high cacti, skittish iguanas, and two species of bird that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

 

Thailand

My best friend Jessi has been to Thailand and always says how much she loved it (especially the food!). I definitely want to experience the Asian culture one day, and Thailand seems especially fascinating.

Highlights:

1) Escape to Ko Kret. Ko Kret is the calm after Bangkok’s storm. Just 20 kilometres north of the capital, this river island is the centre of the Mon culture. The locals still live in stilted riverside houses and they make their living from making a type of earthenware pottery called kwan aman. Bangkok locals tent to head here on weekends to sip herbal tea on the pier and ride bikes through the bamboo-spiked countryside.

2) Visit Bangkok. Thailand’s fast-paced capital city is well worth a visit during your stay in the country – it’s an insane mix of holy shrines and crazy nightlife, with shopping and street food crammed in between.

3) Visit Phuket. Just off Thailand’s southwest coast, Phuket serves up beaches of every kind and has world-class diving conditions. Whether you like your stretches of sand palm-fringed and people-free, or packed with partygoers, you can take your pick here.

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Disclosure: please note that I was compensated for this post. The information about these destinations was gathered from First Choice.

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What are some of the top places on your wanderlust wish list?