For me, there have been some places where I’ve traveled that just got under my skin in the best possible way. Places where I could see myself living, or visiting over and over (or both, in the case of my current situation!) Here are 5 places I’ve been that I absolutely loved, and could travel there again and again:
1. Roatan, Honduras
Duhhhh 🙂 Not only is Roatan now my personal “Cheers” (where everybody knows your name), I visited this little Caribbean island a few times before moving here, and I already know I’ll visit again after I move away. I don’t think I have to go too much into detail about this one – just read my blog! Roatan has everything I like in a destination: amazing scuba diving, cheap rum, hot weather, beautiful beaches, warm water, laid-back lifestyle and men who can dance. Not much more I could ask for!
2. Kyoto, Japan
I wish I could just pick every city I went to in Japan for this post, but I tried to only pick one city per country. Japan has been #1 in my heart since I traveled there in 2009. For years before I went, I was obsessed with everything Japanese. I took Japanese lessons, dabbled in Japanese cooking and even ikebana (flower-arranging) so when a friend found $400 return tickets from Vancouver, I threw down everything and jumped on a plane. Japan was everything I wanted it to be and more, but Kyoto totally stole my heart. From bumping into a geisha in the bamboo forest in Arashiyama, to the best ramen of my life, to late-night walks through Gion and streets that haven’t changed since the 1700s, Kyoto was one of the most amazing places I’ve ever visited and the day I find another $400 ticket is the day I’m heading back.
3. Puerto Chicama, Peru
When I first arrived in Puerto Chicama, a tiny fishing village on Peru’s coast, I had been battling parasites and food poisoning for two weeks and was in serious need of a place to recover. I was feeling ill and didn’t want to take the 4 long bus rides we needed to get out to this little town, but my boyfriend at the time had read that Puerto Chicama had the longest left-hand break in the world and he wanted to go surfing. He had been taking care of me for weeks, so I sucked it up and rattled around on a bus until we got out to Puerto Chicama. What we found was a virtually unknown little village where we were two of just a handful of gringos who had heard about the place and made the trek out there. We stayed at a luxury surf resort (the only nice accommodation in the town) and I spent my days recovering in the eucalyptus steam room or sipping mate (tea) in cozy couches on the deck overlooking the few surfers enjoying world-class breaks with no one to fight over whose turn it was in the line up. Massive sand dunes and a crater-like landscape at the top of the neighboring cliffs made for amazing little daily jaunts to regain my strength, as well as checking out tiny local restaurants which served us $3 parihuela, a huge bowl of seafood soup that fed two, and cancha, which are like homemade corn nuts on steroids. To this date, I think it’s the slowest, quietest place I’ve ever visited and I hope I see it again someday before the world gets wind of it.
4. Ambergris Cay, Belize
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this is the only photo i can show you from ambergris cay. the rest are from the new years party we went to and are definitely not allowed to be online. |
I only managed a short stop in San Pedro on Ambergris Cay while I was working on a megayacht, and I’ve wanted to go back ever since. We stopped here over New Years 2013 and I fell head over heels in love with the island. It has a lot of the same things I love about Roatan (great scuba diving, cheap rum, hot weather, beautiful beaches, warm water, laid-back lifestyle and men who can dance) plus lots of extras like using golf carts to get around, VEGETABLES, way more choices for shops/bars/restaurants, and English as an official language so everyone speaks it (you guys, I’m working on my Spanish but it’s tiring sometimes to constantly have to try and work in a second language you’re not very good at). I didn’t get a chance to do much here other than get in a few dives, drinks on the beach and an epic New Years party at Fidos so I am excited to visit again and get to know the island a little better. Good news for me: direct flights from Roatan recently started, so hopefully I can take advantage of this soon!
5. Victoria, Canada
If I ever live in Canada again, it will probably be here. Victoria is a gorgeous city that I have visited more times than I can count. Located on stunning Vancouver Island, Victoria has big-city amenities with a super small-town feel and loads of charm. I can’t get enough of downtown Victoria – it’s right on the water and very walkable. From the best Indian restaurant I’ve ever eaten at to vegan cupcakes to farmers markets and craft beer galore, there is everything I want here. I love spending an afternoon on the trails and beach at Beacon Hill Park, or wandering around the little Chinatown, or sipping on a raspberry ale at the end of summer in my favorite patio in the world at Swans. Victoria reminds me a lot of Halifax and other east-coast cities with its harbor vibe and has tons of independent shops and restaurants downtown… it hasn’t been taken over by chains and still maintains a lot of British style. It’s worth the ferry ride from the mainland – if you get a chance, you need to visit Victoria!
This post is an entry for the Go There promotion hosted by Booked.net! I was nominated by my girl Rachel over at Hippie in Heels, and in turn I’ve got to nominate 5 bloggers to participate – so Colleen Brynn Travels, 20 Years Hence, Alex in Wanderland, The Journey Itself and Bella Gypsy Sol, here ya go!
Booked.net – Top Destinations to Go There
I think you would love it!!
Isn't it amazing!? I hope we both get to go back soon 🙂
Everybody seems to rave about Victoria and Vancouver Island! Sounds like my kind of place. 🙂
I haven't been to any of the other places yet, but I'm with you on Kyoto. It's my favorite city in Japan, too! I loved all the temples and gardens and the thrill of running into Geisha. Hopefully we'll both get to make a return visit!
I didn't have enough time last time to do Hiroshima, but it's definitely on the list for next time. I pretty much love every single place in Japan so I imagine I'll love Hiroshima too 🙂
I'm 100% with you on Kyoto, it was one of my favourite spots in Japan, too. Did you go to Hiroshima? The two keep swapping for the top spot on my list! I haven't been to any of the others yet, unfortunately.
It's a pretty killer part of Honduras, VERY different from the mainland 🙂
I agree! I was just on the island until yesterday… such a lovely place and the weather is amazing!
I haven't been to any of these places! Clearly I'm missing out. I still kick myself for not visiting Roatan when I was in Honduras in 2009. Whenever I get the chance to go back it's definitely number one on my list!
Can't beat the weather in Victoria!
I had a pretty hard time picking my Canadian destination.. almost went with Halifax, but Vic won out in the end. I hope that I can get some work there when I come back to Canada because I would LOOOOOOVE to live there!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks!
I love those places that just have the 'something' that make you adore them. I think you've hit the nail on the head with saying Victoria as far as Canadian representation. I've only been twice, but I revelled my time there and am happy I have a handful of friends who have since moved there. If I could get a gig that way, I would make it my home for sure!
Great post, and some really interesting destinations.
Well, I nominated you guys and I hope you do one of these posts – you've been to WAY more countries than me so I would love to read a little roundup of your faves. (And Japan was the hardest decision out of all of these!)
I haven't been to Europe! There is a lot I want to see over there, and I always told myself I wasn't going to do until I could afford to do it properly and not be missing stuff I wanted to see just because I was broke 🙂
BC is amazingggggg definitely check out Vancouver Island for the best quality of life vs affordable living!
You're going to love it!! It's one of the best old meets new cities I've seen anywhere… and the food is to die for!
We're going to Japan (Finally!) next February. I am so excited for Kyoto.
I haven't been anywhere on your list (no European countries?! :P) but they all look great! Still haven't been to BC yet , but I always tell myself that if I permanently go back to Canada to live, I would want to move somewhere there!
I feel so sad that I've only been to ONE of the places on your list… but clearly this just means I need to travel a whole lot more (including my home country given that I've yet to make it west of Ontario!).
Also, I admire your restraint in narrowing your choices in Japan to just Kyoto. It really is a fantastic country, isn't it?