If there’s one thing that Lockdown has made me realise, it’s how much I love to travel and visit new places. Not just getting on an aeroplane, but driving to lovely places in the UK too. My husband is from Pembrokeshire in Wales so we’re no strangers to a 9 hour car ride.
When I finished uni I took a year out and went travelling for 6 months of it where I was lucky enough to visit Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, America and Mexico and I loved experiencing the different cultures of each place as well as learning the history.
Since then I have been lucky enough to travel for friends weddings in the States or to visit friends in Amsterdam and family in Barcelona. Obviously there are so many more places to tick off the bucket list throughout my life – I’d love to go on safari in South Africa and see the cherry blossom in Japan, maybe when the kids are a little older and we don’t have to lug a pram with us!
I’m so inspired by Courtney Adamo’s family year travelling (here’s their travel blog, Something Slower) and it’s something I dream about doing with my family one day. Taking a year to travel and see the world at a slower pace than you would if you have to cram everything into your work holiday allowance.
Anyway, after all these travels so far there are some destinations that will always stick in my mind and stand out for me as stunning locations with amazing memories and I can’t help but smile when my mind wanders there. So below are my top 5, I think i’ll do a round up of the top 5 I wish to visit soon too, so keep a lookout for that!
In no particular order…
Thailand: Bangkok was the first stop on my post uni travelling adventure and arriving on the Khao San Road was a culture shock to say the least…but it was amazing! The atmosphere, the street food, the temples, the water markets. It was incredible to see the city, then travel up to Chang Mai to visit the countryside and then down to the breathtakingly stunning islands. Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta were favourites. I loved it so much I returned with a friend the summer after I got my first job.
Binibeca in Menorca: I have only been here a couple of times but my husbands family own a house here so it’s a place he regularly visited when he was younger. A tiny fishing village, it has beautiful whitewashed cottages and a small marina to swim and moor your boat and the quaintest little centre with a few independent restaurants and bars. After going to Mallorca for quite a few years I love how opposite Menorca is and much more rustic and quiet.
New Zealand: I love how beautiful and picturesque NZ is, and I fell in love with both the North and South Island. When we were travelling we booked a NZ experience tour (we were 22!) which took us everywhere from Nelson and Queensland to Wellington, Lake Taupo and Auckland. NZ is where I did a bungee jump and skydive, which looking back I can’t believe I did and probably wouldn’t now but the whole month I was there was adrenaline fuelled. Since working as a florist in London I have met great friends originally from NZ who have now moved back so I hope to return with my family one day to visit them.
The Amalfi Coast: I have great memories of Italy growing up as I went on a few family holidays there and after a massive Pinterest binge we decided to have part of our honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast. Italian cuisine is my absolute favourite and it didn’t disappoint, along with the stunning scenery along the coast and the most amazing hotels. We stayed in Sorrento for a few days and did a boat trip to Capri and then travelled around to Amalfi where we visited Positano by boat too. I can’t wait to go back, the pasta was just out of this world.
Santorini, Greece: This was the second destination on our honeymoon and it absolutely lived up to expectations. We stayed at the Astra Suites in Imerovigli and we had breakfast each morning feeling like we really were in Paradise. The white washed houses with blue rooftops covered in Bougainvillea are simply stunning and apart from a days boating and a trip to the main town we literally spent our days in the infinity pool, reading, sipping cocktails and sun bathing. Complete bliss.
*All pictures featured were taken by me*
