Five places that deserve some more attention

It’s always a tough choice to decide where the next trip goes to. At every destination I’ll hear about new places to go, and at every place I’ll find out about more things to do in the area, which make me want to come back. Generally I’ll go to a completely new place, but now I’ve been challenged to think about where I have been by She dreams of travel. I’ve seen so many gorgeous places that it’s hard to make a top 5 list of places I’d like to return to, but here it comes.

South Africa
South Africa will always have a place in my heart. For my first long term adventure I went to Cape Town. I saw the most amazing wildlife in the Kruger park, went to some stunning beaches and lived and worked in the multicultural city Cape Town. Whenever someone asks me what it’s like I mention the people. The people are amazing! Then there is the stunning location and the broad range of food options. And it’s so cheap! For the price of a shabby Dutch restaurant, you can eat like a king. I’m definitely not done yet with South Africa. On my next trip there, I’ll do a road trip along the coast. I came as far as Hermanus, but still need to see the rest of the Garden route, the Addo elephant park and the Drakensberg.

Australia
O Australia… such a big country. It seems impossible to cover it all, even after spending two years there. So what’s left? I’ve pretty much got the whole east coast on my list, from Sydney to Cairns. No, in those two years I haven’t found the time to dive the Great Barrier Reef. Instead I’ve been to the west coast, and that has left me with some more wishes. The west coast is just amazing, and way less touristy than the popular east. Since my trip back then ended in Coral Bay, I’d like to road trip from there all the way to Adelaide. The plan is already made, now all I need are the funds and the time.

New Zealand
Ok, maybe it’s a bit strange to mention a country I am currently in. The thing is, I haven’t nearly seen as much of it as I’d planned to. Due to some car problems I had to cut my trip short and am now working in Christchurch. I’m not complaining, because so far it’s been awesome, but I am starting to wonder if I’ll even be able to see all the things I want to see. It will all depend on what I plan to do after my visa ends here, because until then, I’ll be working. I am looking forward to doing some short trips in my days off. And if I don’t get the chance to do what I want to do, I’ll definitely come back here one day. If only I could keep my beautiful car Frankenstein until then…

Italy
Italy’s a bit closer to home, but seems very far away right now. I’ve worked in Italy for one summer, on the beautiful Island Sardinia. Later on I worked at a few more places and got to drive around a little bit. I found out that there is a pretty good train system and would love to spend a few weeks taking trains around the country. In secondary school I learned about the Romans, and Italy would be the perfect place to see some of that heritage in real life. I’d love to visit Rome, Naples, Cicily and many more regions and cities. Everything is just so authentic, so charming and so old. Walking around Florence made me crave for more culture.

Malaysia
Whenever I travel long distance, I like to take a stopover where possible. It gives you a good opportunity to explore a new place and break up the journey. When I had a flight via Singapore I decided to hop on a plane to Malaysian Borneo. So I started planning and preparing and found out there was way too much to do. Although I’d looked into the whole country, I decided to just go to Borneo. I saw the most amazing things, but unfortunately my plan didn’t quite work out the way I had it in mind, because of unsafe areas. One day I will go back to do a trip on the Kinabatangan river and go diving in Sipadan. And then there is the rest of the country to explore. It’s the most exotic place on my list and I’d love to see some more of it.

So… that’s the top five of countries I’d go back to. Each has a totally different character and for each I’ve got different reason. I really hope I’ll make it back to all of the above some day. For now I just keep planning and dreaming. Are you up for the challenge? Could you pick a hand full of countries you’d like to revisit?
I’d like to challenge Janaline’s world journey, Backpacks and blackboards, Niamh on leave,  Wise monkeys abroad and Rare birds fly to think of their five favorite places.
Booked.net – Top Destinations to Go There