okaybee

I did one of these travelling wish lists a while back.

I mentioned at the time that I definitely had wanderlust, and I think that’s only become more prominent! Since then, I have visited at least 14 new countries (thanks to my New Years Resolution for 2017 and my three months travelling). I decided it was definitely time to update this list and start thinking about the places I want to go to next. I’ve also embedded some of my favourite pictures, from some of my favourite accounts, who have been to these places in the images below. (Just in case you’re looking for some new people to follow!)

Sri Lanka

Is it me, or does Sri Lanka seem like one of the most gorgeous countries you’ve ever seen? Seen online that is, as I obviously haven’t been there yet. Rainforest, beaches, ruins, amazing food. Honestly every time I’m asked what superpower I would want, I always say teleportation. I could just close my eyes, and poof! I’d be on a beach in Sri Lanka, taking in the view, and drinking a cocktail. The dream, right? Sri Lanka is very close to another country that’s on my list below. Maybe I’ll need to make it a double trip?

Mexico

Who does a tour of Central America without visiting Mexico? This girl does. Seriously. Why did I fly all the way to Central America and not step foot into Mexico? The home of my favourite foods? It beats me. I clearly wasn’t thinking when I booked my trip. But my Central America trip was jam packed. There was no way I could have fit in time in Mexico without totally rushing things and not getting to enjoy my time there. I think a trip to Mexico may be in store in the next two years. I have so many plans in the pipeline, but I’ll have to squeeze it in somewhere!

Japan

Japan is one of those places that is so intriguing to me. It’s culture seems so different to my own, so it’s a brilliant opportunity to learn and experience another culture. If you know me well, then you’ll know I’m a huge rugby fan. Huge. I am obsessed with watching, supporting, and trying to see matches as often as possible. I travelled to Chicago to see Ireland take on, and win against the All Blacks. So why, you ask, am I talking about rugby in a paragraph that’s supposed to be about Japan? Well, next year, the Rugby World Cup will be hosted in Japan. The perfect opportunity to merge my favourite sport with exploring a new country? I think so too.

South Africa

South Africa is still on my list from the last time I did it. Just one of those places I haven’t managed to get to yet. I considered trying to add it into my three months travelling, but my schedule was already jam packed and I wanted to give South Africa enough time to properly explore and immerse myself in the culture. Also, because a lot of the places in South Africa that I want to go to are quite spread out geographically, it makes sense to give it time and the opportunity to explore. I still stand by my comment that I will be singing songs from the Lion King the whole way through the safari. This is if I’m not too busy weeping with joy because I’ve seen an elephant.

Iceland

Another country that I didn’t get the opportunity to visit in the last few years. It’s still very high up on my list, it’s just a tricky one. Iceland is notoriously expensive, so you need to be in a position that you, and whoever you’re travelling with, are able to take on the costs. It’s also not a sun holiday! So trying to convince people to go sometimes can be tricky. Myself, one of my sisters and two of my cousins talked about going around January last year. Between one thing and another, we couldn’t go. (Instead, myself and one of the cousins went to Riga in Latvia). I’m hoping that we can get to go in the next year or so, as anyone I’ve spoken to about it has loved their trip!

India

Yet another country from my previous list that I haven’t managed to get to. I did tick some of the countries off that other list, I swear! India, for me, is a place that I’ve become more intrigued by the more I learn about it. I had the pleasure of working with an amazing team from India last year for work. They told me so much about Holi, their traditions and culture. It made me want to go there even more than before! I’ve heard lots of comments and stories about India and how it isn’t safe for women to travel alone there. I’m generally not a risky traveller. I take precautions and make sure that I’m as safe as possible. Maybe I’ll go to India as part of a group tour in the future. It’s something worth thinking about for sure!

Argentina

Having been to Central America, I’m now obsessed with travelling to South America, as I loved Central so much. South America is a totally different beast however. It is absolutely enormous (17,821,029 square kilometres apparently). In order to really do justice to a South American trip, you would really need to dedicate a few months at least to travelling around. Alternatively, you could do one or two countries every few years, but sometimes, when you’re over in a part of the world, you just want to dive in and experience all there is to offer. Which leads me to my next country…

Chile

Mother Nature went to town on this part of the Earth. National Parks, Easter Island, the various incredible Valleys, skiing, the Lake District, Santiago, geysers… I could go on. I won’t, but I could. Chile seems to be like such an adventurous place to visit, with a good mix of culture, nature, sights and activities. I think it would probably be a part of a bigger South American trip that would lead me to explore Chile. Either that or a couple of weeks there exclusively. I try to remember that I have time to explore all these places, but I’m such an impatient person. I want to go now!

Sweden

I’ve been dying to explore more of Europe. With so many amazing countries on my doorstep, it seems a shame that I’ve visited so few of them. I think I’ll make it my mission to visit one new country a year at a minimum. Sweden is high on my list. I used to go with a girl who was from Sweden and it sounded like such a great place. It also doesn’t hurt that I am obsessed with Swedish design and style. I could probably spend weeks just exploring all the stores and shops that are there!

Bali

Still on my list from the last time, and another place that I tried to work into my larger trip, but it just wasn’t feasible. I feel like Bali has become such a popular place in the last number of years. My friend Sarah went there a good few years ago, when we were still in college, and then again last year. She said that it has changed so much in the last five or so years, becoming very commercialised in some areas, and losing some of it’s charm. I definitely want to visit Bali before it becomes even more touristy. As I’ve said before, I don’t have anything against visiting places that have a lot of tourists, but I don’t like when a place starts changing too much to cater for tourists. There’s nothing worse than looking for authentic local food, and only being able to find fast food restaurants! Hopefully that doesn’t continue to happen for Bali.

There you have it. My updated wanderlust travel list. This list is by no means comprehensive, it’s just a list of places that are top of mind for me at the moment. I’d love to know what places are on your wish list! Leave a comment down below.

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