5 places to travel in 2017!
A couple of years ago at lunch a colleague of mine who hasn’t traveled any place far from Pittsburgh asked me what was one of the best places to go. I see this question posed by other people to wanderlusts. I don’t consider myself widely traveled, see for example my recent favorite travel family www.earthtrekkers.com We are not even close to how widely traveled they are but widely traveled is such a relative term.
Anyway the answer for the best places to go to is “it depends on what you like” (and no one likes this answer) but I have decided to compile what was some of our travel highlights based on what you like to see or want to do.
It is very hard to order places but here is my top 5. Note that some maybe a bit far from USA and expensive (#4) but well worth it.
- Mexico — We have been to Mexico twice and I LOVED it both times. We went to Mexico city and there is so much to see especially since it is so close to US but has such a different and rich ancient heritage and culture. Food is great if you are not a vegetarian like us and people are friendly. Don’t miss the main archaeological museum in Mexico, it is a must see. The second time we went to the Riveria Maya area and Tulum beaches are awesome, untouched in low season and the Mayan ruins nearby are splendid. The main Mayan pyramid and one of the 7 wonders of the world Chichen Itza is a big let down but rent a car and drive to less known ruins near by for a more off-the-beaten path experience.
- Chile — When my husband had a conference in Chile, I could not let the opportunity to tag along and see this long beautiful country. It would also be my first time crossing the equator into the Southern Hemisphere — watch the southern night sky, the water go the other way in the drain, etc. When my husband asked me if I wanted to go down south to Patagonia or north to the Atacama desert, I picked the latter. We were in Seattle at that time and I was so depressed from the rain and grey skies that I needed to see sunshine for as long as possible. I didn’t go wrong with my pick but what we found out was that I really picked the exact opposite of Seattle as there are some places in Atacama desert which have never seen rain and is the only place on earth that has happened. It is also the only place seen from space that is brown on the earth. Atacama desert was awesome and it seemed the air has lithium or some mineral that makes you happy. We ran down sand dunes, watched sunset at Valle de Luna which resembles the landscape of moon. The indigenous culture was great and so it turned out to be a great trip in many ways!
- Croatia — Much needs to be said about this unknown country which is like Italy but much more cheaper and down-to-earth, friendly people. When my husband asked me to pick a place in Europe, I wanted to go to the beach since I miss it the most living in Pittsburgh but he didn’t want to compromise on city things as well as some mountains/hills with a view. So we did some research and came up with Croatia and we never regretted the decision. The only thing I regret is skipping Dubronovik due to lack of time and starting our trip at Split. Croatia has a fact that you probably won’t read on (m)any travel blogs — the cleanest toilets. My 2-year daughter had been potty trained fully since 21 months and I was hell bent on making sure that the trip doesn’t ruin that so I needed clean toilets and Croatia delivered in spades. Everywhere you went, even the local toilets next to beaches were sparkling clean! You cannot go wrong with any of the islands but we saw Brac’(pronounced Bra-tch) where I felt like I was in a story book — perfect 360 views of sea, rolling hills, olive farms and a decent vegetarian meal of pasta all at a super-affordable price.
- Tanzania — African safari is an experience of a life time. Do you see thousands of animals walking together from one place to another every day or a lion having “the intimate” thing with the lioness every 30 seconds? It was like being in Lion King. We drove the plains of Serengeti with wild tall grass in every direction while the sky turned a beautiful red to orange to gold to black beauty as the sun was setting. We spent time alone watching 3 cheetah cubs playing with their moms who was keeping a close watch on them. I watched the scene for an hour until our wonderful driver and my dear husband lost patience and it was time to go to our luxury tent for a night camp. Get your shots (Yellow Fever & Hep A) and don’t be afraid of the mosquitoes to head out there before all the crazy climate changes brings havoc to this amazing area. Note — Skip Kenya if you can as they are more commercial and don’t follow signs to stay on road and get too close to the animals.
- Sri Lanka — This is unknown tear drop island that is so close to India yet so different. First of all, you can wear western and comfortable clothes without stares or lewd comments from the street guys like in India. It is safe and you don’t see much remnants of the long and dangerous civil war that the country had for decades. The food was amazing even for vegetarians, the views were spectacular especially from our $70/night hotel in Nuwara Eliye (best mountain view ever) followed by Ella Gap the next night. Lots of Buddhist monuments in Dambulla and Polonnaruwa. Sigiriya climb was spectacular though I don’t recommend it with a 3-year old like we did. The hike was scary in many places for a little one and possibly for people with fear of heights. Great views, Buddhist temples and monuments (culture), amazing tea and food (try the green jackfruit curry!), cheap shopping and family-friendly, this tiny island has everything you want at a budget price.