Exquisite seafood and local delicacies along the French Canals; Pandas, The Great Wall and luscious Sichuan cuisine in China; and raw blues at Senegal’s surfing spots! What more could you ask for a vacation bling? Whether it’s New Year’s Eve or Valentine’s Day, the places listed below are sure to add excitement and fervor to your holiday. Take a look:
Senegal-Western Africa
Senegal is a beautiful region located in Western Africa popular for its secret yet adventurous surfing spots. Discovered in the 1960s, the place was highlighted in ‘Endless Summer’, a flick based on a documentary focusing on surfing for beginners. The place is lively and fun due to its natural proclivity toward music that gets the crowd excited and elated. Loads of music buffs flock in from Europe and Western Africa to attend Baaba Maal’s famous yearly Blues du Fleuve festival in Podor. Baaba Maal, who is a renowned musician in Senegal, enjoys a huge fan following and is a highlight of the place. With its surfing furor and music frenzy through African guitars, this exotic place is not to be missed.
Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux boasts the globally reputed chateaux and a plethora of grand vineyards that are international brands adored by millions. Located in the south of France, this cozy little place is famous for its local delicacies, especially shucked oysters and fish. If you are in Paris, it only takes about two hours in the train to reach Bordeaux for some taste-bud tantalizing food and great wine. Despite its slumberous aura, the place is buzzing with tourists during peak season in July and August. However, plan a holiday trip during September and October, as the autumn weather and wine harvest uplift the town’s zippy vibe around that time.
Western Iceland
If you love skiing and snowballs, this is the place for you. The place is literally a glacial lagoon with snowcapped tunnels and ice ridges. Reykjavik is a famous part of Iceland that is cool and stylish having been transformed into a premier tourist attraction. The region has some nice puffin shops and pleasant waterfall areas that are great for sightseeing. The hike or road trips toward the country’s north are exciting owing to the series of mesmerizing landscapes, geological wonders and ice glaciers that would leave you stunned. These are at a close distance from Reykjavik, and further into the place, you can enjoy the frozen tunnels of Iceland’s second largest ice cap, Langjokull. Other attractions include the islands of Brei fjörður, Iceland’s highest waterfall, the amazing scenery of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and the photogenic lighthouse of Akranes.
Albania
This European wonder is one of the prettiest sights in the Mediterranean landscape with its glorified sunny beaches spanning miles of earthy wilderness. The place projects a clean, pure yet rustic vibe partly due to the sandy beaches and the bewildering mast of wild. The food shares some of the aspects of Greek delicacies yet is enjoyable and satiating. The capital Tirana houses the Hoxha’s underground complex on the outskirts that Bunk Art has transformed into a cultural center, which includes a hall for jazz concerts. The place will be opened to tourists this year and you should expect the theme along the lines of underground art.
Penang, Malaysia
Penang is a beautiful island that serves the best street food in Asia. If you’re a food aficionado, this place must be on your vacation list. With Malaysia celebrating its 60 years of independence this year, the place is sure to step up the appeal for foreign travelers and tourists. Traditional delicacies and fusion cuisines like Baba Nyonya or Peranakan, are definitely not to be missed. Peranakan is made in a way that infuses local ingredients in Malay and Chinese cooking techniques. Additionally, the food in Penang is a delicious blend of Indian, Chinese and Malay cuisines that is sure to stir up your appetite. Places in Georgetown like hawker centers and shophouses serve some of the most amazing Asian street food and fusion delicacies that you can nosh on while you roam around enjoying historic sites like the Old English Colonial Mansions and classic Chinese shophouses.
Colombia
This South American place is a popular haven for its sizzler Bogota coffee and aesthetically pleasing Medellin architecture. Add to this the historic arts, Corals National park and 16th-century fortifications from Cartagena and you’ve got a fantabulous destination for a great trip. The place grows some of the world’s prestigious coffee beans like the ones served in Bourbon Coffee Roasters and La Devocion at the capital, Bogota. Colombia boasts brilliant architectures that are manifested through structures like Giancarlo Mazzanti’s Parque Biblioteca España in Medellin, one of the most popular libraries around. Other places of attraction include the UNESCO base site at the Cartagena port that is also an important West Indies trade route, and Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Park which is about an hour’s drive from Columbia.
Bermuda
The place has been the official host for the 35th US Cup race this year. It also hosts international boat races that are famous across the globe. The site is marked by some stunning beaches that offer a breathtaking landscape with a wide coastline and burgeoning plantation across the sandy terrain. Bermuda is about two hours jet travel from the American east coast, and one great spot here is the British Overseas Territory that is a noticeable blend of West Indian, American and British cultures amongst others. The new marina with its revamped hotel and berths is not to be missed as is the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club.
Isaan, Thailand
Who doesn’t want to go to this place? The Asian commercial hub is famous for the state of the art infrastructure, modern urban fabric, exquisite hotels, wow food and commercial landscape. The northern part includes the unexplored Isaan that is a portention of urbanization with local airports, buildings, and hotels for international markets. Apart from its staple sticky rice and papaya, Thai cuisine is replete with delicious delicacies that are a complete gastronomical delight. The historic sites include the earliest Khmer ruins located on the outskirts of Buriram, Bronze Age artifacts present at the UNESCO-listed Ban Chiang Archaeological center and Loei based mountainous national parks.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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