This time of year is my big travel planner period. New vacation days are coming and I seem to be the only one in all of Stockholm who doesn't have nailed down plans for the next decade. Friends have started to book both autumn holidays and Christmas holidays, I myself haven't got further than to start filling in requests for summer holidays... But you can always plan and dream, can't you? Luckily there are so many wonderful travel blogs that can give me inspiration in the meantime! :) Here are the five travel destinations that are currently gnawing a little in my brain stem and that make my "book-travel-nerve" twitch a little extra!
South Australia along the Great Ocean Road
Western Australia
Australia is always a good idea.
Perth and Western Australia have long been on my list of destinations I would like to visit. I want to see smiling quokkas on Rottnest Island, I want to hike among beautiful rock formations in The Pinnacles, I want to meet wild dolphins at sunrise in Monkey Mia and I want to sip a glass of wine at a vineyard in Margaret River.
One who has traveled in the area that I'm skimming through all the posts at right now, is Maria on Maria's Memoirer. She has road tripped all the way between Darwin and Perth and has lots of lovely pictures and inspiration to start planning a trip here.
Bali
I hung out at the Sari Club in Bali in the weeks before the horrible terrorist attack in 2002. The Sari Club, where we danced almost every night, crowded with other tourists, laughing and having fun. Since then I have had a hard time going back to Bali. But something has happened this year. After 17 years I am now getting ready to face beautiful Bali again.
A blogger who loves Bali is Christine at 29 degrees, I read her lovely posts and dream back.
Not the North Island, but the South Island of New Zealand
North Island in New Zealand
We drove on South Island in New Zealand three years ago and since then I've been a bit keen to go back and drive here again, but this time on the North Island. Actually, there aren't as many attractions on the North Island that appeal to me, but they are different types of attractions than the South Island. It is said that the North Island is best experienced during autumn/winter, but I have not decided whether I am ready to give up Swedish heat for cold yet. There are very few bloggers who seem to have traveled here during the winter months, I wonder if I dare to take a chance?
Some bloggers who traveled around New Zealand are FREEDOMTravel and Maya Nordlund. Would we even venture into an RV this time?
Maldiverna
I can start by saying that I have long been doubtful about the Maldives. Mainly because I'm a restless soul who finds it hard to sit still on a tiny little island, but also because the situation in the country has been a little uneasy. What has happened? Have I become lazy? Old? Boring? Because right now I feel that it might be quite nice not to have to plan so much, but just lie in a sun lounger...
I followed Discovering the Planets lovely trip to the Maldives on Instagram a few weeks ago. I think it was somewhere there that I started dreaming about sand between my toes.
Favorite The Surin in Phuket
Thailand
How come I always dream a little about Thailand? Is it the food? The people? The climate? The pace? Regardless, Thailand is a favorite for many. Maybe I should try an island I haven't visited yet this time? Koh Samui maybe? Or I'll just go back to Phuket and lie down in a sun lounger at one of my favorite hotels again. That would definitely work too.
What kind of trips are you dreaming of right now? Should I give up Swedish summer heat to drive in snow? Or should I simply lay in a sun lounger and drink fruity drinks at sunset? Help!
Also feeling a little stressed that the summer is not planned. Yes, except for a couple of weeks in Åre. But we're going to the Maldives in three weeks, so maybe we can inspire a little there. We will live on a local island as well, so I hope that there will be a little more happening than on resort islands.
Surely you get a little stressed? It will be both expensive and poor supply to wait! But I can't decide... ?
But oh so lovely that you are going to the Maldives! Besides, maybe I can "come with" you there before I decide where we're going! :)
First, thank you please for the link love. In fact, we thought we would really have nothing to do during our two weeks. Turned out to be the opposite. We actually didn't manage to do everything we wanted :). May in and of itself be due to the fact that we are a bit of a sleeper.
I never thought about Australia and New Zealand. But now I'm starting to wonder if it's not time to look there... I'll just go to South America first... and once to some African country... then maybe :)...
Oh so lovely to dream away, and thank you very much for the link ❤ Feel free to take your time at the Pinnacles, because it's also worth going for a walk beyond the formations themselves for a little walk in the surrounding desert landscape? I haven't booked the summer trip yet, but I'm googling flights and different destinations now, so I have to make a decision soon?
What lovely destinations do you have to look forward to!? I also want to meet happy quakkas, which I missed when I only traveled on the east coast! I have visited New Zealand's North Island during their winter, and even though there are much less tourists then I would probably still recommend going there in their spring/summer - winter in NZ is colder than you think!? Thanks for the link!