My top 5 travel destinations for the future

It’s been a while since my last blog post and so many things have happened. I’ve been busy translating, writing and teaching, and I got engaged too! :)

I’ve started writing short travel destination guides for a car rental company, so I’ve been dreaming and learning more about Costa Rica, South Africa, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Lebanon etc. This past of my work I really enjoy, and I get to do it all from home with a cup of coffee and my dog next to me. :) I've also been teaching English to children between 3–6 years in a Spanish school for a couple of weeks, but I’m really happy to go back to teaching private classes after dealing with a class of 15-21 energetic Spanish kids! And I’ve got engaged! On the beautiful Spanish island of Menorca…on a rooftop terrace under the stars – not bad, right?

Now, back to what I love the most…travelling! The last couple of days, while reading about gorgeous places around the world, I’ve thought about what I would do if I had, let’s say, 100,000 Euros. No doubt about it, I would go travelling! So I’ve made my top list of places I want to visit.

Here are the top 5 travel destinations on my bucket list:

Colombia
South Africa
Cuba
Costa Rica
The Philippines

And this is why:

Colombia: It appeals to me for so many reasons. I want to see Colombia’s beautiful nature and the gorgeous Caribbean beaches in the north, that don’t seem too exploited and overcrowded. My good friend Maria has told me about her lovely hometown Cali, the centre of salsa, and the music, the dancing, the mentality of the people of Colombia. The country has a fascinating history too. Of course, most people think about the infamous drug trafficking industry by the Medellín and Cali cartels, when mentioning Colombia. Also, I’m following the upcoming peace deal between the Colombian government and the Farc guerillas with great interest and hoping the country’s 52-year long conflict is coming to an end. And finally, I love Colombian Spanish. It is so much nicer and softer than the Spanish spoken here in Spain. Maybe I’ll even get to use some vocabulary learned from the series “Narcos”. Or thinking about it, I hope I don’t need to use “hijo de puta” (= son of a bitch) or “plata o plomo” (=silver or lead). :P

South Africa: I was so close to going there to do an internship with a women’s rights organisation two years ago but ended up at UNESCO in Paris instead. But I’m definitely going sometime in my life just to experience the amazing nature and wildlife in South Africa. I’ll never forget the safari I went on in Tanzania some years ago, and I would love to go to another national park somewhere in Africa. Preferably, a smaller and less crowded park, like the one I went to in Tanzania, this time with the hope of seeing all the “big five”. I want to experience the atmosphere in Cape Town, visit the township Soweto in Johannesburg, see Nelson Mandela and Desmund Tutu’s birthplaces and learn more about the dark era of apartheid, stand at the most southern tip of Africa, drive in Africa's “Switzerland” Lesotho and much more.

Cuba: I love Cuban salsa and Afro-Cuban rumba, so Cuba is, of course, THE place to learn more about the dances and soak in the surrounding atmosphere. My Cuban friends have told me about their late nights in Havana and family get-togethers where everybody is doing salsa dancing. And of course, Cuba has those amazing beaches with turquoise water, beautiful charming Havana and the colonial beach town Trinidad, interesting history, classical 50s cars and mojitos. :)

Costa Rica: This country just seems to be a nature paradise. I would love to experience the beautiful and unique nature, the animals and magnificent beaches Costa Rica can offer. Rainforest, volcanoes and waterfalls, lots of fun activities such as rafting, hiking and snorkelling and of course the famous Tortuguero National Park, where you can experience sea turtle nesting. Sounds pretty cool to me!

The Philippines: Another destination I was meant to visit, but I ended up going to other parts of Southeast Asia instead. The beaches look magnificent and the nature gorgeous, and less-discovered compared to Thailand and Bali. I would love to go island hopping around The Philippines and enjoy the beach life. I would definitely want to stay at the island Palawan to go diving in the crystal-clear water and visit one of the many national parks.

Have you visited any of these countries already? Or are they on your bucket list too? Share your dreams with me. Have a lovely weekend everybody!