Travel Goals for 2016

For a while now I've had an acute case of wanderlust, I dream of far off travels, adventures and new experiences. I find myself drawn to travel blogs the more I want to get out there and explore and I guess the foundations for this post have been at the back of my mind for a while now. Last year I was lucky enough to head abroad three times and whether it was a place I'd visited before or somewhere new, each trip I saw a new side to the city I was in and so started the wanderlust. This year one of my major goals is to travel more, there are so many places I want to see and so this post is a bit of a nudge to myself to turn some of these plans into actions!

I've made a start on my travel goals by recently squeezing in a little trip to sunny Andalusia. It was amazing to get away and bask in the sunshine for a few days and the brief trip has put travel even more at the forefront of my thoughts. While taking some time out to relax and catch up with my favourite blogs, I found travel inspiration in the #12countries12months travel project on Frock Me I'm Famous and from Beverley at Pack Your Passport (Beverley's newsletter is always a brilliantly inspiring read). These posts have even given me a bit more courage to try solo travelling again, maybe starting with a small city break. 

Below are my top picks of the places I want to visit. South America (I've wanted to go to Patagonia to see the Penguins for years!!) and San Francisco are equally high on the list, so perhaps I should have added those too, but that possibly may be too much all for one year.....who knows....lets see what happens!!

Copenhagen

My love of Scandi style, means I desperately want to visit Copenhagen, described as the 'coolest kid on the Nordic block' by Lonely Planet. I'd like to feel like a local on this trip, perhaps staying in an Airbnb apartment with the archetypal Danish interior design. If I can make it there before April 16th, then I'll definitely try and secure dinner at 108, the Noma pop up while the Noma team are in Australia. Also a visit to Sticks 'n' Sushi would be a must and I'd like to try out The Union Kitchen as recommended by Beverley.

Berlin

As my sister lives in Germany, I've been there a number of times, but I have yet to visit Berlin and it's somewhere I would love to explore. A city full of culture and history not to mention the incredible nightlife which I've heard so much about. I'm thinking to save this visit till the end of the year as I'm really keen to the see the wonderful Christmas market. I think I'll definitely need to invest in some good Winter wear for that trip.

Montenegro 

I travelled to Dubrovnik in Croatia a few years back and I loved it! If we'd had more time I would have loved to have gone to Montenegro too! The country is so scenic and beautiful. There are hidden towns and magnificent beaches with gorgeous turquoise-green seas. I want to visit the beautiful town of Kotor set in a fjord and the magical Skadar Lake. It sounds like a mysterious, far off place doesn't it, but I forget really how close it is and lately I've found myself wondering why I haven't made that trip yet, so I really want to make it happen this year.

Madeira
Towards the end of last year I completely fell in love with Portugal on a trip to Lisbon, definitely one of Europe's gems. I was left with a desire to explore more of the country and when I got home I started doing my research and Madeira kept coming up again and again. Madeira is an island off the coast of Africa which is a region of Portugal and having a look at the photos of the beautiful, exotic scenery I couldn't at first believe the island was only a 3 and a half hour flight away. This is the ideal location for scenic walks, hikes, bike rides and boat trips and I've already been dropping hints about how amazing it would be to a few of my girl friends.

                                                                                                                   *Image from Visit Portugal

Sri Lanka

This year I want to have adventures and for me Sri Lanka is the place that is first on the list when I think of adventure. Everyone I mention Sri Lanka to, tells me that without a doubt it's a destination that left incredible, lasting memories. Sri Lanka's endless beautiful beaches, historical ruins and culture, the friendly, welcoming people I hear so much about, not to mention the elephants, famous Ceylon tea plantations and the delicious food have all very much fuelled my wanderlust and the planning for his trip has already begun!

I may not be able to visit all these places this year, but it's exciting and motivating to have plans and to be honest even if I only manage one or two of these destinations, it will be amazing!

Which destinations are top of your travel list?

Jx