Hey everyone!
Happy Winter or Summer, wherever you are in the world. Welcome back to my blog and thank you for taking the time to read!
Waaay back in 2015 and 2016 when I already knew I wanted to spend my Australian winter in American summer at a summer camp, I was wondering about other countries to visit as a young solo traveller. It is daunting knowing there’s a whole massive world out there for you to explore, but you don’t know where to go… or where to start. As some of you may know, I was hoping to visit the Philippines and take a trip to the famous Boracay Island, but the Island actually closed for a few years and I ended up visiting Lisbon in Portugal in 2017. It was one of the best experiences and I always recommend Europe to a lot of solo travellers (it’s also an incredibly popular destination for Aussies) but in this post, I wanted to discuss some other places and countries that you may not have thought of for your travels. Now don’t get me wrong, you don’t HAVE to be a solo traveller, you can travel to any of these places with friends and family. I’m writing this as a guide for ideas and inspiration for younger me and hopefully to help someone on their own journey, as I would have been so grateful if someone had given me these recommendations when I was thinking of places to go.
1. Madeira, Portugal
I’ve got to start off with somewhere that is slowly becoming more well known in Europe, but I think it’s still such an underrated place that is perfect for a laid back, island life vibe or exhilarating solo adventure. Flying from England was so simple- direct and affordable flights- but you can also fly pretty easily from anywhere, especially if you’re already in Europe or United Kingdom. Madeira can be a trip in its own or slotted into your other travel plans. Funchal is the capital of Madeira and it’s great as a “base,” you’ve got a mix of city vibes, right on the beach, with the backdrop of the mountains. The weather is warm year round and there are plenty of things to see and do in Funchal, from a variety of food markets, city night life, swimming at the local beaches, botanic gardens, historical buildings and landmarks as well as the Funchal cable car up to Monte. You can also get public transport up to one of my favourite viewpoints Eira do Serrado. There are multiple and spectacular hikes to do around Madeira, as well as day trips, diving, tobogganing and more viewpoints to marvel at which is great for depending on how you want your itinerary to look and how long you want to stay.
2. Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
I speak about Lake Atitlan in Guatemala A LOT, as it was a place (and country) that always left me in absolute awe. It’s one of my favourite countries I’ve ever visited and what I loved about Lake Atitlan, besides how beautiful it is, was actually how easy it is to travel to and around. We crossed the border on land from Mexico and got a shuttle bus to Panajachel, but you can simply fly into Guatemala City and get a shuttle bus to Lake Atitlan. Panajachel is known as the “gateway” to Lake Atitlan and is the transport hub. You can get boats to the different towns of Lake Atitlan and each town on the Lake has a range of activities and spots to explore with so much rich culture and history to learn about, with incredibly welcoming and friendly communities. You can either choose to stay in Pana and do day trips to other parts of Lake Atitlan or you can stay in another town such as San Pedro, San Marcos, San Juan, Santa Cruz or Solola to name a few. There’s everything from paragliding, hiking mountains and volcanoes, learning Spanish at a local school, food markets, textile shops, viewpoints, swimming spots, water activities and even hot thermal pools! I found Lake Atitlan an ideal spot for slow travel and Guatemala's remaining regions are incredibly breathtaking, so I must add Antigua, Flores and Tikal as must-see destinations for future travels. Alternatively, you can even border hop into Mexico or fly to another country in Central America.
3. Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Puerto Escondido was such an interesting and unique place that I’m so glad I got to visit on my travels, and somewhere I’d recommend to everyone. Mexico in general is another country that holds a special place in my heart. I loved travelling around the diverse and breathtaking cities and towns of Mexico. Puerto Escondido is a picturesque beach town on the coast of Oaxaca. Besides the centre of Puerto, some other popular spots include Zicatela, known for its famous pipeline surf, Carrizalillo beach which is set in a cove backed by steep cliffs and La Punta, located at the southern end of Zicatela with smaller waves. There are plenty of food and clothing markets to visit, beaches to swim in and nightlife to enjoy. You can also learn Spanish at one of the local schools, take day trips to different areas of Puerto, learn to surf, hike around the rocks at some of the beaches and catch colectivos (which was my favourite part!) a pickup truck that you can flag down on the side of the road. The weather is lovely and warm year round and accommodation is affordable for any type of traveller. Puerto Escondido was another place I found great for slow travel, unless you’re on a time schedule, you can continue your travels either down the coast to another stunning beach town called Mazunte or even further into San Cristobal de las Casas. Otherwise, you can travel back up into the mainland of Oaxaca, Puebla and even Mexico City.
4. Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo is one of the most brilliant cities I’ve ever been too and Japan is a country I’d highly recommend for first time travellers. It is such a vibrant and unique city, so accessible and simple to get about on public transport and there is a variety of accommodation that are all very reasonably priced, from capsule inns, hostels and hotels. The food scene in Tokyo is phenomenal and the shopping is unmatched. As well as learning Japanese, there is also a ton of things to see and do in Tokyo. From popular landmarks such as Shibuya Crossing and the famous giant 3D cat in Shinjuku, shrines and temples, museums and art galleries, historical buildings and cozy parks, Tokyo nightlife and even Disneyland to name a few. It is possible to even get a bus up to the fifth station of Mount Fuji to either sight see or hike it, depending on the time of year! The historic legacies and deep rooted traditions are such an integral part of Japan, mixed with the futuristic and bustling vibes from the fashion to the technology the atmosphere will blow your mind. You can continue your travels to anywhere in Japan, popular places south of Tokyo such as Kamakura, Kyoto and Osaka are perfect to get to by train or bullet train.
5. Bangkok, Thailand
Last but not least. Bangkok Thailand. Up there with Tokyo in my favourite cities category. A city of contrasts where traditional Thai life coexists with modern urban development, creating such an incomparable and noteworthy atmosphere. Accommodation is affordable for both short or longer stays (as this was another city I felt was perfect for slow travel), the public transport throughout Bangkok is some of the best in my opinion with a massive range of buses, trains and canal boats to get around. Not to mention, the famous grab app that is a must during your stay. From the remarkable Buddhist temples and shrines that shower the city and show so much important history and culture, there’s also places like Chinatown, Lumpinee Stadium and Park, Chatuchak weekend market and park and Rajadamnern Stadium that hold a lot of legacy. Furthermore, the shopping in Bangkok is truly out of this world from places like the MBK centre, Icon Siam, Central World and Siam Paragon. Thailand is the home of Muay Thai, one of my favourite sports and activities that I got to do in Bangkok, it was an epic experience. For future travel plans, I’d suggest anywhere in Thailand or obviously other countries in Asia, leading one awesome trip.
Happy travels everyone!If you like this sort of blog post, or have more recommendations for readers, feel free to comment below! Otherwise DM me on my instagram: the_runawayredhead.
Talk Soon,
The Runaway Redhead
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