I love traveling. I have been really traveling on my own since 2010, when I caught the travel bug on my first friend trip to Panama City Beach for spring break! Since then, i have traveled to 21 countries and am set to hit 30 countries in 2020! I have compiled a list of places I think you should travel if you are just getting into international travel!
The Big Island, Hawaii
The Big Island of Hawaii has everything you DON’T expect Hawaii to be. However, it is (in my opinion), the best island to visit if it is your first time to Hawaii. Why? Take a trip up Mauna Kea to get some amazing views, and SNOW! Kona is a dryer landscape, full of lava rock and many beautiful beaches to discover. Take a drive over to Hilo and you are in a completely different climate. Hilo sees a lot more rain, so it is very lush. Besides being slightly congested in Kona, the traffic is almost non-existent compared to Honolulu’s traffic.
Check out my Big Island Posts
1. We Tried Floating the Big Island of Hawaii Kohala Flume, Here’s How it Went
2. 15 MUST TRY Places to Eat & Drink on the Big Island of Hawaii
3. The Ultimate Guide to a Day Trip on the Big Island of Hawaii
4. 8 Must Visit Beaches on the Big Island of Hawaii.
5. 12 Things To Do On the Big Island of Hawaii
Santorini, Greece
If you are looking to dip your toes in some amazing destinations, then head to Santorini where you will take in the whitewashed, blue top buildings, amazing views of the volcano, and lots of Greek food. The island isn’t super big, so the airport isn’t far from some of the main towns.
Check out my Santorini Posts
1. The Best Instagram Spots in Santorini
2. 8 Things To Do if You Only Have 48 Hours in Santorini
3. I Stayed in a Santorini Airbnb with a Cave Pool and Here is How it Went.
Dubai, UAE
Luxury, extravagance, and futuristic architecture. Dubai has always been a fascinating place for me. When I visited, I found it to feel very safe, easy to get around and so many things to do! I would highly recommend visiting Dubai if you are just getting your feet wet in traveling.
Check out my Dubai Post
1. I Had a 9 Hour Layover in Dubai. Here Are All the Things We Did.
Singapore
Singapore amazed me like Dubai did. It is another remarkable country (city-state technically) that went from a 3rd world country to 1st world country in less than a century. The city is very clean, there is hardly any crime due to how their government is run, and they have amazing architectural wonders – like Marina Bay Sands & Gardens By the Bay
Check out my Singapore Posts
1. I Ate at the World’s Highest Urban Microbrewery. Here’s My Experience
2. I Explored the World’s Largest Indoor Cloud Forest in Singapore. Here is my Experience!
3. I Stayed at the Hotel With the Highest Infinity Pool. Here is How it Went.
4. Here is What to do With 48 Hours in Singapore
London, UK
My new favorite layover stop, London is easily one of my favorite European cities (so far). It is so easy to get around, they speak English so there is no language barrier, and I have discovered so many cool bars and restaurants. The main sites are all walking distance (or a nice River Thames boat ride) away!
Check out my London Posts
1. The Best Instagram Spots in London.
2. I Bar Hopped for 6 Hours in London, Here is Where We Went.
3. I Found 2 Secret Bars in London. Here is How to Find Them.
4. I Created My Own London Pub Route and Here Are the Places We Went
5. Travel With Me: One Day in London
6. Travel With Me: Sky Garden London
7. Travel With Me: High Tea in London
8. Travel With Me: Harry Potter Studio Tour London
Paris, France
I dream about going back to Paris every day. Paris is a great place to be a tourist and as a new traveler, it isn’t too difficult to figure out how to get around, most places will speak English ad you get to see all the sites you have only read about: Eiffel Tower, catacombs, the Louvre, and more!
Check out my Paris Posts
1. Here is How to Successfully Navigate the Palace of Versailles
2. Travel With Me: One Day in Paris
3. Travel With Me: Paris Catacombs
4. Travel With Me: Hello, Eiffel Tower
5. Travel With Me: A Day in the Loire Valley
6. Travel With Me: A Day at Mont St-Michel
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is one of my favorite places to go for a quick getaway. I seem to make it there one or two times a year! For all you US folks, it is an easy drive from Seattle or a quick flight to Vancouver and a quick bus ride from there. If you love outdoors, you can do it all here…all without requiring a car! The village is pretty contained, and you can walk everywhere.
Check out my Whistler Posts
1. I Walked Across a Canyon in Whistler. Read All About it Here!
2. We Hit the Spa and the Slopes in Whistler. Here Was Our Experience.
3. Whistler, B.C. in the Offseason
4. Travel With Me: Whistler, British Columbia
Rome, Italy
Get your feet wet in Italy by checking out Rome first. There nothing better for history buffs than checking out the Roman Forum & Colosseum! The city is very walkable ..so walkable that you can reach the Vatican City pretty quickly.
Check out my Rome Post
1. How to Spend 48 hours in Rome
Nashville, Tennessee
I didn’t think I would love Nashville (as I am not a country fan), but it ended up being so fun! If you love fast paced, good music and being walkable, this is the city for you to visit! You will never be bored with the amount of things there is to do there and you can get everywhere quickly. Try out Top Golf, check out Lower Broadway and don’t forget 12 South!
Check out my Nashville Posts
1. The Best Instagram Spots in Nashville
2. Choose Your Own Adventure: The Ultimate Guide to a Successful Bachelorette Weekend in Nashville
3. I Spent 4 Days Hunting Murals in Nashville. Here Are the Ones I Found
I hope this list helped you picked a few areas to go for your first time traveling internationally. These are definitely just my opinion based on my travels but are all countries I had positive experiences in and would DEFINITELY (or have plans) to go back to.
What are places you would add to this list?
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