It was a proud moment when I suddenly realised last week that I've been to six continents in the past eight months. Six! South America, tick. North America, check. Europe, yup. Africa, Asia and Australasia, boom. For an express tour around the world I've done pretty well, and I've racked up heaps of experiences and happy memories along the way that, rather than satisfying and placating the wanderlust I've been nurturing since April, have only served to intensify my desire to see more of the world.
Six continents may sound like a lot, but the world is a big place (fun fact: there are 18,000 islands in Indonesia alone), and there are plenty more places I want to explore. Australia will be my home for the next 11 months - 23 if I decide to get my farm on for the sake of a second year visa - and while it's nice to have a base for the foreseeable future, I will so be ready to get back into travel once I get kicked out of the country! Here are a few places on my wish list:
1. New Zealand: I was told off by multiple people for excluding NZ from my original list, and after speaking with fellow travellers and scraping the country's surface with a quick research session, I now understand why. Landscapes, glaciers, whales, vineyards...err, yes please.
2. Bali: I've ALWAYS wanted to go to Bali. It's so close to Oz that I may hop across at some point this year - might as well while I'm in the area! New Caledonia, the Cook Islands, the Maldives, Bora Bora and the French Polynesia would also do very nicely; I don't think I'll ever tire of secluded soft white sandy beaches, beautiful clear shallows and the delightful concept of falling asleep to the sound of lapping waves in a luxury beach hut.
3. Krabi: On a similar theme, I'd love to go to Krabi, Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta if I'm ever back in the area. Unfortunately the weather wasn't particularly congenial when I was in Asia a few weeks ago so I had to pull the plug on my Thai island plans.
4. Sri Lanka: I don't know enough about Sri Lanka to fill a decent sized paragraph, but I DO know that it is dense with exotic wildlife - particularly elephants, which I have come to love after spending a day with them in Chiang Mai - National Parks, beaches and tea. That's a lot of my favourite things in one place.
5. Dubai: A few days in Dubai would probably suffice and I wouldn't mind visiting as a stopover at some point during my travels. More specifically, I'd love to take a helicopter ride over the emirate to soak up the mind boggling architecture and stunning views.
6. Antarctica: Calming serenity, natural galleries of unbelievable ice sculptures, whales...the earth's southernmost continent is a unique world of its own that I would love to see for myself one day. However, with the cheapest tours coming in at around £5,000 that day will not be any time soon.
7. Canada: Vancouver, the Rockies, Tadoussac. That was the route I planned to take instead of flying back home after LA. At the time I was annoyed at myself that I chose to go home, but ultimately that decision led to a two week European break - I finally made it to Paris! - a camping safari in East Africa and the most amazing month in Cape Town, now one of my favourite places in the world and of course the city that introduced me to Matty.
8. Hawaii: Because Hawaii.
9. Brazil: I cannot stress enough how much I loved Brazil and how much I want to go back. Two weeks gave me a taste for the country but with just one and a half days in Rio and two days in tropical paradise Ilha Grande, there was little time to stop and soak it all up. Ideally I'd like to go back to Rio for Carnaval, do Ilha Grande/Paraty again and relax on the beaches of Florianópolis.
10. Argentina: Technically, TECHNICALLY, I've been to Argentina - and have the stamp in my passport to prove it. I did only go for half a day, however, and with the sole purpose of viewing Iguassu Falls from the Argentinian side (which I found much more spectacular than the Brazilian side). Buenos Aires and Mendoza are calling...
11. The Caribbean: See Hawaii. Replace word 'Hawaii' with 'the Caribbean'.
12. Azores: This Portuguese archipelago is home to an impressive 20 species of whale, around a third of the total number of existing species. Being one of the world's largest whale sanctuaries is sufficient reason to throw my savings at a one way plane ticket, not to mention the emerald coastlines, hiking and snorkelling/diving opportunities.
13. Croatia: If you haven't heard of the Plitvice Lakes, run a Google Image search and brace yourself for beauty so pure it doesn't look real. This is the primary reason Croatia features on my list, although I'd team it with a trip to King's Landing (otherwise known as Dubrovnik), Split and party island Hvar. I've heard autumn is a good time to go, with warm rusty colours and the falls flowing back at full force after escaping the heat of summer, however the photos below suggest winter isn't a bad shout either.
14. Prague: The medieval Charles Bridge, the Vltava river, Parisian style cafés, parks & gardens, architectural diversity, nearly a thousand towers & spires and supposedly the best beer in Europe. Prague just sounds...nice. I'd like to do a few days there when I'm back in that part of the world.
15. Budapest: A 4x6" framed photo on the kitchen windowsill in my family home is the reason I want to go to Budapest. Carpeted in snow, the city looks gorgeous in winter, and the Széchenyi Baths are probably the closest thing I'll get to Reykjavik's Blue Lagoon (one of my favourite travel experiences). Again, I'd probably only want to go for a few days but I'd like to see it nonetheless.
16. Norway: Scooching a bit closer to home now, Norway may not seem like an obvious choice for a Brit with the whole of Europe at their fingertips. It's got to be...whales of course! Or, more specifically, orcas - and the fact that you can swim with them as well as just watch from a boat. Norway is also home to majestic fjords, the north of the country is an excellent spot to see the Northern Lights, and the country's capital Oslo featured heavily in Roald Dahl's childhood autobiography Boy, a book I grew up with.
17. Ireland: I don't like Guinness but I am a sucker for beautiful landscapes, friendly people and a propensity for boozing (having said that, the last Irish person I met could only neck one can of lager before calling it a night!). I only did Paris and Amsterdam fairly recently despite their proximity to England, and it's high time I went to Ireland too.
On the NEVER list
India: I can't explain why, but I've never really wanted to go to India. My mum confirmed this when she came back from a two week tour there, saying she was glad she'd gone but she'd never go back! I'm sure it has got its charms but I just don't reckon it's for me.
China: Having been to Hong Kong and hated it, I don't think it's a wise idea for me to go anywhere near mainland China. I've not heard brilliant reviews of the country from friends who've been, plus I'm not sure I'd be able to adapt sufficiently to the cultural differences. Drawing on my own personal experiences, Chinese people talk very loudly, have no concept of personal space, jump queues, burp conspicuously in restaurants and ask to take photos of me. There is one place in China I would like to see, and that's the Tianzi mountains - teetering peaks clouded by ethereal mist which inspired the fictional realm portrayed in otherworldly film Avatar.
The Middle East: For obvious reasons, although this part of the world has never held much appeal for me anyway.
