Where to Travel in 2021: My Favorite Travel Destinations

If you’re like me you are probably at home daydreaming about where you want to explore next. This year has certainly put a hamper on all of our travel plans. So instead of thinking about where I want to travel to next, I decided to think back to all the places I’ve been able to travel to so far. In no particular order, here is a list of five of my favorite travel destinations from the last few years. Hopefully, it will give you some travel inspiration for when we are able to start exploring again!

Tanzania

Let’s start this list off with Tanzania. I went to Tanzania for the first time back in 2018. It was my first time in Africa and I was there to attempt to climb Mt Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro is one of the 7 Summits and the tallest mountain in Africa. It was a grueling climb that lasted just over a week. I made it to the summit after walking through some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes I’ve ever seen, and I broke down in tears both out of joy and exhaustion.

My trip didn’t end with the climb though and Tanzania only got better and better! I headed out on a safari through the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. I saw lions big and small, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and even a baby rhino. I visited the Maasai people, made coffee fresh from the beans with the Chaaga, and even got to explore some waterfalls. 

Norway

Next up is Norway, a place that brings back so many amazing memories for me.  A place I have visited both in summer and in winter, and I don’t think I have a favorite season since both were incredible. During the winter I visited Alta, Oslo, and Finnmark. I was able to do the ice plunge, stay in an igloo, and even herd reindeer with an indigenous family in the north. 

My summer trip there was just as good with a visit to Tromso for some midnight sailing, and a road trip through the islands. Here, I hiked in Senja which is still one of my favorite hikes of all time. The views were absolutely magnificent and I will never forget the sight of the fjords. I headed back up to the Northernmost point in Norway to catch the midnight sun at the most northern lighthouse in Europe and fished for king crab along the way. 

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Portugal

Now we’re heading south to Portugal, where I spent eleven days touring the country and its islands. I started on the island of Madeira with a sunrise hike at Ponta de Forada at the edge of the island. I hiked Levadas and stayed in a glamping hut on the edge of the sea, where I was rocked to sleep by the crash of the waves. I don’t think I’ll ever stay in a place as memorable as that. 

Taking a short flight northwest  I headed up to the Azores. I spent a few days hiking to hot springs, wandering volcanic calderas, and hiking the tallest mountain in Portugal. Pico Mountain is located on the island of Pico, which also has an super unique wine-growing region. Here, vines are grown within square stone walls made from lava rocks. 

Leaving the islands, I headed to the mainland for a few days in Porto. I love this city for its medieval feel, and its buildings of Azulejo tile will transport you back in time. The food and wine really excited me, too. This is the city that made Port famous, and there are a ton of tasting rooms on the edge of the famous Douro River in the city. But for the real deal, I headed to Duoro Valley by train.  Douro Valley is basically the Napa Valley of Portugal. Here, I visited some port and wine vineyards in the most beautiful wine region I have ever seen. 

Kauai

I went to Kauai for the first time last year and immediately fell in love with the garden adventure island. It’s small in size but you can pack a ton of adventure into a trip here. I hit the ground running on this trip by exploring Kauai’s grand canyon called Waimea State Park where I did several hikes on some of the island’s top trails. 

I hiked to waterfalls, woke up for sunrises, and hiked until sunset. I flew over the island’s mountains in a doors-off helicopter, went out to explore sea caves, and snorkeled on a rib boat at the exact spot Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a tiger shark. I ended my trip scuba diving where I saw more sea turtles than I have ever seen. Of course, I also ate some fantastic poke along the way! 

Chamonix

Last on this list is Chamonix in France. I spent my winter holiday here skiing the alps, walking on glaciers, and eating way to much cheese. Chamonix is at the border of France, Italy, and Switzerland. Skiing in the alps has been on my bucket list for a long time and it did not disappoint. 

I spent the first day sightseeing with a trip up to the Mer de Glace, Chamonix’s glacier. There are series of staircases leading you down to ice caves that have been carved into the glacier, which has been shrinking steadily over the last 30 years. I took the cable car up to the Aguille du Midi, a peak in the Mont Blanc range where tourists can get a 360 view of the Alps, Mont Blanc, and three countries. 

Adventurers can set off from here to ski down the mountain and straight onto the glacier to take in some stunning views. I didn’t leave Chamonix without skiing myself, of course. I headed to several different ski areas in the valley to hit the slopes and even spent a day skiing off-site with a guide. 

I hope you enjoyed reliving some of my favorite travel destinations from the last few years as much as I did. I would love to hear about some of your favorite destinations that you have visited, and where you are dreaming about going next. Did my list inspire you?