Guest Post: My Favourite Travel Destinations

Thursday 12 February 2015

I am a very lucky girl because since moving to London from New Zealand five years ago I have managed to travel the world more than I could ever have imagined. My job as a teacher allows me to have 13 weeks of holidays a year (don’t hate me) and I don’t waste a single day of those holidays as I am always away during this time. In the last five years I have travelled to some amazing destinations all over the world but when Polly suggested I write about my favourites I found it so hard to choose! But alas here are the ones that have really stuck in my mind as the most memorable and favourites. You can find all of my adventures at www.bigworldsmallme.com stop by and say hello! 
 

1. Italy

I adore Italy, I have done since I first went to Rome in 2011. Since then I have been back on three separate occasions because I just love the place. I love the language, the people, the glorious food and the vast amount of history. Walking through Rome is like walking through an outdoor museum. It was incredible to see all the places I had learnt about at school right there in front of me.
I love the outdoor dining whilst you are serenaded with an accordion and the tasty gelato on a warm summer evening. After visiting all the major cities I still felt amazed by the place and after spending a week in Cinque Terre the past summer I knew there was so much more to see.
What I love most about Italy is how unique it is, they as people stick to their values and as a country I feel like they just do what they want and I kind of like that. My favourite so far in Italy is the tiny town of Verona, even though it’s a bit of a con as we all know that Juliet never really lived here I think it’s so lovely the way the town was embraced this and after spending Valentines Day there two years back I felt like it was the most romantic place in the world! 
 
 

2. Jersey

I must admit that before I moved to the UK I had never heard of the Channel Island Jersey, it wasn’t until my now husband’s sister moved there that we ventured over to the island which is a quick 50 minute plane journey from London. Jersey is an absolute gem of a location, it was once a tax haven full of the rich and ‘famous’ but these days it’s less high flyers although still a tax haven of some sort.
The thing I love most about Jersey are the beautiful beaches, there are so many to choose from it’s difficult which one to pick. So the best for swimming is Bouley Bay, the best for a lunch spot is La Braye at the restaurant El Tica and the best beach to have breakfast at is Rosel Bay at The Hungry Man.
Jersey has a fantastic castle called Gorey and one of the greatest things about Jersey is the Durrell Wildlife Park. I may be a little biased as my sister in law works there but this wild life park only caters to endangered species and is a wonderful place to spend the day looking at the gorillas, bears, orangutans and howler monkeys. I often spend weekends in Jersey but always leave wanting more. I love the laid back lifestyle, the beautiful landscape and the quintessential ‘island life’.
Jersey is the biggest of the Channel Islands located in between the U.K and France, Jersey is probably most famous for their special Jersey cows. 
 
 

3. The Maldives

Going to the Maldives was like having a dream coming true, it’s one of those dream destinations that you think ‘One day I’ll go” well I was lucky enough to have a very good fiancĂ© who booked our honeymoon without my knowledge and surprised me!
The Maldives was without a doubt the best beach destination I have visited. The waters were pristine, the sea life was immense and the hotels well they are beyond expectations. Having an over water villa was out of this world, waking up to the turquoise waters lapping the balcony whilst colourful fish swam by was one of the best travel moments.
I know I probably won’t go back to the Maldives but I’m so glad we made the trip there as it is one of those ‘seen to be believed’ destinations. The Maldivian people were warm and welcoming and were keen to share what life is really like on the stunning islands that people like me flock to year after year. What I liked most about the Maldives was just how remote all the islands are, you really are in the middle of nowhere and it is the ultimate place to get away from it all. 
 
 

4. New Zealand

Now I may be a little biased with this one but I do truly believe that New Zealand is one of the best destinations in the world and of course a favourite of mine. From the breathtaking scenery to the friendly locals you can’t really go wrong with this destination, the only problem is that it is so darn far away from pretty much everything!
I do need to see more of my home country but from what I have seen I love. Everyone mainly thinks about the mountains and lakes and of course Lord of the Rings but to me New Zealand is beaches. From the far north to the bottom of the North Island there are countless beaches with the bluest water!
My favourite part of the North Island is the Coromandel with several beach towns to choose from and plenty of opportunities for fish and chips on the beach after a day of boogie boarding it is a must see place in NZ. The food is good, the people are friendly, the population is low and the summer is like no other. 
So there you have it, my favourite destinations, thank you to Polly for letting me guest post on her lovely blog that I enjoy reading so much. 
 
 
Thank you so much for this gorgeous post Sara! I have a large case of travel envy right now! I completely agree with all of your words on Jersey and Italy and I'm now hoping to get to some of these other destinations soon. All - do hop on over to Sara's beautiful blog Big World Small Me for some truly stunning travel posts. Sara has visited 41 countries (and counting!) so is a bit of a travel guru. Her blog tells some great stories of her numerous trips, with some stunning photography too. Enjoy!

6 comments:

  1. Maldives is definitely on our list of places to go in 2015. I loved travelling around NZ when I was younger too - lovely place and people. Nice post! x

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    1. Thanks! Maldives is definitely a dream location - it would be great if 2015 was the year you get to go! New Zealand is so far up on my list too (not just because of Lord of the Rings...honest!).

      Polly xx

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  2. I love reading about your adventures, especially the Maldives!
    Lots of love,
    Angie
    SilverSpoon London

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  3. The maldives looks beautiful! Nice guest post Sara! :)

    http://thelifeofastudenttraveller.blogspot.co.uk/

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