Start 2017 by adding these destinations to your bucketlist

Travel Tips by Wander-lust 1 Comment

Let’s start 2017 fresh and positive! We believe that traveling makes you richer and makes you appreciate all the beauty in this world. Let’s start by adding these destinations to your bucketlist and putting your travel plans on paper. Where will you go this year?

The Philippines
I’m happy to say that I’ve finally managed to cross this country off my bucketlist because it had been on there for a while. I flew over to Manila last December to continue my way over to Cebu, Bohol and Palawan. So why visit The Philippines this year? Unlike Thailand, this country doesn’t have a lot of tourist, yet. But The Philippines are becoming more popular with couples, friends and backpackers. It’s Asia, so it’s cheap and there are more than 7000 islands for you to enjoy. The people here aren’t ruined by tourism and almost everybody speaks English which makes it much easier to communicate. Planning to go this year? The best time to visit is between november and March when the typhoon season is it’s lowest. For tips about where to go and what to do check out my articles about The Philippines.

Elke relaxing in the Philippnes

Iceland
This country may not have the long stretched beaches you are longing for but this year it’s time for something a bit different maybe? Iceland is a place full of untouched nature. Located in the North-Atlantic ocean close by the Arctic Circle, Iceland has a lot of options to feed your wanderlust. Many bloggers have visited Iceland last year and all of them were stunned. You may not know this but this country enjoys refreshing summers and surprisingly mild temperatures in winter. Visit the amazing Blue Lagoon or the Gullfoss waterfall located in the canyon of the Hvítá river in southwest Iceland. Check out WOW Air for cheap tickets to Reykjavik.

Colombia
For the world mostly known for the Farc (a guerrilla army) and drug trafficking by the cartel of Pablo Escobar (in the eighties responsible for 80{8b669be72a7f340f9ef2d6d852585cd40ddf0e79ccf763f3ea93c1234c3d888b} of the drug traffic to the US). But there is so much more to this country: a stunning countryside, a passion for salsa, amazing beaches and an artistic heart. Grab your backpack and start exploring this beautiful country that is so worth adding to your bucketlist this year. To read more about Colombia and get some inside travel tips, check out Jolien’s story here.

Photo by Jolien Klazinga

Let’s make 2017 the year of new chances and exiting travel destinations

Papua New Guinea
Visitors should note that travelling in PNG is challenging to say the least. Paved roads are rare to traveling is quite bumpy and sometimes you’ll need to cross a few rain-forests and rivers. The weather can be quite unpredictable so it’s difficult to say when it’s the best time to go but May to October would be your best bet. But once you get there you will be rewarded with the most amazing rugged ecological beauty, little known dive sites, stunning peaks and sleep in real rainforest villages where you’ll meet the tribes. The best part of this country has to be the amazing Raja Ampat, located just off the northwest tip of West Papua. Raja Ampat is a cluster of over 1,500 small islands which lay in the province of Indonesia. Get your diving gear ready because Raja Ampat is called the amazone of the ocean. To get there you must fly over to Sorong in West Papua (flight go from Bali for example) after that you’ll have to make your way to Waisai, which is the capital of Raja Ampat.

Raja Ampat. Photo source by Liss Connel

Oman
We haven’t been but we sure wanna go! With more and more flights going to Oman, the opportunity is bigger than ever. This Arabian jewel has lot’s of luxury accommodations available to make this trip unforgettable. Oman is not just for couples or adventurers though. A family futuristic theme park is set to open this year called the Majarat Oman. Check the best rates to Oman via Skyscanner.

Find oasis in Oman Source

Canada
If we must believe the Lonely Planet’s judgement, Canada is the number one destination for 2017. Why? “Canada is always popular with us,” said Lonely Planet‘s Canada destination editor Alex Howard, in an email. “But there are several things going on in 2017 that made it number one. First, it’s the country’s biggest birthday party in recent memory with the sesquicentennial next year, and they won’t be shy about celebrating. Also, international travelers can expect their money to go further due to the weak Canadian dollar, so now is the time to start planning a trip.” Sounds good to us!