Few months ago my reader Eric has asked me to share the list of my favorite trips. I’m happy to oblige, though strolling down the memory lane reminds me of how much older I am now. And yet, it seems like those trips took place just yesterday. Without further ado:
1) Hawaii
The most accessible destination on the list, well, for Americans anyway. If you haven’t been to Hawaii, I highly recommend it. You will feel like you are in the South Pacific, yet everyone around you is speaking English. Warm weather, exotic culture, jagged mountains and beautiful ocean… What more can you ask for? And you don’t even need a passport.
It is a bit far for those who live on the east coast, but going to Hawaii is 100% worth it. I recommend that first-time visitors split their stay between Maui and Kauai. But you really can’t go wrong no matter what island you pick. See this post on how you can turn your Hawaii dream into reality.
Trust me, a vacation there doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Stick to condos and eat out at cheap local hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The best things in Hawaii are free.
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p style=”text-align: center;”>Enjoying Kauai with my “Indiana Jones” husband
2) Venice
You will often hear various cities claim the title of “Venice of the north,” or “Venice of the south.” I’m convinced that there is only one Venice, and no other place will ever compare. Sure, the city has turned into a tourist cliche, but the magic is still there. I highly recommend you experience it for yourself. And yes, taking a gondola ride is a must.
Getting to Venice has never been easier or cheaper. Low-cost carriers like WOW and Norwegian have drastically increased transatlantic competition, which in turn, significantly lowered fares. You can fly to Iceland or Great Britain and continue on to Venice via European low-cost carrier. Of course, you can also use miles.
You can stay on points, but I wouldn’t. SPG properties in Venice are astronomically expensive, and there are so many cheaper local alternatives.
3) Santorini
The Greek island of Santorini is a bit difficult to get to, but it’s totally worth it. You can fly to Athens first or connect via Easyjet from several other european cities. Santorini is my favorite destination in the world, period. As you can see, it’s not a lush tropical island. Quite the opposite, actually. But there is something about the combination of the blue sea, rugged landscape and whitewashed cave houses built into the cliffs that makes it impossibly beautiful. Santorini is in the league of its own.
We rented our cave house in the city of Oia (dirt cheap!) from this old lady who barely spoke English. She was the most hospitable person I’ve ever met. In fact, when we were leaving, she started crying and told me in broken English that she hoped I would come back to Santorini one day. I promised her I would. There are magical islands, and then there is Santorini…
Readers, please share your own list of favorite places you have visited over the years!
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
Paris would be on my list, too!
@Nancy Plan on adding Greece when you take your kids to Europe. It’s out of the way, so to speak, but you will already be in the area. Go for it!
I agree with you 100% on Hawaii and Venice. Although I liked Rome just as much because we could climb through so many outdoor ruins. We almost went to Greece before we had kids, but we didn’t. I regret that decision all the time!
My list includes Kauai as well. Add to that Barcelona, Greek Islands, Paris, Belize, Aruba, and Costa Rica.
@JG I really enjoyed Barcelona! We almost went to Aruba, but ended up missing our flight, LOL Costa Rica is definitely on the list thanks to my recent Jet Blue Points windfall.
I hear you with “just a few” (you left the “a” out in the title though), it can be hard to pick favorites from so many amazing trips. Practically every trip I take is my favorite, lol! But among my top ones must certainly be:
Bagan, Myanmar
Karimunjawa, Indonesia
Pamukkale / Capadoccia, Turkey
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Our “Across the US” honeymoon, especially the AZ portion (Saguaro Park, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon)
Argh, there are more that I hate to leave out, but I made myself stick to five!
@Debra Thanks for correction, I added the “a” in the title! Darn it, I still get confused after living in US for many years. 🙂
Your list is quite exotic. Angkor Wat has always intrigued me. It is a bit too off the beaten path, so I’m not sure I’ll ever make it there, especially now that we have kids.
Moorea
Oahu (so much more to it than Waikiki!)
And Mexico. The whole damn country. Been over 20 times and loved every trip!
@Lindy Can’t wait to visit Moorea! As far as Mexico goes, my favorite part was Tulum. I was so happy my parents were able to visit Cozumel during cruise.
Patagonia in South America, Zanzibar in Tanzania and the Dolemites in Italy. Never been-on my bucket list.
@Natasha Nice! Hope you can get to all them someday. I would love to visit Patagonia and of course, Africa is on the list.
Great list! My own list will be Portland, Berlin, London, Cinque Terre, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Key West and Buenos Aires and Shanghai.
Winnie, your list sounds lovely! My biggest travel regret is not making it to China and Japan before we had kids. I almost booked a flight, but life got in the way. We can still hopefully make it there as a family, but it is a challenge.