The travel wishlist that keeps on growing!!!

We use Evernote to make lists about all sorts! But the best list is the list of places we want to travel to in the future!

We’ve been lucky enough to visit and stay at places we’d always been interested in.  One of those locations was South Africa which was always somewhere that seemed so far away, but we’ve had 2 amazing holidays there (1 was our honeymoon) and my husband has been there with work near on 20 times!!  Another success was staying at the Chedi – I remember since I first laid eyes on photos of it in Original Travel’s ‘The Big Short Trip’ I had wanted to stay there.  And it looks just like the brochure, only better as it isn’t the slightest bit stuffy or snooty!

A trip is successful if it leaves you wanting to return again or leaves you wanting to see more of that area of the world.  But new places are needed too, so what is on our destination wishlist…

1. To climb Ben Nevis and have a weekend in Scotland!

www.visit-fortwilliam.co.uk

We’ve completed the highest peaks in England and Wales so this is our only remaining one of the ‘3 peaks’.  I’d love also to spend time exploring Edinburgh and also visit some remote islands.  I think it would be nice to stay in a castle, or a house as remote as Skyfall in the most recent James Bond film (not saying that’s in Scotland as it probably wasn’t)!!

2. Bareboat charter in Croatia or Montenegro

www.yachtbooker.com

We are keen and experienced sailors, but have never done yacht charter anywhere apart from in the Solent.  There is a massive choice of companies to charter from, and given our skills we would not need to take a skipper.  We could either join a flotilla or go with friends and sail separately.  The coastline looks stunning from all the photos I’ve seen and much quieter than doing similar in Greece.  Beautiful architecture in the towns that we would visit.

3. Greece, and more specifically the Peloponnese

www.kinsternahotel.gr

This is one that we almost did this year, but never quite got around to.  I desperately want to stay at Kyrimai, Elies and the Kinsterna hotels.  There is something very rustic and beautiful to this area, yet it avoids the hustle and bustle of so many of the Greek islands yet is only a few hours drive from Athens.  The coastline is rugged and I can just imagine how stunning the food must be sat outside with beach or mountain views!

4. Chewton Glen treehouse

www.chewtonglen.com

I love the CG, and have good memories of lunches, suppers and overnights here!  But one place I’m yet to stay is in one of their stunning tree houses!  I think they are an inspired addition to the hotel and I love the idea of a breakfast hamper delivered through a secret door and a hot tub on the deck looking out into the rest of the forest.

5. Riva del Garda and Venice

www.lido-palace.it

We’ve been here to sail a number of times but yet haven’t seen much of the area unless it can be seen from the water!  I heard good news from friends that the Lido Palace is now restored and a LHW group hotel – I’ve always loved this building, even when it was derelict a few years ago – a fascinating and moody looking building and a great base for the area!  I think if we were down here then we’d have to merge with a visit to Venice.  I’ve not been yet my husband has swept through with business – it would be lovely to explore further together.

6. Seeing more of Africa

www.go2africa.com

There are 2 places we both want to visit in Africa (perhaps sneaking a few days in Cape Town and Stellenbosch too!)  Firstly Namibia – long roads, beautiful sand dunes and a wild expanse of nothingness.  I think it is hard to imagine the scale of this country and its landscape, but having read up on it there is just too much to do – it isn’t just desert.  Secondly, I’ve always liked the look of visiting Zanzibar (I did once think I might climb Kili the week before, but I’ll stick to UK hills for now…).  Both the Z hotel or Hakuna Matata have caught my attention without having done any real research.  What I like about the area is that it seems to replicate the highlights of somewhere like the Maldives, but yet offer so much more choice.

7. Northern Ireland

www.media.ireland.com

Hubby loves it over here too, you guessed it – he spent time there with work!  I think we are actually going to visit in June 2014 and I can’t wait!  I’m told that the people are the friendliest and that there is great craic of an evening in a pub.  Of course there is plenty to see as well – I remember learning about the Giant’s Causeway too many years ago at school and the mountains look beautiful.  There also seems to be a great choice of manor house hotels to visit.

8. San Francisco

www.sanfrancisco.net

We need to plan ahead for this, as I think we’d want 3 weeks to really ‘do’ San Fran and the surrounding area.  Yosemite, winelands, San Fran etc etc – there seems to be so much to see and do and happily my cousin lives out there with her family so we’d also get to see some of the area with locals as well as catching up with them!!

9. Bequia

www.theoldfort.com

The Old Fort on Bequia is on our list of places to stay at.  This island is small and remote and unspoilt, friends that work on luxury yachts in the Caribbean look forward to their charters near this island. It is more difficult to get to than many of the larger islands, but I think there are connecting flights from many of the hubs.

10. Champagne

www.travel.yahoo.com

Since it is my favourite drink, I really think that I need to understand the area better, and visit the houses in Reims and Epernay to “taste” more of my favourite drink.  I had always assumed until starting my research that such a trip would involve cycling around vineyards.  I was originally disappointed that most of the tasting houses are in the 2 main towns.  However this has grown on me recently as this would be a lovely winter trip!  For a summer trip to France maybe the Bordeaux area – I can’t quite remember where Les Source de Caudalie is, but a vineyard hotel with a spa that sells itself on ‘Vinotherapie’ sounds incredibly relaxing to me!

So I guess I had better get back to planning 2014 then, where to go after February’s trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi!!!