Whilst we’re all consumed with wanderlust, I thought of writing up a blog post that features a list of my favourite places to travel to around the world, why, and a few tips thrown in for good measure.

Like most, travelling to new destinations, exploring, sampling foreign cuisines, and. taking in new cultures, sights and sounds is one of my favourite things to do.

I’m grateful that we’ve been to quite a bit of places, most of which I’d return to in a heartbeat had my bucket list not been as long as it is 🙂

So, here’s the list. Start taking notes mamas! 🙂

1. Bali, Indonesia

If you know me at all you know that this is what feels like my home away from home for me, and definitely one of my favourite places to travel to. We visited once in 2013 for our honeymoon, and gosh, I just fell head over heels in love. The views, lush greenery, the sounds, the people, the overall vibe of the place – and the food!
If you do plan to go, make sure you stay in a private villa for a few nights. It’s very affordable and a lot of them offer great services such as daily cleaning and breakfast made by your own helper, who can also run errands for you. Getting a private chef costs cheaper than a pizza in Malta per person! Also, make sure you move around! There are lots of beautiful locations to stay in.
We should have been going back this summer but our trip’s been cancelled due to Bali not accepting any tourists during our travel dates. It’s not on plan for 2021!

2. Slovenia

I’d heard people ooh and aah over this destination but in no way was I prepared for the stunning backdrops this country has to offer. It’s also cheap, there’s so much to do for the whole family, has great food, and is so un-densely populated (if that’s even a word!), that even in high season there were no crowds anywhere and it was just perfect. I had written a 3 part blog post series on Slovenia, you can find the first one here.

3. Sicily

I’m sure this comes as no surprise to anyone. Who doesn’t love Sicily? I must say my favourite way to travel to Sicily is with our own car and the catamaran. It’s just so easy – you pack everything in your car and get there hassle free! One memorable Sicily holiday was the time Nina was 6 months old and I organised a family trip for 12 of us. We rented a huge villa in Taormina and 2 vans from the port in Pozzallo, and had a fabulous week going around the island.

4. Sardinia

This holiday was intended to be more adventurous than it turned out to be, because a few weeks after booking our holiday we found out I was pregnant with Nina. Yanik was planned to go on holiday with the grandparents, so we’d booked a holiday during the same dates. It turned out to be our babymoon 🙂 Sardinia is a gorgeous island. The mistake we made is we planned to drive for longer distances than we should have because we wanted to see so much of it. The Northern side is literally postcard-perfect, and it gets more down to earth and authentic as you move down South. Must dos: full day boat tour around the Maddalena Archipelago, and a stay in one of the island’s rifugios. A rifugio is typically a mountain hut, and hence refers to an accommodation which is off the beaten path and paired with stunning views.

5. Barcelona, Spain

Yeah, yeah…I know this is quite standard. One of the world’s best cities. But I cannot not mention it! Barcelona holds a very special place in my heart because Neil proposed to me on Barceloneta beach (which of course makes it one of my favourite places to travel to ;-). We’ve yet to go back, and we most definitely will. I’m not a city girl, but there are a few cities I thoroughly enjoyed, and Barcelona is one of them. Reason? It’s so varied! The neighbourhoods are delightfully contrasting, and you can get a little bit of everything – from city squares, to food markets, to beach, seaside restaurants, theme parks, architecture and history.

6. Rome, Italy

While we’re mentioning cities I cannot not mention Rome. I suppose this city is on most people’s favourite places to travel to. There’s something about the place, beyond the food and the culture. Strolling down the Roman streets with a gelato in hand, or sitting in a cafe people watching has never been as enticing as it is in Rome.
The short flight makes it appealing to! It’s very accessible, with multiple flights a day going to and fro Rome.

7. Dublin, Ireland

Another city that’s a favourite of mine! Dublin is insanely cute! Cities tend to overwhelm me sometimes, and Dublin is just the right size with enough city parks to give the place a sense of slow. The people are super friendly, and I love that you can drive away for a spectacular road trip if you only want to stay a few nights in the city. Dublin is where Neil and I experienced snow for the first time. It’s a rare sight, but when we were there in 2009 it snowed so hard on New Year’s Eve that flights were cancelled!

8. Livigno, Italy

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! We’re not skiers, far from it. We chose this place because we wanted to take Yanik to experience the snow one Christmastime, and Livigno came highly recommended. This was one of my favourite holidays because I felt like I was living in a postcard. We spent our days walking around the village, browsing the shops, eating really delicious food, seeing some sights, and engaging in some fun snow activities. The place is actually really cheap, because it’s tax free due to it being a little remotely situated. Buses are free too, and super convenient. If you plan to go and stay a little far from the centre just make sure there’s a bus stop within a few metres of your accommodation. That will save you a lot of pennies!

9. Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France

I remember us finding cheap tickets to Marseille and not wanting to go to Marseille. We’d never driven on holiday before but decided to take the plunge and explore a few places down the South of France. Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer might be a place you’ve never heard of. It gets quite busy with French and German tourists, but all of the shop owners vowed they’d never seen anyone from Malta in the village. This quirky seaside destination is a fishing village and bustling with shops, restaurants and food stalls, along with a long stretch of beautiful beach and sand dunes. The best part? It is known for it’s wild white horses and pink flamingos, both which we saw lots of – especially the flamingos! Rent a car if you decide to visit because there’s a lot of equally darling places to a short drive from the village.

10. Not actually a destination…but

A cruise! We delayed going on one because we thought we’d be a little bit bored and confined. Driving around and exploring is our jam, so we were really hesitant to take the plunge and book a cruise. Yet, we were curious, so we booked our first when Nina was a toddler. It’s a totally different kind of holiday, yet we enjoyed it so much we booked another one two years later! If you’re curious, and want to know why a cruise is perfect for travelling with family (especially when the kids are little), you can check out this blog post. It’s packed with tips and tricks to make the best out of your holiday too!

I hope my little list of favourite places to travel to gave you a little bit of inspo to go on when planning your next trip! We just have to be a little bit patient about travelling at the moment, but this time can be well used to get the planning part in order!

Love,

Nakita xxx

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