For people who travel, there are always going to be places that immediately grab your imagination. They’re places that you’ve seen in movies or read about in books and you are instantly drawn to them. So you add them to your travel bucket list.

I have been lucky enough to have travelled to some seriously amazing places. I have loved all of them. Some a little more than others. But I’ve never had a bad experience or thought ‘probably wouldn’t go back there’. The travel bug bites and that’s it, you’re hooked. There’s a big wide world out there and you want to see as much of it as you can. At least that’s my take on it.

Here’s a list of three places I would love to visit at some stage.

New York, USA

It probably sounds super cliche to have this on here as pretty much the entire world has plans to head to the Big Apple and see what it has to offer. For me, it’s not so much about doing the touristy things like the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. Although I do want to experience the buzz of Time Square, maybe even over Christmas or New Years when it’s freezing cold but festive.

One of the things I’d do when visiting is to go and see the Flatiron Building. No idea why but ever since I can remember I’ve been fascinated by it. I mean I’m not architect or anything but there’s just something about it that amazes me.

Also the Meatpacking District. It’s said to have become super hipster but I’d love to check it out and experience what this hub has to offer. When it comes to the markets, a few hours spent at Brooklyn Flea or the Chelsea Market wouldn’t be wasted either.

Tokyo, Japan

The food, the culture, the energy. Three things I am very much hoping to experience when I visit Tokyo one day. Whenever Tokyo is portrayed in films or TV series you always see the bright neon lights and throngs of people at the Shabuya Crossing or the tranquility that seems to comes with taking in the cherry blossoms. I can get on board for both.

I love sushi and ramen so food wise I’ll be sorted. There are also enough parks and places to get to that whatever is consumed can be walked off. Because there’ll be loads of of both. A visit to the Samurai Museum in Shinjuku could be cool, as could a day trip to Mt Fuji to see the snow-capped showpiece.  Tokyo’s nightlife also has some appeal with what seem like epic bars and nightclubs. Just don’t ask me to partake in any karaoke. Although it might be one of those ‘when in Rome’ moments.

 

Krakow, Poland

It seems like an intense thing to add to a travel bucket list but for years I’ve always wanted to go and see Auschwitz and Birkenau. I have heard accounts of it being a chilling experience, one that serves a stark reminder to what millions had to go through. It’s something that I’ve read a lot about in historical accounts of World War II and the concentration camps. A visit to Auschwitz, which sits 40 kilometres outside of Krakow, is likely a very emotional experience. Probably slightly morbid for the purposes of this exercise.

The rest of the time in Krakow will likely encompass a visit to St Mary’s Basilica and an exploration of the best that Krakow’s nightlife has to offer.