Break Out Of The Travel Bubble With These Overlooked Gems
Don’t be a tourist… be an explorer.
When this pandemic blows over and you’re ready to set sail on another adventure, why not look outside of the box and avoid your generic clustered Spanish beaches for something a little more refined.
1. South Korea
Seoul, South Korea
Those not in the know can mistakenly be put off South Korea thanks to their communist neighbours. There’s more similarity between a cheeseburger and a croissant than there is between North and South Korea.
Home of eSports and kimchi, South Korea offers stunning world class ski resorts, a now world famous bbq culinary scene, coastal cities with exuberantly colored buildings that make up an architectural patchwork quilt of stone and mortar. Seoul is every bit as neon-tech nightlife as Tokyo, with it’s own fashion, music and cuisine that make it distinct from any other city on Earth. I was lucky enough to personally spend 5 weeks there in 2018 and I’ve been clamouring to return to Hongdae in Seoul to catch the street performers and tuck into some succulent bbq once more!
For those who need nature in their lives, Busans beaches and nearby temples are a great way to relax, and Jeju Island is laden with gorgeous outdoor spas and refreshing hiking trails.
2. Samoa
Apia, Samoa
10 islands teeming with waterfalls, rain forest fauna, beaches and volcanoes. Samoa is a continents worth of nature, packed into modest sized islands with locals friendlier than your grandmother during a Sunday morning visit.
The cave pools and trekking are some of the worlds finest and there’s a certain charm that only comes with places as remote and encapsulated as Samoa.
3. Romania
Peles Castle, Romania
The enchanting castles and spooky forest greenery can quickly evoke feelings of being submerged within a fictional novel. Then you recall this is the home of Dracula and you realise, art really does imitate life. There’s an eerie charm to Romania. Alpine hikes and doddering mountains are brightened up by the jewel like castles and ornate houses that occasionally peer through the trees.
Medieval towns are quite the surreal setting to wander around in and find a sense of exploration, we highly recommend you consider Romania over an all inclusive trip to Tenerife with a generic and underwhelming bouffet.
4. Laos
Unnamed Road, Laos
Backpackers the world over seem to be an almost encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to Thailand or Bali. But the bucolic, ancient settings of Laos can reignite a sense of awe, in even the most seasoned of travelers.
Jade green rice fields and sweeping waterfalls are par for the course in Laos and the temples would have Indiana Jones cancelling his flight home in a heartbeat.
5. Mauritius
Mauritius
If your country’s title literally rhymes with delicious, the travel gods must be smiling down on you. As quaint an island as they come, Mauritius is a place you’ve inadvertently imagined 1,000x in your life already.
Every time work is overwhelming you and you close your eyes to see an imaginary drone shot of turquoise waters, and dense green vegetation, with enough zen in the atmosphere to have Gordon Ramsey forget he knows any cuss word… that place you’re imagining is Mauritius.
The water sports at hand are MORE than enough to keep you active and entertained, so you can earn that all too delightful rest come sunset.
