Traveling Favourites

I spent a large part of yesterday drooling at future travel destinations. It’s a problem I have, that if left unattended, spirals out of control, and the next thing you know, I’m looking up the best route from Moscow to Helsinki. (Yeah… that kinda happened.)

Regardless of where I may find myself, I do have a few things I consistently love experiencing:

1. Pedestrian-only streets. Of course, the places where you finds these streets are usually closer to the ‘touristy’ side of the spectrum. But the reason I love such streets is that you get to walk and feel that atmosphere of the place unhindered by other distractions, like say, trying not to get hit by incoming traffic. This is especially so for places with no sidewalks along the roads. Such places may be more authentic, but I find myself simultaneously clutching my bag and looking around every minute to keep an eye out for traffic and pickpockets, and feeling too harassed to enjoy the place.

Good thing streets like La Rambla in Barcelona (below) are pedestrain-only, cos then I can enjoy the vibrant Spanish spirit as I stroll along.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

I also have a thing for photos taken from in the middle of the street. Pedestrian streets make it safe for me to capture such photos. Many times I have stopped in the middle of an actual road to snap such a picture – not a good habit. Thankfully, no cars were in sight on the road in Santa Monica below.

Photo Credit: Juxxtapose

2. Good panoramic views. View pictures from Beijing and Santorini below. I rest my case.

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

I like how these views give me the sense of ‘seeing the big picture’, and of feeling minuscule. If the description of a place includes ‘panoramic views’, I’m more or less sold.

3. Riverside walks. No, not seaside walks. Yes, it’s different. The sand in my shoes and salt in my hair kick seaside walks down the ranks. I still enjoy seaside walks because they always make me feel like reflecting on my life, but I like them less.

Photo Credit: Juxxtapose

4. Water-body-side dining. Be it by the river, lake or sea, the promise of dining by it pulls me in. Very un-photogenic but yummy dishes at Jimbaran Bay in Bali:

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

5. Quaint cafes with the aroma of good coffee. I’m always on the look out for cosy quaint cafes to have breakfast, brunch, or coffee at. Usually these are unexpected finds, but I try to google top cafes before I travel now. We found this when we were hunting for breakfast in Christchurch:

Photo credit: Juxxtapose

Needless to say, I don’t care much for the breakfasts provided by hotels.

No breakfast provided = cafe-hunting = happy me.

 

What are your traveling favourites?