I've Visited Over 70 Countries and Here Are Some that I Recommend to My Friends

I’m sure there are a number of places on your “must visit” list that you’re dying to see.  They’re probably places that you have seen in photos that caught your eye or heard great stories about from a friend.  As a lover of travel, I was always intrigued to visit commonly talked-about places.  Countries and cities where tourists often visit, that everyone seems to love.  You’ll hear “you must visit there, it’s amazing!” Of course that would spark your interest to travel there.  Some of these places are Paris, India, Budapest, Dubai, Jamaica, Bahamas, Singapore, and Cancun. Yes, they are awesome places to visit but, they just weren’t my favorite.  They’re places that I have always heard great things about and I was really excited to visit. But, for me, they’re either too touristy, too developed, too pricy, and too basic.  After a while, many islands have the same feel, as do many big cities.  While backpacking, I hear about popular destinations all of the time but when I get there, they aren’t my favorite.  I have found that many of my most favorite travel destinations have been ones that others didn’t love the most or that are not as popular to visit.  I much rather go off of the beaten path from other travelers and explore places that are more authentic to the locals, are less developed, and give you a more special experience.  Here are some of my favorite places:

Lake Ohrid, Macedonia
Mostar, Bosnia
Kotor, Montenegro
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Oslo, Norway
Ireland
Kyoto, Japan (or Japan in general!)
Istanbul, Turkey
Anywhere in the Philippines!
Iceland
Taipei, Taiwan
Vancouver, Canada
Lisbon, Portugal
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Antigua, Guatemala
Anywhere along the Mediterranean
Spain
Croatia
Capetown, South Africa
The Sahara Desert (no, not just because that's my name :) but because it is truly a stunning place)

Next time you have the opportunity to travel, try a place that isn’t advertised or talked about much.  You never know, it may become your new favorite destination!