Sure, sometimes it’s nice to dream, this might be living in a daydream, but I like to see it as manifesting. Raquel keeps pointing out that I say how nice a restaurant looks and the next day they reach out to us about visiting, so I figured, maybe it’s time to get in the mindset of someone who just won the lottery and plan out my dream around-the-world holiday.
The Route
I’m based in the UK, therefore that’s where I’m going to start this trip, but you can adapt this for your country.
My route would go: England, Iceland, Canada, Bora Bora, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South East Asia, Maldives, India, East Africa, South Africa, Antarctica, South America, Caribbean, then back home.
As you may have noticed, there isn’t much on my list in regards to Europe, but that’s because I’m European and therefore have ticked most of it off, but if you haven’t, I would strongly recommend adding that in for yourself, such as Italy or Portugal.
Iceland
When I attended a travel blogger event in London, I asked around what people’s favourite destination they had visited was and 70% said Iceland, the other 30% said Sri Lanka. This definitive choice made me so curious, yet five years on from that event I’ve still not been.
One of the biggest reasons I haven’t visited is the cost, as you can easily blow a few grand on just a few days, but it sounds worth it!
Considering it’s not too long a trip from the UK, I’d book a private jet to get me to Reykjavik. From here, I would book myself into a private Northern Lights tour, however many people don’t spot it when staying for 3-4 days, so I’d go for a good week.
I would also love to stay in an isolated luxury lodge, where me and Raquel could completely switch off. Of course, we’d need some snow sledges and a powerful car, plus a packed fridge.
The Blue Lagoon is a necessity, according to everyone I meet who has been, so a visit to the geothermal spa would make it onto the itinerary.
Canada
When I see those stunning photos of lakes surrounded by mountains, they’re almost always either Switzerland or Canada. I’ve now been to Switzerland, so if I want those stunning views again, I’m going to have to head over to Canada it seems.
Canada is really split between the two coasts, with wilderness in the middle, but I would love to see both sides, from whale watching around Vancouver Island, to attending the Montreal Just For Laughs comedy festival.
Considering all the beautiful fjords they have here and the fact I haven’t included Norway, I’d make sure to sneak in some kayaking.
Bora Bora
When you see those gorgeous beach hut pics with turquoise water underneath, that’s what you can expect to find in Bora Bora, hence why it’s such a popular honeymoon location.
I would love to stay in an overwater bungalow with my own private infinity pool. Some even have a butler available, but I’d find that too cringe, even if I did become a millionaire.
Having a boat available to use whenever I want though would be amazing. Whether I trust myself after a few glasses of prosecco is a different question altogether.
Snorkelling and diving during the day and eating in luxurious restaurants in the evening, that sounds like absolute bliss.
New Zealand
I think we all fell in love with New Zealand after Lord of the Rings, however it was also Flight of the Conchords that made me quite curious. I then met a number of New Zealanders on my travels and they were all so funny and genuine.
New Zealand is famous for helicopter trips over and around Fiordland, while I would also love to rent out a sports car and drive around South Island.
I’ve heard they have some amazing wineries here, so this could be fun after going on a Milford Sound cruise.
But most importantly, a visit to Hobbiton will definitely be on the cards, making my sister immensely jealous!
Australia
The idea of flying to Australia from the UK, taking 24 hours, is just horrific, but if you’re already over that area, you have to make the most of it and visit.
The Great Barrier Reef is arguably the biggest pull, however I would make sure to visit on a weekday to avoid all the crowds a bit.
Sydney looks beautiful, while I would enjoy a trip to the Sydney Opera House, plus a yacht ride around the harbour. If you’ve been to Australia and have any top recommendations, let me know.
Japan
I loved Japan, it’s hard to put into words how amazing this country is. Talk about a complete culture shock. Everything is different to back home. I’ve been to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the main big cities, but I would love to return and visit some of the smaller towns and talk to the locals.
I also didn’t make it as far as Hiroshima, something I slightly regret, as apparently it’s an amazing experience to see and hear about the Atomic Bomb and the effects still felt today.
While I drank coffee at a robot cafe and saw robot cleaners going by, I didn’t visit the robot museum, something I would love to do on a return. Of course, you’ve got to eat plenty of wagyu steak while you’re here, plus I’d be hooked to salmon sashimi.
South East Asia
Ok, I didn’t decide on a country, as I skipped the South East Asia backpacking stage and still need to tick off so much of it. Thailand is the big one most Brits have been to, while I did love it, but I never made it over to Koh Tao, an area people always talk about as their favourite.
Then there is Vietnam, where you can head up to Halong Bay, enjoy incredible food and pay exceptionally low prices everywhere.
Cambodia is great for temple sightseeing, such as at Angkor Wat. If you could combine all three in one, that would be amazing, depending on how long this around-the-world trip is lasting.
The Maldives
Ok, so I’ve been to the Maldives and we made a mistake on our trip. We stayed on one of the islands that has a strict Muslim ruling, meaning there were no bars, they had strict rules in place for women and we didn’t have a great time.
But on the last day we changed to a different island and stayed in an overwater bungalow, if that was the entire trip I would have given it a 10/10. I therefore feel like I still need to return some day to truly experience the Maldives and all the different islands.
Relaxing in a spa, eating dinner on a private beach and flying on a seaplane would most definitely make my list, plus they have an underwater restaurant, arguably the best one in the world.
India
This might be controversial, but I’d skip Delhi (no Delhi belly for me) and go to Goa and other areas around India. I have a number of friends who have been and sung praise about how incredible it is, from the East to the West, but the only negatives come from Delhi.
I’m not big on cricket, but if India is playing Pakistan then I might have to go along for the atmosphere. The one thing I can promise is that I would eat my bodyweight every single day! I’m so hooked to Indian food, like I guess every Brit is.
If money really is no object, they have some hotels which are more like palaces, plus you can have a private guide throughout the whole stay in the country, plus a personal driver.
East Africa
I’ve already been to Kenya and ticked off the Masai Mara, but I never made it down to Kilimanjaro and I would love to hike to the base (not the whole way up, I doubt my fitness levels would be at that point 1 month into a lavish holiday).
It would also be great to visit Tanzania to watch the great migration if I timed it just right. They say you should go up in a sunrise balloon trip, but I’m not sure my fear of heights could handle that.
I would then also head over to Rwanda, as Raquel is obsessed with the idea of gorilla trekking. I’m personally not as excited, I don’t fancy having my face ripped off, but if it makes her happy, I’ll go along and just keep my distance.
South Africa
Younger me would have talked about shark cage diving in South Africa, but nowadays I couldn’t think of anything worse. However, staying in a massive suite overlooking the ocean would be unbelievable, not to mention a visit to Cape Peninsula and Table Mountain.
Seeing some penguins up close would also be magnificent. As with New Zealand, South Africa is famous for their wineries, and I would love to stay at some vineyards and do some wine tasting.
Antarctica
Here comes the most expensive aspect of the whole trip. I’ve seen Antarctica cruises and we’re talking £25,000! But to see those icebergs up close (before they melt), have whales swimming by and those penguin colonies would just be phenomenal.
You can even kayak here, but I’d be scared of dropping into the cold water or being chased by killer whales. This is why camping on the ice might also not make it onto my list.
If you’re really brave, you can do the ‘polar plunge’, where you jump into the freezing cold water, but again I’m not sure that would make it onto my itinerary.
South America
I would strongly recommend others visit Peru, one of my favourite countries in the world, but considering I’ve already been to Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, I wouldn’t want to repeat those locations, therefore I’d be more tempted by Brazil.
Arriving for Rio Carnival would be a dream, but that might not work time-wise with other activities on this list, however that doesn’t mean you can’t party it up in Rio at other times of the year. To see a Brazil match in their home country would also be breathtaking, especially if you get to see them beat Argentina.
The Galapagos Islands are always on every list of things to do before you die and for good reason, allowing you to see iguanas, sea lions, penguins and giant tortoises.
Caribbean
The last step on my marvellous adventure around the globe, before taking a cruise back to the UK, a visit to several Caribbean islands would be a must.
You could stay on St Barts, where many wealthy and famous people visit, so you can expect to see plenty of superyachts and expensive restaurants.
Then there is Anguilla, which has some beautiful beaches and is a bit more quiet, but you’d still be spoilt for choices on luxurious hotels.
There are so many islands that you could pick, while the British Virgin Islands are a great spot if island hopping.
