16 Places I Can’t Stop Thinking About Travelling To Right Now

Welcome to the Winging It Travel Podcast, your weekly ticket to the world. Dropping every Monday and hosted by me, James Hammond, proudly part of the Boy Escape Network. This is a travel podcast that throws out the itinerary and dove straight into the raw, real and unpredictable essence of global exploration. Chasing moments over milestones, those spontaneous encounters, immersive sounds and unforgettable stories. Whether I'm hiking up volcanoes in Guatemala,

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and experiences to inspire, then you're in the right place. There's so much travel content coming your way, it might just spark that trip you've been dreaming about for years. You can find Winging It, and more fantastic travel podcasts from around the world at voyescape.com. The link is in the show notes. Let's go and explore the world. Hello and welcome to this week's episode. I'm taking a break in the Bhutan series to do something that I've wanted to do for a while, but I've given it a bit of thought.

And here it is. Here is the top 16 places that I cannot stop thinking about to travel to next. So after visiting Butam, which sat at number one for very long time, I kind of found myself in a bit of a daze. Bit of a strange lull really. It's like when you maybe win a championship and you think, oh, all that build up, all that emotion you work towards that you do it, it lives up to the hype. Then it's over. What next? So I've been thinking long and hard about this.

It's been hard to even think about traveling somewhere else, but when I've given it bit of thought, know, some anticipation planning, et cetera, these are my top 16. So don't worry. There's plenty more butane content coming up, but this is just a stop gap episode. This isn't a bucket list. It's not about ticking boxes or doing trends. These are places I just can't let go in my mind. So I'm going to give you some raw honest reasons behind each one. Also to note, I've actually put these in order as I said before, so it's more fun for content and for you to listen to.

and reflects what keeps going on in my mind. So some of these are specific areas or places, some of these are countries and they're all new to me. So let's go. Number 16, Scotland. Yes, I am from the UK. I'm from England and I have technically been here actually, breaking my rule first off. I've been to Edinburgh, but that is it. I've not seen anything else of Scotland and it just keeps popping around in my head that for one summer, I just want to get in a camper van.

do the NC 500 and see as much of the country as I can when the weather is good. I mean, it's got dramatic landscapes, the Highland Islands, the Outer Hebrides, it's got deep history, loads of castles, small towns, clan stories and stuff like that. And it's got hiking, road trips, wissy culture, the food's a bit iffy, so it's got, and everything else in between. For me, it's more about the scenery. I want to feel what it's like to live in Scotland for a bit. mean, three or four months in the summer would be pretty cool. And it's a place to breathe, really.

I mean, there's not many people there, what, five million in Scotland, roughly. So lots of history, lots of fresh air, lots of amazing beaches to go and see, amazing walks in the Highlands. It's even possible to go to the other islands like Shetland Islands or the Orkney Islands. And it's bit of a reset, not an escape. And it won't be too much different to what I'm used to back at home. So of course, the best things maybe to see and do in experience, as people know, the Highlands, the Isles of Skye, the Outer Hebrides, of course, Edinburgh, which I would probably see again.

and the Bothys and coastal walks. Talking of Bothys, Bothys are little accommodations dotted around the country, in the countryside. You can't book them, you just find them. And the rule is people welcome you in if there's space. Pretty cool. So cinematic, not overwhelming, lots of nature, lots of history, stunning views, great beaches and a few friends up there as well. Number 15 is another UK entry, believe it or not, and it's the Isles of Silly. You're probably thinking, where the hell is that? Not many people in the UK know where the Isles of Silly are.

The Isles of Silly is the warmest part of the UK. They are a bunch of islands off the southwest coast of Cornwall and they've got Caribbean style beaches, very laid back and just not really that visited that much in the UK. And it's been on my list for bloody ages. There's lots of walks, great weather, a lot of silence, not many people there and it's a place to disappear and actually reset. think it's like a quiet island escape, very close to UK.

I think you get there from a flight from Penzance. It's got clear water, wildlife, lots of slow traveling, bird watching, good digital detox, and you get the classic British culture as well. So the best things to see and do there are St. Martin's and Tresco. They're the turquoise water beaches and subtropical field. Coastal walks, island hopping boats. There's lots of different islands you can hop around. That's pretty cool. Like I said, wildlife, seals, seabirds, and quiet coves. And it's known for its storm watching in the shoulder season, but I wouldn't be going in the shoulder season. I'll be going in the summer.

So it's gentle, a little bit isolated, just really idyllic if you look at the pictures. So get on Google, the city aisles, have a look, see what you think. 14 would not have been an entry this time yesterday, but last night I was scrolling, doing scrolling a little bit and I saw a real and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. And it's probably a of recency bias for my recent trip in Bhutan. So number 14 is Ladakh in India. Now, why do people visit? It's got that Himalayan scenery, so loads of mountains, high altitude, lots of trekking and walking.

tea houses, little towns and little villages. It's got Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and that dominates the culture there. And it's a more calm and more spiritual side of India. So you can mix adventure and chilling out as well. And some of the scenery that I saw in Israel, my word, get me there. I guess I've been to Bhutan, Nepal, Northeast India. So guess this kind of fits my love affair with the Himalayas and the Tibetan Buddhism. Obviously Tibet would be in there as well, but Ladakh looks absolutely incredible.

Much quieter, higher altitude, Buddhism, monasteries, quite physically demanding because of the altitude. Best things to see and experience are the Hemis, the Tseksai and Diskhet monasteries, Le Palace and Old Towns, the high mountain passes like Kadung La Region, the Markavadi trek, it's got villages, prayer flags, silence, etc. and stargazing at altitude. 13th is Georgia, the country, not the state. And Georgia is just a place I want to go on road trip really. It's where Asia and Europe do meet.

They're known for their food, their wine, their warmth, their sense of humor. It's kind of underrated as a destination, but also quite unfiltered. So I think you're to get a traditional travel experience there. I just want to see what the country is like. I probably know Georgia more for the football. They had a few decent players in the Premier League in the past, but actually I don't know much about the country. So I want to explore its food and wine culture, the Caucasus Mountains.

and the old churches and the emerging travel scene really. Kind of fascinated with that cultural crossroads between Asia and Europe. I think that's my angle to go and see Georgia. So obviously when I fly into Tbilisi and see the old town, the capital, I think it's always good to get a feel in the capital city because that's where most people are going to arrive. That's where a lot of people go to work and live. So it's good to get that feel. There's the Kaketi wine region. That's probably high on my list. Svaneti, which is like medieval towers and remote villages. The food apparently is absolutely awesome. So they're called supra.

feasts and Kazbegi or Stepas Minda, which is like a Jorgeti trinity church. So very historic. So I think it's like the raw hospitality and deep culture. I'm really searching for there. Number 12 is the Philippines. The last country in Southeast Asia that I've not visited. Some of the options here actually obviously Manila, the capital city, but all the islands in the South just look absolutely incredible. Barabak is on my list. I think I start to open up to tourists. I think that'd be pretty untouched for a while until

I guess tourists will destroy it. Hopefully they'll control the tourism there. But yeah, it's a combination of islands, boats, the local people, local food, the warmth, the unpredictability as well as maybe a edgy in some places. And it's kind of that idyllic island feel with the chaotic city life. I think you're going to get a mix of there. A lot of island hopping. I wouldn't do diving, but I love to do some snorkeling if I can get my swimming up to scratch. And just a place that's always been on my list, but never really got to. I think it's quite hard to travel in Philippines because you've to fly everywhere.

Palawan is obviously a must. mean, that's always on the list. I don't care if it's really busy tourist wise. I think that's something you've got to go and see. CR Jowd, which has got more of a surf culture, like slow rhythm. Bow Hole, Chocolate Hills, Village Life. Want to get an idea of how the locals live. I think the Philippines has got everything actually. It ticks a lot of boxes. If you want fast or slow travel, it can do everything. So that's high on my list. Number 11 is Newfoundland in Canada. So it's way east. The island of Newfoundland is as far east as it gets and the capital city there is St. John's.

And it's one of the very few provinces I haven't been to in Canada. I really want to go and get a car out and road trip the island. That'd be pretty cool. Apparently the accent is pretty wild. So when I hear the accent, it's like a mix between Canadian and Irish. And it's very strong, apparently. Quite close to home, but in that weird middle space, about seven hours from here in Vancouver. So it's very, very far. It takes less time to get from there to UK, I'd imagine, a flight. I don't think you can fly directly, but you can go to Halifax and fly to London.

So Rugger Coastlines National Parks, the road around the island. You can see icebergs there, whale watching of course, and the pub culture and humor would be pretty cool to go and see. So a few things specifically, the Gros Morne National Park, that's high on my list for sure. Iceberg Alley is 100 % high on my list. And of course the hiking, coastal trails, and the local music and pubs. I just want to see that village life, that culture, and see what it's like. Apparently it's very different.

to anything else in Canada. So I have to go and check it out. Number 10, Albania. Now this destination is rising in Europe as a very affordable destination for lot of travelers and tourists these days. And it's starting to open up and get its infrastructure together to welcome tourists in. So I kind of feel like this is a get in now situation. So it's still figuring itself out. Great value. It's on the Mediterranean coastline. So it's very affordable for that sort of coastline experience.

and I've got some amazing mountain hiking there. It kind of gets labeled as undiscovered Europe, which I think is a bit unfair before it changes type of feel. But I do feel like once people caught on, it could be a place and with ever increasing prices of day to day life and trying to afford to go somewhere for holiday or vacation or to travel, I think this will always be popular in the next couple of years because it is very affordable. So I want to see the Albanian Riviera, that's Casmeo, Himere before it changes.

want to see the Ottoman architecture. maybe Barat would be pretty cool for that. I mean, I'd love to do the Teth to Valbonar hike. I mean, that's going be a cool mountain hike, maybe quite tough, but it looks insane. It's got a lot of communist relics there and bunkers and it's very unpolished in terms of the hospitality. That's my list really of what I can think, see and do. And of course I have seen on social media, the amazing beaches and coastal towns and cities that are there. It does look absolutely class and how can it not just above Greece? Right?

Get me there. Just a quick pause in the episode there. If you're enjoying the podcast and getting value from these conversations, one of the biggest ways you can support Winging It is by leaving a five star rating all of you on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you're listening right now. It generally helps the show reach new listeners and keeps the podcast growing and it's free and it only takes a few minutes. Alternatively, if you'd like to support the podcast in another way, you can also buy me a coffee over at buymeacoffee.com forward slash Winging It.

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Please share the podcast, whether that's by word of mouth, sending an episode to a friend, or posting it on social media. It really does make a huge difference. Right, let's get back into the episode. Number nine, Egypt. I mean, do I need to explain why? Of course, the pyramids are a huge pool. Now I know it is typical and it's very cliche, but I do love Egyptian history and culture and I want to see the pyramids. I know they continue further into the interior of Africa, but for me, it's an absolute must.

Cairo is crazy, so I want to experience that. If you can get out of Cairo after a few days and actually see the countryside, see more pyramids as you go down the Nile towards Luxor or Aswan, I think it's going to be pretty cool to see and do. Again, it seems great value, but it seems chaotic. So I'm not sure how we would travel there. There's quite a few ways to do it. You can backpack it and that'd be really local. You've got to speak to a lot of people. They do hassle you quite a bit there to get business. So you've got to be very strong.

You can go into a tour group as well, or you can do a mix. So I haven't decided which way to do it yet. But actually what I've realized is as much as I love backpacking my own and doing my own thing, I actually want to know the history behind it and get the info. So that is a guide for a couple of days or at least for a portion of the trip, because I just want to know all the history, all the amazing facts and see the best places. So I think for me, it's a mix of both. Of course, it's iconic for its history. The Nile boat rides are supposed to be incredible.

and just once in a lifetime landmarks. mean, why wouldn't you want to do it? So to finish, I'm curious about the city life, the chaotic life, but also the calm down the Nile and in those small towns as you go. I want to see the architecture. I want to see everything. Also, I want to eat the food. It's supposed to be incredible as well. So of course, it's the pyramids of Giza, Luxor and the Karnak temples, the sail down the Nile, especially at sunset would be pretty cool. The Aswan and Nubian villages.

And of course the Cairo street life. might've been dipping to Alexandria as well. We'll see. It would be intense, humbling, unforgettable, but also idyllic at the same time. I mean, what a place it's got it all. Number eight is the Turks and Kakos islands in the Caribbean. Just obsessed with island life in general. And that's the place in the Caribbean that comes to top of mind. It's quite easy to get to from Canada if you get to Toronto. I mean, it's beautiful. It's idyllic. Not many people go. It's a reset for sure.

And it's definitely a chill on the beach kind of vibe. Wouldn't be for long, maybe a week, but world-class beaches. You can do some luxury escapes there, effortless relaxation. I just want to give myself permission to rest really. We haven't really done this sort of trip probably since the Cook Islands. It feels that long ago and that's like seven, eight years ago. We haven't been to an idyllic island and just chilled out with a world-class beach for a long while. Maybe I'm forgetting a few. I could be dishonest there. I'm trying to think on top of my head and I can't think of any. So that's the angle.

I think for me, the Grace Bay Beach is probably the one to go and see. Of course, you could do some snorkeling or diving. They'd be very slow mornings. Eat great food, get the sun, enjoy the sand, water, sunset swims, the whole lot. Get me there. Number seven, a change of direction, Columbia. This is going to be a place that I want to get stuck into for the music, for the color, the dancing. It's going to be complex in terms of culture and history and the different people there.

So I want to do some free walking tours, get the vibes in each of the cities like Bogota or Medellin or Cartagena. But the culture would be absolutely incredible. I want to experience some nightlife as well. And of course, one of the main things for me is the coffee. I want to go to some coffee farms, do some coffee tours, buy some coffee, drink some coffee, get obsessed with it. It feels like a young country coming through now. It's got some problems, don't get me wrong, but the vibe would be incredible. Be very positive. I love Latin America.

I just want to get in there, do some dancing, listen to some great music, get to interact with the youth and see how the country is going. And of course, you've got all the major attractions like Medellin. There'll be some great tours there. There's a digital nomad hub as well. Delento and the Coracora Valley, Cartagena Old Town, of course, and the Caribbean coast at the top. I mean, it's tempting, but then you're going to need three or four weeks to see this country, which I'm not adverse to doing. But of course, that's not possible at the moment.

I just want to speak to as many local people as possible. I can speak a little bit of Spanish, get to understand the vibe, where the country's heading, eat their great food. I I would do some hotels, but I think they've got some great hostels there as well. Also to finish, I test out as a digital nomad place. In the future, if I can work remotely, that is one of the places that I want to check out, chill out, and get to know more about the culture and the local day-to-day life. I think I'd love to experience that in the future. So that would be part of my research as well when I get to Colombia.

We're getting to the really, really top places now that I want to travel to. Number six is a huge place and this wouldn't be a short trip. This is China. China is growing every year for me. I don't see that being dipping into China. I think I'd want to go for three months. Not sure what the tourist visa situation is like in terms of length, but there is for Canadians a bit of positivity on that front. think Mark Carney has done a deal with Xi Jinping on tourism where they're going to relax.

the rules and make it easier for each residence to see each other's country. I think it's going to be a no application tourist visa on arrival, maybe like 30 days. No admin, no paperwork. I think that's on the cards. It's not been put through yet, so keep an on that. That makes it much easier and also probably pushes it more to the top to get there quick before anything changes. So hopefully that stays in place and that'd be a great way to see the country without any admin headaches. But of course,

It's going to be seeing the most amazing cities like Beijing, Shanghai, all these places on top of my mind. I want to experience the bullet train system and dot around the country that way. want to see how you book the bullet train. I want to see how you pay for it. What is the language barrier like? What is the different provinces like in terms of food and culture and how they welcome tourists? It's a huge, huge country. I mean, you could spend a year there easily. I mean, obviously Tibet is kind of on the top of my mind as well to go and see and do. I mean, I don't know how easy that is. I don't know too much about

the customs and how easy it is to travel there. I see a lot of things on TikTok for Westerners going there. So it's going to be systems, scale, speed, the cultural depth, the food, the people, the language. And I think it's going to be like one of the old days of traveling where it's going to be a culture shock. You're going to need to think on your feet and get used to how things work there and quickly. But it's a mix, isn't it? It's ancient civilizations and the modernization of the country, megacities, rapid development.

and of course, regional diversity. I reckon you go from real new upcoming modernization to real old school very quickly, I can imagine. So of course, the Great Wall of China is in there. I'd to go and see the pandas as well. That'd be pretty cool. Xi'an, the terracotta army, of course. It's just so much. I could go on forever. But China is high on my list, six. I think it's going to get higher as the years go on. Number five is Kenya.

I keep reading it's the most accessible place to do a safari from Nairobi. I think it's pretty close. You can do it in and out of the city for a couple of days. Of course, there's other places to go and see and do a safari in Kenya. I think the culture there really appeals to me. I want to see what the Great Rift Valley landscapes are like. I want to understand the Masai tribe and the cultural heritage stuff. Of course, the safaris and wildlife would be at the top of my mind as well. I want to know the daily life in some of these towns and Nairobi is an international city.

So when I understand that city vibe and I want to know like markets and daily life, what conversations they have over tea, the Swahili culture, of course, and the Maasai Mara through local perspectives. Very cultural this trip, but it'll be a mix of everything. Wildlife culture, coffee, food, towns, cities, coasts, everything. The country's got it all. And my friend Raj runs a safari company there. He always keeps asking us to go and visit. So I will say yes one day and go and visit Raj.

And he is the most amazing guide. I can't wait to see Kenya with him. Okay. Sticking in the same continent. Number four, Namibia. It's the deserts. It's the wildlife. It's the silence. I think when you're driving in total silence in those deserts, in your Range Rover or your Land Rover or some kind of vehicle like that, and maybe you camp, you know, get a tent to go on top of the car. That would be pretty incredible. And that's Southwestern part of Africa, Botswana, then South Africa. I think that region as a whole is very high.

on our list. Lots of photography opportunities, great content, wildlife of course, and a kind of sense of chilling out, vastness and reflecting I think. So the best things to see and do of course are the dunes, the Skeleton Coast, Etosha National Park looks incredible, desert road trips, and finally one of the best places to do some stargazing at night. And I would imagine actually one of the best places in the world to really experience true silence. Yeah, I fancy that.

Number three is Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. I put them together. Kind of cheating, but these two always crop up on my social media through chats with travel friends as places that have to go and visit. I mean, it's got that Silk Road history. It's the mountains versus the mosques. Travel that's kind of back in the old days. Apparently it's very affordable. The culture is incredible. Kyrgyzstan landscape looks insane. One of the best places in the world to hike at the minute. You can do some horse riding there as well. Mountain trekking.

and do some nomadic culture, basically overland adventure. You're always outside and the hospitality will be second time, I guarantee it. So Samarkand in Uzbekistan is obviously a must and Bekara as well. These are the silk row cities that I always hear about on the podcast and I definitely want to check out. I want to stay in the yurt in Kyrgyzstan. That'd be pretty cool. I'm not into horses, but I can maybe entertain it as part of the actual culture of these countries. The Alpine lakes will be insane to go and see.

It's got an old Soviet vibe, so the buildings and the old school culture of that. And it'd be slow travel, take your time. I don't think things will work like Japan, you know, instant bang, bang, bang, bang. I think things might go wrong if you're doing it solo and you need to give it time and adhere to the customs and work the way that they do. Amazing countries have to get to Central Asia. It's a must. Number two is Norway, Sweden, Finland road trip. I've not really been to all three and this

is a van life trip in the summer from probably June, maybe May, May or June to late September, early October. And the views would be absolutely insane. I want to see the Norwegian fjords. That is so harmless. You wouldn't believe it. I want to see the lakes, the forests. want the long drives. I want the campsites, sleeping wherever you can. Nowhere to be. No time travel here. You just literally day by day.

picking a place and driving it a bit like our Canadian road trip. Of course, you've got the cities, the capital cities be worth seeing and obviously the smaller ones. But for me, it's more about hitting the roads up as far as you can go, back rounding in via Sweden and Finland. And I probably would start in Norway, around the coast, dip into Sweden, go and do the lakes in Finland and finish in Helsinki. And the dream would then be to carry on to Tallinn, to Estonia.

and carry on the road trip down there through Europe. How I would describe this trip would be freedom, no time constraints, the most insane views, more views, that Nordic culture I want to get stuck into, camping, the most amazing beaches, lakes. it's just got everything. The people would be awesome as well. The one downside of the area is the cost, but somehow I think if you road trip it, you can make it very doable, but I wouldn't care. It has to be summer. We've got to go and do it.

So this brings me to number one. I'm keen to know what you think when I relay this place and it's in the South Pacific and it's French Polynesia. Why? Because I'm obsessed with clear turquoise water, lazing in there all day, world-class beaches, huts to sleep in, the most idyllic setting, barely many tourists, getting away from it all, speaking to locals and just enjoying island life. I know it would be expensive to go there and hard to get to.

but it's so high on my list that I just cannot avoid it anymore. It's going to be a bit like Bhutan was five years ago. I know it'd be expensive, hard to get there, but eventually I'll get there. And this for me is number one, French Polynesia. Total remoteness, no hardship, easy life, great food, sun, weather, beaches, and just a place to relax, take stock and enjoy being in one of the most amazing places in the world. The lagoons I guess you've seen on social media or Google look incredible.

I would probably splash out for an overwater bungalow. Why not? Hopefully there's some good deals on that. And if possible, go to some of the outer islands to experience more. Of course, you want to go to Bora Bora or Moria, the famous lagoons, and that's going to be the busiest places of the French Polynesian islands. But the outer islands would have just as good beaches. It'd be away from the resorts and from the main tourists. And how good would that be? Yeah, I fancy it. So, bit of silence, bit of lazing in the sun in clear water, bit like Cook Islands I'd imagine. Get me there.

I hope you took something from this episode where it sparked a new idea, offered a different perspective or simply let you feel part of the journey. If you enjoyed it, leaving a quick rating or review on your podcast app really helps the show reach new listeners. And if you know someone who might connect with this episode, share it by word of mouth or social media. It makes a huge difference. Head to voicecaped.com for more amazing travel podcasts as well. And thanks so much for listening and I'll see you in the next episode. Until then, keep winging it.