My Top 5 Favorite Travel Destinations Around The World

The genuine love I have for discovering new places, meeting new people, and creating new experiences has fueled my appreciation for life. Although I wouldn't consider creative writing to be one of my strengths, as it becomes challenging after four and a half years of working in a very corporate environment (I bet you would never guess what I do for a living :) ), I wanted to share my favorite places with you as I have been deeply inspired in the past by travel bloggers, and I want to pay it forward and do the same for others. I believe it takes incredible courage and passion to explore the unknown, which is why when The Outbound Collective reached out to me asking me to join this platform, I instantly lit up inside and said yes.

To date, I have lived on 2 different continents, and have traveled to 3 others. The best part about traveling is that no two places are the same. So it's hard to get bored.

1. Egypt

Egypt is insanely incredible. The Great Pyramid of Giza is truly worthy of being named one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. However, pyramids are not the only impressive structures in Egypt. Be sure to check out Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, and Abu Simbel while you are there. I promise each of these places will exceed your wildest expectations. 

2. Bali

Bali is a tough one to beat. It has something for everyone, at an affordable price. For the adventure lovers, this place is a dream. Captured above is Sekumpul Waterfall, located north of Bali, where weather can be very unpredictable, but well worth the trek, even if the water has snakes in it - yes I saw one! Besides the numerous waterfalls/jungles you can explore, the island also has pristine white beaches (Balangan Beach), perfect waves for surfing (Kuta Beach), places where you can engage with monkeys and elephants, practice yoga (Ubud), and going out clubbing. If you happen to get bored of all of the above, you could always hop onto another island around Bali for more adventures and attractions (Gili Islands, Lombok, Nusa Penida, etc.)   

3. The Philippines

There are over 7,000 islands in the Philippines. Unfortunately I haven't had time to visit them all yet. My fiancé and I chose to stay on Cebu Island, in the Oslob area, because we wanted to get up early to go swimming with whale sharks - which we did! It was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced and it's hard to describe the feeling in words. It was extremely nerve-wrecking to be around these creatures that were roughly 12 meters long and weighed about 20,000 kilograms, but at the same time it was very calming to see just how gentle and graceful these giants were in the ocean. We also visited Apo Island (pictured above) -  where you can snorkel or dive with giant sea turtles, Sumilon Island (perfect spot to relax for a day), Cambais Falls, and Kawasan Falls - one of the most picturesque waterfalls where you can choose to do a 3-hour canyoneering adventure (basically jumping off multiple cliffs and trekking up a beautiful blue river - which we did). If you are looking to spend your holidays in the Philippines, I would also recommend looking up Palawan and Boracay, if you have time to visit multiple islands.

4. South Africa

My fiancé proposed to me in South Africa, on top of Table Mountain, so naturally this is on the top of my list! We did everything you could do in a week in South Africa, which included cage diving with Great Whites off the coast of Gansbaai, driving along the gorgeous coast of the Cape Peninsula, visiting the charming surf town of Muizenberg, watching the penguins sun-bath at Boulders Beach, playing with lion cubs in Johannesburg (caution - they play rough), and of course my absolute favorite - Safari. We drove around an open jeep with extremely knowledgeable guides, who led us to lions, elephants, cape buffalos, cheetahs, leopards, rhinos, giraffes, and hyena sightings! This was an experience I will never forget because I learned so much about these animals and how they behave which is fascinating to me. I felt like I was not just watching Planet Earth, I was in it!

5. Dubai

Dubai is everything you hear of. It is a world of the future. The Burj Khalifa, tallest building and the most famous skyscraper in the world, is a must see in person. The common misconception about Dubai is that it costs an arm and a leg to be there. This is not true. You can find decently nice hotels for around $200 USD/night, unless you want to stay at the 7-star Burj Arab, then make sure to bring your black card! Since I seek adrenaline and like putting myself in danger, naturally I wanted to skydive over the one and only man-made Palms Island for my 24th birthday. Besides this being one of my favorite memories, I also loved visiting the Souks, playing in the water at the gorgeous Jumeriah Beach, riding camels in the desert, and shopping at the world's biggest mall. We were only there for 3.5 days so we didn't have time to go anywhere else but if you had more time I would highly recommend looking into doing a short trip to Ferrari World and the stunning mosques in Abu Dhabi.

Where are all of your favorite places in the world? I am always looking for fresh ideas as to where to go next! Let me know what you think of this post and what you would like to see for my next one!