2015 was an epic year of travel for us. We visited China, Indonesia, Taiwan and New Zealand to name just a few. I’m already daydreaming about the awe-inspiring destinations that we’ll discover in 2016.
Since neither Vic or I are planners, our next travel destination is always a surprise. Where will we go? No one knows! Not even us.
I’ll admit, we do usually have a vague idea of what countries we want to visit. But we never know when or how we’re going get there. For example, at the beginning of 2015 we both knew we wanted to go to Indonesia. All year we had it in the back of our minds (and on our vision board) but no solid plans for getting there. Then randomly in November we were invited to visit Indo by Wonderful Indonesia. BOOM! Mission accomplished.
And that’s pretty much how we plan all of our trips. Very loosely! We just go with the flow and say ‘yes’ to any new adventure that presents itself.
In saying that, we’re very much into visualisation and goal setting. We use strategies like vision boards to help make our travel goals a reality. I know some of you might be thinking that’s a bit ‘woo woo’, but I believe your brain is pretty smart. Smarter than we even know. Give it a problem, or a goal and let your brain work it out. For us, we start by setting our ‘intention’ for which countries we’d like to visit. Then we cut out pictures and put them on our vision board, which is always in sight in our office. Then we let our brain, or more specifically our subconscious do the rest of the work.
How does it work?
Have you ever thought about buying a new car? You start doing research on a particular brand in a certain colour, and then once you’ve started researching, all of a sudden every time you leave the house all you notice is that particular car? Pretty interesting right! Funny thing is, those cars were there all the time, your brain just became more aware of them. Smart eh?
Just like the car scenario, we use our subconscious to work out our travel plans too. As it’s the start of a brand new year, it’s the perfect time to set our intentions and get our travel wish list into order. I don’t know what your 2016 travel plans look like, but here’s our top 5 travel destinations for 2016!
Top 5 Travel Destinations for 2016
Philippines
I love a tropical beach holiday! I love everything about them. Sun, sand, icy cold drinks (my fave is a fresh coconut!) and crystal blue waters. Neither Vic or I have ventured to the Philippines before and we want 2016 to be the year that we get amongst some of the 7,000+ islands that make up this beautiful country.
We hear there’s epic locations for diving and it’s a great place to see whale sharks the gentle giants of the ocean (this is the #1 experience Vic wants this year!). Throw in some island hopping and chill time on those white sandy beaches and you’re set for an awesome time.
Italy
What’s not to love about Italy?! It has to be the best place on earth to eat pizza and gelato, two of our favourite foods! They also do a mean coffee and for any photographer it’s a spectacular place to capture on camera!
Both Victoria and I have been here before, but we’re busting to get back. Last time I was here I did the typically drunken backpacker tour, we partied hard at night and then dragged our asses around to see the sights with a terrible hangover. Not much fun.
This time, I want to enjoy the magnificent buildings, the food, and the culture, hangover free! Vic wants to do it Eat, Pray, Love style and eat her way through Italy and put on 10 kilos!
Colombia
Located at the top of South America and sitting on the Caribbean, Colombia is a magical country steeped in history.
I travelled around the country (briefly) quite a few years ago, back when it really wasn’t safe for tourists to be there. I remember crossing the Venezuela-Colombia border and the guard informed me that a tourist shopping mall had just be blown up by a bomb (eek!).
Colombia is a lot safer for tourists these days than it used to be. So I’m looking forward to experiencing more of the country without worrying if we’re at risk of being kidnapped or blown up!
Cruising the Caribbean
There’s something very romantic about the idea of cruising around the Caribbean. I’ve wanted to do it since it captured my attention watching an old 90’s movie Captain Ron. It’s an epic movie featuring Kirk Russell and Martin Short that my sister and I used to love. Back in the day it was one of the few VHS (yep those old tape things!) that we owned, so we basically had it on repeat!
Our goal this year is to sail the high seas, or at least jump on one of these plush cruise ships and live the high life for a week or two!
Safari in Tanzania
Hands down, an African safari is the #1 place on our top 5 travel destinations for 2016. I’ve wanted to do it since forever, and I KNOW 2016 is the year we’re going to make it happen.
Seeing the big 5 (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhino) plus all the other cheeky animals that call this amazing place home is at the top of our bucket list.
So there you have it… our Top 5 Travel Destinations for 2016!
I’m seriously buzzing just thinking about visiting these awesome destinations! Now it’s time for the Universe to do it’s thing and make it happen for us!
Do you use vision boards or the power of intention? I know it sounds weird but do some research and you’ll be surprised! If it’s too ‘woo woo’ for you, just think of it as goal setting, as it works the same way.