My Top 2016 Destinations

I got a little too excited when Flight Centre asked me what my dream destination for 2016 is. Vietnam! Australia! South Korea! That cool island in the Maldives with the glow-in-the-dark fish! There’s nothing more indulgent than fantasising about holidays during dreary January when there’s only about 5 hours of light and an 80% chance it’s drizzling. My travel bucket list is so huge I have an app on my phone to keep track. It’s currently 27 countries long, and growing.

Though I’ve got the travel bug, big time, there’s one area in particular that has captured my imagination: Central America and the Caribbean Sea. Beautiful weather, gorgeous oceans, and so much vibrant heritage and culture – it’s almost the opposite of London, but maybe that’s the appeal.

CUBA

Top of my list though is Cuba, particularly Havana. For a while now I’ve been keeping my eye on flights, waiting for an opportune moment to take the plunge and book.

My impression of it is a place seeped in history and nostalgia, largely untouched by tourists. The country’s relative isolation has left it seemingly untouched by the tide of ‘Westernisation’. And it looks oh so beautiful, with gorgeous pastel colonial buildings providing a backdrop for retro cars driven by slick men smoking cigars. I want to stroll down the Malecón sea drive, browse books in the second-hand book market in Plaza de Armas, and dance the night away at Tropicana. Yet I don’t really know what to expect of the country, it remains largely a mystery. There are few films that immortalise it, few cliches that typify it. I think that’s half the charm, going somewhere with only a romantic notion of what it could be!

MEXICO

I’d never properly considered visiting Mexico with any real zeal until I saw it in the opening credits of Spectre, with Bond flitting through the Day of The Dead crowds flanked by soaring buildings. Of course, in that scenario it was imbued with more than a little 007 danger and sex appeal, a far cry from the usual Spring Break Tijuana scenes I’d come to associate with the country. Mexico City during Day of The Dead is now a top priority (Halloween surely pales in comparison!), but a trip to the country would not be complete without exploring further afield to blogger-friendly Tulum and Cancun, which according to my Instagram feed are the most gorgeous beach locations. It’s the best of both worlds: cultural-rich cities and relaxing beach getaways, sexed up with the possibility of international espionage and hopefully Daniel Craig topless!

What’s your ultimate holiday destination? If you’ve been to either of these what would you recommend?

post in collaboration with Flight Centre, but all wanderlusting my own!