Where In The World? Our Travel Bucket List

When it comes to travel, I like to think I’m pretty well seasoned. Whether it’s exploring Disney or traipsing around factories in rural China, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel a lot. But since having a child, our trips and treks have significantly decreased. I dream of having a child who’s happy immersing himself in new cultures and who shares his parent’s love of adventure.

We’ve taken him to Crete and more recently to the Caribbean but, put simply, my list of places to go is growing faster than we can tick them off. With a focus on making our house a home, money is tight. And with a toddler in tow, we’ve got to be realistic about our travel expectations. So whilst we save and plan, I’ll keep lusting over holiday sites and thumbing through guidebooks in a bid to one day tick off some of our travel bucket list.

Iceland

Ice hotels, the Northern Lights and a sense of wilderness all contribute to this being top of the wish list. I’m yet to hear a bad review of a trip to Reykjavik and the stunning landscape around it. This is one of the few places on the list I feel we could do as a long weekend, rent a camper van and make our way around at our own pace, making it even more tempting with little people in tow. Honestly, I can’t wait to flesh out a trip here. Even if it does mean waiting a few years to allow us full enjoyment of the hot spring relaxation!

India

When it came to planning our honeymoon, it was a toss up between Sri Lanka and Goa for the relaxation part. Having gone with Sri Lanka, a Goa holiday is now firmly in our sights. Renowned for it’s long sandy beaches and small fishing villages, Goa’s the opposite to the hustle and bustle of urban life in India. With that in mind, we’d look to combine it with some time exploring the tourist traps of the Taj Mahal and Golden Triangle before jetting over to Goa for some well-earned r&r!

Japan

I travelled briefly to Japan on a work trip back in 2011 (a week prior to the large tsunami). I remember the trip as a huge culture shock; an indecipherable language, continuous bursts of colour and a country seeped in ancient culture. Work trips are usually very factory based with little to no time for sightseeing; just enough to give you a taste for a place. During my time there we managed a temple trip in Kyoto and I fell in love. Japan is one of those places we’re both itching to visit, its a relatively safe country to travel in making it a likely option for travel with a young family. Plus, all those lights, anime and Hello Kitty?! It’s perfect for little ones!

Southern USA

I have a fascination with the more southernly US states such as Louisiana. It’s not an area of the US that I’ve visited and a trip to New Orleans is most definitely on the bucket list. The architecture alone is enough to draw me in! We’ve talked often about doing a big road trip but the reality is we’re more likely to use internal flights and do some city hopping – especially given the distances involved with little ones. There’s a huge amount of the US that stays on our list – seeing the fall leaves in Maine for example, but for now, the south holds the most appeal.

Italy

I travelled around Italy with my sister but we’re yet to take a trip there as a family. Italian life is so family centric, it really is the perfect place to go with a young family. I want to roam the Tuscan hills, ride the merry-go-round in the centre of Florence and take water buses in Venice with my son, the boat lover! Although being around water that much would be a little bit of a nightmare at this age! Instead we’ll have to stick to gelato by the Spanish Steps in Rome and fighting gladiators in our dreams.

I could go on for days with my wishlist… but what about yours? What’s on your family travel bucket list?

16 Comments

  • Nicola | Mummy to Dex 16th August 2017 at 8:53 am

    Our bucket list:-

    New Zealand
    Australia (again) with a focus on the Great Ocean Road
    China
    More SE Asia
    West Coast US

    • DevonMamaOnline 16th August 2017 at 9:15 am

      I’d love to visit China again as a tourist but having been so many times with work it’s hard to justify it. I’ve never been somewhere so different though… it’s worth a visit just for that culture shock.

      • Nicola | Mummy to Dex 18th August 2017 at 7:29 am

        That’s what I really want! I didn’t really get it when I went to Japan. I think I was eased in by starting in Osaka which I found very Western, although we stayed in a capsule hotel which was just amazing and WEIRD! I hoped to get it in Bangkok too, but not so much.

  • Tabitha 17th August 2017 at 8:17 am

    Wow, such a great list! Iceland has been aiming to ramp up its tourism trade for a while now, so there’s loads of fantastic opportunities and experiences on offer, and Italy is always a great family-centric holiday, as long as you can keep track of everyone in the busier streets!

  • Vicky 17th August 2017 at 1:08 pm

    Iceland is definitely on my to-do list! I took Pickle to Rome and he loved it – the Italians just adore children and it is just so child-friendly over there. xxx

    • DevonMamaOnline 18th August 2017 at 2:28 pm

      I think that will have to be the first one – mostly because I’ve been so feel a bit more comfortable with what it would be like!

  • Emma 17th August 2017 at 1:35 pm

    I’m awful and don’t even have a travel bucket list for us as a family! We went to Spain this year and will be in Santorini in a couple of weeks. Ed and I are planning Italy for just the two of us but I do want to start taking the children to more exotic places as I haven’t travelled much and would like them to have a more varied childhood. I love your list! x

  • Mummy Times Two 17th August 2017 at 6:09 pm

    I went to Sri Lanka on honeymoon too, it truly was an incredible place in so many ways. The food was delicious x

  • Lucy | Real Mum Reviews 17th August 2017 at 9:58 pm

    I absolutely loved Iceland – I did a trek in 2011 for BHF and it was one of the best experiences of my life!!

    • DevonMamaOnline 18th August 2017 at 2:29 pm

      That sounds amazing! It’s been top of my list for so many years now, we just never get round to it!

  • Musings of a tired mummy...zzz... 18th August 2017 at 10:13 am

    Italy is top of my list of places I want to go. My dad’s grandfather came from northern Italy and I’d love to explore.

    • DevonMamaOnline 18th August 2017 at 2:30 pm

      It would be lovely to go and see the places your family had roots, such a nice personal element to the trip!

  • Katy Stevens 18th August 2017 at 10:58 am

    I would love to take my husband and daughter to India!

    • DevonMamaOnline 18th August 2017 at 2:26 pm

      Wouldn’t it be great (although last time I went it was monsoon season!)

  • Jeannette @autismmumma 18th August 2017 at 9:46 pm

    Iceland would definitely be on my list, as would Jamaica, Switzerland, Australia and Canada.
    No family connections in any but great scenery.

    • DevonMamaOnline 22nd August 2017 at 11:35 am

      Oh Switzerland is one of my favourite places to go. It’s well worth a visit if you haven’t been before, it looks exactly like a chocolate advert!

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