Last Updated on 17/02/2018 by secretmoona

While watching my favourite travel documentary show on this lazy Sunday, I thought about updating my own travel inspirations. My bucket list seems to change according to my wishes of the moment, but most of the locations below have been present in my wishlist for a very long time. In addition to planned city breaks in Europe, I hope to at least check out and cross out one of these countries off my list. I am giving myself two years to achieved at least one of them.

San Francisco

The city reminds me of the crime drama series “The Streets of San Francisco ” with Karl Malden and Michael Douglas. My dad used to be a fan and since we only had one TV at home, we were all “forced” to watch it. Anyway, with time I became a fan too and I fell in love with the city, or specially the steep hills, colourful houses, varied mix of architecture and cable cars that runs through the streets. Ever since then I wanted to go to San Francisco.

© cntraveler

Boston in autumn

Boston is the definition of fall for me. I would like to take the fall foliage tour and discover the beauty of the coloured leaves. I have never been in this part the country before so would like to immersed myself in the beauty and tranquillity of the city. On top of the seasonal colours, I would like to discover the landscapes and architecture of Massachusetts.

© Boston Convention Bureau

Japan

I have a strange connection with Japan. I always want to go there, no matter how many times I go, I will always think of another area to visit. Japan is a country that celebrates festivals like no other. Right now I would love to visit the northern island of Hokkaido during the winter season. I have recently seen a documentary about the Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki Matsuri).  In winter, Hokkaido is covered by a tick blanket of snow which makes it the perfect location for this winter event.

© Sapporo Travel

Cambodia /  Vietnam

These two countries have for some reason been spared by mass tourism so remain one of the least expensive destinations in Southeast Asia. There is so much to see and do in Vietnam, between the beautiful northern mountains, rice fields, Ha Long Bay and the imperial cities, the choice is vast! Vietnam is so close to Cambodia so going to Vietnam is like a 2 for 1 trip, you have to do both!

Cambodia © Javier Gil

Vietnam © Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

Mali – Dogon country

Mali is a place I hold very deeply I my heart because it is my country of origin. Much like the continent Africa, Mali is very diverse in culture, history and landscape. I would love to experience each aspect of it. I have always been interested in this mysterious village which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Dogon people are an intriguing ethnicity that have been living in houses embedded in the cliffs for years. They also developed their own religion, culture and language.

©Bruno Morandi

Philippines

Surrounded by sea, rainforests and mountains, the archipelago of the Philippines is rich in biodiversity with over 7000 islands and is a cultural treasure. With so many islands, the Philippines has numerous beaches, caves and other rock formations which makes it a great place  for snorkelling. I am ashamed to admit that I do not know how to swim. I would like to learn so I can go snorkelling in Boracay.

© Getty

This list is not extensive, far from it but it is a good start. What is on top of your bucket list, what are your travel inspirations? Have you been to an of these countries?

Thanks for reading!