Top 10 Travel Destinations for Backpacking Women
Welcome to my top 10
travel destinations - and I say mine because there isn't a
travel site
or magazine that doesn't have its own - so why not this site?
First, though, I had to come up with criteria.
That wasn't easy -
why does a place stick? What makes it special? I'm not even sure I can
answer that.
But I've tried, so here are my criteria for
selecting these various destinations: if a place gets at least 6 out 8
of the points below, I've considered
it. Of course coming up with the top 10 travel destinations for you is
completely arbitrary - I could just as easily have come up with
100.
Here goes:
- I've been there.
- It's safe.
- I felt welcomed as a solo woman.
- I'd be happy to stay for a week or more.
- The food is good.
- It's beautiful.
- It won't ruin my budget.
- It has a certain je-ne-sais-quoi, a feeling...
So, in the most abjectly subjective manner possible, here are my top 10
travel destinations for backpacking women!
What is your favorite travel destination? Please take a moment to share it with us!
The map below
also shows you where I've been - and how much of the world I still have
left to see...
My Top 10
Travel Destinations
Vilanculos, Mozambique
It's not so much the town of Vilanculos but the Bazaruto Islands off
its coast. I was first turned on to this region by James Michener's The Drifters some
years ago and the islands are everything I could dream of: miles of
untouched sand, limpid warm waters, fluorescent fish, dhows,
extraordinary sunsets...
Ubud, Indonesia
Ubud is a lovely town in the heart of Bali, a little touristy but a
pure delight once you get off the beaten path and certainly worth a
nomination to my top 10 travel destinations for women. Three things
beckon to me in Ubud: its outstanding artists, the Balinese
architecture, and the rice paddies that surround the town. Of course
I'm also partial to Indonesian food...
Annecy, France
I'm biased on this one because it's in my backyard. France is filled
with picture postcard villages but even so, this one, at the foot of
the Alps, stands out. The pluses: local cheese specialties,
old town arcades, winding canals, spectacular lakefront, plenty of
outdoor excitement, and a monthly antiques market (too expensive to buy
but great for gazing).
One
of Annecy's canals
Photo: Rob Inh00d
via Flickr
Barcelona, Spain
Has this become everyone's favorite city? It seems to top every list
and I can understand why: glorious location on the Costa Brava, sublime
seafood, and art - Gaudi, Dali and Miro are just a few of the famous
names linked to the autonomous province of Catalonia. And did I mention
the shopping? Just hang on to your wallets though - it's pickpocket
haven but otherwise safe.
Detail
from the facade of the Sagrada Familia cathedral
Photo: Laura
Padgett via Flickr
Havana, Cuba
Possibly the fastest-changing city in the world but Havana still
remains mysterious for the millions of Americans who can't travel
there. As a Canadian, I stayed for a couple of months and lost myself
in the style and friendliness of the people, the energizing music and
the living, breathing history that permeates every street corner.
Forever
Fidel
Photo: factor_
via Flickr
Istanbul, Turkey
There's a timeless feel about Istanbul, a clear sense of millennia gone
by, sometimes at odds with the modern. In the souks life goes on as it
always has yet the city is at ease in the 21st century. Turkish food,
of course, but the art of
haggling
and the flashbacks of the Ottaman Empire when this
city ruled a large part of the world. Hard to believe perhaps but I
felt perfectly safe: the only time I was accosted was by people wanting
to practice their English. Incredibly hospitable!
Blue
Mosque and Hagia Sofia at night
Photo: marfis75
via Flickr
Bocas del Toro, Panama
Scratch my head but I can't find anything wrong
with Bocas, on Panama's coast. It's inexpensive, friendly, by the sea,
laid back, great food and internet - the Caribbean without the mass
tourism. It's still backpacker haven and if you like lolling in a
hammock by the water with a cool drink in one hand and a great book in
the other, come on over! This one is definitely one of my top 10 travel
destinations... maybe the
top.
Laid back in
Bocas - there's a feeling about it
Luang Prabang, Laos
There's
something both mystical and charming about this town and UNESCO thinks
so too since it's named it a World Heritage Site - a place worthy of
protection. Its popularity is also a threat - this sleepy laid-back
town is becoming understandably popular and quiet days watching the
Mekong flow by may end. But for now, monks still walk the streets
begging for alms and the city, at times shrouded in mist, still beckons.
Umbrellas
in a Luang Prabang market
Photo: Juliansong
via Flickr
Stresa, Italy
This
isn't a typical backpacker stop because it's not cheap. But if you love
history, Italy, old stones, manicured gardens and
villages where time stands still, it's worth at least a day visit if
you're ever in Milan (it's
only a half-hour train ride away). Jump on a boat and take a tour of
the Borromean Islands. A bit kitchy, but...
Stone Town, Zanzibar
Not
just the town but the entire island is a jewel. Pristine beaches and
wafting spices but also a crossroads of culture where Arabia, India and
Africa meet. A piece of advice: if you leave your hostel or hotel in
Stone Town, take a card with you. The serpentine streets will get the
better of even those of you with the best sense of direction.
Underwater
crab in Zanzibar's unspoilt waters
Photo: Olivier
Lejade via Flickr
What is your Top Travel Destination?
Where have you been that you'd love to visit again? Why did you like that place so much? What was special and memorable about it?
We all have those extraordinary places we'd go back to over and over if we could.
Please share your special place with us - or places, if you have more than one!
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
New York
I just love the city, the vibrancy and the vast amount of things to do at any time of the day or night. I love the New York Pass which is a great way ...
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