Nothing excites us more than packing our bags and whisking ourselves away to destinations new. Each year we read and hear about places that inspire us and our wish list grows ever longer. We asked around to find out the destinations and holiday experiences that are on the bucket list for the Lucre team this summer:
- Iceland
Iceland has well and truly made it on to bucket lists of globetrotters around the world. Since 2010, visitor numbers have increased from 490,000 to an expected 2.3 million visitors this year according to the Icelandic Tourism Board, with its most famous attraction being the elusive Northern Lights. The island is full of adventures and surprises on every corner. The west coast offers a beautiful 100km coastline which has been conserved as a national park. You can spot whales, see stunning waterfalls and walk trails connecting the inland with the seaside. One thing to note, you might want to brush up on your Icelandic etiquette before you depart; the tourist board has launched the “Iceland Academy” campaign to encourage clueless holidaymakers to visit more than just the tourist hotspots – one of them entitled ““How to Avoid Hot Tub Awkwardness”.
- Vancouver
The weak pound may be making holidays more expensive, but the good news is that long haul flights have dropped by up to 18% since 2016, with the greatest price drop being Vancouver[1]. This makes the great metropolis of British Columbia sitting on the western coast of Canada more accessible than ever before. The city offers everything: A mixture of culture, amazing cuisine, lakes and beaches galore and of course, the mountains. In summer you can bike around the city and beaches or spot a Grisly at nearby Grouse Mountain. In winter, nearby Whistler offers great skiing for a perfect winter holiday.
- Santorini
Santorini was one of the most trending holiday destinations in 2016 and it looks like its popularity has failed to waiver in 2017. And for a good reason! The island offers some of the most breathtaking views in the world over beaches and cliffs across the island’s blue and white rooftops. And how can you not fall in love with the thought of gazing out to sea with a glass of Retzina, a Greek salad and olives whilst watching an unforgettable sunset? The currency in Greece, of course, is the Euro but the country’s current economic troubles mean that it can still be a cheap holiday option, if you know where to look.
- Japan
The land of the rising sun has been on our bucket list for a while now; however, its newfound status as one of the world’s gastronomical centres has really cemented it as one of our most-coveted destinations. Sushi and Grill restaurants are on every corner, as are ramen bars – a gastronomical hit that has exploded in cities worldwide in the past year. If you like your wagyu steak or sashimi with a price tag that won’t make you faint, head to one of many stand-up restaurants frequented by value-conscious diners across Tokyo. If you don’t mind splashing the cash, the Japanese capital has a mind-blowing 226 Michelin-starred restaurants. It’s unsurprising, then, that Saveur magazine named it the “world’s best food city” – we need to go.
- Lisbon
Noticed that your Instagram feed is filling up with snaps of Lisbon’s charming old town? That’s because this beautiful city is one of the trendiest places to take a city break in 2017. With amazing seafood and sunsets on rooftop bars, Lisbon offers warmth, culture and gastronomy aplenty, plus of course the opportunity for an array of stylish holiday snaps. It is cheap for solo travel, couples or group travellers and hotels are generally better value for money than most cities in Europe. We’ll be travelling in the off-season to ensure we get the best deal.
Source:
[1] http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/cheap-flights-2017-long-haul-skyscanner-vancouver-boston-hong-kong-a7692451.html