The world is slowly opening up for all of us. Day by day, one or the other country in Europe is inviting tourists to their nation though with some mild restrictions.
Veteran travelers are sharing their vacation spot recommendations based on their previous visits. Travel bloggers are curating to compile their own bucket list of new but beautiful holiday destinations.
9 Top Vacation Spots in the World
As a travel blogger, I too have been busy scouring the web content to find hidden gems of destinations.
Based on my research, here is my latest list of 9 top vacation spots in the world that you can think of visiting with your family.
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Milford Sound, New Zealand
Though the Milford Sound is the wettest place in New Zealand, it is one of the top vacation spots in the world.
The image above indicates that the Milford Sound is a sort of fjord. Though the seawater is filling the valley amidst scenic mountains all around, the perennial rainwater floats on the upper layer of the ‘sound’.
Can you guess how much rain falls on Milford Sound? It is recorded roughly 7000 mm per year.
Since Milford Sound is part of the Fjordland National Park, it attracts over a million visitors a year.
The main activity in Milford Sound is just to gaze at the sight and appreciate the ironic silence. There are boats that take the tourists for a ride (literally). The cruise lasts up to three hours.
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Stirling Falls
Get ready with your camera as soon as your boat pilot shouts to point at Stirling Falls. As your boat nears the falls, you let out an audible gasp because of the height ( approximately 500 feet) from where freshwater, falls into the seawater below.
Oh, man! Can you take your eyes off the Stirling Waterfalls?
In spite of awards and declaration that the Milford Sound is judged as one of the world’s top holiday destinations, it is still an under-visited natural wonder.
The lack of hotels to stay in the vicinity could be one of the prime reasons for Milford Sound’s poor patronage, even by the kiwis.
In addition, reaching this breathtaking vacation spot is time-consuming. You have to travel by bus from Queenstown where you will be staying because it is the gateway to Milford Sound. The distance between the two points is 290 km.
Therefore, invariably, tourists will have to be contended with a day trip to Milford Sound from Queenstown. This is another reason that Milford Sound is an under-visited vacation destination.
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Apostle Islands, the United States
A total of 22 islands comprise The Apostle Islands. These small islands are all located in Lake Superior. The Apostle Islands are part of the state of Wisconsin, in the U.S
The gateway to Apostle Islands is Bayfield, a small city.
The only way to set afoot on these lake islands is to take a boat from Bayfield’s dockyard.
The islands are known for calm picnic spots, abandoned lighthouses, and hiking trails. Of course, Lake Superior supplies abundant food to numerous aquatic birds that you can watch without much waiting.
If you are interested in seeing all the 22 Apostle Islands, you can join a grand boat tour that takes a lengthy tour in Lake Superior.
There are sea caves on Madeline Island (people live here) that you can explore provided you are not claustrophobic.
There are about 30 plus hotels in Bayfield. You can stay in a hotel and go on a boat cruise in Lake Superior early in the morning.
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Dolomites, Italy
What you see in the image are the spectacular Dolomites, a mountain range in Italy. The Dolomites are also called the Dolomite Alps. The mountains are spread across eight provinces of Italy including the large South Tyrol, the northernmost part of Italy.
The splendid Dolomites are protected by UNESCO. The organization has declared the Dolomites a World Heritage Site.
When the snow arrives, the entire Dolomites mountain range gets busy as it is transformed into a large skiing area.
However, during summer when it attracts more tourists, one can see several hang gliders and paragliders thronging the area with expectation.
The city of Belluno is where you will be staying to see the Dolomites. More than 30 hotels offer accommodation for various price ranges.
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Tuvalu
Tuvalu is an archipelago comprising just 9 islands that are located in the South Pacific Sea, somewhere in Polynesia.
Most of them are mere atolls. Tuvalu Island is said to be a remote island nation and is found to be situated between Australia and Hawaii.
Tuvalu’s main island is Funafuti. Tuvalu’s beaches are pristine and uncrowded. The island is ideal for people seeking an instant escape from the covid-infested cities.
Spend a full week there, visiting as many islands as possible, doing nothing else, but, still, you won’t be bored.
The main island Funafuti has an airport that receives international flights from various countries. It also offers a few hotels with a restaurant facility.
Tuvalu is an absolute paradise on earth. The island’s lazy life will make you als lazy. Here, the time stands still.
You can snorkel for hours without any competition from the underwater creatures.
Don’t you think Tuvalu is one of the top vacation spots in the world? I am sure Tuvalu’s charm has no match.
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Northern Territory, Australia
OMG! That’s a huge monolith really. At such a reddish place, everything else in the vicinity would reflect the fiery red including your face, shirt, and shoes. The Red Center is one of the famous vacation spots in the Northern Territory, Australia.
Standing near this mammoth red monolith is certainly a unique experience.
The Red Center is located in Australia’s Northern Territory called Uluru.
Red Center is a vast, blazing desert in Australia. Naturally, the red soil is due to the presence of iron oxide. It is definitely present in high percentage.
A brief interaction with the Uluru and Kata Tjuta aborigines who are living around the desert will be a memorable encounter.
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Kings Canyon
This spectacular canyon is located in the Northern Territory of Australia. Tourists are usually taken to see both the Red Center and the Kings Canyon on the same day.
Walking in the ear-marked hiking trails around the Kings Canyon is highly recommended. The views overlooking the gorge and the vast wilderness will inspire you to spend more time here.
This breathtaking gorge was formed some 400 million years ago! I am sure you will feel proud standing near the canyon looking down at the deep valley.
The area is good for bird watching. One of the birds that you can spot if you are lucky is the beautiful “Spinifex Pigeon”.
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Kakadu National Park
This is a World Heritage Site in the Northern Territory, Australia. If you are a wildlife enthusiast, you can experience a rewarding time spotting the wonderful wild animals and brilliantly colored birds of Australia.
In addition, the national park is home to several breathtaking waterfalls. Kakadu NP is one of the highly visited places in Australia for natural beauty and wildlife.
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Litchfield National Park
Another gorgeous natural attraction in Australi’s Northern Territory.
The Litchfield National Park is home to diverse range of wildlife species that include all the marsupials such as kangaroo, wallaby, and hundreds of avifauna.
In order to see these vacation spots in Australia’s Northern Territory, you must stay in Darwin, the capital.
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Tromso
What a magnificent snow-clad backdrop! The lucky place is called Tromso, a city in Norway. Apart from the overall beauty of Tromso, one of the unknown vacation spots in the world, its adjoining island is much more beautiful.
The island’s name is ‘Trosoya’.
Tromso is the gateway to see the famous “Northern Lights”. In fact, Tromos is said to be the best location in Norway to watch the dazzling natural light show.
Have you ever enjoyed a ride in a sledge? Sled as it also called is an open cart that is pulled either by the reindeers or the so-called ‘sled dogs’. A sled is a snowmobile. Arctic Wildlife watching is a one-time-in-life opportunity.
Some more things to do in Tromso:
- Cable car ride to Floya Mountain
- A short cruise in the great fjords of Norway
- Visit to the Arctic Cathedral
- See the Polar Museum
The local culture and festivals are a treat to watch. Tromso is one of the top vacation spots in the world.
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Drakensberg escarpment, South Africa
South Africa is a highly visited nation by tourists. It has numerous top destinations, one of which is the God’s Window.
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God’s Window.
The God’s Window is situated in the Drakensberg escarpment.
It is certainly one of the unknown vacation spots for the majority of us but not for the South Africans who know the value of this fantastic tourist destination.
This deep gorge and grasslands are familiar grazing grounds for mountain reedbucks, impalas, zebras, kudus, and the big blue wildebeest. Another rare mammal of South Africa that you can spot is the ‘waterbuck’.
Mpumalanga province is the lucky place for hosting the God’s Window.
The escarpment is nearly a mind-boggling 1000 km long.
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Blyde River Canyon.
The next big attraction in Drakensberg’s escarpment is the Blyde River Canyon.
The views from several observation platforms are simply amazing.
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Mariepskop Peak.
Mariepskop peak’s altitude is approximately 6400 feet. It is part of the Blyde River Canyon.
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Mariepskop Forest Reserve
What is the fun of visiting South Africa if you don’t enjoy a session of wildlife watching? In this nature reserve, reptiles and amphibians will hog the limelight. Frogs, snakes, geckos, and scary-looking spiders are some of the forest creatures that will be pointed out by your wildlife guide.
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Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park
Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park is another important tourist spot in the Drakensberg Escarpment. This is one of the most visited game reserves in South Africa.
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Hiking trails.
Such a long mountain range, unlimited tracts of forests mean there will be numerous hiking trails in the Drakensberg.
Some more tourist sightseeing places in Drakensberg, South Africa.
- Kruger National Park
- Sabi Sand Game Reserve
- Inyati Private Game Reserve
- Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve
- Lion Sands Private Game Reserve
- Londolozi Game Reserve
- Mala Mala Game Reserve
- Sudwala Caves
Ugh, so much to see in the Drakensberg! It surely deserves to be on the list of the world’s top vacation spots.
Durban is the nearest big city to see all the attractions of Drakensberg. You will have to stay at t’s capital Mbombela.
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Utah
Utah is one of the states in the U.S. Though it is an under-rated destination, some of its awesome places make it one of the travel destination in North America.
Let us have a brief look at what you see if you choose Utah as your next holiday destination.
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Arches National Park
Since this park is home to roughly 2000 (two thousand) natural arches, it got this name. Below is one of the arches. Isn’t it incredible?
Delicate Arch is its name.
Renting a bicycle and enjoying a two-hour-long ride is a favorite thing to do here. One can see lots of tents pitched up. You can stay in one such tent. The area is so vast that t is home to numerous wildlife species that include birds, snakes, frogs, rats, and animals.
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Arches Picturesque Drive
This scenic drive’s length is just 35 km. Therefore, it will be 70 km two-way. Since it is a scenic drive that forces you to stop your car at frequent intervals in order to marvel at the beautiful places, it will take nearly 4 hours to complete your drive.
- Canyonlands National Park
- Monument Valley
- Bryce National Park
- Zion National Park
Your headquarters to see all these stunning natural scenes in Utah is its capital Salt Lake City.
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Aspen, Colorado
For once, we will bypass the most popular Grand Canyon in Colorado to focus on some of the stunningly beautiful places to see in and around Aspen.
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Mountain Bells
Maroon Peak and the North Maroon Peak are the two peaks that you can see in the image above. Both are part of the Elk Mountains, Aspen and they are the Mountain Bells.
There is a lake below, at the foot of the Elk Mountains. It is known as Maroon Lake.
Tourists will throng the lakeshore early in the morning to admire the Mountain Bells’ reflection on the lake. The Maroon Bells is an unknown vacation spot in the U.S.
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Snowmass
You must be aware that Colorado is enshrouded in thick snow during winter. Aspen acts as one of the most preferred skiing areas by the Americans.
The entire skiing area is aptly called ‘Snowmass’.
After the snow melts, Aspen takes the beautiful shape of endless meadows and lovely landscaped parks.
