20th Anniversary Countdown: Guest Post #2

This is the second of my guest posts to celebrate my 20th Blogiversary coming up in September.

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Kyria has been blogging about her travels since 2006. She recently quit her job, sold all her belongings, and started a bikepacking adventure through the US and Canada with her bike Bob. She is much braver than I am! Find her over at Travel Spot. 

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Hello everyone! First off, let me start by saying happy blogiversary to Engie, who is a few years older than me (I will be twenty in 2026). I always did look up to her and now I know why; she is the older and wiser one. Twenty years is a long time to keep doing the same thing consistently; think about it - have you had a job for twenty years? A relationship? A home? I haven't and I am a pretty routine person. In order to celebrate Engie's special day, I thought I would write about twenty interesting places that I have visited. Some of you know that my blog started as a travel blog, and I am hoping that it gets back there again, so here's a little inspiration for all of us! I am going to skip the obvious ones like Paris and Rome and give you some more off the beaten path options! 

1. Salt Flats / Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia): not only do these start at about 3,600 meters (~11,800 feet) above sea level and get as high as 5,000 meters (~16,500 feet), but they are flat and they seeming go on for ages. Fun fact; they actually used to be under the sea! (more info)

Salt Flats, Uyuni

2. Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (Brazil): This is on the northeast coast of Brazil in the middle of nowhere and consists of some random sand dunes, which were apparently carried by the rivers at one point and then blown around by the winds, creating a really cool set of dunes. There are lagoons in the middle of some of them and it is really blue and the effect is stunning, plus you can swim in them! (more info)

Lençóis Maranhenses

3. Ilha Grande (Brazil): Less than 100 miles from Rio, this island is accessible and it beautiful! We stayed in a small pousada and drank lots of caipirinhas! You can also walk to Playa Lopez Mendes, which is on the east coast of the island, which is absolutely stunning and is good for surfing. (more info)

4. South Africa: This time it is an entire country! I spent about a month driving around, camping and hiking in South Africa and I had a blast. Some highlights included Pater Noster, a small but beautiful beach town, going on safari at Kruger (in the rental car, on our own) and Cape Town (food, Table Mountain, the sea, ostriches)!  (more info)

Kruger, South Africa

5. Everest Base Camp Hike (Nepal): Although my last trip with Mr. Lovely did not end as expected (long story!), I really enjoyed the EBC hike. The scenery was beautiful, there were yaks (an naks, lady yaks) and the teahouses were warm and boisterous.Plus the flight into Lukla is amazing (as is the short runway, at only about 1,700 feet long). (more info)

6. Banff & Jasper NPs (Canada): These parks are both beautiful, there is tons of hiking, or if you don't feel like doing that, tons of views to see from the car. The people are nice, the lakes are a beautiful blue color and the mountains are stunning. I can't say enough good things about these parks. I am planning on riding the Icefields Parkway later this year, which goes between the two parks. (more info)

Bow River, Banff

7. Ko Tao (Thailand): This island in Thailand holds a special place in my heart as it was one of the first places I went when I visited this lovely country. We did not book any accomodation in advance, yet it was easy to find a place to stay and my friend and I spent the week learning to dive. The oceans and beaches are beautiful, both under and on top of the water, the food is cheap and good, and there is a ton of fresh fruit! To get there you have to take a boat, but it is an easy ride across from the mainland. (more info)

8. Hong Kong: I do enjoy a city by the bay. Places like Seattle and San Francisco and Hong Kong are just so pretty! Plus there are ferries! Also, HK was the first city that I ever had WiFi all over town, out in the open. The street food (and restaurant food) is fabulous, there is hiking nearby and the New Years Eve fireworks are spectacular (I recommend getting a hotel with a high floor so you can lay in bed and watch them like I did). Plus if you like shopping, Kowloon has everything you may need and more. (more info)

9. Busan (South Korea): Another waterside city, Busan was a fishing village, but now is so much more. There are beaches, and you can get Korean food with lots of banchan in the subway tunnels! Other than that, I went to a baseball game, which was so much fun, plus they are called the Giants, which is my home team also! I had a lot of fun wandering the fish stalls and one of the merchants even let us try soju! (more info)

10. Kings Canyon NP (California): This is not as well known as Yosemite or Sequoia, but there is plenty of things to do and see here! You can get a campsite near the King river and just relax, or if you feel more energy, there are a ton of hiking, fishing, rafting and swimming opportunities. 

Kings Canyon National Park

11. Bariloche (Argentina): In winter there is skiing and in summer there is biking or hiking and no matter what, there is good wine and food! I even got a haircut when I was here and it was great. 

12. Patagonia (Argentina/Chile): I don't think this place needs any introduction. Just go; you will love it! 

Grey Glacier, Chile

13. Palawan (Philippines): Since we are on the jeep theme, here is another place I had to take a jeep to, but in the Philippines, it is called a Jeepney. This island is beautiful and if you like diving, or eating, or karaoke or underground caves, this is the place for you. The first time I tried a red banana was in El Nido. Have you ever had one? This island is just a quick flight from Manila, but if you are going all the way to the Philippines, make sure you also check out Boracay as well. (more info)

14. New Orleans (Louisiana): Food, music, culture; what more can you ask for!? You could of course go for one of the classic restaurants like Emeril's, but there are so many more: Tommy's or Compere Lapin for dinner or Surrey's or Slim Goodie's for breakfast, or a crawfish boil at any time! (more info)

15. Whitehaven Beach (Australia): Super white sand and blue, blue water! It is a sight to behold. You can get here by taking a Whitsunday sail. 

16. Queenstown (New Zealand): Good for both bungy jumping and being the jumping off place for many outdoor activities. Also you can stop here on the way to Milford Sound, NZ's fjords, which are also worth a visit. 

17. Ljubljana (Slovenia): Home of the dragons and castles, this city in tiny Slovenia does not disappoint. They also have great bakeries and restaurants and lots of nearby mountain activities. 

18. Durmitor (Montenegro): Another tiny country, with both mountains and beautiful oceanside. When I was here we stayed with a host family, which was a great way to get an idea of how the locals live. 

19. See (Austria): In the summer, you can take a gondola up to the top of the mountain and then walk around, without having to do as much work. After that, you can have a wonderful dinner, complete with the dark heavy brown seeded bread that I love so much! 

View from the gondola

20: Bologna (Italy): Despite it's name, you will not find any compressed meat here. This town may get overshadowed by more well known ones like Rome or Pisa, but you can find some great food and the streets are so fun to walk around. I remember also noticing that there were a ton of people biking! 

So there you have it, twenty places to go for Engie's twentieth blogiversary! Have you been to any of these places? What is one of your favorite places that you have been?