While I am the first person to admit that I am far from an experienced traveler, I have been to more places than many. As I am currently looking forward to all of the places that I would like to go, I couldn’t help but look back at some of my favorite places that I have already been. Covering the spectrum from wild and rowdy, to relaxed and subdued, here is the list of my top five favorite travel destinations.
#5: Las Vegas, Nevada
Paris Hotel Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is a city unlike any other in the world. Where else can you visit the Brooklyn Bridge, Eiffel Tower and an Egyptian Pyramid all in one night? Vegas is a place that you either love or hate, and I must admit, that I am a big fan of sin city. Each time I go there it is an entirely different trip than the one before. My love for the city may also be due in part to the fact that I have never lost money on a trip there. While I will admit, playing $50 blackjack hands may not seem like the most responsible idea in retrospect, it was those hands that paid for my last trip in its entirety. If you have never been to Las Vegas, I absolutely believe it is one of those places you need to visit at least once in your life time. Love it or hate it, I guarantee you will have some fantastic stories to tell by the time you leave.
Be sure to check out Foundation Room on Monday nights if it fits into your schedule. Located on the top floor of Mandalay Bay this club has a huge balcony over looking the entire city. Contact them in advance to try and get them to waive the $30 entry fee, and keep in mind that it is only open to the general public on Monday nights.
#4: Barcelona, Spain
Font Magica Barcelona, Spain
From the moment I started walking down Las Ramblas, I knew I was in a special place. Between the spectacular architecture of Sagrada Familia, to the wonderment of Font Magica, the city was full of some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. The nightlife is also unbeatable. A place full of travelers and locals alike, to this day the nights I spent in Barcelona are some of the most memorable I have ever had
#3: Buzios, Brazil
Joao Fernandinho Beach Buzios, Brazil (The photo doesn't really do this place justice)
Even though many of you have probably never heard of Buzios, over the past 40 years it has been steadily earning a reputation as being the St. Tropez of South America. Located about two hours north of Rio de Janeiro, Buzios is set on a spectacular peninsula and features 24 world class beaches. Buzios was made famous in the late 1960s when sex pot Brigitte Bardot began coming here to escape her hectic life back home. There is even a statue in her memory on Rua das Pedras (the main street in town).
Whether you are looking to sit back and take in the scenery at Joao Fernandinho beach or really get the party going at Ferradura Beach (the most popular in Buzios) there is something for everyone here. I loved the diversity of the town and how each beach had something different to offer. If you are looking for excitement definitely check out Pacha or Privilege, the two biggest night clubs in town.
#2: Sunriver, Oregon
Sunriver, Oregon
While I may be slightly biased with this one, Sunriver truly is one of my favorite places in the world. Located in the high desert of Central Oregon, Sunriver is an outdoor enthusiasts mecca. The area features dozens of golf courses, world class rock climbing at Smith Rocks, hundreds of miles of bike trails, and some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll find anywhere. I have been coming here nearly every year since I was 8, and I enjoy it more and more each time. If winter sports are more your thing, Mt. Bachelor is only half an hour away and is one of the largest ski areas in the country. There are also numerous opportunities for snowmobiling, sledding and cross country skiing.
If you are in to mountain biking be sure to check out the Deschutes River Trail. While it is one of the easier trails in the area, the views along the river are unbeatable.
#1: French Riviera
Port of Monaco
The French Riviera was everything I expected it to be, and more. The week that I spent there a few summers ago exploring the coast from Monaco down to Cannes was one of the best of my life. Whether we were hanging out on fast boats in the Mediterranean or jumping off 45 foot cliffs in the French Alps, the entire trip was spectacular. We stayed at the Villa St. Exupery hostel in Nice which has constantly been rated one of the ten best in the world (and for good reason). While it is a bit of a hike to get down to the Promenade from there, the views and amenities to be found here truly made it stand out, and only added to a fantastic trip.
Exploring Monaco is also an experience unlike any I have ever had. The sheer amount of money that is concentrated in such a small place is staggering. With every other car being a Ferrari, and the harbor being full of multi-million dollars yachts, its kind of a wonder they even let me in the place. But they did, and I was even able to gamble in the Monte Carlo Casino. To this day I brag about the 20 Euros I won there playing slots. If you ever get the chance to spend time in the South of France I can’t recommend it enough. It truly is my favorite place that I have ever been.
So there it is, my five favorite places on Earth. I hope to be able to update this list over the next year with new favorites and new stories!
What are your favorite destinations? Tell us about them in the comments!
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Click on each photo for credits, Monaco and Buzios were taken by me.
Join The Discussion
This has me excited to travel. I’d love to visit Buzios (but primarily Rio). A few friends of mine were in Paris and Barcelona earlier this year and needless to say I was incredibly jealous. Their photos were so amazing, completely representative of the life I want to live.
Of the places I’ve visited, my top three would be Memphis, Mérida (Mexico), and Cozumel. On the happiest days of my life I was in one of these places. I can’t wait to expand my list of visited cities though. Definitely striving for location independence at this point.
Inspiring post, Sean!
Thanks for the wonderful post, Sean.
I am more and more enjoying your posts.
My favorite spot, bar none, has to be Grand Canyon. It was one of the most spectacular sites I have ever seen in my life. I must tell you, visiting Grand Canyon was the most awe inspiring, humbling and spiritual experience I’ve ever had.
Just imagine, standing there at the rim, you can see for miles and miles of nothing but beautiful vistas. Then you find out that the Colorado river runs through the canyon for 176 miles, and it dawns on you that the whole canyon, which you can’t even see in its entirety from the rim is just speck on the globe that we call earth, which is a minute part of the solar system, which in turn is just tiny speck in the Milky Way Galaxy, one of the millions of galaxies around the Universe, and you come away with a pretty humbling, yet powerful image of yourself, knowing that you’ve been created in the image of the Creator.
And that is just from standing at the rim, you haven’t even got involved with place yet, which I intend to do for an extended period of time when I get there next time.
I loved Royal Gorge outside Pueblo, CO and Turner Falls, OK before they ruined them with over commercialization.
Rasheed
@JD Probably more than any place in Rio I LOVED Buzios. Considering how close it is, I would definitely go check it out. Let me know when you head down there, maybe i’ll join you
@Rasheed I am very glad to hear you have been enjoying the posts! The Grand Canyon truly is spectacular. I only spent a couple hours there, and hope to spend more at some point in the future! How is your Everest preparation coming??
Monaco looks fantastic but I also imagine it is quite expensive. I don’t think I will be parking my yacht there anytime soon.
I was named after Prince Rainier, so I have a strange affinity for (and reason to visit) Monaco. And the movie “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” had me absolutely DROOLING for Barcelona!
The picture from Sunriver, Oregon is beautiful – such vivid colours; I want to go there! Good post, and such a difficult question to answer.
Thanks for the fun post! I live in Las Vegas, so it’s always fun to see what others think of our crazy city.
As for me, I fell in love with Norway when I traveled there, though I can’t pin any one place down as a favorite. I’m also head over heels in love with Zion National Park.
@Ren, Yeah Monaco is definitely unlike any place I have ever been. I have also always been a bit fascinated by the obscenely wealthy, so it was an experience to see how much money really was concentrated in such a small area. And I have heard great things about that movie, but haven’t seen it yet! I will have to move it up on the list!
@Andy I really liked that picture. Sunriver is an amazing place. The only difficult part is that it can be expensive for a single traveler. When you have lots of friends in the area and can all pitch in for a cabin it can make it more affordable though. Definitely go if you have the opportunity!
@JoAnna Zion is AMAZING. I was actually just talking with my mom about it the other day. We went there on a family trip 10 or so years ago, and all agreed that it was equally as impressive, if not more so than the Grand Canyon.
Thanks for the thoughts!
Hiya
Ooooh, I love to travel vicariously only slightly less than I love to travel in real time!
My top 5 travel destinations are:
1) Portugal – almost anyplace there, but off-the-beaten-track is best
2) Nova Scotia – anywhere, anytime (except possibly during a blizzard)
3) Canadian Prairies – I can come to grips with the grandeur of the mountains, but the unending flatness of the prairie is always awe inspiring for me. When the wheat is high and blowing in the wind it is like being in the middle of the ocean.
4) Ireland – outside Dublin is best.
5) Scotland – was stunned by the beauty of the place. hadn’t expected such compelling vistas.
My top 5 places still to experience are:
1) The Azores – can’t wait to experience these out-of-the-way island
2) Cape Verde – don’t know why, but I have a yen for these islands too
3) Nunavut – I want to experience the far north before the traditional way of life is completely lost to us
4) Argentina
5) Zanzibar – with such an exotic name, it has to be great!
Gwen McCauley
One of my favorite places is Kinsale — a tiny town in southern Ireland. It’s not overly touristy, but there’s plenty to do and see (and eat!), including a local fort with its very own ghost.
Well I was going to post about Zion, but looks like I got beat to the punch. Thanks for the shout out Sean. I think you should take a road trip….to visit your Mom.
My top place….
The Esplanade in Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Could lay there forever and not mind my unproductivity
Dave
LifeExcursion
Sean,
I used to live in Vegas, and actually is a very hip and international city to live it. As soon as you get used to seeing slot machines in the grocery stores…We found AMAZING Thai restaurants, beautiful hikes and hot-springs, a wild-life preserve in the middle of the city and great activities for kids.
Glad you gave Vegas some love
-Joshua
CareerEnlightenment.net
Wow. What a great post. I hope to visit each of these places in the near future.
I’d have to say that the best/most-inspiring place that I have visited was Kenya. I spent three weeks there studying abroad in 2006. Loved every moment of the journey.
Cheers!
so.. #3..
who took you there?? who do you have to thank for?? huh?? huh??
haha.. just kidding..
just come back to rio asap so we can go there again!!!
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