My Top Destinations for 2015

Having recently been interviewed by cheapflights.co.za/news about what my Top Travel picks for 2015 would be; it got me thinking about what other destinations are trending at the moment as well as where else would I like to go this year…budget allowing of course.

With South East Asian destinations like Singapore, Malaysia and Phillipines trending this year, a trip to any of these would certainly be at the top of my 2015 bucket list (I have a bucket list for each year otherwise it just gets out of hand). Deciding between them is another challenge so I created my own “highlight list” to help and I thought I would share it with you:

Singapore. (Image: University of Singapore)

Singapore:

• Singapore turns 50 in 2015 so the National Day Parade on 9th August is likely to be spectacular and historically important.
• If you were into exploring a unique and fabulous nightlife of secret bars and extravagant nightclubs, Singapore would top your list. With a new trend of dizzying rooftop bars you can mix vertigo and vodka.
• Nature. A fantastic array of eco-attractions and exquisite green spaces like the Botanical Gardens and Gardens of the Bay or the world famous Singapore Zoo.

The skyline of Singapore at night is quite extraordinary – a city of cities. Colleen Blaine, Singapore Stopover, Getaway Blog.

Malaysia. (Image: mrstyleking blog)

Malaysia:

• Beaches. Malaysia has some of the most beautiful beaches and would make a nice change from Thailand’s tourist littered sand. Tanjung Rhu and Rawa Island sound idyllic.
• The food. Malaysia is probably one of the world’s highly unique and diverse culinary destinations. Head to the capital, Kuala Lumpur, or Penang to try the street food for a true gastronomic experience.
• To visit the oldest rain forest in the world, Taman Negara.

Phillipines. (Image: blog.secretescapes)

Phillipines:

• It’s one of the most overlooked tropical island destinations with almost 7 000 islands, of which only about 1 000 are inhabited.
• Hiking. As a country with some of the most spectacular mountain regions you would be hard pressed not to want to go and explore the volcanoes or ancient rice terraces.
• Snorkelling and diving. The reefs and diving experiences at Malapascua Island are apparently up there with some of the best in the world.

To see why I, and a few other South African travel bloggers, thought that European destinations such as Turkey  and Croatia, should be your Top International Destination for 2015 check out the article South African Blogger picks Top Destinations for 2015. For some many travellers, Europe remains still within their comfort zone while still enabling them to explore a bit of culture, for others it is the draw of the Mediterranean. Me, I chose it mainly for the olives of course.

Turkey. (Image:Frank Kovalchek)