Over the past 22 years, I’ve travelled around a fair bit. I thought it would be fun to write some of my highlights about each place I’ve visited and hopefully give you some insight if you want to travel to any of these places. Some of these places I visited as a kid, so some of my highlights will be from a different perspective compared to my highlights as I grew up.
Portugal– So, I’ve been here twice- Portugal was my first ever holiday at 1 and a half years old and the only memory I have of that is tasting really salty pool water, so let’s talk about the second time I went instead, aged 13 ahaha. Water sports- being terrified of and almost falling off a jet ski plus being thrown off a banana boat was definitely a rush of adrenaline and a thrill to remember….
Spain and Cyrpus– Okay, I know these are two different places and I’ve put them together as they were pretty similar holidays for me- These were the kind of holiday that were perfect for just relaxing and not really doing much else, so if you’re wanting more of a beach holiday- these are the ones!
Lanzarote- I remember doing a lot of sightseeing here and having a tour around a really cool cave that had a sort of pool inside, which was very exciting (yes as a child) and a tour of a dormant volcano. Lanzarote is known as the ‘land of volcanoes’ so if you’re into volcanoes, I recommend…
Florida- This doesn’t need much elaboration as it’s a pretty obvious one, but I am one all for adventure and love theme parks and water parks so much, so being in Disneyworld and Universal felt so magical as an excitable 13 year old and not going to lie probably now too…
Paris- a pretty obvious one was climbing up the Eiffel Tower and seeing the views from the top, plus obviously Disneyland…
Dubai- Spending Christmas day on the beach in Dubai was definitely something different and also Dubai has the warmest weather I’ve ever experienced at night.
India- the origins, I’ve visited four places in India:
Gujarat– Gujarat is where I’m originally from, so visiting my roots for the first time and seeing the lifestyle there was very intriguing. Seeing my family I’d never met before and the villages where my grandparents grew up in was eye opening.
Mumbai- Passing Amitabh Bachchan’s house was fun for me as a young little actor haha!
Kerala- South India- Okay, South India is very underrated and the vegetation and the scenery is absolutely beautiful, plus not sure there’s many other places you can just stop on a road and buy the sweetest cup of tea you’ve ever tasted!
Goa- The beaches of Goa were some of the most beautiful and peaceful beaches I’ve ever been to- definitely recommend for a mix of culture and beach.
Tunisia- The water slides. Okay sounds a bit silly, but this was another relaxing holiday, so having water slides in our hotel pool was lovely and chill.
Italy– Some places I’ve visited in Italy:
Amalfi Coast/Positano- The Amalfi Coast and Positano were one of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever seen and is actually a popular destination for celebrities to go to.
Lake Garda- standing on a mountain in Malcesine and taking in the breathtaking view of a both the lake and mountains- felt so empowering, also swimming in the lake with a view of the mountains was a form of relaxation for real!
Venice- Venice is like no other place in the world, which made it stand out so much for me- the roads are canals and the water is the walls.
New York- This is a hard one, as New York was my favourite holiday, so I have so many amazing things to say about this place, but I have to say, just being in the heart of times square ‘surrounded by street lights, big dreams all lookin’ pretty.’
Los Angeles- Another one of my top holidays- Having a tour of the celebrities’ homes and a tour of the Warner Bros. studio were my best bits- exploring all the sets, plus seeing Ellen’s studio. Also, spontaneously joining the Magic Mike Premier and seeing Channing Tatum…
Bali- Visiting Tirta Empul Temple and bathing inside the holy, sacred springs, where people go for ritual purification and is believed to have magical powers- such an enjoyable and peaceful experience and actually got me in touch with my more spiritual side, also swinging through a rice terrace and swimming in an infinity pool overlooking a jungle…
Malaysia/Borneo– Experiencing a few days staying in a rainforest and going on boat rides allowing us to see a range of wildlife in their natural habitats is something I’ve never experienced before- 4 types of monkeys, birds, a baby crocodile, plus almost seeing a heard of elephants, who unfortunately didn’t want to come out for us, despite us patiently waiting for an hour…
Singapore- Singapore Gardens by the Bay was very unique- such a wide variety of floral displays with a pretty indoor waterfall, loved the views of the city of Singapore from the rooftop bar in Marina Bay Sands and seeing the biggest indoor waterfall in Singapore Changi Airport- the world’s best airport.
Hope you enjoyed reading about my travel highlights. Honestly, I could actually write a whole novel about my highlights, as there’s so much I loved about each place haha! Feel free to comment and share your travel highlights!
Have a lovely week and travels! (if you’re going away)
Over and out, Aarti Shah x
LifeAsAarti 