It’s almost time to say goodbye to this year and hello to 2017!
If you’re looking for ideas for your next amazing travel adventure, then look no further as we showcase some unmissable experiences that’ll make your jaw drop! So sit back, buckle your seatbelt, and prepare for taking off as we begin our whistle-stop tour of some of the world’s coolest places.
Japan’s ‘Hanami’ or Cherry Blossom Festival
Held every year in April, this spectacular outdoor festival celebrates the falling of the Sakura, or cherry blossom, with night picnics, concerts, and visits to holy shrines. Here, young people party till late under specially designed electric lanterns, enjoying the uplifting, relaxed atmosphere at the same time as eating traditional Japanese snacks such as Senbei, or rice crackers.
Another popular snack to share is Dorayaki or Japanese pancake filled with a delicious variety of different flavor custards, bean dips, and whipped cream. Hanami, which translates as ‘Flower Viewing,’ is of great importance in Japan, so much so that the weather stations have a unique ‘Hanami’ forecast.
The forecast is available from early February and tells everyone when the country’s many cherry and plum trees will be starting to shed their beautiful blooms so that they can witness the beautiful blossom shower.
Norway’s Fjords
These majestic bodies of water were created over multiple ice ages as the water cut deep grooves into the mountainside. This amazing phenomenon then produced rushing, sparkling waterfalls, towering glaciers and freezing stretches of smooth, mirror-like fjords.
This wild, rugged landscape is home to seals, giant salmon, and eagles and below the waves, whales patrol the icy depths. Remote communities still live along the sides, often using a pulley system to have their post delivered, and the outer edges of the fjords with many still practicing traditional methods of fishing, cooking and so on.
The houses on the cliffs belong to some of Norway’s most famous residents, and music concerts are often held in these difficult to reach venues. This means that everyone attending must climb the steep path, like climbing the ladder to a treehouse, to get to the top!
The Beaches Of Barbados
Nestled in the Caribbean, the island of Barbados is blessed with sunny temperatures, refreshing trade winds, and acres of long, white sand dotted with leafy green palm trees. Islanders are friendly, welcoming and very patriotic.
Thanks to their secluded nature, stunning views, and easy drives many of Barbados’s Beaches have been voted some of the best in the world, winners include the stunning Foul Bay, Crane Beach and, of course, the glamorous private beach of the Sandy Lane Resort.
Despite a noticeable rise in traffic and growth in construction many Bajans still walk on the roads, the bus service is sporadic, and street lights are a luxury. The unofficial national drink is Rum Punch, and it may come as a surprise that there is no drink-drive limit!
Barbados is a colorful, bustling Island and you never know who, or what you’ll run into, it’s common to see livestock tied up outside people’s homes, chickens at the garage and dogs outside the local slaughterhouse.
What’s your next travel adventure?