Why stay in one place when there are so many things to see?
A couple ideas for you:
Brazil
The weather? Pretty much the same as Jakarta all year long. Hot af. Around 28-30°C. Don’t forget to bring your Sunblock.
What to do? Aside from eyeing hot Brazilian guys, you must not miss Parque Lage because even Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, and the Black Eyed Peas did not miss it and even shot music videos there. It’s basically a public park, a heritage mansion, a cafe, an art gallery, and a part-rainforest rolled into one. If you’re the adventurous one, you would love to hike, find a couple old stables, a mysterious cave, a castle-like tower, a massive aquarium, a few monkeys, and a few waterfalls before arriving at the bottom of the iconic Jesus statue.
Next? If you feel like Bali’s beaches aren’t enough, you’d like Fernando de Noronha's pristine beaches and swim in its warm clear waters with friendly sea turtles, rays, dolphins and reef sharks swim.
Interested? Pack your bags now! Starting from mid-Dec, it’ll be full of tourists.
French
The weather? Starting from 9.5°C in early November, it gets colder until 4°C at the end of December. It’s one of the coldest months in Paris, but don’t expect any snow. Layer up!
What to do? All-time favorite Christmas Market in Champs Elysées won’t open this year. But, fear not, there are still other Christmas Markets in town. Before buying decors for your Christmas trees at home, please do check if the decor isn’t made in China (LOL). Anyway, you’ll also find Christmas cooking ingredients and arts & crafts straight from the hands of the French. Perfect for shopping fancy Christmas gifts!
After shopping day, you could stroll along Seine River, take a mandatory pic with Eiffel tower, and spend another day inside Louvre museum. Oh! Don’t miss taking a day trip, castle hopping at Loire Valley Chateaux. We’ve seen the pictures. They look so gorgeous.
Also, expanding musical experience other than our usual rave parties sounds great. Pick one:
- classical music concerts at St-Germain-des-Prés
- opera & ballet performances at Palais Garnier
- opera & ballet performances at the spectacular Opera Bastille
Book from now. Tickets sell fast.
New Zealand
The weather? Friendly 16°C in November but it gets hotter in Dec (20 - 30ºC).
What to do? New Zealand is all about adventure.
Peek inside 44 Hobbit holes and take tons of Insta-worthy picture at a land of lush pastures at the Hobbiton Movie Set. Or you could go on a whale watching cruise in Kaikoura. You could see Giant Sperm Whales, dolphins, or fur seals in the wild. Next, you could hop to relaxing Waiheke Island for the vineyards, olive groves, beaches, art studios and funky cafes.
If you’re up for it, you could go to the West Coast and take a helicopter to the top of a glacier for a guided walk.
Morocco
The weather? Around 14°C. Chilly for an African country.
What to do? Watching the sunrise in the dessert sounds pretty magical. A review said: “First there is the flash pre-dawn green followed by a yellowing of the sky then suddenly the desert sand is set alight by the vivid morning sunlight and glow a fiery red.” They said the best views are at the Merzouga sand dunes and Erg Chebbi.
If you’re into leathers, Fes is your next destination. You should stop by at the centuries-old leather bazaar, see the tanneries that have been there from the medieval times, and shop their leather handbags, jackets, and even slippers.
Don’t forget Chefchaouen, the old city painted sky blue from the cobbled streets to the buildings. It looks really wonderful, don’t you think?
Next? Stroll by a YSL-restored garden called The Majorelle Gardens. It’s full of rare plants and bold colors.
Sumba, Indonesia
The weather? HOT AF. 30°C during the day. 24°C during the night. Bring bottles of sunscreen.
What to do? Nothing. Relax, enjoy the view, and spend some quality time with the people you travel with. Here, everywhere you look is either a breathtaking almost-treeless field, pristine surfer beach (Marosi Beach), sky blue saltwater lagoon (Weekuri Lake), a green forest, or heritage villages. If you’re lucky, at night, you’ll see thousands of stars. It’s a great idea to hike too.
Written by Helena Natasha.
← Older Post Newer Post →