Travel advice is everywhere, and digesting it all at once can be like trying to eat an elephant: it’s possible, but you need to take it one bite at a time. So here are a few travel bites to whet your appetite for one or more of these 10 destinations. I like to think of them as my ‘if-you-only-had-one-thing-to-share’ type of tip. So here is one Top Tip for each of the following places:
1. Ireland: Go in the summer.
Green is great, but green and dry is better than green and gloomy. And while Ireland offers no weather guarantee at any time of the year, your enjoyment of that spectacular scenery will be greatly enhanced if you’re not there in the colder, wetter months – save those months for the cozy pub crawls!
Ireland really is the Emerald Isle. Even nicer when the weather’s nicer.
2. Rome: Don’t go in the summer.
The city is packed with tourists, half the locals decamp for the beaches or the countryside, and lineups for everything are longer and hotter. If you want a more local experience, go in the early spring or fall. The weather is moderate enough so that you can still enjoy that glass of wine ‘al fresco’, and getting a seat is a lot easier.
All roads lead to Rome, but you just might want to take yours off-season.
3. Venice: Stay overnight at least one night.
You’ll see an entirely different Venice once the day-trippers and cruisers leave. Sure, there are still tourists around, but it feels a lot less like the circus it can become during the day, especially in Piazza San Marco.
Nighttime in Venice can be quiet enough to live up to the city’s Italian nickname, La Serenissima.
4. Santorini, Greece: Bring your best camera.
There is a quality to the light in this part of the Mediterranean that makes the Cyclades islands’ blue and white architecture incredibly photogenic, beyond the limits of your iPhone. Of course that means also bringing plenty of batteries, chargers, memory cards and a polarizer, and your shoulder may suffer from the additional weight in your bag or daypack. But trust me, it will be worth it.
Photo by George M. Groutas from Dali, Nicosia, Cyprus (Oia Santorini) via Wikimedia
5. Costa Rica: Consider a private tour.
There is such geographic diversity in this country, that a private tour gives you the means to move around it very efficiently, meaning you can see more of it in less time (without feeling rushed or stressed). Someone else looks after all the transportation from place to place, and you can decide what type of accommodation you prefer, whether that is high and low, boutique or unique – or any mixture of them – and someone else does all the legwork coordinating it for you. That’s what I call Pura Vida!
Lapa Rios eco-lodge in Corcovado. Luxurious bungalow/huts.
6. Tanzania/Safari: Definitely do a private tour.
Here’s why: You’ve flown 6,000 miles to get that perfect photograph, and are willing to wait for as long as it takes for that family of cheetahs to finish their siesta. But half the people in your jeep want to go back to camp for a siesta of their own. With your own driver and vehicle, you do what you want to, when you want to. After all, how often are you going to go on a safari?
This leopard was up in a tree – we got under him for a closeup!
7. The Grand Canyon: Stay on the rim.
You can get up in the middle of the night and see the stars filling the sky over the chasm below you. You might even have a visit from an elk or two.
Sunset at the Grand Canyon.
8. Peru: Plan to shop.
Whether it’s textiles, ceramics or art objects, Peru offers locally-made treasures that will tempt even the most non-materialistic of travellers. And if you are planning on visiting the Pisac Market in the Sacred Valley, allow at least 2-3 hours. There are stalls upon stalls of interesting, artisanal goods and if you are a wee bit obsessive about seeing it all like I am, you’ll need at least this much time just to walk the aisles.
Miniature ‘clothing’ made from textile scraps done by an artisan in Pisac’s craft market.
9. Barcelona: Visit anything built by Gaudi.
In fact, take a “more is more’ cue from him, and visit more than just one. The man was a mad genius.
Photo of Casa Batilo by Shawn Lipowski via Wikimedia
10. Buenos Aires: Eat the beef.
Argentinians know how to raise beef, and they know how to cook it (which is important because without the latter, the former is wasted.) This is a country meatetarians will love.
Obviously if you’re planning on visiting any of these places, you’ll want to do a lot more research, and learn as much as you can before you go to help enhance your experience. But no matter where you get your inspiration or information, being open to learning about that destination is the best piece of advice I would give any traveller, going anywhere.
Why not PIN this article for your when you are planning your next trip?
Jane Canapini is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada and the North American Travel Journalists Association. She established GrownupTravels.com in 2014 to share information and tips based on personal experience so her readers could get the most out of their travels.
Love this take on a list Jane. Great advice and your photos for each are lovely!
Thank you so much, Alison!
Loved this and thought it was so helpful! Thank you!
Thanks, Suzanne.
I went to Ireland in September, and it rained half the time. When I returned, I watched the weather report almost daily in the newspaper and it rained almost every day from October to May! And my pictures are very grey. Yes, good advice, go in summer. 🙂
We couldn’t even see the Cliffs of Moher the day we went, there was such a rainstorm and it was totally socked in. So yes, the next trip will definitely be in summer.
Great tips, and some travel ideas to all to my list. The Argentinian Malbec would get me there in a moment, and with beef! mmm
They do have some great wines in that country, I have to admit 😉
Love this post on one quick tip on ten destinations – terrific idea! And all the suggestions are so smart and wonderfully illustrated by your beautiful photographs.
Thank you so much Sue!
Good advice!
Thanks Larissa!
Okay, number 10 does not apply for vegetarians! But I agree with all others. I once visited Venice in early February (part of a business trip really), Carnival was still fairly sedate, the weather was exceptionally good (freezing, but sunny), and the experience was outstanding! And in regions with unusual wildlife chances for better spotting always increase with the help of a local guide…
Your wildlife spotting tip is a great one to get a guide. They are invaluable.
I love this idea! We visited Ireland in winter, and were enchanted nonetheless. Next time it will be warmer weather, though. We’re done with the cold for the next couple years. Love the photos. Great job!
thanks Betsy!
Great tips. Difficult to distill each location down to one tip, but I think you did a great job. I definitely agree with visiting anything by Gaudi when in Barcelona.
It was a challenge doing it, for sure, but Barcelona was a no-brainer!
Great tips – we were thinking of taking advantage of one of the super sale deals for Ireland in winter, but I guess we’d better spring for a few $$ more and see it in summer! Thanks!
Yeah, there’s a reason it’s on sale in the winter 😉
We’ve made it to all but Ireland, and that’s near the top of our list. Boy are you right about Rome, in fact all of Italy is much better in the off season.
You’re right, Italy is so popular it’s hard to find a spot that feels like ‘regular life’ in any of the larger cities.
Loved this post filled with grownup experiences across the globe!
Thanks, Irene. It was tough to just think of only one tip that would be useful.