The Places I Need to Revisit

I can’t count the number of times I’ve visited a new destination, fallen head over heels in love with it, and then spent hours upon hours dreaming of how I could return to it immediately after leaving. I’m constantly conflicted by the feeling of wanting to return to my favourite places or to visit new destinations, but since my travel wishlist continues to grow on an almost daily basis, new destinations tend to win.

After my first big trip abroad in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, I fell in love with many destinations within those countries and I wasn’t sure if anything could top them. But, then I went to England and fell in love with London. And afterwards I went to Edinburgh and wanted to move there immediately. And then I went to South Africa and was blown away by the beauty of Cape Town. Can you see a pattern emerging here?

The more I travel, the more I find myself discovering places that I desperately want to revisit. But how can I justify returning when there are an endless amount of places I still want to see?

Even though I will most likely choose a new destination the next time I travel, there are a few select places that I often find myself longing to return to, and they almost manage to tempt me enough to book a flight.

Here they are in no particular order:

1) Australia

There are far too many places I want to revisit in Australia, so I’m listing the country instead of one city. At the top of my list to revisit is Melbourne, Coral Bay, Sydney, the Whitsundays, and Perth. Even though I spent six months in Oz, I still wasn’t able to see everything I wanted, and I’d love to explore Tasmania and Darwin if I ever return.

2) Edinburgh, Scotland

I only spent a few days in this city and managed to fall in love with its Gothic architecture, beautiful vistas, and cobblestone streets. The next time I return, I hope to be living there for at least a few months because a few days or weeks just won’t cut it.

3) London, England

London is another city I would love to spend an extended period of time in. It’s beautiful and there seems to be an endless amount of things to see and do. I missed the international restaurants of Brick Lane and the world-class markets on my first visit, so I would head straight to those destinations if I were to return.

4) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

I was honestly a bit nervous to visit Ho Chi Minh City. I had heard tales of crazy traffic, pick-pockets, and scam artists, so I had my guard up when I arrived. I ended up loving the city; the controlled chaos of motorbike traffic, the contrast of French Colonial architecture and modern skyscrapers, the vast differences between each district, and the unbelievably delicious food are all reasons it’s now one of my all-time favourite cities.

5) Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An is magical- with its lantern-filled streets, beaches, delicious food, and friendly locals- and it captured my heart from the moment I arrived. Had I not visited at the very end of my Southeast Asia trip, I probably would have stayed for a ridiculous amount of time.

6) Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok has an intangible energy that I love, and the abundance of cheap and delicious street food is reason enough to book a flight. If I could return, I would visit the temples that I missed, explore Chinatown, and take advantage of the amazing shopping and nightlife.

What places would you like to return to most?