Next Destinations
In a not-too-distant future (less than a year), I will be visiting these countries/places (in no chronological order):
- Laos (Done) – 2012
- Sri Lanka (Done) – 2012
- Southern China (Done) – 2012
- East Timor (postponed)
- Medan and Lake Toba (Done) – 2012
- Some interesting places in Java (Done — but still to visit more places around Java in the future)
- Flores Island, Indonesia (postponed)
- Toraja in Sulawesi, Indonesia (cancelled)
- Mount Bromo in Java, Indonesia (Done) -2012
- Cirebon, West Java (Done) – 2012
- Istanbul, Turkey – 2013
- Taiwan – 2013
- Semarang, Indonesia
- Bali, Indonesia
- Lombok, Indonesia
I just hope that everything runs well and in accordance with my plans. Do you think the list is too short? Maybe I need to book more flights? Stay tuned in this blog (or simply subscribe to it) to make sure you won’t miss any story and photograph of those places. Thanks again for reading! Cheers!
Update: Within a few years’ time you might witness something big in this blog! Always stay tuned!
Bali? I’d love to visit it one day!
Bali is one place not to be missed when you’re in Indonesia.
Sounds like some fantastic travel plans! Before you go to China let me know. I have a few recs for you if you hit Beijing and Shanghai. Also some great reads which will help you to understand China better.
Unfortunately when I travel to China this year I will only do the southern part of the country (Guangzhou, Guilin, etc). So I won’t be able to make it as far north as Beijing. But one day when I get the chance to go to Beijing and Shanghai, I will refer to some of your posts for sure.
Have you thought of going to Uzbekistan yet?
I looked through your travel list, and did not see it there. I think Uzb. has fantastic sightseeing areas… as well as some modest ones as well.
I’ve been reading stories about Central Asian countries and they all sound really fascinating!
I really want to go to all stans, but speaking of Uzbekistan actually the cities of Bukhara and Samarkhand (do I spell them correctly?) are some of the places that I want to go the most in the country.
Awesome travel plans!!! Why not Portugal? I´m from Portugal and i’m staying in Singapore for some time. I love photography and travel too! So I am pretty interested in your blog! Always trying to find new adventures in this awesome little world! Right now, I am planning a trip to Bali, but I don´t know if I will have the time to go and see the Ubud monkeys, but thank you for showing your photos and thoughts.
Have a great day!
Hi Marta!
I would LOVE to go to Portugal one day. In fact, for the last few weeks I’ve been seeing great images of your country!
Actually the places listed here are only the ones that I am going to visit within the next few weeks/months.
So, the list doesn’t include destinations which I really want to go to but haven’t had any flight reservation whatsoever yet.
The last time I went to Europe was almost five years ago and I spent a month in five countries. I do wish my next trip to Europe will be longer and I’ll make sure Portugal is in the list!
Thanks for dropping by!
When you decide to go to Portugal, just let me know and I will give you a few tips about my lovely country!!!
Obrigado!!! I will let you know then..
Ahahha very well said!!!
Great places to visit. How do you fund all this travel:)
Only from my saving
After this I need to save again for any travel in the future.
Amazing
Thanks for sharing.. Given where you live, your list seems great! Did you know that there are special tickets that allow you to do multiple stops for free? I think it’s called a “globe trotter” ticket. A friend of mine did that once from Europe and went to 15 countries in like 2 months.. Another suggestion is to take a flight with either Emirates or Etihad to go to another country; you can stop in the United Arab Emirates and see Dubai for a few days while you go to a 2nd destination.. Anyways, if you have plans to come to the US, do keep me posted! Cheers, HIBA (http://hibatude.com)
Thanks for dropping by, Hiba! Actually I’ve never heard of globe trotter ticket, all I know is RTW (round the world) ticket. I’m going to find out about that globe trotter ticket. It did cross my mind to go to Europe with either Etihad or Emirates and make a stop to UAE for a short visit. That’ll be great I guess. I don’t think I’ll go to the US in the near future, but hey, nobody knows right?
hey there.. Well, it might be an RTW ticket but I remember her buying it from Belgium and the whole ticket with 12 countries only cost her like $1500 USD.. In no particular oder, she went to Hawaii, Tahiti, Tokyo, Sydney, New York, Paris, London and some more places.. I was living in NY at the time.. I would LOVE to have that much time off to do this sometime.. Good luck on achieving your goals n keep blogging
What??? That’s freaking cheap for 12 countries!!! Oh I envy your friend now! But you’re right. The biggest ‘problem’ for traveling is our limited time off (given that price is not really an issue since low cost airlines and budget accommodation are everywhere). Let alone I only got two months left before I start working at a new company. Btw thanks for the encouragement! Good luck to you too!
Shame East Timor was cancelled.
Yeah, too bad I didn’t have enough time to go there. Well actually I can spare one or two days, but it would do more justice if I can spend more time in the country. One day I will!
It’s way way way TOO SHORT!
Making it long takes more effort and … money! :p
I would love to see what you think of Istanbul and Turkey in general when you visit–the more I read about the country, the more enchanted I am with it and want to go. If you are considering Central Asia, I’d recommend adding Kazakhstan–perhaps it could be your “base camp”, and you can then travel to Uzbekistan (I’d add Tashkent, the capital, to your list of Bukhara and Samarkand) and to Kyrgyzstan (nature there is beautiful). In Kazakhstan, I love Almaty–it is where I spent my childhood, so I am a tiny bit biased, perhaps, but the city is lovely, especially in September and October when leaves turn, and the mountains are absolutely stunning.
I will be visiting Istanbul at the end of January 2013, so you might expect some stories about it in my blog around February-March.
About Central Asia, I really want to go there. An Indonesian traveler who has spent years traveling across all five Central Asian countries made a book out of his journeys, and reading it makes me want to go even more! The places you mentioned are among the ones I want to visit the most. Thanks for your recommendation!
That’s wonderful! Istanbul in January–I look forward to that. Have you read Pamuk’s “Istanbul: Memories and the City”? My edition came with Ara Guler’s black-and-white photographs of Istanbul’s daily life between 1940s and 1980s (there is also “Ara Guler’s Istanbul: 40 Years of Photographs”–melancholy, grey moments of a city going about its life between two worlds).
What is the book you mention about Central Asia? I’d like to find it. There is also “I Wonder as I Wander” by Langston Hughes, my favorite travelogue of all–memories of his travels through the segregated American south, Cuba, war-torn Spain, the Soviet Union (including Central Asia!), and beyond in the 1930s. His experiences in Central Asia as Soviet Union seeped into those republics as a lone African American traveler are nothing short of unique.
No, I haven’t. But those black and white photographs of Ara Guler, I would love to see them because every time I visit a place–especially the ancient ones–I always imagine how life was like years or even centuries ago at the same place. So, comparing what a place looked like back then with what it is like today would be very interesting. I wonder how much the city has changed ever since.
Oh, the book was actually written in Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language). I’m not sure if they’re doing the English version. But if they do, you might want to look up for Agustinus Wibowo–the author. You know, I often imagine how traveling used to feel when the world was still engulfed with wars and also during the cold war. We are lucky to live in such a ‘peaceful’ time when traveling is a lot easier.
Great list. Some very interesting places. Add to it! Always nice to look forward to more trips!!!
Thanks for keeping up with my trips!
You are welcome. I travel a lot and love to travel and love your blog!!!
Those are all the places I want to go after school
Your pictures are amazing, what camera do you use? 
You will go to those place Kelley! As long as you have the determination, nothing can stop you. I use Canon EOS 500D (Rebel T1i).
Hi,
I am from Taiwan, just randomly surfing on the internet and found your blog. Really like your photos. Tons of great views in Taiwan. Hope you enjoy some day when you go there
Hi Lulu,
I’ll be visiting Taiwan at the end of this March, so that means in a little more than 3 weeks. I’ll focus on Taipei, Taitung and Lanyu Island and hope to get some great photos and stories to share. Thanks!
Btw…I am thinking of planning a trip to Indonesia. I would like to visit some places that cannot be missed but not your typical places either. I want beauty and something interesting to blog about. I have been to Jakarta and Bali only. Do you have any suggestions as I know you have explored and blogged about it. I want to spend about 10 days or so.
Oh that’s great! What kind of beauty do you like the most? Volcanoes? Ancient sites? or else? I have a feeling that you’ll love Yogyakarta (Jogja) for its authentic Javanese cuisine, ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples, and the landscape. You can take a look at one of my old posts: http://harindabama.com/2011/03/06/the-great-heritage-of-an-ancient-javanese-kingdom/
When will you be visiting?
I have read that post before and that is one of the major reasons why I want to visit Indonesia. I love volcanoes and of course the authentic cuisine. I like ruins and ancient sites. I love to see places with also lots of locals and local costumes.
Oh…sorry. Forgot to answer when I am visiting. Most likely May.
Ahh I see. May sounds like a nice time to visit as it’s not in peak season and rainy season will completely end by April. Let me know if you need any more information on the places you want to visit!
Okay for sure! Once I finalize my dates and if I really am coming to Indonesia will let you know
Thanks!!!
How about seeing more of Vietnam?
Will these mountains be tempting enough? This is in the North of the country
http://phamhoangmien.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/road-trip-diary-hanoi-mu-cang-chai-sapa/
Hi Mien! Thanks for your suggestion! Those mountains certainly look tempting to visit. Maybe one day when I go back to Vietnam and explore the northern part of the country.
Come to Canada!
Ok so to be fair we don’t have old beautiful buidlings/architecture, our culture is a big blend of different backgrounds, religions and languages, mostly because our history isn’t really that old. We are still people worth meeting and our landscapes are unique!
Oh I really want to go to Canada actually! I have a close friend who’s a Canadian but currently lives in Hong Kong. Reading his posts on Canada made me want to visit the country even more!
I love Bali, Toraja, Lake Toba, what a beautiful places to go!
Hi Ayu! I had to cancel my trip to Toraja last year. But I will go there one there!