25 must-see places around the world

Written by Tim Blight

Writer, traveller, amateur photographer, teacher. Based in Melbourne and Lahore.

February 1, 2015

A few months ago I came across a post listing a fellow blogger’s 25 favourite places in the world. Since then, unfortunately, I have forgotten who wrote it, but I decided it was time to put together a post of my own! In no particular order, these are my 25 must-see places and experiences from my travels.

 

1. Gold Coast Hinterland, Australia

The Knoll_Lookout, Gold Coast Hinterland (Image: Shiftchange, Wikimedia Commons)

The Knoll_Lookout, Gold Coast Hinterland (Image: Shiftchange, Wikimedia Commons)

The views, the climate, the rainforest and the villages

2. The Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan

Neighbourhood entertainment, Walled City-style

Neighbourhood entertainment, Walled City-style

Getting lost in the labyrinth of laneways

3. Malé, Maldives

Malé, Maldives

Malé, Maldives

Sunset dinner on the rooftop of the Traders Hotel, watching the archipelago wind up its day’s business.

4. Paro Valley, Bhutan

Drugyel Monastery, Bhutan

Drugyel Monastery, Bhutan

The unspoilt beauty of a Himalayan Buddhist kingdom

5. Downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Masjid Jamek, Kuala Lumpur

Masjid Jamek, Kuala Lumpur

Shopping, tantalising food, and an irresistible mix of Chinese, Indian and Malay culture.

6. Petra, Jordan

The Monastery at Petra

The Monastery at Petra

Spectacular remains of an ancient city hewn out of rock.

7. Centre Place, Melbourne, Australia

Centre Place, Melbourne

Centre Place, Melbourne

Iconic, grungy, cafe-lined laneway of laneways in Australia’s southern metropolis.

8. Jodhpur, India

Looking over the blue city, Mehrangarh, Jodhpur

Looking over the blue city, Mehrangarh, Jodhpur

Rooftop views across the blue city from the Mehrangarh fortified palace.

9. Si-o-Se Pol, Esfahan, Iran

Si-o-Se Bridge, Esfahan

Si-o-Se Bridge, Esfahan

Sip chai over the Zayandeh river while locals recite poetry on the steps.

10. Beirut, Lebanon

Pigeon Rocks, Beirut

Pigeon Rocks, Beirut

The Middle East’s most sophisticated city.

11. Aix-en-Provence, France

Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Hip, cultural student city in the French riviera.

12. Hunza Valley, Pakistan

Karimabad, Hunza Valley

Karimabad, Hunza Valley

Heaven on earth in this stunning valley surrounded by sky-scraping mountains.

13. Lord Howe Island, Australia

Lord Howe Island (Image: Fanny Schertzer)

Lord Howe Island (Image: Fanny Schertzer)

Untouched, subtropical, World Heritage Listed paradise in the Tasman Sea.

14. Oia, Santorini, Greece

Oia, Santorini

Oia, Santorini

Whiter-than-white architecture contrasting with the blue, blue Mediterranean Sea.

15. Marina Beach, Chennai, India

Marina Beach, Chennai

Marina Beach, Chennai

The action is on the scorching sand, with cricket games, horses, sideshows and vendors after a day at work.

16. Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Deira, Dubai

Deira, Dubai

A veritable commercial and culinary United Nations in a grungy, urban setting.

17. MacCallum Pool, Sydney, Australia

MacCallum Pool, Cremorne Point

MacCallum Pool, Cremorne Point

One of the most exclusive ways to immerse yourself in beautiful Sydney Harbour.

18.Siena, Italy

Piazza Il Campo, Siena

Piazza Il Campo, Siena

Living the Tuscan dream in this historic Italian cultural hub.

19. Sary Tash, Kyrgyz Republic

Sary Tash, Kyrgyz Republic. Turn left for China and Pakistan, turn right for Tajikistan or Afghanistan.

Sary Tash, Kyrgyz Republic. Turn left for China and Pakistan, turn right for Tajikistan or Afghanistan.

A crossroads between China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and beyond, all with a spectacular Pamir backdrop.

20. Kolkata, India

Nakhoda Mosque, Kolkata, India

Nakhoda Mosque, Kolkata, India

India’s cultural capital, quirky and intelligent, and very misunderstood.

21. Shinjuku, Tokyo

Shinjuku, Tokyo, by night

Shinjuku, Tokyo, by night

The Tokyo of my fluorescent dreams; brash, bright and brilliant.

22. Kings Park, Perth, Australia

Perth, seen from Kings Park

Perth, seen from Kings Park

Picture postcard skyline views and manicured lawn in Australia’s western capital.

23. Golden Temple, Amritsar, India

Sunrise at the Golden Temple

Sunrise at the Golden Temple

Complete submission to the spiritual realm at Sikhism’s holiest site.

24. Khiyaban-e Jomhuri-ye Eslami, Tehran, Iran

Tehran (Image: Apcbg, Wikimedia Commons)

Tehran (Image: Apcbg, Wikimedia Commons)

The full Tehran, traffic-dodging experience! Look north to see the towering Alborz Mountains, turn south for the frenetic bazaars.

25. Jardin des Tuilleries, Paris, France

Jardin des Tuileries, Paris

Jardin des Tuileries, Paris

A lovely stroll through the delightful French capital.

 

Have you been to any of these places? What would be on your list?

 

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26 Comments

  1. Annie Tong

    Hey Tim,
    Wow what a great list 🙂 I have ticked off few places from your list and hoping to tick some more this year!

    Thanks for sharing
    Annie ox

    Reply
    • Tim Blight

      Thanks Annie!! I hope so too – can’t wait to read all about it 🙂

      Reply
  2. Andrew

    So many amazing places there Tim. How blessed are we?

    Reply
    • Tim Blight

      Seriously blessed, for both having such great places in our world, and for being able to visit them as we do. Thsanks for reading, Andrew 🙂

      Reply
  3. Fay Blight

    Interesting to see your picks Tim

    Reply
  4. Renuka

    Nice recommendations! I am happy to see Jodhpur in the list. It’s an interesting city.

    Reply
    • Tim Blight

      I <3 Jodhpur - it's easily my favourite of the Rajasthan beauties 🙂

      Reply
  5. Haroon

    Teraan is Amazing 🙂 you have visited all these places? 🙂

    Reply
    • Tim Blight

      Tehran is one of the most underrated and misunderstood cities in the world. Love it!! Yep, these are my favourite places which I’ve been to – plenty more to explore though!! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

      Reply
  6. Adam @ Round the World we go

    Out of all the places, I’ve never heard of The Walled City of Lahore in Pakistan before, but it’s really interested me to find out more.. thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  7. Shikha (whywasteannualleave)

    You’ve been to so many amazing and interesting places Tim that lots of mainstream travellers have probably never seen! The ones I’m most keen to visit from your list are definitely Santorini and Petra – both look absolutely stunning 🙂

    Reply
    • Tim Blight

      I thought I should compile an “alternative list”- so here it is!! Santorini and Petra are definitely great places to have on the hit list 🙂 Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  8. Elena@Elena's Travelgram

    That’s an amazing list, Tim! Some of them are already among my favorites (Amritsar and Shinjuku especially!), while I would love to discover Iran and Australia (hopefully someday soon!)

    Reply
    • Tim Blight

      I hope you can get to Iran and Australia one day!! Lots to see, and lots of experiences to be had 🙂 Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  9. Cez

    All these places look amazing and I want to visit every single one. I feel bad that I haven’t been to see any one of them yet.

    Reply
    • Tim Blight

      Time to start!! Thanks for reading Cez, hope you’re having a great time in Vietnam 🙂

      Reply
  10. Anna @ shenANNAgans

    I love that I still have SO much of the world to see. Fabulous list, I have seen a couple of them, but can’t wait to get back and experience all the others. Got me the travel bug I do. 🙂

    Reply
    • Tim Blight

      You so do!! Get out there and see it – there’s soooo much to see 🙂

      Reply
  11. Mohammad Owais

    Hi Tim
    It’s a decent collection of sites, and I have been to a few of those on the list.
    I would recommend you to visit Kerala (India) for picturesque natural landscapes and Andaman Nicobar islands (India) famous for pristine waters along with beautiful coral reefs. These places in India are like heaven for Nature lovers.

    Reply
    • Tim Blight

      Thank you! Glad you liked it!!

      Reply
  12. Muhammad Iqbal

    Great work Tim! wish to visit Paro Valley, Bhutan. seriously this world needs peaceful and beautiful people like you. wish to see your photography…

    Reply
    • Tim Blight

      Those are very kind words – thank you so much 🙂

      Reply
  13. Sheikh Uzair

    Thank you for including Pakistan 🇵🇰
    And all other places are equally must-visit. Keep up the amazing work 😊

    Reply
    • Tim Blight

      Thank you! Pakistan is one of my top places 😀

      Reply

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