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 views, the climate, the rainforest and the villages
2. The Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan
Neighbourhood entertainment, Walled City-style
Getting lost in the labyrinth of laneways
3. 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
The unspoilt beauty of a Himalayan Buddhist kingdom
5. Downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Masjid Jamek, Kuala Lumpur
Shopping, tantalising food, and an irresistible mix of Chinese, Indian and Malay culture.
6. Petra, Jordan
The Monastery at Petra
Spectacular remains of an ancient city hewn out of rock.
7. Centre Place, Melbourne, Australia
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
Rooftop views across the blue city from the Mehrangarh fortified palace.
9. Si-o-Se Pol, Esfahan, Iran
Si-o-Se Bridge, Esfahan
Sip chai over the Zayandeh river while locals recite poetry on the steps.
10. Beirut, Lebanon
Pigeon Rocks, Beirut
The Middle East’s most sophisticated city.
11. Aix-en-Provence, France
Aix-en-Provence
Hip, cultural student city in the French riviera.
12. Hunza Valley, Pakistan
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)
Untouched, subtropical, World Heritage Listed paradise in the Tasman Sea.
14. Oia, Santorini, Greece
Oia, Santorini
Whiter-than-white architecture contrasting with the blue, blue Mediterranean Sea.
15. Marina Beach, Chennai, India
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
A veritable commercial and culinary United Nations in a grungy, urban setting.
17. MacCallum Pool, Sydney, Australia
MacCallum Pool, Cremorne Point
One of the most exclusive ways to immerse yourself in beautiful Sydney Harbour.
18.Siena, Italy
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.
A crossroads between China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and beyond, all with a spectacular Pamir backdrop.
20. Kolkata, India
Nakhoda Mosque, Kolkata, India
India’s cultural capital, quirky and intelligent, and very misunderstood.
21. Shinjuku, Tokyo
Shinjuku, Tokyo, by night
The Tokyo of my fluorescent dreams; brash, bright and brilliant.
22. Kings Park, Perth, Australia
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
Complete submission to the spiritual realm at Sikhism’s holiest site.
24. Khiyaban-e Jomhuri-ye Eslami, Tehran, Iran
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
A lovely stroll through the delightful French capital.
Have you been to any of these places? What would be on your list?
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
Thanks Annie!! I hope so too – can’t wait to read all about it 🙂
So many amazing places there Tim. How blessed are we?
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 🙂
Interesting to see your picks Tim
Thanks mum! 🙂
Nice recommendations! I am happy to see Jodhpur in the list. It’s an interesting city.
I <3 Jodhpur - it's easily my favourite of the Rajasthan beauties 🙂
Teraan is Amazing 🙂 you have visited all these places? 🙂
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 🙂
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!
Thanks Adam! I hope you can get to Lahore one day – it’s fantastic!
You might be interested in these other pieces I’ve written/photographed;
http://urbanduniya.com/demo/gallery/walled-city-lahore/
http://urbanduniya.com/news-and-opinion/ghosts-lahores-tarannum-cinema/
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 🙂
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!
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!)
I hope you can get to Iran and Australia one day!! Lots to see, and lots of experiences to be had 🙂 Thanks for reading!
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.
Time to start!! Thanks for reading Cez, hope you’re having a great time in Vietnam 🙂
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. 🙂
You so do!! Get out there and see it – there’s soooo much to see 🙂
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.
Thank you! Glad you liked it!!
Great work Tim! wish to visit Paro Valley, Bhutan. seriously this world needs peaceful and beautiful people like you. wish to see your photography…
Those are very kind words – thank you so much 🙂
Thank you for including Pakistan 🇵🇰
And all other places are equally must-visit. Keep up the amazing work 😊
Thank you! Pakistan is one of my top places 😀