Five great destinations - Vietnam to Bulgaria

Five great destinations - Vietnam to Bulgaria is written by Marcus Dalhauge.

Five great destinations - the difficult choice

The world continues to offer fantastic travel destinations. The more I travel, the harder it becomes to choose the best ones. Some are perfect for skiing and cold and others for warmth and a walk in havet. Out of all the many destinations I have visited over time, I will come here with my five favourites. And then there has also been room for a single place that flopped.

Da Nang in Vietnam

The first of the five amazing destinations I have chosen is Vietnam . I traveled there in connection with the fact that I was going to visit my boyfriend, who had traveled in Asia a few months before I left. Of course, I had been looking forward enormously since we had been away from each other for a long time.

But Vietnam, what a fantastic country and people! Right from the start, I was greeted with friendly smiles and cute straw hats. I started the journey in Vietnam's largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, which was once called Saigon. Here it stood on shopping and on experiences that took me back in time to the Vietnam War. Then I moved on to Da Nang, where my boyfriend lived.

Da Nang is a city that just oozes beaches, mountains and happy people. We stayed at the Vietnam Backpacker hostel for 5 days; an absolutely amazing and comfortable place where there were people from all parts of the world. At the hostel, a lot of guides, who were responsible for some good excursions in the mountains, were on paddle board and fun drinking games.

After we had been in Da Nang, the trip continued to the neighboring city of Hoi An. Here ended our wonderful journey like so many others ahead of time due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic.

Despite the shortened trip, Vietnam is definitely one of my favorite destinations and it is certainly not the last time I have visited the country.

Rennes and Brittany in France

France is a country that in my world can do whatever the heart desires. The country offers both sublime weather during the summer period, but to that extent also when the colder fronts show up.

I have traveled a lot in France, but I have chosen to focus on Rennes this time. Rennes is a city that I have not heard so many people visit. I would like to change that.

Rennes is located in the region of Brittany, which is probably known to most people due to the great importance of the area during World War II. For this reason, you will find a huge number of historical monuments and museums in Rennes, which are definitely worth a visit. They also have an absolutely fantastic modern museum called “Les Champs Libres”.

As a big city, Rennes also offers itself very well. The city center oozes coziness in alleys and cafes. The crooked colored houses can almost only make one think of Nyhavn in Copenhagen. There is a very youthful vibe in the city and very many students and international schools.

As a final thing, I would recommend going out and seeing the impressive castle on the tidal lake Mont-Saint-Michel, if you are in Rennes anyway. It takes an hour by car, but it's worth the whole drive.

Glyfada and Athens in Greece

Greece is a country I have traveled in really much and I have also lived there for half a year when I was a little kid. Subsequently, the trip has gone to Athens and the surrounding cities many times. The last time I was in Greece, I was in Glyfada with my best friend Rasmus.

The trip was very marked by the fact that we were two boys away. We went to the cities of Vari, Vouliagmeni and Athens, all of which have a rich nightlife. The Greeks are a super nice people. If you yourself are very talkative, do not hesitate to start conversations with the locals. In any case, we were only greeted with big smiles and zest for life.

Especially Vouliagmeni was a huge hit. With their large 'diving holes', really good opportunities for snorkeling and a really good atmosphere from the cliff bank, it is definitely worth a visit. We were greeted by young Greeks who drank the local beer Mythos in style. They had built a bar on one of the rock walls where we could sit and enjoy a cold.

When we visited the town of Vari, we had heard that there was to be a huge lake where the famous doctor fish lived. Of course we went there, and what an experience it was. We swam around in the clear water while 40-50 fish sat on our hands and feet and ate dead skin. Definitely worth a visit.

If you are in Athens anyway, I can only recommend taking the car or a bus out to these magnificent cities just south of the big city.

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Orlando and Florida, USA

Orlando is a place I remember from my childhood. I remember it with great joy. Here it is especially Walt Disney World and the alligator park Gatorland that I want to highlight. However, the colossal heat and humidity, which at times could be a bit pressing, are also worth noting. I love heat though, so for me it wasn’t the big hindrance.

In addition to the sights I just mentioned, I would definitely recommend visiting Seaworld. In Seaworld you can see, swim and touch the different animals. In particular, I very clearly remember an episode where my mother swam with dolphins. I was very fascinated by it, but did not dare even then. It's something I clearly regret to this day, but I'll have to do it next time I visit this sunny part of the States.

Orlando is clearly a place I would love to travel back to; especially because I was not very old when I last visited the city. The plan is to travel back there within a few years so I can also be allowed to experience Downtown Orlando and the many different bars that are in the city.

Corsica - clearly one of the five amazing destinations

Then we have reached back to France, but not on the mainland this time. I would like to highlight Corsica. This sunny island, located southeast of Monaco, made a big impression on me.

I was leaving with a group of friends, and the trip had a headline that was simply "Experience". It consisted of surfing, snorkeling, good food, the Foreign Legion and a journey from north to south by train.

We started the trip by staying very close to the water at the hotel L'escale Côté Sud in the town of L'Île Rousse. A good and cozy hotel that I can only recommend. The town of L'Île Rousse offers a very local vibe, where most greeted each other on the street and stood together in the corners, speaking Corsican. Truly a cozy place where you are greeted with big smiles.

After 4 days in this beautiful city, the trip continued towards the port city of Porto-Vecchio. It is in this city that the Foreign Legion resides. We were on a tour which was very exciting and educational. The soldiers were not the most accommodating, but we had not expected that either.

Our lovely journey ended in just Porto-Vecchio. Here it stood for pure relaxation, a little too much white wine on the promenade and a lot of different Corsican food.

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Bulgaria: Not one of the five amazing destinations

Bulgaria is a very special country - let me start like this. Most people might associate the country with Sunny Beach and party-goers. However, it was not on that occasion that I traveled there.

I was away with my mother's part of the family and we had to try something new after many trips to the classic European countries. A thought that in itself is good enough in my world, just not right this time around.

The country has a very different people and is not very smiling and service-minded. I especially remember a situation at a restaurant where we had ordered a round of food after some long walks. We waited for over 1 hour for the food to arrive and there was no apology or explanation so we chose to leave there with unsolved case. Not a particularly lucky afternoon for that restaurant.

However, I would still like to highlight one thing about Bulgaria: they have some really good beaches where there is a lot of life and good atmosphere. Despite the good beaches, I can well wait to travel there again. That is why Bulgaria is not one of my five amazing destinations. Not yet at least.

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I have been super happy and feel really privileged to have visited these five amazing destinations. My forward goal is to find at least five equally amazing destinations as the ones I have mentioned here. There are so many wild places in the world, so I wonder if it succeeds in expanding the list? I think so.