Top 6 Travel Destinations You Need to Visit

Do you have the next 6 spring break and summer break vacation spots planned yet? Better get on it!

Lucky for you, I'm here to help you out with travel ideas. This is why we're friends, obviously. You're welcome.


What makes a place a TOP destination? IMO 3 things:
- it's safe
- you can have amazing experiences there that you can't have (almost) anywhere else
- it's not outrageously expensive

I'm only recommending places that either I've been to and can personally tell you are amazing, or I'm planning to go and have done enough research to be confident that it's gonna be an incredible experience.

Let's start with Spanish-speaking destinations

It's kind of important to keep up your Spanish skills as a Spanish teacher. So it makes sense to start this list off with some Spanish-speaking destinations.

Machu Picchu

This is an obligatory destination. If you don't have a selfie at Machu Picchu in your dating profile, what are you even doing with your life?

Ruins that are many hundreds of years old, plus interesting history with native civilizations and conquistadors, plus delicious food? Yes please.

What time of the year should you go?
Rainy season is November-March, the high season is June-August. I'd say the best time to go is whenever you have the time because the weather is temperate enough that it's not really too cold or too hot.

I went in March and I got good use out of my rain gear, but it never rained too hard or for too long. 

Recommendations
Try the chifa - Chinese and Peruvian food mixed together. It's everywhere and it's an unexpected combination that will change your life.

I read this book before I went called Inca and it's extremely well researched historical fiction about Incan civilization before, during, and after the conquest. I highly recommend it if you're interested in the history.

Machu Picchu is at 7,000 feet. Cusco, which you have to go through to get to Machu Picchu, is at 11,000 feet. If you live at sea level (like I do), then you will be out of breath from sitting still. I'm not exaggerating.

You will be out of breath before you even move. 

Bring oxygen, bring ibuprofen, be ready for your body to be very upset with you about the altitude changes, and eat coca leaves like they are the only thing keeping you alive because they really do help.

Give yourself a couple days to adjust to the altitude if you can.

Costa Rica

Two words: cloud forest.

It's a forest. In. The. Clouds.

Oh. Em. Gee.

The cloud forest is SO COOL.

What time of the year should you go?
December-April is the dry season, but also therefore the most popular time to go. And most crowded, and most expensive.

May-November is the rainy season, but there are less tourists and it's less expensive.

I went in April and I did not get to re-use my rain gear from Peru.

Recommendations
Hike through a cloud forest.

Zip line.

Eat plantains on everything.

Hike around Arenal Volcano National Park and get a good view of La Fortuna Waterfall.

Visit a village of natives who still live in traditional ways, and allow tourists to visit and learn about their ways of life.

I highly recommend this last tip. It's incredible and quite possibly a once in a lifetime experience.

Side note: Nicaragua is just as amazing and beautiful as its southern neighbor, but unfortunately it's not always politically stable. You can have a similar experience in Nicaragua and it's cheaper, but check the news before you book that flight to Managua.

Spain

How could I have a list of top travel destinations for Spanish teachers without mentioning Spain? I freaking love Spain.

What time of the year should you go?
Right now. There's no bad time of the year to be in Spain.

Recommendations
Go to Granada and see the Alhambra.

Go to Barcelona and walk down Las Ramblas, go to the beach, take an obligatory selfie in Parc Guell for your dating profile, overlook the city at the top of Montjuic, wander through the gothic quarter, and stay forever. Oh lord I love Barcelona.

Go to the Guggenheim in Bilbao.

Go to Sevilla and see a flamenco show.

Go to Toledo and admire how Christian, Jews, and Muslims lived in harmony for centuries. Visit the cathedral, synagogue, and mosque in Toledo.

Go to Alicante and eat paella alicantina and turrón, go to the castle, take a walk down the esplanada, and then go lay on the beach.

Eat tapas all over Spain because they're wildly different across each region.

Drink sangria. There's fruit in it and fruit is healthy.

Drink wine in northern Spain.

Go see the aqueducts in Segovia. Then go see the ridiculous castle. Burgos is close by, so go see that castle too. Go see all the castles.

Fall in love with Spain because it's the best country in Europe. (You know I'm right.)

Non-Spanish-speaking destinations

Just because you teach Spanish doesn't mean you need to limit your travel destinations to Spanish-speaking countries.

Italy

Confession: I'm basically in love with Italy. I need gelato in my life as frequently as possible. Please and thank you.

You haven't had gelato unless you've been to Italy. I don't care what the Italian restaurant down the street from you calls the ice cream on their menu. It's not gelato unless you're in Italy.

You don't even need to know any Italian in Italy. Spanish and Italian are basically mutually intelligible for the basics.

What time of the year should you go?
Just like Spain, there's no bad time to be in Italy. Drop what you're doing and go right now. Gelato is delicious year-round.

Best places to eat gelato in Italy
At the colosseum in Rome.

After visiting the Sistine Chapel (ok the Vatican is technically a different country but whatever).

On top of the leaning tower of Pisa.

While walking through Florence on your way to see the statue of David.

Before a boat tour of Capri (full disclosure - Capri is outrageously expensive).

After a tour of the ruins of Pompeii.

While staring at Mt. Vesuvius from Naples.

While on a beach at Lake Garda staring at the Alps.

While wandering through Verona trying to find Romeo and Juliet.

On a gondola in Venice.

If you're not eating gelato two times a day, you're doing it wrong.

Greece

Yes I'm partial to the Mediterranean. What can I say - I'm fancy. I'm not sorry about it.

Greece is freaking beautiful and everyone will speak to you in English. You literally don't need to know a single word in Greek.

What time of the year should you go?
Spring or fall. It's hotter than hell - I'm talking triple digit temperatures in the summer. I was there in July and dear lord was it hot.

Recommendations
Go to Santorini and see the beautiful black sand beaches.

Do not go to Santorini to watch the sunset. You've seen a sunset before.

I feel like the Greek isles have the reputation of being places you go just to party hard, and those places certainly exist (*cough Mykonos cough*), but they are not all like that. They are also not all expensive.

If you're looking for a quiet, laidback, family-friendly Greek island, then Naxos is incredibly lovely. Greek vacation without all-night clubbing are possible.

Do go to the Parthenon in Athens and wander through the ruins.

Definitely eat all the feta and halloumi you can get your hands on.

Eat yogurt with a little bit of honey on it and some fruit mixed in. You've never had yogurt like this before.

Be forewarned that they put French fries IN the gyros. Not on the side. Wrapped up in the gyro. I'm not okay with it.

Cambodia

Have you seen pictures of Angkor Wat? If not, please google it. I'll wait.

I have not been to Angkor Wat, but it's supposed to be like 10 times bigger than Machu Picchu (which is ah-maz-ing) so I can only imagine it's 10 times more amazing.

What time of the year should you go?
This article has an excellent month-by-month breakdown of what the weather is like in Cambodia. Basically, November-February is the high season because the weather is cool and dry, but that means more tourists plus higher prices.

Recommendations
Go to Angkor Wat. Spend 3 days there.

Explore some cities. Eat some delicious food.

But really be honest with yourself - you are going to Cambodia for Angkor Wat and everything else is just icing on the cake.

There are a million other amazing places on this planet that are worth visiting. I hear there's a pretty big wall in China that is worth seeing. If you think that the Grand Canyon is cool, then check out Bryce Canyon in Utah. The Grand Canyon WISHES it was as cool as Bryce Canyon.

Have you been to any of the places listed above? Where are your next travel destinations? Please share any thoughts in the comments below!