Travel writers reveal the best places they have visited

What do you get when you bring together a bunch of travel writers who’ve been grounded for almost two years? Travel inspiration in spades and an ever-expanding bucket list. The Stuff Travel team and their friends reminisce on their best travel memories and what they’re most looking forward to with open borders.

48 HOURS IN LISBON – Trupti Biradar, Travel editor

I never expected to love Lisbon as much as I did. I had just spent a few days exploring Barcelona and, while beautiful, it was overcrowded. Mind you, it was 2018 and almost everywhere was heaving under the pressure of too many tourists. Lisbon, at the time, was a rising star in the European travel scene. It was cheaper, less busy and had everything you would want from a European holiday.

From the hidden little bars down cobbled alleyways playing sultry Fado music to the Moorish architecture, medieval castles and historic squares, there was no shortage of authentic experiences.

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Over a very busy 48 hours I also ate the best meals of my life in a small nondescript Moroccan restaurant that turned out to be top-rated on TripAdvisor; tried ginginja (Portuguese liqueur made from sour Morello cherries) served as a shot in a chocolate cup; and waited in line for a ridiculous amount of time to try the delectable pasteis de Belem (custard tarts). This egg custard was originally created by fund-raising nuns from Mosteiro dos Jeronimos but these sweet pastries have been sold publicly for over 150 years now. Freshly baked, still warm from the oven, and sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar, they were worth the queue.

You might think all I did was eat and you would not be wrong.

Dream destination: My sister and I have been obsessed with Egypt since we were children, even convincing ourselves we were Egyptian royalty in a past life. From the temples and pyramids to the local markets and the cuisine, it is my ultimate bucket list destination.

A DANUBE RIVER CRUISE – Stephen Heard, Publishing coordinator

All I knew was that we were starting in Hungary and ending in Germany. I had not even considered the destinations we would be calling into or the scenery we would encounter cruising down Europe’s second-longest river.

It was nine days on and off a floating hotel on the Danube where every new day seemed to be better than the last. Past Slovakia’s communist-era buildings and down the narrow cobblestone streets of Bratislava we found potentially the cheapest pilsner in all of Europe – four glasses for less than five euro.

There was the Bavarian village of Passau where, after walking between baroque-style buildings, we joined locals at a festival where the Danube, Inn and Ilz waterways meet. An after-hours tour gave tourist-free access to Vienna’s 1400-room Schönbrunn Palace and its massive landscaped gardens, a steep hike led to 12th century castle ruins, and a riverside bike ride finished with beer made by Trappist monks.

By night, we would catch up with new boat friends while cruising to the next destination past beautifully lit European villages.

Before heading our separate ways in medieval Regensburg, there was lunch at the 870-year-old Historische Wurstküche, a riverside sausage shop said to be the oldest continuously open public restaurant in the world.

Dream destination: I want to visit Tokyo for its standing-only ramen bars, sake and karaoke.

SURPRISING SRI LANKA – Siobhan Downes, Senior travel reporter

I am not usually one for beach holiday destinations. But Sri Lanka was full of surprises.

I was there in 2017, on a dreamy work assignment that involved reviewing two luxury resorts. But, to tell you the truth, I do not remember all that much about the accommodation – there was so much to see and do that I barely set foot in my oceanview suites.

Starting from Colombo, we made our way down the west coast of the teardrop-shaped island nation, finishing in the southern beach town of Tangalle.

In a few days, we went from landscapes of lush, emerald countryside, to golden, palm-fringed beaches. We whizzed around bustling towns on brightly coloured tuk-tuks, explored ancient temples, and sipped “virgin white tea” – untouched by human hands – at grand old tea estates.

I fell in love with the historic city of Galle, with its Dutch-colonial architecture and cobblestone streets. But there was another highlight awaiting in the south – Udawalawe National Park where, from an open-top safari jeep, we saw herds of wild elephants, from wizened elders to bumbling babies.

It is the one place I would recommend to others who are similarly anti sun and sand – because there really was something for everyone. I only had a small taste of this flavour-packed nation but it left me hungry for more.

Dream destination: I have got Mexico on my mind – I would love to do a taco tour of the country, sampling all the different regional variations.

UNEXPECTED IRAN – Lorna Thorner, Travel reporter

To say Iran surprised me is an understatement. I had expected deserts and disapproving looks from locals upset by Donald Trump-ordained sanctions that had crippled the country’s economy.

And we did spend a fair amount of time driving through deserts on our two-week 2019 road trip. But we also discovered dynamic cities with mosques so divinely decorated they would make anyone believe in a higher power; blinged-out palaces where hedonistic rulers once hosted raucous parties amid floor-to-ceiling mirror mosaics; a mudbrick city said to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements on Earth; and some of the most welcoming people we had ever come across.

Wherever our group of Kiwi women wandered, we attracted cries of “welcome to our country”, with many stopping to thank us for visiting and asking whether we were enjoying our time there. We even got a few invitations to tea.

A highlight for me was wandering the ruins of Persepolis – said to be the world’s first superpower. Founded in 518 BC, it was known as the richest city under the sun until Alexander the Macedonian (he is not called “the Great” in Iran) torched it after a night on the razz, ostensibly in revenge for the burning of the Acropolis. It is as impressive as the famed Athens site, yet receives a tiny fraction of the visitors.

I left Iran convinced that one of the great empires of the ancient world is also one of the great wonders of the modern one.

Dream destination: With its eco-tourism credentials, hikes and ziplines through wildlife-filled rain forests, and focus on living a pura vida (pure life) in tune with nature, Costa Rica is a mecca for modern-day hippies such as myself.

FINNISH LAPLAND – Juliette Sivertsen, Travel news director

Standing with my boots in the snow, wearing multiple thermals, mid layers and a thick ski jacket, the cold still managed to seep through the tiny spaces of the fabrics to my bones.

I was frozen in temperature but also frozen in awe – as, above me, the magical aurora borealis danced across the skies.

High above the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland, I was the furthest north I had ever been in my life and was experiencing the greatest natural light show on Earth. The beams of light flickered across the sky, starting low in the horizon before building up in colour and intensity as they started to move rapidly above me. It is one of the greatest phenomena to experience in life and the feeling of utter awe, amazement and admiration for this crazy atmosphere will stay with me forever.

Dream destination: Argentina. From exploring the incredible natural wonders such as the Iguazú Falls to feasting on flame-charred steak over a bottle of malbec while people dance tango in the streets, I want to experience it all.

MAGICAL ANTARCTICA – Pamela Wade, Travel writer

The most spectacularly beautiful, magical, unique and memorable place I have ever visited is Antarctica. Even today, with travel so easy, it is still so remote that I know how lucky I was to go there, especially cruising in the luxurious embrace of Silversea. Antarctica is vast, glistening, pristine, dangerous yet fragile and, despite its overwhelming emptiness, has mind-blowingly huge colonies of eight different species of penguin, seven of which we saw, and heard, and smelt, right up close.

There were elephant and crabeater seals, whales, orcas, dolphins, skuas, albatrosses and more. All of these creatures were in their element, getting on with their own lives, while we were the aliens, very conscious of being so far out of our comfort zone. It added extra zing to our gaping admiration of the beauty of Antarctica: its blue sea and sky, the towering black peaks, the dazzling snow, the hulking glaciers calving in slow motion and, most of all, its icebergs. Blue, white, streaked black, transparent or clouded; smooth or sculpted; massive or tiny; broodingly silent or musical as their air bubbles popped – they were the stars.

Dream destination: Addicted now to chilly beauty, next I want to see Iceland’s Kirkjufell under the Northern Lights.

COPENHAGEN IS HEAVY ON BEAUTY – Sharon Stephenson, Travel writer

Before there were bucket lists, before there was the movie The Bucket List, there was Hans Christian Andersen (HCA). And the Danish author’s love of Copenhagen. Being a committed HCA fan meant Copenhagen was on my bucket list. I finally visited in my 20s, on one of those 10-countries-in-as-many-days road trips where I spent more time drinking than sightseeing.

To do the Danish capital justice, I returned a few years ago – older, wiser and more sober. Along for the ride was my husband and a slightly bigger bank account which meant this time I did not have to sleep in a converted double-decker bus but could afford a hotel with a few stars after its name. We visited the Little Mermaid (underwhelming), a statue of HCA that anchors one corner of the city’s main square, Rådhuspladsen (better) and popped into the HCA Museum, opened in 2004 to celebrate his 200th birthday.

Copenhagen, I discovered, is a city heavy on beauty: the locals, architecture and all-white hygge interiors. Big fat tick on the bucket list.

Dream destination: I was meant to spend a few weeks in the Caribbean in May 2020 but we all know what happened then. I will get there one day.

CHARMED BY JAPAN – Alan Granville, Travel reporter

Nothing quite prepares you for just how “Japanese” Japan truly is. I have been fascinated by this nation of close to 7000 islands for years but its uniqueness and utter charm is way more than I could have ever imagined.

Being trapped at Narita Airport for more than eight hours due to a typhoon was not the greatest of starts but the pain of the terminal’s floor was soon forgotten thanks to the stunningly hospitable people and the best food I have ever eaten, anywhere.

The bright lights and maze-like quality of Tokyo gave away to fields and mountains as I toured down Honshu, the largest of Japan’s islands. I experienced serene bliss at a ryokan, drank green tea at a Shizuoka plantation and learned about the laborious process of making sake in the magical historic town of Takayama.

The highlight? More than two decades ago I was planning to travel to Nagoya to teach English as a foreign language but, due to one reason or another, it never happened. Now I had finally made it. I was smiling like a Cheshire cat for days.

Dream destination: It is a story for another time but it involves the 2011 Rugby World Cup and cheap clothing and ever since I got a replica of the Namibia shirt, the southern African country has held a fascination for me.

TURKEY – Brett Atkinson, Travel writer

I first travelled to Turkey’s southeast in 1997, heading south after a ferry ride along the Black Sea from Istanbul before bumping around the region in local buses and shared taxis. Since then I have returned several times, usually with my Lonely Planet hat on and always with the flexibility of a rental car.

Southeastern journeys begin in Van, catching up with my good friend Sabahattin for the world’s best brunch at the city’s Kahvalti Sokak (“Breakfast Street”). After a boat trip to Akdamar Island on Lake Van, I head further south to the honey-coloured city of Mardin which rises from the Mesopotamian plains near the Syrian border. To the north and framed by centuries-old basalt walls, Diyarbakir blends Armenian history with modern Kurdish culture, while ancient Sanliurfa has great markets and is reputedly the birthplace of the prophet Abraham.

Stays in Diyarbakir usually involve feasting on kaburga dolmasi, lamb ribs stuffed with rice and almonds, while Sanliurfa is near Göbekli Tepe, a 10,000-year-old neolithic archaeological site pre-dating the pyramids and Stonehenge by five millennia. Far more modern is Gaziantep, reckoned to be Turkey’s best food city. Istanbul families fly to “Antep” just for baklava from the Gulluoglu bakery. My go-to spot is Şirvan for their smoky lamb and pistachio kebabs.

Dream destination: Belgium, to explore New Zealand’s WW1 history, and drink Trappist beers brewed by monks.