Seek and find
These are the 13 destinations that make our hearts beat faster!
I get asked almost every week what my favorite destination is. But you know what I find really hard to answer? There are SO MANY beautiful destinations. It really depends on my mood, which one suits me best at that moment. I'm a true city girl. Big cities and delicious food make me incredibly happy. But in the last few years, I've also discovered that I love doing absolutely nothing on a beautiful island like Bali or Ibiza. This summer, Your Little Black Book is celebrating its 5th anniversary (OMG, 5 years already!!), and in this blog post, I've listed 13 of the destinations that have stuck with me the most and that I keep returning to.
Do you also want to travel to a dream destination this summer?
Coca-Cola This summer, Coca-Cola has also caught the wanderlust bug and is giving away dream vacations every week to destinations from Ibiza to Seoul and from Bali to Los Angeles! How can you win? Get a can or bottle of Coca-Cola with the special label featuring dream destinations. Under the label, cap, and tab of your Coca-Cola, you'll find a promotional code, which you can enter on the promotion page. www.cocacola.nl/summer. There are 74 destinations in total on Coca-Cola packaging, including our 13 favorites
13 destinations we want to return to soon
Tulum: The first time I was in Tulum was almost 13 years ago, I think. Back then, it was mainly a village you went to see the Mayan ruins, but these days it's the place to be on the coast. The world's best chefs are opening pop-up restaurants there, and Mexican fusion food has never been hotter. Several beautiful boutique hotels have opened in the last few years.
Seoul: "Last year I spent a few days in Seoul for the first time. This destination has been on my bucket list for a very long time, because I love Korean food. Korean BBQ (a kind of gourmet) is my favorite thing there. Seoul isn't a beautiful city, but it's incredibly vibrant! Koreans love good coffee, and you'll find one trendy coffee bar after another, like Anthracite Coffee Roasters en Queen Mama MarketI'm already looking forward to going back to Seoul this year and wandering endlessly through the Hapejong, Sinsa Dong, and Gangnam districts.”
santorini: If there's one ultimate place in Europe for a romantic weekend getaway with your sweetheart, it's Santorini, in my opinion. Perfect for a week, but also for a long weekend. I stayed in the picturesque town of Oïa. Imagine waking up with a view of the famous Caldera and the beautiful white houses and blue domes so characteristic of Santorini. Rent a car and cruise around the island. There are several vineyards to visit, lovely bays to relax in, and from Fira, you have a stunning view of the sunset. Also fun: stroll down the donkey path in Oïa in the late afternoon and eat fish at Hammoudi Bay.
Barcelona: I had a love-hate relationship with Barcelona for years. So many tourists! But now I think Barcelona is a wonderful city and I'd love to go there at least once a year. I especially love the Raval, El Born, Sant Antoni, and Poble Sec neighborhoods. What I like about Barcelona is that you can also go to the beach when the weather is nice. On my last trip, I ate at the restaurant Tickets and if you like good food you will definitely want to reserve a table there.”
Los Angeles: The first time I went to Los Angeles, I was thirteen. Downtown was a no-go area back then, a place you absolutely didn't want to go. Exactly twenty years later, I was back in LA last year for the Coachella festival, and the city captured my heart all over again. The thought of the palm trees with the mountains in the background and the beautiful sunsets instantly makes me happy again. The up-and-coming Silverlake neighborhood is definitely one not to miss for its fun hotspots, and for the most beautiful street art, go to the Art District in Downtown. My favorite street in LA is Abbot Kinney Boulevard! It's full of great shops and restaurants, and it's within walking distance of Venice Beach. Rent a bike and you can cycle all the way down the boulevard to Santa Monica and ride the Ferris wheel on the pier. Cheesy, but that's precisely what makes it so much fun!
Zanzibar: "If I had to name two destinations with the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen, it would be the Philippines and Zanzibar. I've been lucky enough to have been to Zanzibar a few times, and the sand there is so beautifully white. I personally prefer the town of Nungwi. A visit to the capital, Stone Town, is highly recommended. It's incredibly colorful, and there are several cozy cafes where you can enjoy a meal and a drink. If you enjoy snorkeling and diving, Zanzibar is also the place to be. I once saw whales just a few meters from our boat. Truly extraordinary!"
Tokyo: There's no destination I could compare to Tokyo. WOW, what a special city this is. Huge, yet it doesn't feel that way because everything is so peaceful and tranquil. Even at the Shibuya Crossing, the busiest intersection in the world! In Tokyo, I ate the most delicious sushi and yakitori ever. I got up in the middle of the night and went to the auction at the world-famous Tsukiji fish market. Impressive! Another thing I really love about Tokyo is the diverse neighborhoods and the many vintage shops. If you want to score a beautiful kimono, be sure to visit one of the branches of the vintage shop Flamingo. My favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo are Shinjuku, Daikanyama, and Shimo-Kitazawa. I can wander around here endlessly, and you discover something new on every street. Something that is an inseparable part of Tokyo culture are the pet cafés where Japanese people go to cuddle the pets they can't keep at home due to lack of space. I visited one last year. Harry'sThe world's first hedgehog café. A little strange, but secretly also very nice!
Balinese: Ever since I first visited Bali, I've fallen in love with this island. Okay, okay, it's certainly not as authentic and picturesque as it once was, but that doesn't make it any less of a destination for me. Almost every year I return to this paradise to visit my best friend who moved here almost five years ago. My favorite place on the island is Canggu, where one hotspot after another is opening its doors. For breakfast, I like to go to Crate Cafe and for the most beautiful sunset to Finn's Beach ClubRent a scooter to explore the island and hop from hotspot to hotspot. Be sure to spend a few days in Ubud, surrounded by rice paddies, to completely unwind or perhaps take a yoga retreat. I prefer to end my trip to Bali on the small island. Nusa Lembongan Off the coast of Sanur. Not so touristy yet, and with beautiful beaches!
Ibiza: One of the European destinations I return to again and again is Ibiza. The spring and fall seasons are my favorite times to enjoy the beautiful scenery and delicious food. I prefer to stay in the north of the island where it's much quieter. As soon as I book my ticket to Ibiza, I always email my favorite restaurant La Paloma to reserve a table in the beautiful garden. Definitely rent a car if you're going to Ibiza. During the day, I love touring the island, for example, driving to Playa da Cala D'Hort, which offers a beautiful view of the island of Es Vedrà. On weekends, you can find me at the markets! On Saturdays, I enjoy browsing the Hipodromo car boot sale and searching for a great secondhand find, and then I visit the hippie market in Las Dalias, or on Sundays, the smaller market in San Joan de Labritja. I always make sure I have some room left in my suitcase to take everything home! Check here also especially our blog post with 17 favorite addresses in Ibiza.”
Bangkok: It's a typical city with a "you either hate it or you love it" mentality. Bangkok is incredibly large, so it's helpful to know where to go to get a good start to your trip through Thailand. My favorite neighborhood is Ekkamai, where you'll find several trendy restaurants and delicious street food, for example, at food trucks. Summer StreetA visit to Chinatown is a must when visiting Bangkok. It's quite hectic, but if you look carefully, you can find the nicest items. Just like at Chatuchak Market! Want to do something active? Then I recommend the bike tours. Co van Kessel Highly recommended. No longer undiscovered, but still a lot of fun to see a lot of Bangkok and its surroundings.
Hong Kong: I love Asian cities. They're big and dirty, but there's so much going on. Hong Kong is one of those cities I return to again and again. I love the contrast between old and new in this city. Next to a modern hotspot with a hip chef is a noodle shop that's been there for maybe thirty years and hasn't changed a bit. Hong Kong is a "big tiny city," as I like to affectionately call it. There are a lot of people living there, but the city center is actually very small because of all the high-rises, and you can easily explore it on foot. My favorite neighborhood is Soho! Near the hipster shopping mall. PMQ There are lots of great restaurants and trendy bars. And of course, you can't leave Hong Kong without trying dim sum! For chic dim sum, go to Duddells or just for local and cheap to the low spot Dim Dim Sum in the street food district of Kowloon.”
Valencia: Of course, you can always return to wonderful Barcelona for a city break, but if there's one city in Spain I can recommend, it's Valencia. Things are happening here right now, and it's a great destination to combine city and beach. I call this an urban beach holiday: enjoy a delicious lunch on the boulevard or relax on the beach during the day, and then head into town in the evening for food and shopping. My favorite neighborhood in Valencia is Russafa. This is the place to be for the city's best hotspots where you can eat and drink until late at night. A rooftop bar recently opened in Valencia, so if you're looking for a late-afternoon drink, check out Petit BistroWhen I go to Valencia, I always rent bikes so I can cycle everywhere. From the city center, you can cycle to the beach in just over fifteen minutes!
Lisbon: "If you love good food and drinks, Lisbon is the place to be. I also think it's a great destination for a city break in autumn or early spring. Until around 22 p.m., the city is quiet and the restaurants aren't crowded at all, but later in the evening, the narrow streets of Bairro Alto become bustling. Behind the doors that are closed during the day, you'll find all sorts of cozy cafes and restaurants. Do something fun during the day, then chill out in your hotel room or at a rooftop bar, and head out late at night to enjoy drinks until the early hours!"
Have fun planning your next trip!
WITH LOVE,
ANNE
In collaboration with Coca-Cola
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