TripAdvisor Released It’s Travelers’ Choice Awards For The Top 25 Destinations In 2018
by Heather Cassell
Travelers have spoken on TripAdvisor voting their favorite destinations as the best 25 places to visit in 2018. Do you agree?
1. Paris
(Photo: Heather Cassell)
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Paris tops the list. Girls That Roam loves Paris. The diversity of the city, it’s walkability, the food, the art, the fashion, … the people. It’s a tourist city, it’s a cosmopolitan city attracting people from all over the world, but it’s also very much a lived-in city.
Despite recent political turmoil that has been heating up since the end of the summer that has led to swarms of Yellow Jackets, the laborers, protesting in the City of Lights’ most famous tourist attractions for more than a month at the year’s end the city still beckons to visitors.
Girls That Roam has it on good authority from Girl Roamers that the protests didn’t ruin their Christmas in Paris.
Some of the must-see sites include the Musee d’Orsay, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Arc de Triumph, Notre Dame, and more.
The best time to go to the Arc de Triumph is about an hour or two before night falls. Climb to the top. Find a good spot on the top and wait for the Eiffel Tower to light up. Another great view of Paris is from the Sacre Coeur, the cathedral that crowns the Montmartre neighborhood.
When you aren’t packing your days with seeing the sites, simply wander through the streets and neighborhoods, browse the markets and shops (be sure to say, “Bonjour,” to the owner or staff when you enter), or simply enjoy a quintessential Parisian moment sitting at a sidewalk café, sit sipping a glass of wine while enjoying a baguette with a cheese plate.
2. London
The spotlight was put on London, after the royal wedding of the year in 2018. London is a wonderful cosmopolitan city with beautiful sprawling parks and palaces, like Buckingham Palace and Westminster Palace to name two. The city also has a long storied past meaning there’s a lot of history from the Tower of London to the Globe Theatre to High tea at Harrod’s. After tea at Harrod’s, globetrotting trendsetters can browse the maze at Harrods and step out onto London’s runway with luxury brands along Knightsbridge and Brompton Road and along Sloane Street. Don’t get stuck on the main streets. Go off the main streets to the smaller side streets where you will find some sweet boutique shops filled with wonderful dresses, shoes, handbags, hats and more.
Art aficionados will enjoy a plethora of museums and galleries from the British Museum to the Tate Modern, but if you are at Buckingham Palace, Girls That Roam suggests checking out the Queen’s Gallery.
London isn’t only fish and chips and bangers and mash. Its culinary scene is eclectic thanks to the eternal flow of newcomers to the city who are shaping what is being served up on the plate from Brixton to Seven Dials and even Shoreditch to name a few hot culinary spots.
3. Rome
Can you see Rome in a day? You can see the historical sites of Rome in a single day. The sites are incredible to see. But to really get to know Rome, it takes more than a day. Rome is an incredible city. There simply is no other city like it. The Romans themselves are distinctive by their features and their proud attitudes. It’s a city of art, sculpture, architecture, history, food, and fashion.
Every traveler must see how the sunlight hits the Colosseum, the water flowing from the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon or walk along the Tiber River enjoying the artisans.
Rome left an impression on Girls That Roam even only after spending 48 hours in the city this summer.
4. Bali
The tropical paradise is known as the Island of the Gods for its spirituality and its natural beauty.
It is a spiritual seeker’s dream where praying and healing, just read “Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.” It’s a beach lovers haven with its soft white sand lined coasts. It’s an outdoor adventures dream with its jungles, coral reefs, and volcanos.
Travelers might want to wait a while to book their ticket to Bali until after Mount Agung and Anak Krakatoa settle down. The volcanos are two of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.
On December 23, 2018, Anak Krakatoa erupted collapsing into the sea setting off a tsunami that killed 431 people on Java and Sumatra and displaced more than 46,600 people.
Mount Agung has been erupting since 2017, but December 30 it began belching ash high into the sky and onto nearby villages causing officials to warn tourists to stay away from the area.
Mount Agung is about 44 miles (70 kilometers) from Bali’s hot tourist spot, Kuta.
Once the volcanos settle down, travelers will enjoy the warm spirit of the locals who are known for their generosity and gentle teasing who will welcome them back to enjoy their paradise.
5. Crete
Incredible natural scenery at every turn, soft white sand Mediterranean beaches, food, and layers of centuries of history woven together make Crete a unique destination. It is said that Crete is where the Greek god Zeus was born on Greece’s largest island. It is also home to Europe’s longest gorge. The locals are warm, friendly, joyful, and welcoming, the food is fresh, the wine is good, the scenery right out of a postcard. What more do you want from a destination?
Rounding out the top five destinations:
- Barcelona, Spain
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Marrakech, Morocco
- Istanbul, Turkey
- New York, USA
- Phuket, Thailand
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Jamaica
- Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Dubai, UAE
- Tokyo, Japan
- Kathmandu, Nepal
- Hong Kong, China
- Hurghada, Egypt
- New Delhi, India
- Cusco, Peru
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Sydney, Australia
Book your next vacation with Girls That Roam Travel. Contact Heather Cassell at Girls That Roam Travel at 415-517-7239 or at .
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