Here are 23 of the best places to travel in 2023.
2022 was great! I explored parts of Italy and the US I’ve never been before. Checked a bucket list world wonder off my list with Petra. I saw Atlantic sunsets in one of my favorite countries in the world, Portugal. And ate lots of memory-writing meals. Oh, and I got married in Italy so I was able to plan the best group trip ever! I’m ready to continue our adventures in this new year. Here’s my perfect bucket list for 2023: 23 places I’d love to go to and places I can’t wait to visit again.
1. Yucatán Peninsula
Wakanda Forever! I need to explore more of the Yucatán peninsula, I’m usually on the other side of Mexic. I’m manifesting beautiful cenotes in my outlook this year and I’ve never been to Merida!
2. Kigali
Speaking of Wakanda, with Rwanda being one of the countries that inspired the movie, I need to be immersed in the afrofuturism of Kigali. Rwanda is more than gorillas. But, I want to see the gorillas too.
3. Cairo & the Nile
I actually love intimate luxury river cruises. A bucketlist experience would be visiting Cairo and taking one along the Nile. Maybe a little Death on the Nile inspired.
4. Santiago de Cuba
I’ve roadtripped Western Cuba and I’m dying to do a little heritage trip to Santiago de Cuba, dancing some son, seeing the center of the country’s Afro-Cubana population and the vibes.
5. The Jura, France
I want to eat my way through The Jura region in France. One of the country’s most important culinary regions that is a little lesser known. Bucolic, beautiful and green.
6. Courchevel, France
Because of Michele, I’m embracing skiing more but I still need amazing food, culture and landscapes for those days when I don’t want to hit the slopes. You may have heard of Gstaad or St Moritz, I’ve heard of Courchevel as a fun elite playground in the French Alps. And I’ve tried a sampling of the gastronomy to prove it. See you there!
7. Grenada
Does Grenada just smell good? It’s called the Spice Isle. I’m expecting to step off of the airplane and just be hit with the smell of cloves, cinnamon, chocolate… rum… on this beautiful Caribbean island.
8. Hokkaido, Japan
Japan has opened up to tourists and those beautiful photos of the volcanoes flower fields and hot springs of Hokkaido are calling my name. Hokkaido’s fresh waters are known for it’s seafood. Sounds like paradise.
9. Western Australia
I’ve never been to Australia and experiencing the Outback is definitely on my bucketlist. I want to check out Western Australia. An ideal trip would be the outback for a few days, sip wine in the Margaret River Valley, learn about 50,000 year old Aboriginal culture and see beautiful beaches.
10. Santa Fe, New Mexico
From the art, to the jewelry, magical light in the surrounding nature and architecture, Santa Fe has long been a city on my bucket list. Plus it’s a city of chile lovers with a margarita trail… maybe I can convince Soph to do a girl’s trip…
11. Suriname
Suriname has been on my list for years. Images of Suriname’s jungles look like natural perfection and there’s a really cool jewelry culture there. When I went to Dominica, there was this almost perfect peace. I kind of imagine it like that.
12. Hvar, Croatia
Red tiled roofs, old cobblestoned streets, beautiful seaside ports. It’s not hard to see me on a weekend in Hvar.
13. Oaxaca & Guadalajara, Mexico
I guess I’ve been missing Mexico deeply because I have about 5 places in Mexico on this list, but it’s such a beautiful country and my happy place, home of my comfort food. Mole is perhaps my favorite sauce in the world, and to take a lesson on learning to make a kind of mole in Oaxaca would be a bucketlist experience. Many friends from Sayulita were actually from Guadalajara, what they called Mexico’s traditional, cultural capital. I love Mexico City but this slightly smaller Mexican city is making the list for 2023.
14. Oman
Childhood cartoon dreams of desert oases in my mind, I can’t wait to visit Oman. I have a friend born and raised in Oman and it seems like an underrated gem in the Middle East. Cosmopolitan and beautiful Muscat seems to have a stunning souk that rivals Istanbul.
15. Chile
I’m eager to experience Chile’s wine region and the incredible landscapes of Patagonia. The Atacama Desert & Lake District the cultural heritage of Rapa Nui and the wine region of Valle Central are just some of the reasons Chile would be a great place to travel in 2023.
16. Asheville, North Carolina
Once, I reached out to beautiful Biltmore hotel… not in Coral Gables but in Asheville, North Carolina. Since then, Asheville has been on my radar. Tucked away in the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is located in the middle of the Eastern Seaboard and is known for it’s vibrant art scene. Seems like a cool place to take a weekend trip.
17. Benin
The art work of Benin has always fascinated me, especially the brass figures. My accountant collects them so I see them every tax season when he regals me with his amazing tales of trips to Benin during a DNA tour. I would love to explore Benin and other parts of West Africa like Senegal.
18. Tanzania & Madagascar
Everyday, I wear a tanzanite and I’d love to see more of the beautiful country that is Tanzania. A bucketlist dream is to see Mt Kilamanjaro… I don’t think I’m ready to hike it quite yet. But the beautiful beaches of Tanzania and it’s ancient towns seem like the perfect holiday. Madagascar has always attracted me because of it’s spices and cross section of culture. I’d love to take a trip there while I’m in the region.
19. Wales
Rolling green hills, rugged coastline, and I hear cool things about Cardiff! Wales seems like it would be a perfect natural escape while in Europe.
20. South Dakota
I’m hoping to learn more about First Nation and Native American culture this year and South Dakota has been put on my radar as a very interesting place to do just that. I’ve seen and appreciated beautiful traditions, artwork, crafts of indigenous cultures during my travels and it’s time I explore more of that culture in my home country.
21. The Guadelupe Valley, Mexico
Is it a road trip from San Diego? Ever since a bartender at the Mondrian in West Hollywood told me about this wine valley in Mexico that he was from, I’ve wanted to explore more of Mexico’s wine country.
22. The Aeolian Islands
While in Calabria, I saw the Aeolian islands in the distance and knew I wanted to visit this area on my next holiday to Sicily. The dramatic volcano of Stromboli, Panarea, with it’s chic vibes and Salina, the second-largest island, is also the greenest and possibly the most beautiful. It boasts a natural preserve and olive and grape vineyards.
23. Banff & Lake Louise, Canada
I love living in a heavy lake region of Italy. Lake Braies is spectacular, and some of the glacier fed lakes like Peyto in the Banff National park look nothing short of miraculous.
When traveling, there’s nothing like visiting a place that keeps calling you back.
Take me back to…
I’ll definitely be back to South County, Rhode Island, some of the best seafood I’ve had in the US and really relaxing New England coastal towns so close to the cities. Sorry Long Island, I might be heading North.
You all know how much I loved the Noto Valley in Sicily. The landscape, people, food…. You’ll definitely see me there again this summer.
Dominica is one of the most beautiful natural islands I’ve been to. I hope to do more wellness travel in 2023 and while in Dominica, I ate fresh and well, deeply and spiritually connected with the culture and nature and got to do really awesome things like forest-bathing.
Visiting the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique opened up a new world about French culture to me and the French West Indies. I love Guadeloupe’s blend of French, West Indian and African culture. In the strength and resilience of the Guadeloupean culture, I see a lot of similarities with Haiti and I’d love to go back to the island and learn even more.
Any places you think would be the best places to travel in 2023? Comment below!