4 types of trips I would recommend for 2017, because people with 9-5 jobs (or much more) have less vacation.
The all-in-one trip: Culture, food, history
I love this one, just because these trips are great for people who constantly need things to do. Many times, the cities tend to be popular tourist destinations, but for good reason. For instance, two of my favorites to recommend are Kyoto and Paris!
They are on opposite sides of the world, but I would recommend either for a spring / fall trip. Both cities offer excellent transportation to get around the city, as well as a plethora of day trips and just-outside of the city places.
Paris, in particular, is not itself during the summer! All the Parisians are out of town, many of the cute shops and hole in the wall restaurants will be closed. Within Paris, there are the popular tour sites such as the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysee, the Louvre, etc. But there are also smaller museums, quirky neighborhoods to walk through, and an endless supply of cafes with outside seating to people watch. If the city gets boring (why?!?!), there are day trips out to the Loire Valley, Giverny, Mont St. Michel, etc etc etc. The possibilities are endless.
While Tokyo is the more talked about city, I think a visit can wait until 2020 post Olympics, because the city will be once again refreshed. It always amazes me how they bring entire neighborhoods to the frontier of modernism. Kyoto, on the other hand, represents the more historical and religious side of Japanese culture. A diversity of temples, gods and spirits to worship, as well as zen gardens – Kyoto is a wonderful place to take some time and just breathe in the air. Similarly, there are many nearby places to visit – Osaka (for shopping & more history), Uji (all things matcha), Nara (deer!), and Arashiyama.
More complete recommendations for both cities to come soon!
Music Festival
It’s really one thing to listen to music in the confines of an indoor space (although also incredible when the acoustics are perfect), but it is another experience altogether to spend multiple days outdoors with thousands (sometimes up to six figures) of people, swaying and moving to the same rhythm and melodies.
As music festivals gain popularity, the exposure to new and different artists increases. Whichever genre, there’s probably been a music festival established. Two of the below are the ones I attended last year!
Coachella:
Tickets for 2017 are already sold out, although I’m sure second hand tickets are readily available for a markup. Probably one of the most famous worldwide, I think last year 100,000 tickets were sold for each weekend? News coverage is very complete, the who’s who of the media world attend each year, as well as famous fashion bloggers. The music lineup is always incredible.
Austin City Limits
Tickets are much easier to get for ACL, not to mention the live music available in Austin after the festival ends each night! There are far more stages (many more up and coming acts). However, given that there are too many choices, this may not be the best festival for people who have problems with making decisions.
Outdoors Adventure
With all the global warming and fitness hoopla, an outdoors adventure in 2017 is a must. Not necessarily a “hardcore” outdoors trip like climbing Kilimanjaro or hiking the W trek, but going outdoors! A road trip through a national park somewhere, a safari of sorts? 
Chill weekend trip
For people who work, there’s not always time for a big trip. Short trips are equally good refreshers, if not better sometimes (if the phone can be put away..). Two of my favorite types are beach vacations or a ski trip!
Perks of a ski trip: Signal is terrible on most ski mountains, and being surrounded by all fluffy snow immediately places you in a whole different world. Plus, there’s exercise and all sorts of apres-ski activities available (hot tub, bars, etc..)
Parks of a beach vacation: Office workers are likely to suffer from a deficiency of vitamin D when we don’t have awesome offices with constant sunlight.
What are your top destinations or plans for 2017?
1 Comment
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