Find your next favourite travel location.
1. Bora Bora
Bora Bora stole my heart & I don't think I'll ever get it back. Creatively, emotionally, everything, we just had the best time here swimming with sharks & spending more time in the water than on land ~ my kind of heaven.
2. Havana, Cuba
Cuba is stepped back in time! When you get off the plane & walk out to the taxi rank, don't expect to see yellow cabs, expect canary yellow & flamingo pink convertible mustangs from the 60's! It's a country of beauty, with a lot of rich history, so best to delve a little deeper. What really blew my mind is that communism has only made the country more colourful, more alive & more artistic - Cuba still doesn't have public internet, so Cuba is CUBA - it's incredibly unique & BRILLIANT (after being cut off from the world)... & that is saying something!
3. Tulum, Mexico
We went to Tulum years ago & stayed in the Sian Kaan, the National Park just outside of Tulum (it's a one road in - one road out situation). We slept in a little beach shack on stilts for $30 a night & hung out in nature for a few weeks, fully disconnected (there was no signal at all... was bliss!) I recently went back & stayed in the little town of Tulum, which is packed full of smoothie shops, creatives & yoga schools - full chill out zone.
4. Marrakech, Morocco
This place is absolute fire. One moment you're weaving your way through the souk haggling for vintage moroccan rugs, drinking mint tea with the locals & smelling every single kind of spice EVER KNOWN, the next you're recovering from the day in a restored riad among palm trees & wondering if this could possibly be the same city. It is so full of epic experiences, a must visit!
5. Esperance, Australia
I just got back from Esperance & I am giving everyone a hot tip - this is one of the best & most insane places I have ever visited. If you are a beach, outdoorsy type, you probably will have a hard time leaving. I'm already planning my trip back.
6. California, USA
If there is anywhere in the world I would swap Byron Bay for (not including any tropical island, *anywhere) it would be California. Chesh (my boy) & I explored Cali via van for 6 weeks a few years back & we absolutely loved it - among our favs were Joshua Tree, Big Sur, Yosemite National Park, The Slow Coast & San Diego (we especially loved Encinitas which is exactly where we would live if we could).
7. Maldives
It goes without saying this country has some of the bluest, most pristine water I have ever experienced. The Maldives can be super luxe & delish for honeymooners, of course, but I definitely encourage everyone to consider it for an adventure trip of a lifetime - the surf is good, marine life is flourishing & you can spend most of the day in the water without even getting cold, it's that warm in there!
8. Tahiti
There is no better way to explain it other than... Hawaii & Bora Bora had a baby. It's lush, tropical, volcanic & STUNNING. The black beaches will really blow your mind, the surf is REALLY good (intermediate & up because it's also pretty heavy) & home to famous Teahupo'o which for me was so bucket list. We went out in a little boat to watch the giant waves (& crazy surfers) get towed into these waves, it's a really cool experience (even for non-surfers).
9. Tanzania & Zanzibar
Seeing an African elephant in the wild should be on everyone's bucket list. There is probably not a more humbling or wild experience that I hope everyone has the opportunity to hold precious in their soul. Zanzibar is so exotic - from the spice markets in UNESCO Stone Town to the white sand beaches & its azure waters, this is really every tropical babies dream.
10. Byron Bay
My home, a huge part of who I am today & one of the reasons @saltyluxe was born. Byron is full of creative, inspiring people, from buskers on the street living out their dream of music, to a new startup sustainable surf brand, the town is oozing with character, uniqueness & a very special vibe. The food is incredible (generally organic & always local), sustainability is a lifestyle (Byron Farmers market on Thursdays is LIFE) & the pace is just a little slower. If I'm home (since I travel a lot of the year) you'll find me getting around barefoot on my bike, grabbing a morning coffee & a sunrise, soaking it all in.