T+L’s 101 Places Every Traveler Should Know

I was reading Travel & Leisure magazine on the plane over the weekend, and the cover of its latest issue is 101 Places Every Traveller Should Know. It’s online as well. Although I love these types of lists because it gives you great ideas on places to go, there are always debates as to what should and shouldnt be in it. That is even addressed at the beginning of the article, they accept that all lists generate debate. So I think this one should be debated! (In case you can’t access the link here is the full list below pasted from the website.)

What do I think:

• First, the count. The print edition had a wonderful checklist format to see how many you had visited. I have currently visited 35 of the 101 places (I have no idea whether this is low or high 😉 )
• If I could travel anywhere in the world (can someone pay me to do this) my next 10 destinations to reach 45 on this list would be: Egypt, Fez, Sri Lanka, Hanoi, Bali, Papua New guinea, Florence, Iceland, Fiji, Petra
• Interesting things that they included: I loved the way they divided the article in different types of activities like Celebrities Favorites, Beach Vacations, The Foodie´s, Ultimate Adventure and City Getaways. However did they need to give so many spots to places to eat oysters?
• I think there is a huge bias in favor of the USA and Canada over the rest of the world. This was the same feeling I got after I got the book 1001 places to see before you die. Of the 101 places 23 are in the US and Canada, compared to 27 in Europe and even worse only 15 in Asia.
• What have I visited that should be included: Well something in Colombia of course! I also think St Petersburgh over Moscow. Also the Dead Sea I think would have been interesting
• Things I don’t understand: Is Huangzhou and the Yangtze River the places every traveller should know in China? South and Central America had a significant poor showing from smaller countries. Also, as much as I love Miami, if the point was a place to learn to Salsa aren’t there quite a few better places to do so in Latin America??

How many have you visited? What do you think should and shouldnt be there? ´What are your next stops? Let me know!

United States and Canada

• Big Island, HI: Get a lomilomi massage at Four Seasons Resort Haulalai
• Big Sur, CA: Stop along the Pacific Coast Highway at Redwood Grill
• British Columbia: Heli-ski over the Bugaboo Mountains
• Charleston, SC: Stroll the city’s private gardens
• Chicago: Tour architectural landmarks
• Churchill, Manitoba: Get face-to-face with polar bears
• Houston: Admire art at the Rothko Chapel
• Jackson Hole, WY: Go fly-fishing
• Las Vegas: Drive a Ferrari at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• Los Angeles: Spend a night out celeb-spotting
• Maine: Devour the ultimate lobster roll at Clam Shack
• Miami: Learn to salsa at Hoy Como Ayer
• Montreal: Take a comfort food tour
• Na Pali coast, Kauai: Hike the Kalalau Trail
• Napa Valley, CA: Eat and play like a local
• New Orleans: Hear jazz at Preservation Hall
• New York City: Start a perfect day at MoMA and Casa Lever
• Salmon River, ID: Go whitewater rafting on the Middle Fork
• San Francisco: Slurp oysters at Hog Island Oyster Bar
• Sedona, AZ: Get a reiki energy healing treatment at Mii Amo
• Utah: Drive from the San Juan Inn through Monument Valley
• Washington, D.C.: Immerse yourself in the Freer Gallery’s Peacock Room
• Yosemite National Park: Visit the sequoias in Mariposa Grove

Europe

• Amsterdam: Explore the canals by night in a saloon boat
• Athens: View the Parthenon from the Grande Bretagne Hotel rooftop
• Barcelona: Go on a tapas crawl
• Belle-Île, France: Enjoy oysters at Le Bistrot du Port
• Berlin: Tap into the underground nightlife scene
• Budapest: Stay at the restored Four Seasons Gresham Palace
• Copenhagen: Browse contemporary design shops
• Florence: Tour the Vasari Corridor at the Uffizi
• Galway, Ireland: Pair oysters with Guinness at Moran’s Oyster Cottage
• Iceland: Marvel at the Northern Lights
• Isle of Skye, Scotland: Go for whisky tastings at Tallisker distillery
• Istanbul: Wander the Grand Bazaar
• London: Start with breakfast at the cabmen’s shelter on Pont Street
• Madrid: Visit the Black Paintings room at the Museo del Prado
• Moscow: Tour the Diamond Vaults within the Kremlin
• Paris: Snack on bread from Du Pain et Des Idees
• Peloponnese, Greece: Stay at the ultra-luxe Amanzoe
• Prague: Explore Prague’s historic center
• Rome: Buy a gelato at San Crispino
• Santorini, Greece: Lounge at Red Beach
• Sicily: See the mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale
• Siena, Italy: Attend the medieval-era Palio horse race
• Spain: Take a architecture-themed drive from Bilbao to Granada
• Stockholm: Visit the Vasa Museum
• Venice: Shop for glassware at L’Angolo del Passat
• Versailles, France: Explore Andre Le Notre’s gardens at Versailles
• Vienna: Attend a concert at the Musikverein

The Caribbean and the Bahamas

• British Virgin Islands: Hop the beach bars in a chartered sailboat
• Harbour Island, Bahamas: Walk the Pink Sand Beach
• St. Bart’s: Go to Shell Beach
• Turks & Caicos: Get an ayurveda-inspired treatment at Parrot Cay
• Vieques, Puerto Rico: Float in the bioluminescent Mosquito Bay

Mexico and Central and South America

• Amazon cruise: Take an intimate river cruise
• Atacama Desert, Chile: Hike the salt flats and volcanoes
• Buenos Aires: Try a tango class
• Easter Island: See the mysterious statues
• Galápagos Islands: Spot Darwin’s finches and other wildlife
• Iguazú Falls, Brazil: Stay at Hotel das Cataratas by the thundering falls
• Machu Picchu: Enter the citadel as the Incas did through Sun Gate
• Mayan sites: Take an archaeologist-led tour
• Mexico City: See Diego Rivera’s murals at the Palacio Nacional
• Oaxaca, Mexico: Enjoy Slow Food dishes at La Biznaga
• Patagonia, Argentina: Admire the Perito Moreno Glacier
• Rio de Janeiro: Go on a helicopter ride over the city
• Salvador de Bahia, Brazil: Take in the culture of Salvador de Bahia

Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and Antarctica

• Antarctica: Visit penguin rookeries
• Fiji: Stay on a private-island resort
• Kimberley Coastline, Australia: Look forbreaching humpback whales
• Milford Sound, New Zealand: Explore the fjord by ferry
• Papua New Guinea: Meet villagers and watch ceremonies
• Sydney: People-watch at Bondi Beach

Asia

• Angkor, Cambodia: Ditch the crowds at Preah Kahn temple
• Bali, Indonesia: Get a lulur scrub at Amanusa
• Beijing: Explore by foot, bicycle, and rickshaw
• Fatehpur Sikri, India: Admire the former Moghul capital
• Hanoi, Vietnam: Stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake
• Hong Kong: Soak in views from rooftop hotel bars
• Huangzhou, China: Dine at visionary restaurant Dragon Wel
• Koh Samui, Thailand: Get a treatment at Kamalaya wellness retreat
• Kyoto, Japan: Visit Tawaraya, a 300-year-old ryokan
• Rajasthan, India: Sleep on a sand dune under the stars
• Singapore: Eat at Maxwell Road Hawker Center
• Sri Lanka: Sample beaches and colonial architecture
• Sumba Island, Indonesia: Go to surf camp at Nihiwatu
• Tokyo: See the tuna auction at Tsukiji Fish Market
• Yangtze River, China: Cruise from Beijing to Shanghai

Africa and the Middle East

• Cape Town: Savor Constantia, a wine region within city limits
• Dubai: Go over-the-top with a stay at One&Only The Palm resort
• Egypt: Take a Nile cruise
• Fez, Morocco: Step back in time in the ancient walled medina
• Jerusalem: Visit the Holocaust museum at Yad Vashem
• Kenya: Stay among the Masai at Campi Ya Kanzi
• Knysna, South Africa: Eat oysters at 34 South restaurant
• Namibia: Go on a desert safari along theSkeleton Coast
• Oman: Stay at the Six Senses Zighy Bay
• Petra, Jordan: Marvel at the ancient hard-carved site
• Serengeti: Learn to take wildlife photography on safari
• Seychelles: Lounge on Anse Source d’Argent beach