If you haven’t read Part 1 of this post, be sure to check it out!

#5 – Vilnius

In 2013 I travelled for the first time independent of my parents, school or studies in general. It was part of my University’s charity fundraising event, Bummit, featuring over 300 students trying to hitchhike to Vilnius, Lithuania. The trip was life-changing.

When I first stood by the side of the road with my thumb out, all I could feel was my heart pumping and my nerves high, but after a few lifts down to the English port of Dover I was ready for this challenge. Over the next few days we hitchhiked through France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland and Lithuania, visiting many cities on the way, but the final stop, with the final party was Vilnius.

So why do I want to go back?

I did not have enough time there! Granted, Vilnius is a small city, but in the succeeding years I’ve managed to get to all the other places we visited on the trip except Lithuania. (Actually, I passed through it in 2017, but I wouldn’t say that counts!) The city was really nice, filled with pictaresque buildings, friendly locals and several exciting bars. To go back and really experience what it has to offer puts Vilnius at number five on my list.

If you want to know more about hitchhiking, check out our podcast episode called ‘The Art of Hitchhiking’ here!

# 4 – Georgia

If you’ve spoken to me in the last ten months, you’ll have almost certainly heard me wax lyrical about Georgia. “The food, the nature, the cities, the wine.” There is so much good stuff there, the three weeks we spent in Georgia were like an explosion for my senses.

From the mountains around Kazbegi to the coastal city of Batumi, Georgia offers such a variety of options, despite being a small country on the fringes of Europe and Asia.

So why do I want to go back?

KHINKALI ❤

MOUNTAINS ❤

WINE ❤

Truth be told, three weeks was not enough for all that Georgia has. One thing that I really want to take part in is a longer hike through the mountains, sleeping at homestays, meeting more locals and engaging more with the culture. It’s a stunning country and if you ever get the option to go there, take it with both hands!

If you want to know a little bit more about our trip in Georgia, be sure to check out our Georgia video series here!

# 3 – Cusco

Back in 2014 I travelled around South America. One of the first destinations I reached was Cusco, Peru. Well known as the starting point for a trip to Machu Pichu, it hosts a large number of hostels, friendly locals and quite an impressive number of bars.

The town features many original stones from pre-Columbian buildings, which makes walking around almost a step back in time, while there are also many beautiful parks.

So why do I want to go back?

Ok, don’t kill me for this, but despite being in Cusco, I did not go to Machu Pichu. In all honesty, this is one of my biggest regrets that I’ve had from all my years of travel and I try to live my life not regretting decisions I’ve made. Why did I not visit Machu Pichu? As many times before, I was worried how it would affect my finances… Of course, you cannot put a price on an experience like that, but in my younger days, I did.

I’m not going to say that I didn’t have a good time in Cusco, because it was nice being able to enjoy the town (not to mention the delicious food I found for approximately a euro in a real local restaurant), but this is a place I NEED to go back to.

#2 – Colombia

Before travelling in South America, I worked in Bogota, the capital of Colombia. Without a doubt, this was one of the most influential things that happened in my life, introducing me to teaching as a profession I could do well at, allowing me to meet a huge number of people, including Kerstin who I spoke about in the previous part of this post and showing me Colombia in a whole different light to what we see in the media.

The food was incredible. THE freshest and juiciest fruits I have ever eaten in my life, as well as the closest thing I have come across to match a full English breakfast, the delicious bandeja paisa. Not to mention, the gorgeous views you get from Monserrate, Bogota’s local mountain.

So why do I want to go back?

Despite living in Colombia for almost half a year, I spent the entire time in the capital. The main reason for this was that I was working and didn’t find the time to get away with friends. (There was always something going on, from parties to cultural events). To be able to go to all these other places that people rave about, to travel around Colombia and fall in love with it all over again…this is the reason why I want to go back, because without a shadow of a doubt, it is one of my favourite countries in the world.

Honourable Mention – Bratislava

If you know anything about my travels in Europe, you’ll know that I have been to Bratislava six times. This is a city that keeps drawing me back because of its food, quaint old town and things to see outside of the centre. My first time there I was with a local, who showed me the crazy student area of the city, while on future visits, I took other tourists to some of these hidden gems that he had shown me on my previous visit.

I must give a special shout-out to two things, Tatratea and bryndzove haluski. Tatratea is a tea based liquor that you can almost exclusively purchase in Slovakia (although for some reason, you can find it in Bulgaria, so I’m a happy man). The taste is sweet, fruity and dark, but with 52% alcohol, the sensation as it enters your stomach is heart-warming. Bryndzove haluski are small dumplings, similar to gnochhi, mixed with a sheep’s cheese and topped with crispy bacon. Imagine the best macaroni cheese you’ve had. This is better.

So why is it not on my list?

I know, 100% that I will go back. I was planning to revisit this summer, but things happened in the world that made it impossible. Bratislava is a special city to me that I love showing to people, because it is easy to miss the unqiue parts. So, I cannot wait to go there again.

#1 – Pai

Have you listened to our podcast?

If you haven’t and you didn’t click the above link, then let me just sum it up like this: Pai is incredible. Hidden away in the northern Thai mountains, the small town is host to a huge number of travellers, seeking freedom from the cities of Chiang Mai and Bangkok. Eager to get into nature they come to Pai to dive into the hot springs and relax, to swim around the waterfalls and gaze at the incredible sunset over the gorgeous Pai Canyon.

Not only that, at night the main street of Pai turns into a street market, mainly providing fresh food to everyone. The variety there is endless and though most of the food is Thai, there are options available if you want a change. What’s more is that the restaurants around the town feature some of the tastiest food I’ve had while travelling, all while being rather light on your wallet.

So why do I want to go back?

Pai is the place where Dom, Elliot and I first really connected. Though we’d met in Chiang Mai, it was a chance encounter on the walking street that led to drinks, friendship and ultimately to Backpacking Around.

If Pai were closer, I’d be going there frequently to just relax and get all the anxities out of my system. Yet despite this, so many people skip the north completely in favour for the beaches and islands in the south. My one piece of advice is to give yourself a week to go to Pai. If you don’t like it, Chiang Mai is nearby, but trust me when I say this, Pai is unlike anywhere else you will visit.

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So there you have it, the places I most want to revisit. What did you think? Any surprises in there? Comment down below!

If you enjoyed this blog post, be sure to share with your friends. It will really help us out!

And of course, thank you so much for reading!

Peace and love,

Tommy