7 Exotic Destinations For Your Travel Bucket List

“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.” - Miriam Adeney

We love travelling and bringing you travel stories of exotic destinations in a way that no one else would. Leave the guide books behind as with UpperCrust, you’d be experiencing spectacular views, popular destinations and  yet staying off the beaten track. When you explore the world with us, you’ll be on an adventure and won’t be ‘just another tourist’. This World Tourism Day, we bring you our favourite travel diaries which for a globetrotter are as good as a travel bible. So fasten your seatbelts and take flight with UpperCrust Destinations.

Atlantic Canada

The term “Atlantic Canada” was coined when Newfoundland joined the Dominion of Canada in 1949 which until then comprised of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and was known as the “Maritime Provinces”. The early settlers, Britishers, who sailed in landed at Pictou in Nova Scotia, before moving inland to Halifax and then spreading out. The quaintness of these places exists even today; in its architecture, its simple way of life. It’s where people still converse with strangers, where neighbourhoods are safe and a truly good life exists.

Argentina

As a tourist you may not get as lucky as to make the acquaintance of a gaucho who may proceed to invite you to his simple home so you may get a peek into the life of one, but there are other ways you could. Like visit an estancia - an Argentinian ranch house instead. Our editor highly recommends a visit or a short stay at any of the estancias found all over Argentina, from the Pampas outside of Buenos Aires to the mountains of southernmost Patagonia.

Ibiza

The sun never seems to set in this sun-kissed island of Spain and it is party time, 24x7. The night clubs close only at 7am and the day clubs start at 10 am. Possibly the best way to visit all these sunny islands of Ibiza is by boat, just as it in, say, Greece or the South of France. On the other hand, Mallorca offers a colourful mix of architecture and history. The narrow cobbled streets of the town are too easy to become lost in, and every corner reveals trendy shopping opportunities. Great places to eat out and traditional markets and fairs.

Egypt

The ancient Greek traveller and writer Herodotus described Egypt as ‘the gift of the Nile’. Which it certainly is. The river is the lifeblood of the country and the fertile Nile Valley is its main artery. Cairo offers a great lifestyle. Golf under the watchful eye of the Sphinx, sailing in a felucca, or riding a stallion in the desert with the pyramids in the background! “There’s plenty to look, see, feel, touch in this country. Go, discover Egypt,” says our editor Farzana Contractor.

Ireland

It is said, when Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin were looking at our planet from the window of their spaceship in 1969, they said, pointing to a patch of green, ‘Ah, that must be Ireland, so green, beautiful…’, or something to the effect. Point is, no country is greener than Ireland and there are more shades of green (40) in this land than anywhere else on earth. Dublin the best place to begin your Ireland sojourn as you find the bounty of the country in places like County Kildare, Cliffs of Moher, Adare, Dingle Bay, Kinsale and the Ring of Kerry. Add to an unlimited coastline, super beaches, awesome architecture, wonderful villages, organic produce and the best lamb you can eat, where you can have the best holidays of your life.

Israel

Israel is the Jewish Promised Land. This is where Prophet Mohammed stopped on his Night Journey and ascended to Heaven, and this is the land of Jesus. Muslim and Christian pilgrims are drawn here by the conviction - ‘this is where it happened’. The Holy Land beckons with its convergence of religions - Judaism, Islam, Christianity and Baha’ism - and the power of its past resonates wherever you step foot. It is sheer bliss to walk down the cobbled paths of Jerusalem, to experience the calm of Tiberias, and to imbibe the pulse of the vibrant Tel Aviv and soothing Jaffa.

New Zealand

New Zealand is best visited in the late Spring and early Summer. A time when baby sheep are just being born and the adults one their way to be sheared off their merino wool. Charming sights would greet you everywhere while quiet and solitude will become your friends on this trip. We recommend a stay at the super luxury lodges, hotels and apartments, all very classy, very understated. Driving in New Zealand is awfully relaxing as the roads here are a dream. We recommend hiring a car and driving through Queenstown, Arrowtown, Milford Sound, Wanaka and Christchurch. The scenery stunning, people welcoming. Food out of this world!