I’ve traveled to many places within and outside of the U.S., and I’ve compiled a list of the top 10 places to see in your lifetime based on my experiences. They are in no particular order, and they are all equally special in their own way.

Here’s my list of the top 10 places to see in your lifetime:

1. MEXICO

THE LAND OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS, DIVERSE ETHNICITIES, INCREDIBLE LANDSCAPES, TASTY FOOD, AND A VIBRANT CULTURE.

I visited Mexico for the first time in 2018 and lived there for several months, and I loved it. The food is some of the best in the world in my opinion. It’s quite different from the food in the U.S. I was a little worried to go there because of what I heard on the news and other sources, but my experience was nothing like that. The people are kind and warm, and I didn’t have any negative experiences like I had heard about. I’ve been dreaming about going back since I left, so I decided to drive to Mexico during the pandemic, buy a van and tour Mexico. It is very affordable, it offers a lot of culture and color, there are a lot of parks to see, and beautiful nature. It’s just a wonderful place. Some of my favorite places in Mexico are San Miguel de Allende, Monterrey, and Mexico City. I wish I had more time to explore some of the beach and mountain towns, but I know I’ll be going back and will have that opportunity to explore other areas.

2022 Update: After traveling around Mexico with my van, I decided to set roots here. This year, I got a Temporary Resident Visa for Mexico. You can read more about how I got my 4-year visa on the blog or watch my Youtube video.

Fun facts: Mexico introduced us to chocolate, avocado, tomato, and vanilla, and it’s the world’s largest beer exporter.

2. SPAIN

THE 5TH LARGEST POPULATION IN EUROPE WHERE PEOPLE ARE SAID TO LIVE LONGER.

I studied abroad in Spain in 2009. It was the first country I visited outside of my home country, the USA. I loved it and swore I would go back and live there, and sure enough, I did in 2019, as a tourist. I lived there 3 months on, 3 months off because of immigration/resident laws. The culture and language are different from Mexico, and I enjoyed all of it. It’s really laid back with the siestas, and I enjoyed going out for tapas and wine. It’s so beautiful, and there is so much history to enjoy especially when compared to the U.S. Some cities are expensive of course, but outside of the major, tourist cities, it’s a little less expensive than the USA. You should definitely add Spain to your list of 10 places to see in your lifetime.

By the way, if you’re planning on walking Camino de Santiago, check out how my walk from A Guarda to Santiago de Compostela went, and what you should know before walking El Camino.

3. PORTUGAL

THE OLDEST COUNTRY IN EUROPE AND ONE OF THE TOP SURFING SPOTS.

Portugal is another beautiful place, and it’s slightly cheaper than Spain. There are so many beach towns, and the language is similar enough to Spanish you can probably communicate enough to get by. Portugal’s 800km Atlantic coastline and climate makes it one of the world’s top surf spots with year-round surfing.

Fun fact: Portugal is the world’s largest cork producer (produces 70% of the world’s cork exports.)

4. USA

MY HOME COUNTRY AND THE LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD.

The USA is huge with a lot to see and do, especially if you have friends in different parts of the country. It can be fun to do road-tripping, take local transportation or flights, but if you have your own vehicle, that can be much more convenient to travel on your own time, in your own way. There are plenty of national parks and places to see in the US.

Fun facts: In the USA, you’ll find the world’s highest roller coaster (45 story-tall Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey), longest boardwalk (Atlantic City, New Jersey), and tallest mountain when measured from base to peak (Muana Kea in Hawaii, measuring over 32,000 feet high from the seafloor and surpassing Mount Everest.)

5. THAILAND

KNOWN AS THE “LAND OF SMILES”.

I always heard that Thailand is a nice place to visit, but I didn’t know that much about it until I decided to check it out and I’m so glad I did. Of all the countries I’ve visited in Asia, this is my favorite. I loved seeing the Hindu offerings in the mornings, I loved the food, the beach, the colors, the flowers on the longboats, and some unusual rock formations that come out of the sea in Thailand and northern Malaysia. It was so unique from any of the other places I’ve been to, and it is incredibly affordable which is one of the many reasons it’s such a popular tourist destination. It is a beauty that is difficult to describe, and one can’t truly appreciate it until seen in person. So add Thailand to your list of places to see in your lifetime.

Fun facts: Thailand is one of the world’s largest orchid exporters (about 1500 orchid species can be found growing wild in the forest), the world’s second-largest rice exporter (behind India), and it is home to the smallest mammal in the world (Kitt’s hog-nosed bat, nicknamed the “bumblebee bat” at about an inch long.)

6. LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA

KNOWN AS THE JEWEL OF KEDAH.

Langkawi, Malaysia is a district and an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea. I got stuck here during the pandemic, and it’s a beautiful place to be stuck! The beaches are beautiful, it’s very affordable – things cost about the same or even less than Thailand, and it’s duty-free so I could get chocolate at really good prices, even cheaper than in the USA. With 2,900 miles of coastline, there are lots of beach-going opportunities, and it’s not fully on the tourist map so it’s pretty quiet. It’s a different culture, of course, because it’s a Muslim country, but it’s a really lovely place to explore. The people are warm and friendly, and my experience here has been completely different than my experience in Morocco which is also a Muslim country.

Here’s a glimpse of Langkawi during the pandemic: you can go to Paradise Island or see the world’s steepest cable car among many other attractions.

Fun facts: Birthplace of Jimmy Choo, the shoe designer, and home to the world’s largest cave chamber (Sarawak Chamber, located in Gunung Mulu National Park.)

7. THE GRAND CANYON

KNOWN TO MANY AS AN INCREDIBLE MARK IN NATURE.

The Grand Canyon was an incredible experience for me when I first became a digital nomad. You can reserve a permit in advance and hike below the rim of the canyon for a couple of days. It’s also beautiful to drive in the western part of the USA. The rock formations, colors, mountains, trees, rivers, are all incredible sights. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long and up to 18 miles wide with approximately 70 species of mammals, 250 species of birds, 25 types of reptiles, and 5 species of amphibians. The drive from the North Rim Visitor Center to the South Rim Visitor Center is about 200 miles and takes roughly 4 hours to drive.

Fun facts: Home to the most remote community in the continental United States (Supai Village, population of 208). Yes, there is a town inside the Grand Canyon. There are pink rattlesnakes in the Grand Canyon, and the air in the canyon is among the cleanest in the United States.

8. SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

Virginia, USA

I’ve visited this park many times over my life because it’s only a few hours away from my hometown in Maryland. It’s really beautiful, especially in Fall when the leaves are changing colors. There are a lot of beautiful mountains, trails, and waterfalls, and inside the park, you can get a blackberry milkshake at the café. You have to drive a bit into the park to get to it, but it’s worth it! A 101-mile section of The Appalachian Trail passes through the park, and Skyline Drive connects to the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can also tube down the river and go swimming in many places! Some swimming holes require quite a hike, but other places to swim are just a short jaunt to a waterfall. This is such a nice place to visit with so much to see. The diverse hiking and swimming options along with Skyline Drive (more than 100 miles of road with amazing mountain views) make this one of the most incredible sites in the USA. Skyline drive is the only public road running through the park, and at its southern end it meets up with the 469-mile-long famous Blue Ridge Parkway.

Fun facts: Home to the Shenandoah Salamander, an endangered species that can only be found in this national park. It is lungless and breathes through its skin. Herbert Hoover once lived there. He built Rapidan Camp as a “summer White House.”

9. TEOTIHUACÁN, MEXICO

AN ANCIENT MESOAMERICAN CITY IN MEXICO.

Teotihuacan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most visited of Mexico’s archaeological sites. It is arranged in a grid layout that covers about 8 miles, and it contains around 2,000 single-story apartment compounds as well as various pyramids, plazas, temples, and places of nobles and priests. The city contains several large, important structures: The Pyramid of the Moon, The Pyramid of the Sun, The Ciudadela (“Citadel”), and The Temple of Quetzalcoatl (The Feathered Serpent). This is one of my favorite places in Mexico. It was here that I saw one of the first pyramids I’ve ever seen, and it’s incredible how it was built back in the days before our modern technology. This is another top destination worth adding to your list of 10 places to see in your lifetime. It was so interesting to learn about the history of the people and the site. For me, this rivals Machu Picchu, and I’ll end on that telling note.

Fun facts: The stairs of The Pyramid of the Sun are sinuous with precise measurements (the depth of each step is the size of a foot), and the city appears to contain features of various cultures including the Maya, Mixtec, and Zapotec.

10. THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

KNOWN FOR ITS EXCELLENT RUM AND A CLIMATE KNOWN AS “ENDLESS SUMMER”.

This is one of the first countries I traveled to on my own. I found the people there to be very warm and welcoming. The food is excellent, and the beaches are beautiful. It’s also home to some great Latin bachata dancing if you’re a dancer or want to learn something new. Do some research to find safe classes and places to dance, but this can be a great time! I really enjoyed my time there. It’s a relaxed place, but also lively. I highly recommend it. I’ve been there twice, and I plan to go there again.

Fun facts: The DR is the second-largest island in the Caribbean (Cuba is the largest) and the most visited destination in the Caribbean. It is the only country in the world to have an image of the Holy Bible on its national flag, and one of its main industries is sugar processing.

Which one of these places to see in your lifetime would you like to go to? Drop your answer in the comments.

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