If you’re interested in travelling around the world and exploring new cultures, then you should certainly follow the blogging experiences of Bashar Ibrahim. Bashar is a well-known traveller who records many of his holidays across the world through his blog channel. Bashar Ibrahim has met some fantastic people along the way and has experienced some of the most unique, remarkable cultural experiences on offer.
If you’re looking for ways to spruce up your holidays, or you just desperately want to try something new and fun, then Bashar’s blog is the perfect place to start! Let’s check out something the places he’s been and the things he has done.
Italy
Italy is one of those “must-see” destinations. A small nation rich with history and wonder, Italy features one of the world’s most adored cuisines. During his 3-week stint in Italy, Bashar Ibrahim was able to take in some of the best Italian food on offer and was even able to do a few authentic cooking classes. These classes typically teach people how to make organic pasta (like fettuccine) from scratch and some other essential Italian delicacies. Like something directly out of “Master of None”, starring Aziz Ansari.
But there’s more to Italy than just the food. Bashar Ibrahim was able to take in the evocative Italian countryside, whether it was the quaint villages of Tuscany or the breathtaking coastal towns of San Remo or Sorrento. Many of these charming towns are one scenic train journey away, and for some, the train journey is half the fun!
African Safari
Whether it be Tanzania, South Africa or the arid deserts of Botswana, Bashar Ibrahim’s time spent on an African Safari remains one of his favourite travelling experiences. There are so many great reasons why you should follow in his footsteps and escape to the African wilderness on a safari. Firstly, there’s no experience quite like it. You’ll get a first-hand look at some of the native flora and fauna of the African wild, including the northern white rhino and mpingo trees. Manufacturers covet the wood of the mpingo tree because it is used in the development of wooden musical instruments.
New Zealand
If you have read any entries in Bashar Ibrahim’s blog, you’ll know very well that he is a massive fan of Peter Jackson’s acclaimed film trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. For a lot of people who travel to New Zealand, one of their main holiday goals is to see some of the surreal, vivid locations where the films were shot. The famous hobbit holes used in both The Lord of the Rings films and The Hobbit trilogy are located a short two-hour drive from Auckland, one of the major cities of the island nation. The small-town location is called Matamata. Check out Bilbo’s home in Bag End – just like Bashar Ibrahim did on his journey!
However, there’s more to New Zealand’s evocative landscape and Lord of the Rings’ vibes. There’s a whole range of activities you can do, which Bashar himself did while he was there. He did everything from wine tasting in the New Zealand countryside to mountain biking, skiing, kayaking, hiking, bungy jumping and even paragliding. Speaking of hiking…
The Himalayas
Not many people are afforded the opportunity to travel to the Himalayas. It truly is a breathtaking and rewarding experience. Travellers can make their way to the world’s most famous mountain range via Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, India and Tibet. While Bashar Ibrahim didn’t climb Mount Everest, he did a trek to the Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Mountaineers attempting to climb Mountain Everest generally stay at either the south or north camp for several days, which helps mountaineers acclimatise to the conditions and avoid altitude sickness.
Tasmania, Australia
While Tasmania is the smallest state in Australia, it is arguably the most unique and culturally rich. While harsh arid temperatures and beautiful beaches characterise the rest of the Australian continent, Tasmania has a slightly different climate and temperament. The winters can be cold and chilly (much like New Zealand), while summers never get quite as hot or humid as the rest of Australia.
Tasmania is well-known for being a compact island and one that is easy to travel and navigate. Starting in Hobart, the capital and largest city of Tasmania, this beloved harbour town offers some fantastic culinary experiences and accommodation. Just ask Bashar Ibrahim about it! When he was there, he was able to try some delicious food, like oysters (world-renowned) and some excellent wines. There are also some fantastic hiking trails through some of the native bushland and even specific sanctuaries for the endangered Tasmania Devil. Often colloquially known as the “Tassie Devil”, this energetic marsupial has become an iconic symbol of the state and is commonly used by many Tasmanian businesses in their logos.
Machu Picchu
There’s only one word to describe the unrivalled natural beauty of Machu Picchu: magical. It is a surreal, almost ethereal place to visit. Located in the Andes Mountains range in Peru, Machu Picchu refers to the remains of an old Incan citadel. Contemporaneously, it is regarded as one of the most familiar and well-known symbols of Incan civilisation. In 2007, the site was proclaimed one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, along with other famous landmarks like The Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal in India and the Colosseum in Rome.
During his travels in Peru, Bashar Ibrahim met some fantastic people. While exploring the citadel remnants of Machu Picchu, he was acquainted with many of the locals. Many of them spoke about their lives and involvement with tourism-related to Machu Picchu. Many of them talked about the terrible flooding that occurred back in January 2010, which caused the area to be temporarily closed for restoration. However, this left many of the locals stranded, including a few thousand tourists. Many patrons were airlifted to safety because the roads and paths leading out of Machu Picchu had been flooded and were unusable.
Kyoto, Japan
Rich with cultural history, Japan is often near the top of everyone’s bucket list of holiday destinations. In 2019, millions of people were able to see the innate beauty and quality of the entire country. However, if you’re in search of cultural reawakening, then Kyoto is the must-visit city of Japan. Featuring an abundance of unusual and aesthetically beautiful temples, the best time visit Kyoto must be spring, and that’s when Bashar Ibrahim visited the famed Japanese city. Spring is the perfect time because the cherry blossoms are in season.
While the Tokyo Olympics have been delayed until 2021 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, that doesn’t mean you can’t start planning your trip to Japan when international travel starts back up again. Once the schedule for the Olympics is locked in, you should undoubtedly start planning a trip to the land of the cherry blossoms and start lining it up with the Olympic Games.
Vienna, Austria
Many of the places listed are perfect for travellers that like to get out and about when on holidays. Bashar Ibrahim himself is one of these types of travellers. However, now and then, you just want a holiday where you can relax, chill out and do whatever you want at your own pace. Vienna, in the heart of Austria, is the perfect place for this type of vacation. This cute little town is like a distant memory from a bygone era, echoed in its rich heritage and baroque architecture, which remains in pristine condition. If you’re a big fan of the café scene, then make sure you check out some of the best Vienna coffee houses going around, many of which are well-renowned for their culinary delicacies (like cakes and pastries). You can even visit the place where Beethoven passed away in 1827.
The Northern Lights (Swedish Lapland)
Most tourists head out to Iceland to see The Northern Lights because they believe it is the best place to catch a glimpse of one of the world’s most beloved natural marvels. However, the Swedish Lapland region is home to some of the best viewing locations, many of which are in the Abisko National Park. This is because the area has virtually no light pollution to obscure your view of the aurora. As outlined in his blog, Bashar Ibrahim recommends grabbing a quick dinner at the Aurora Sky Station before heading out for a glimpse.
What’s great is that there are so many other great things you can do when in Sweden, especially when it comes to museums. Bashar Ibrahim has always had a great love of museums and other cultural sites. During his travels throughout many of the Nordic and Scandinavian countries, Bashar visited many of Sweden’s most famous museums, like the Vasa Museum and Skansen. The Vasa Museum is a maritime museum based in the heart of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. It is renowned for having a 17th century, almost entirely intact ship exhibit that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628. It opened back in 1990 and has since become the most famous museum in all of Scandinavia.
London, United Kingdom
London remains one of the most culturally and historically prosperous cities in the entire world. It is the largest city in all of England and features a fantastic array of tourist destinations. When Bashar Ibrahim travelled there a few years ago, he visited many of the city’s most adored and crowded sites. These include the Tower of London, the Kew Gardens and the Palace of Westminster. The Tower of London is a historic castle that rests on the northern bank of the River Thames. Like Bashar, you can easily organise a guided tour of this World Heritage Site.
Scottish Highlands, Scotland
The Scottish Highlands is a mountainous region situated in the Northern part of Scotland. It is one of the least and most sparsely populated areas in all of Europe, with a population density of just 9.1 per square kilometre. The main drawcard of the Scottish Highlands is its amazing, unusual scenery and natural beauty. If you’ve seen the famous film “Braveheart” with Mel Gibson or the highly popular television show, “Outlander”, you’ll know exactly what we’re alluding to. Its lush green flora and rolling hills make it the perfect geographic setting for nature films.
However, that’s not all that the Scottish Highlands have to offer. If you are a big lover of whiskey, like Bashar Ibrahim certainly is, then the Scottish Highlands has a lot to offer in your favour. Currently, the Highlands are Scotland’s highest producer of whiskey, with over 30 distilleries in the region. If you include The Island’s sub-regions on top of this, then the count reaches 47. Whiskey from this region is generally sweet, fruity and, in some cases, even spicy. The distilleries in this region tend to produce alcohol that is lighter in texture, while still retaining a strong flavour.
The Netherlands
The last entry into Bashar Ibrahim’s fantastic list of holiday destinations is the Netherlands. It’s only a short flight from the United Kingdom (so you could quickly check out London as well) and features some of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. In his blog, Bashar Ibrahim recommends checking out the Van Gogh Museum, which is the world’s most extensive collection of Van Gogh artworks on display. It’s also worth checking out the Keukenhof, which refers to the world-famous flower garden of springtime tulips. And let’s face it, everyone wants to check out Amsterdam at some point in their lives. The capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, is well known for its legalisation of marijuana and a plethora of cannabis coffee shops throughout the city. If that isn’t exactly your thing, Bashar Ibrahim recommends getting around the city’s insane nightlife, which never fails to disappoint.
Conclusion
If you’re considering planning a post-COVID holiday, then now is probably the time to start thinking where you want to go. While it might be a while before international travel sparks up again, now is the best time to begin following Bashar Ibrahim’s travelling blogs and start collecting some ideas. At the end of the day, travelling is the best when you have both a plan and a desire to explore!
