Not to brag or anything but I am a bit of a travel expert. Whenever anyone finds out how much I have travelled, one of the first questions is ALWAYS “what is your favorite place that you have been to?”. While there are very few places in the world that I haven’t enjoyed, there are a few cities that have stolen a piece of my heart.
Here are my top favorite cities in the world.
New York – My first love and the Big Apple of my eye. New York City swept me off my feet when I was just an impressionable young girl who didn’t know any better. While the city is not for everyone (it can be a bit rough around the edges sometimes……), it has so much to offer that it is sometimes hard to figure out what to start. Amazing museums, park with views that are to-die-for, nightlife that puts most other cities to shame, and delicious food – New York simply does have something for everyone.
Hong Kong – Simply put, there is no other city like it. Hanging onto the edge of China like at trapeze artist, Hong Kong is a city of skyscrapers, beaches, and more islands than you can count. Few people know that it also has fantastic hiking (including the 100km long MacLehose Trail) and an array of outdoor activities. Best of all, it is extremely compact so you can start your morning hiking the hills, visit your favorite museum, have happy hour drinks with friends and then still make it to catch dinner and a movie.
Buenos Aires – Imagine someone taking the residential areas of old Taipei, the beautiful 19th century buildings of Paris and the city-planning of New York and combining them all together. It is pretty hard to imagine, isn’t it? Buenos Aires is a proud city full of wide avenues, tango clubs and wine bars and is the perfect starting point to exploring all that Argentina has to offer.
Auckland – The City of Sails looks like it will perpetually wander off into the ocean. Surrounded by sparkling waters, Auckland CBD rises dramatically out of the sea and is a jumping off point for most of the city’s aqua adventures. You can hop on an America’s Cup sailboat, grab a ferry to Waiheke Island ( a mecca for wine lovers) or simply admire the harbour while drinking a cold beer at the Viaduct. I was lucky enough to call Auckland home for nearly 3 years and it will always hold a special part in my heart.
Kyiv – When I say that my favorite city in Europe is Kyiv, I always see a few raised eyebrows and puzzled looks. “Why Kyiv???”. It is hard to know exactly where to start. Kyiv is an aesthetically pleasing city with gorgeous Russian-style buildings and a main drag full of grandiose Stalin-ish buildings. The city is much, much cheaper than the rest of Europe yet can offer visitors stunning architecture, fascinating museums, good food, friendly people and delicious beer. English is spoken very well and speaking a tiny bit of Ukrainian goes a long way.
