becca's bucketlist: round one

(spoiler, i want to go everywhere!)

a month in mexico

I’m kickstarting 2025 with this trip. As mentioned in my earlier post explaining my decision to spend Christmas abroad this year and have since decided to extend this trip to a month-long backpacking adventure. My thinking is, if I’m already out there, why not make the most of my time in Mexico? The plan as stands: Fly to Cancun with my family, and spend 6 days or so relaxing on Isla Holbox before heading to Valladoid for an injection of culture and swimming in cenotes. From this point, I’ll probably head to Oaxaca, then to the coastal town of Puerto Escondido before ending up in Mexico City. Frankly, I’m most excited about the capital. It looks like everything I love about a place.

holbox + cenotes

city break in istanbul, türkiye

Istanbul has been on my list for a while now. Turkish coffee is the first draw, but also as I’ve only really started visiting Mediterranean countries in the last year or so. I’m obsessed. The food’s better, the weather’s better, the history is personally interesting to me. One of the city’s most obvious draws is how it straddles both the East and the West — both culturally and geographically. I want to see the rich mosaics of palaces and architecture, shops for spices in bazaars, and eat a Turkish breakfast.

exploring albania’s mountain valleys

It’s no lie that destinations come in and out of fashion. For a while there it felt like everyone and their nan was visiting the city of Prague and Croatia for the summer — I’d say at the moment Lisbon is Brit’s city break of choice then heading for the hills and sandy beaches of Albania for some sunshine. The turquoise waters of the rivers and lakes seem as though they’ve been plucked from a fairytale story. I’d like to spend a few weeks weaving through the country including the mountainous village of Theth, the old town of Gjirokastra and the capital of Tirana.

see the sights of sri lanka

So many factors play into Sri Lanka’s backpacking appeal. While not a small country, its shape naturally lends to a circular, satisfying itinerary filled with curries, beach towns and wild elephants. From what I can tell, you can happily hit a lot of incredible highlights in a month-long trip. I’d like to start in Colombo, along to the southern beaches of Weligama then north to ride the open-air train between Ella and Kandy to see the famous Sigiriya Lion Rock. A draw for me is also the price, against the GBP I would be able to explore the country on a shoestring budget in a short about of time — the ideal spot for a mini adventure between jobs.

a quick break in budapest, hungry

Thermal baths aside, the capital consists of not one but two cities (Buda and Pest), halved by the Danube River. Consequently, I imagine it will hit all the notes I love from a European getaway. Buda, the old royal city, is home to Castle Hill and the medieval architecture of Fisherman’s Bastion is seriously Disney-esque. On the flip side, I am obsessed with the look of the city’s ruin bars: re-furnished, quirky venues dotted about the old Jewish Quarter. And I don’t even drink! Although I’d rather be travelling 24/7, your girls got to earn some coin, so the appeal of return flights starting from as little as £38 also ups its appeal.

What’s on your current bucket list? Let me know so I can add it to my never ending spreadsheet of travel dreams

By becca mae x