Travel Master’s Bucket List — Destinations Every Seasoned Traveler Should Add

Travel Master’s Bucket List — A Seasoned Traveler’s Destination Bucket List

Where do seasoned travelers go next? From the location behind ‘Dune: Part Two’ to the ultimate romantic journey by night train, we’ve gathered a list of offbeat destinations that anyone can take on.

Words Pyo Youngso

In Search of the Last Paradise, Gstaad, Switzerland

Gstaad, in the canton of Bern in southwestern Switzerland, is a luxury Alpine resort known mostly to those in the know. In winter, you can ski, snowboard, go snowshoeing, and ride a toboggan; in summer, you can hike, golf, paraglide, and mountain bike, with mountains and lakes combining into spectacular scenery in every season. With top-tier hotels, excellent restaurants, and shopping, it has hosted celebrities from around the world in fields such as film, art, and sports. Behind the glamour lies a commitment to sustainable travel. Gstaad’s town center is car-free and connected to surrounding areas by a variety of public transportation, including a panoramic train line. The town takes local ingredients such as cheese and meat seriously, as well as regional traditional crafts and art.
If you’re curious about Gstaad, which the actress Julie Andrews, famous for ‘The Sound of Music,’ once called ‘the last paradise in a crazy world,’ keep an eye on the Switzerland travel package ‘Sweet Switzerland, Made by Travel Experts,’ which Pitch by Travel will sell from June to September. Themed around mountains and lakes, wine and chocolate, spas and hiking, it promises a sweet taste of the good life in Switzerland. The itinerary includes riding the GoldenPass Panoramic train from Montreux to Gstaad, then spending a night at a stylish boutique chalet hotel in Saanen, considered one of the most beautiful villages in the area!

Where Even Timothée Chalamet Went, Wadi Rum, Jordan

Before the release of ‘Dune: Part Two,’ the film’s lead, Timothée Chalamet, visited Korea and swept through countless media outlets and social feeds. Perhaps thanks to that aftermath, theaters were more crowded than they had been in a long time throughout the film’s run. I’m not particularly a fan of the fantasy genre or Timothée Chalamet, so the long running time was a bit much, but the desert scenery was quite impressive. Director Denis Villeneuve reportedly insisted on live-action shooting instead of special effects, so most of the film was shot in real deserts. In particular, the scenes set against vast red sands were once again filmed in Wadi Rum, just as in the first film. A desert region in southern Jordan, it is a place where red sand dunes and enormous rock formations create a surreal atmosphere. That is also why it has appeared as a backdrop in many sci-fi films, including ‘Prometheus,’ ‘The Martian,’ and ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.’ Many travelers to Jordan stay in Petra or Aqaba and visit Wadi Rum on a day or half-day tour. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

The Newest Destination for Luxury Train Travel, Portofino

Night trains are drawing renewed attention as short-haul flight routes shrink under Europe’s recent carbon emission regulations. The classic charm and romance of train travel also add momentum to the trend. This summer, a new train journey will make its debut from Paris, France, to Portofino, Italy. Portofino is a small fishing village famous for its picture-perfect harbor, and a resort beloved by Europe’s wealthy and celebrities from around the world. It will be the first time in the company’s more than 40-year history that the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE), which has been synonymous with luxury trains since its founding in 1982, sets foot on Italy’s Ligurian coast. The trip, which consists of one night on the night train and two nights at a hotel in Portofino converted from a 16th-century monastery, starts at $8,525 per person (about 11.4 million won). It includes everything from transfers between the hotel and the train station before and after the ride to top-tier cabins, dining experiences with Michelin-starred chefs, and private events. Note that this is the price for a one-way trip! Once the program ends, you can continue traveling in Italy, or take a regional train to nearby Genoa or Milan and then return to Paris by high-speed train.

A Getaway Near San Francisco, Dublin

While watching ‘American Nightmare,’ a new Netflix documentary released in January 2024, *I found myself thinking, ‘Oh, there’s a Dublin in California too?’ (There’s one in Ohio as well.) California’s Dublin lies about 56 kilometers east of San Francisco. As you might guess, the city got its name because many Irish immigrants settled here in the 19th century. The grand St. Patrick’s Day parade held every March is an event that reveals the city’s roots. It is easily accessible, connected to the San Francisco Bay Area by highway and the BART rapid transit system, and has several high-quality restaurants offering a variety of cuisines. Located in the Tri-Valley, one of California’s historic wine-producing regions, it is also a appealing destination for wine lovers. In 2018, it ranked seventh on the list of the best places to live in America compiled by the US financial publication ‘Money.’

* A work that confronts you with the bitter reality, true of any society, that investigative agencies and the media obsess over results (ratings) and easily judge others by appearances alone. Still, it is some comfort that somewhere (and that somewhere is Dublin, California!) there are good police officers who take responsibility for their work.

2023 Best Tourism Village, Ordino, Andorra

To be named one of the Best Tourism Villages by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a place must meet the following criteria: a population of fewer than 15,000, a natural setting where traditional productive activities such as agriculture, forestry, livestock, and fishing take place, and a community that shares common values and a way of life. Each year, the organization selects and announces villages that have used tourism to preserve culture and traditions, respect diversity, and protect biodiversity. The 2023 list, which includes 53 villages worldwide, features Ordino in Andorra, the sixth-smallest country in Europe, wedged between France and Spain. Located at an altitude of 1,300 meters, Ordino is a medieval-style village lined with stone houses, surrounded by everything from lakes to a national park and ski resorts, so you can experience a wide range of nature and activities. It was also highly rated for protecting its traditional culture while offering the latest technology, such as eco-friendly public transportation, and high-quality tourism infrastructure. It is a three-hour drive from Toulouse or Barcelona, making it a good day trip as well.

A New Cycling Path Emerges, the Trans Dinarica Cycling Route

Lonely Planet, the global travel guidebook publisher, has marked its 50th anniversary (how enviable!) by announcing 50 destinations to visit in 2024. Among the entries in its Best in Travel 2024 list, divided into five categories—countries, regions, cities, sustainability, and value—one that stood out was the Trans Dinarica Cycling Route, scheduled to open in July 2024. Starting in Slovenia and passing through Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo before ending in Serbia, it is a grand journey linking eight countries of the Western Balkans. Riders on this intermediate-level cycling route, about 3,364 kilometers long, can take in natural scenery including the Adriatic coast, magnificent mountains, rivers, and lakes, as well as UNESCO sites, national parks, and picturesque villages scattered along the way. In the words of Jan Klavora, who helped design the route, cycling is the best way to experience the Western Balkans for those who want to enjoy culture and adventure and then end the day with a glass of wine!