Top Travel Locations to Awaken Your Inner Wanderlust

As we look forward to 2022, many of us are beginning to excitedly plan our holidays for the coming year. Over the past two years our priorities have changed, and where we were once happy with a week or fortnight in the sun, we are now looking at sharing unique experiences with those closest to us and travelling a little differently to before.

Travel trends for 2022 are already showing that adventurers are searching for places where they can spend quality time with family and friends or undertake brand new challenges and achieve life-long travel goals, either domestically or in exotic global locations.

You may be planning a multi-generational family trip or group reunion to celebrate a milestone event or want to become a digital nomad and work from unique locations around the world. Some of us may be considering pursuing the travel goals we have been putting off for years due to other commitments, whether that be walking the Camino de Santiago, cycling through the Dordogne, or trekking to Everest Base Camp or Machu Picchu.

Nepal could be one of your big goals

Making sustainable choices whilst travelling will also be high on many peoples’ agenda in the coming year. We will become more responsible adventurers, seeking out walking, cycling, driving, rail or boat tours closer to home, as an alternative to flying long-haul. Plus, make sure that we spend our money carefully, supporting local businesses and communities.

We will enjoy wellness breaks, balancing mind, body and spirit, whilst immersed in nature, shop for produce at local markets, and dine in restaurants serving fresh, seasonal menus.

When we shop, we will do it consciously, benefiting smaller cottage industries, those who produce their own clothing, textiles and handicrafts, and we’ll buy from businesses that support communities, to ensure the local area continues to survive and thrive.

These are all shifts we are seeing in the travel and tourism industry, so if you’re ready to gain further inspiration, check out our top trending destinations for 2022 below!

Top Trending UK Destinations for 2022

If you are planning a trip with family and friends but don’t want to travel too far, a holiday to Scotland, England, Northern Ireland or Wales may tick all the boxes.

Scotland offers abundant opportunities for a tailor-made holiday with rolling, heather-strewn glens, peaceful lochs, ancient castles, battlegrounds and vibrant cities and islands relatively untouched by tourism.

Descending towards Loch Lomond on the West Highland Way

Choose to walk sections of the West Highland Way, before taking one of the world’s most incredible train journeys along the West Highland Railway and across Glenfinnan Viaduct à la Harry Potter.

Support local businesses on a Whisky and Walking Trail in Scotland. Uncover the fascinating story of the wee dram whilst walking through forests of Speyside, in the Cairngorms or along Islay’s white sand beaches, sampling the country’s finest single malts along the way.

Follow the North Coast 500, discovering Highland Pictish Trails, historic castles, fishing villages and atmospheric landscapes where battles were fought, won and lost.

Just across the Scottish border, Cumbria’s Lake District has inspired poets and artists for centuries. It was around Ullswater and Rydal Water that poet William Wordsworth composed some of his greatest works. Enjoy sailing around the lakes, hopping on and off as desired, hike to the summits of the highest fells for amazing photo opportunities, or head to a local pub for delicious Cumberland sausage and mash.

If you fancy venturing further south, the landscapes of Wales boast traditional fishing villages, coastal castles overlooking sandy beaches and dramatic landscapes.

Experience a warm Welsh welcome and local traditions

Meanwhile in England’s counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, the pretty Cotswolds area tempts travellers with chocolate box villages, wide open countryside, perfect for walking and cycling, and fine restaurants serving locally sourced cuisine.

Where to Visit in Europe in 2022

Stay close to home and visit Ireland in 2022. Follow pilgrim routes of the glorious emerald isle, wandering ancient trails and cliffside pathways, stopping for home-cooked colcannon and listening to live fiddle music in traditional Irish pubs on route.

Experience breath-taking scenery of the UNESCO World Heritage villages of Cinque Terre, Italy. Bask in the sun or swim in crystalline waters in this delightful region of Liguria. Walk hillside trails that link all five towns together, before heading to the village piazza for fresh seafood and mouth-watering pesto-infused dishes.

Camogli sunset, Cinque Terre

One of our most popular trips is to walk the Camino de Santiago. There are several treks available for solo travellers and groups, each offering beautiful scenery, warm hospitality and unrivalled experiences. Begin in northern Spain, discovering the world-class Guggenheim Museum and stylish pintxo bars of Bilbao, or start your trek in Portugal, spending time in ambient ‘fado’ bars and cathedrals of Lisbon or port cellars and riverside markets of Porto.

Alternatively, start your pilgrimage in southwest France, giving yourself time to complete part of, or the full route, trekking through pretty Pyrenean mountain villages into Spain on route to Santiago de Compostela.

Global Travel Experiences for 2022

Let’s talk about that trip of a lifetime, the one that constantly fills your mind with possibilities, the one you’ve been talking about and dreaming about for years. What are you waiting for? This is the year you can fulfil all your travel ambitions!

If trekking to Everest Base Camp has always been on your ‘bucket list’ of destinations, we offer thrilling expeditions to Nepal. Discover enchanting scenery, the colourful culture and peoples of Kathmandu, spend time at Chitwan National Park spotting rare wildlife and participate in a Buddhist prayer ceremony before venturing to Mount Everest.

A visit to Japan is a treat for the senses!

Perhaps you yearn to travel further afield and wish to cycle through bamboo forests from Kyoto to the Wakayama coastline in Japan. Stop at traditional matcha tea farms, cherry blossom lined rivers, visit ancient temples and pagodas before relaxing at the end of the day in a hot spring bath.

Whatever you decide to do and wherever you decide to visit in 2022, let us know about your needs, travelling party and budget, and we can offer lots of ideas (and advice). Check out our website for further options and remember ‘carpe diem’, it’s time for your big adventure!