Guest Author:
Stephanie is the founder of Military Travel Mama; she is the wife of a military professional and mother to two children. Follow her blog for more about military life, military discounts, family trips, healthy eating, and parenthood.
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Living a military mommy life didn’t result in me and my husband giving up on our travels. It’s tough, having 2 needy little kids around and taking care of the household when you’re constantly living on the move due to frequent relocations of my beloved.
Earlier, when we were just starting out, we used to travel together a lot. Since we entered the world of parenthood, we had to compromise on lots of things, even to give up on some of them. Luckily, going on a family holiday once or twice a year wasn’t one of them.
Keeping everything in mind, I can count myself as an avid traveler now, and will feel free to share my selection of the best countries to visit on every continent (excluding Antarctica for obvious reasons).
The Oz Land
Although there is no big competition when it comes to the Australian continent, the country of Australia can be indeed a wondrous trip for your family.
Being a proud mommy of 2 adventurous kiddos, discovering the adrenaline-pumped sand beaches of Melbourne known for their surfing and boarding tradition, or the ski slopes of Snowy Mountains did all the difference for us.
If you’re passionate about skiing, since Aussie ski resorts are not topping the tourists’ lists (yet) you won’t struggle to find an accommodation here.
Not to mention that Australia definitely has some of the most untamed wildlife and most preserved natural habitats (especially the island of Tasmania) with rich cultural heritage and plenty of places to visit and explore.
Perhaps looking at this collage of photos that were taken from the profiles of Instagrammers visiting Australia may serve as a breaking point that will make you and your family plan your visit Australia.
Where Slums Meet Glitter and Gold
Speaking of South America, it is very hard for me to pick out one single country worth visiting. However, when I first went to Brazil, my heart stayed there.
I wouldn’t lie if I said that our journey to the land of sea and samba was perhaps the most impactful in my entire career as a traveler.
Put short, in no place in the world will you be able to see such a high contrast between different social classes and the beauty of living the slum life in Brazilian favelas against the luxury of Rio’s or Sao Paulo’s rich seaside.
Visiting Rio in March when the famous carnival takes place is always a good idea.
ThaiLand
I admit, there is one thing that made me choose Thailand even before I went there and witnessed the wonders of nature in person.
Famous Phi Phi lagoon, where Danny Boyle filmed his masterpiece The Beach, is truly breathtaking as is in the movie itself. The same can apply to the rest of Thailand: Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Bangkok, you name it…
When in Europe…
My family is an example that the visit to Belgium can also be budget-friendly, although Belgium counts as one of the most expensive countries in the European continent, shoulder to shoulder with Scandinavian countries or Russia.
However, even if you burn a decent amount of money when visiting Belgium, it definitely won’t make you feel anxious about it as the time spent in this country is definitely worth it.
Everything is so sweet about Belgium, starting from its coziness and close proximity of all the big cities and places you should see and visit when in Belgium, all the way to the traditional local cuisine and famous Belgian waffles you can buy and taste.
Mix of modern and medieval architecture will cut your breath short for sure, even if you’re not that into architecture. Last but not the least, so-called Venice of the north, known for its canals and fairytale-ish looks and feels, visit to Belgium won’t be complete if you don’t find the time to visit Bruges.
Off to Africa
Cradle of the world has much more to offer than I was able to see and visit, I know it. However, one country stands out here for lots of either good and bad things.
Due to its very rich colonial history, South Africa is perhaps the most diverse country when it comes to demographics and the mix of cultural and religious motives. And that’s probably the best thing when it comes to South Africa.
Nowhere else will you find such diversity and experience wide variety of different lifestyles and cultural beliefs like in South Africa.
United States
I might be somewhat subjective when it comes to choosing the best country to visit when on Northern American continent. But the reason that I spent the most of my life living in the States doesn’t compensate for the fact that the USA are definitely offering a complete package to anyone willing to see or experience something new.
From the coast of California, all the way through Texas and Arizona to the shores of New York located on the far East of the country, United States are brimming with all kinds of different places to visit and experience.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, States are simply not to be missed.