WELL, who’d have thought it? This is the 500th post on Paul Cole Travels since I started the site in the depths of pandemic lockdown back in October 2020.

Yes, I know it seemed a strange time to launch a travel blog when we couldn’t even step outside, but it helped to dream of a brighter future as we came to truly appreciate what we once took for granted.

So, how to mark the half century? The question I’m most often asked is ‘What are your favourite places to visit?’ And, to be honest, I usually fudge my answer with lazy generalities.

But perhaps it’s time to grasp the bull by the horns and come clean. Here, then, in time-honoured reverse order tradition, are the Top 10 locations from my many years as a travel writer.

If you’re impatient, then simply head to the bottom of the post to discover my all-time favourite. But if you have a few minutes to spare, join me on a journey to some unforgettable memories.  

10. ST LUCIA, Caribbean

I have been lucky enough to have visited the Caribbean on eight occasions, and St Lucia has been the mainstay every time, whether staying on the island itself or visiting by cruise ship. The seafaring forays have been delightful by and large, offering the opportunity to see half a dozen islands at a time – but nothing quite beats a break actually on this greenest of paradise islands with its twin-peaked Pitons, lush rainforests and deserted stretches of white sand.

Most memorable was a stay at LeSport (now renamed The Body Holiday) on the North-West tip of the coast, where daily spa and wellness treatments were included in the holiday package. It was from the resort’s private beach that I took my first Scuba-diving lessons, and a candlelit dinner in the Tao restaurant as the waves lapped below us was unforgettable.

Top tip: Get out on the water and charter a boat to see the Pitons from the sea.

9. SALLA, Finnish Lapland

The Salla area is so far to the East in Lapland that it rubs shoulders with Russia, the border amid forests and frozen lakes. It’s popular among skiers and snowboarders but also with the enduring suggestion that this is, indeed, the home of the man in the red suit and accordingly a centre for Santa tours. I first visited on one such with my family and unashamedly loved the festive fun as we went in search of Santa and his elves.

But we took time out to go off-piste, as it were, and explore on a private snowmobile tour with Kola Extreme Safaris, who specialise in adventure trekking. After a safety briefing we headed off into the night along forest trails and across ice-packed lakes. There were six of us – our guide up front, then the four of us and, taking up the rear, a huntsman armed with a rifle in case we encountered bears or wolves.

Top tip? Wrap your camera up warm. Temperatures can drop to minus 50°C and kill batteries.

8. CHICAGO, USA

I first visited Chicago on assignment as a rock writer to catch the first gig on Tina Turner’s world tour at the cavernous United Center, more usually home to the Chicago Bulls. The show, of course, was simply the best (sorry!) but the city’s waterfront offered a spectacular show all of its own. I woke early each day and headed out a couple of blocks from my hotel to stroll the Lake Michigan shoreline, onto which, given the size of the Great Lake, waves gently wash.

I just followed the shore, stopping at breakfast bars for coffee. The city’s architecture looks amazing from here, especially when bathed in bright blue sky sunshine. The show-stopper is Cloud Gate, a mirrored sculpture by British artist Anish Kapoor, which dominates the AT&T Plaza in Millennium Park. Known locally as ‘The Bean’, it’s mind-bending both inside and inside out!

Top tip? Ride the ‘L’ elevated transit system to spark movie memories.

7. ST OUEN’S BAY, Jersey

Such is the modest size, and customary efficiency, of Jersey Airport, that you can be eating fresh crab, downed with a pint of Liberation Ale, at St Ouen’s Bay within the hour. The bay spans almost the entire west coast of Jersey, with nothing but the rolling waves of the Atlantic Ocean between you and America’s eastern seaboard, making it the Channel Island’s prime surfing spot.

Our go-to each time we’ve visited has been Le Braye, a St Brelade surf shack eatery on the misleadingly named Five Mile Road (it’s actually just over three miles long and an error in translation is to blame). From here, you can see one of the Martello towers – built in the 1800s to defend the island from Napoleon, rising from the sea. It’s a reminder of how Jersey had to defend itself from invaders over centuries, but was occupied by the Germans in World War 2.

Top tip? Book a hire car to get all round the island with ease

6. VENICE, Italy

I first visited Venice many years ago while on a camping tour of the Continent and immediately fell under La Serenissima’s spell. We arrived by ferry from Lido di Jesolo, approaching St Mark’s Square by water across the lagoon. Believe me, there is no better way to enjoy a first introduction to the canal city. Arrival after the 25-minute crossing has a magic all of its own. Once you arrive, pick up a map to get your bearings – then ignore it.

Wander at will through the warren of alleyways and forgotten piazzas, perhaps grabbing a slice of street pizza or fresh fruit on the go. Then take to the Grand Canal on the water bus (buy a day ticket for unlimited travel to get the most out of it) and see the sights from the water. Be warned that it gets very crowded at peak times, and it’s to be hoped that the planned tourist tax and restrictions on the size of visiting cruise ships will help to ease congestion.

Top tip? Arrive early.

5. OBAN, Scotland

Oban at night: VisitScotland / Paul Tomkins

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved the bustling Argyle port town and, many years and many visits later, it retains an ageless magic. While my parents introduced me to Oban, I’ve since done the same for my own children – now all grown up – and, more recently, for my grandchildren.

Calmac ferry: Airborne Lens/ Liam Anderstrem

Overlooked by McCaig’s Tower, a folly atop Battery Hill, the town is a busy little place with pubs, bars and a distllery, but nab a parking spot – and buy fresh fish and chips – on the waterfront so you can watch the comings and goings of the mighty Caledonian MacBrayne ferries which provide a lifeline to the Hebridean islands. Better still, take a day-trip, or longer, to go island hopping. We’ve visited nearby Mull, Iona and Skye, and the further flung Outer Hebrides islands of Harris and Lewis from Oban.

Top tip? Take a wildlife watching boat trip with Oban Sea Tours from the harbourside.

4. QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand

It’s not so much the town itself, much as it nestles neatly beneath mountain peaks in a spectacular setting on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, and boasts all manner of independent bars and eateries. It’s more the gateway Queenstown offers to so much more as the adrenaline capital of New Zealand. Bungee jumping was a leap too far for us, but we rode the ridiculously exciting Shotover Jetboat and went out on a 4×4 Jeep off-road tour of the many locations used for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.

Later, we dined at the surreal Rees Hotel where rooms are set into the cliffside overlooking the lake, and reached via a warren of subterranean passages of which Escher would have been proud. From here, you can also take a day-trip panoramic windowed coach to the magical Milford Sound and join a boat cruise through the fantastic fjords and falls.

Top tip? Once you’ve ridden the jet boat, you’ll want to do it again. Book a repeat in advance.

3. DUNNET BAY, Scotland

Dunnet Bay: VisitScotland / Airborne Lens

You know those times when you just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of life? You don’t have to fork out a fortune on long haul airfares because there’s a destination here in the UK that ticks every box. It’s Dunnet Bay, a sweeping two-mile arc of often deserted white sandy beach backed by rolling sand dunes on the North coast of Scotland, the very top of Britain.

We visited several years ago, taking a motorhome up from the English West Midlands and heading North until we ran out of road. There’s a small campsite just across the road from the bay and we stayed longer than planned just to enjoy long walks along the beach, watching the waves and wildlife, including oystercatchers and curlew, then listening to the surf as we settled in for the night.

Top tip: Venture further afield, too, for a boat trip from John O’Groats to Orkney or visit the late Queen Mum’s Castle of Mey

2. DENALI NATIONAL PARK, Alaska

Six million acres of wild land; one ribbon of road; North America’s tallest peak; forest, tundra and mountain; wonderful wildlife – what more could you possibly want? It’s in pristine condition, due in no small part to a ban on private cars apart from four days a year when a lottery is held, allowing limited access to 400 cars each day.

We visited by official park bus, in the company of a local guide, and were driven deep into the park to be rewarded with rare picture perfect views of 6,190m high Denali, the mountain formerly known as McKinley – rare because it’s reckoned that fewer than 30 per cent of visitors ever get an unobscured look thanks to the mountain’s weather systems. Watch for elusive bear, moose, caribou and wolves along the way.

Top tip? Combine a land holiday with a rail tour and cruise along the coast from Whittier to marvel at Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay before global warming has its way. 

1. MOUNT COOK, South Island, New Zealand

The road from Twizel to Aoraki is simply breathtaking. When you’re planning your journey, you’ll see that it should take around 45 minutes to reach Mount Cook Village.

But a word to the wise here, forget whatever your sat-nav suggests will be your arrival time. The scenery is so spectacular that you’ll stop for a photo opp at every opportunity.

Snow-capped peaks are mirrored in the beautiful ice-blue waters of Lake Pukaki, best viewed from Peter’s Lookout and any of another half dozen pull-offs. Throw in a sunny day and big blue skies, and you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a painting.

When you eventually do get, quite literally, to the end of the road, take a look around the Sir Edmund Hillary museum in the iconic Hermitage hotel, enjoy a drink in the panoramic lounge, then head off up the track to the Tasman Glacier.

Top tip? Book an overnight in Twizel and make a full day of it. 

And there you have it, for now at least. As JRR Tolkien wrote, in the words of Bilbo Baggins: “It’s a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” 

It was tough, whittling down a long list into ten. Among those that just missed the cut were New York, a transit of the Panama Canal, Cornish shark-fishing port Looe, the White Pass train to the Yukon, and Switzerland’s Jungfrau railway.

Thank you for reading and for supporting the blog these last 500 posts. It’s been a pleasure writing for you and having the opportunity to revisit my Top 10.

Oh, and yes, that’s me in the picture at the head of the post, on a charter boat in St Lucia in 2019. See you on your travels…