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It’s the start of a new year and we are dreaming of where to go and what to see this year, from city breaks to road trips off the beaten path and everything in between. The girls are another year older, better travelled and more capable of adapting to changes in culture, climate and cuisine, as well as more able to deal with uncomfortable situations we often find ourselves in during travel days – early starts out of routine, delays, noisy flights, sleeping away from home, etc.

We thought we’d share some places that are on our dream list. We absolutely won’t get to visit them all this year or probably even in the next 5 but here they are anyway!

• Japan – our eldest daughter (9) is desperate to visit Japan to see the cherry blossom trees & eat ramen – we will spend this year learning much more about Japan through family research projects and maybe in 2027 we will visit. We’d love to go but we want to make sure we are ready and that the girls will remember it, as our youngest is only 6. Japan also really interests us as parents because of the strong values that people have there are very much in line with what we try to teach our children.

• Norway & Iceland Scandi Tour – This is my top choice (Hi! I’m Alexandra – mum and the main author here.) – I have been dreaming of a Norway and Iceland trip for years and would absolutely love to see some orcas, the black sand beaches and the Aurora Borealis while on this trip as well as learn about local culture and cuisine.

• Caribbean – This is my top choice (Hi! I’m Salvo – Dad and designated driver.) I’ve been to the Caribbean before, but the girls haven’t and I’d love to take them. Plenty of rest on the beach or by the pool but also some excursions for my little adventurers. Fun fact, I won a prestigious award many years ago at work and they took the winners on a trip to Montreal and then a Caribbean cruise!

• Colombia & Mexico – We love all things South American, from the food to the music and this is somewhere we’ve wanted to visit for a while. We have some reservations about safety for family travel so we are reading up on these places and planning as best we can for an unforgettable trip one day.

• Georgia – Visiting the 7 wonders of the world with the girls is something very high on our list and Petra is fascinating, so it’s 1st on the list. We also fell in love with the desert in the UAE on our couples trip and we know the girls we love it too.

• Tanzania & Kenya- these are our top choices for a safari trip but we’d also very much like to do some volunteering/ charity work while on this trip too. We work hard to give back and make sure the girls are aware of how privileged they are and that kind is the most important thing they could ever be, so making this a focus is really important.

• Egypt & Morocco- of course we want to see the Pyramids and other ancient Egyptian gems, but also experience the hustle and bustle of the markets and the incredible cuisine and cultures. Egypt also ties in nicely with our daughter’s history studies.

• Oman- we have only heard good things about Oman and we’d love to come here to explore the country but also rest and unwind here. We don’t do many relaxing holidays, but we get the feeling Oman will be the perfect R&R spot. Of course we aren’t your regular holidayers and there will absolutely be cultural immersion involved, but we might manage a couple of chilled out days!

• Albania – we’d love to explore both the capital, Tirana, and the wild & rugged landscaped that we loved so much on our last Balkans trip to Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina. We’ve heard this is a great country for hiking which we all love, but our youngest especially really enjoys a hike and we’ve come to call her ‘mountain goat’ because of how agile she is! She may have little legs but they are faster than ours!!

• Canada – An absolute DREAM would be a ranch holiday in Alberta. We all love horses and try to ride whenever we get the chance, so this would be just perfect. We’re thinking cosy cabins, log fires and hot cocoa, long rides and taking care of the horses. Banff is very high up on the list too and we have family and friends in Toronto, and although we have visited before, the girls haven’t so it would be amazing to take them to meet our family.

We could continue adding to this list forever but for now we will leave it there – this is kind of a virtual pin in our dreams and we can’t wait to say that we’ve been able to explore some of these places. Let’s see where 2026 will take us.

In another post we will share where we have been in 2025, with our honest reviews and ratings to help you plan your own travels, should any of the places be on your list.

In the meantime, follow along here or on our main profiles: @gopopolo_travel on Instagram, Gopopolo Travel on Facebook or @gopopolotravel on TikTok for daily travel inspiration, teaching through travel tips, hidden gems and undervalued places & more.