We all now realise that the return to international travel will be slow. Whereas we are all looking forward to exploring the world once more, now is the time to be selective in our choices, as travel will be less frequent, more expensive and needs to be carefully considered.

Our experiences should be fulfilling, escapist experiences that take us away from the flat, confined times we have been in these past months. We will crave to discover, explore and unveil different cultural experiences that enrich us. The precious outdoors will be paramount. For years to come we will covet places and spaces that don’t involve big crowds of humanity.

Some of us will desire somewhere new, places that have been on our radars that we just haven’t managed to get to yet. They will be a first choice for many. Others, myself included, will instead choose somewhere familiar, somewhere beloved, that holds dear memories, with more yet to explore. I wish to return to and rediscover destinations that feed my soul. Places I just can’t get enough of.

During this time where our travel freedoms have vanished, nightly dreams of my most cherished destinations have been vivid. The following three choices are the ones I will return to first. These are the countries that make me feel truly alive, where I breathe the deepest and where my senses can run free, places I feel joyous, still and amazed. What I have penned is not a guide for your travels. It is a generalisation of why these places mean so much to me. Perhaps I might also inspire you to return, or to visit them for the very first time.

JAPAN

I know I sound like a broken record here. Those of you who read my journal regularly would be well aware of my love for Japan. I have been a myriad number of times and it is never enough. No other destination appeals to me for as many repeat visits. I will never stop waxing lyrical about the country.

Japan is the only country I know of that offers such levels of surprise, each and every time. Whenever you go, something strikes you and fills you with delight. Often something so small, but so meaningful, that differs so much from the rest of the world you know.

Japan fills you will small, internal moments of joy, when you least expect them. This is one of the greatest things about the country. We in Western countries could learn so much about their respect of each other, of their culture, traditions, and every part of life. I am fascinated by their overwhelming love of beauty, even in the smallest details. Their pursuit of perfection, their desire and care for everything around them. All of this fills me with admiration.

Of course, many of these things are reflected in the bigger picture, through what we all know and love: the stunningly good food, the magnificent natural beauty, the skill and style of the artisanal, uniquely Japanese products. The order and the attention to detail in everything they do. Japan does it like nowhere else. The citizens of Japan are the most caring, polite people I have ever encountered.

One time when I was in Matsumoto in Central Honshu, I got lost trying to find my way back to my hotel after visiting the famous castle. I ended up walking down a long street, devoid of many people, and realised I was heading in the wrong direction.

I wasn’t concerned, but my printed map wasn’t doing me any favours. A young Japanese woman noticed I was somewhat lost. She spoke no English whatsoever, and I spoke no Japanese. In a short burst of unintelligible conversation, we inexplicably began to somehow understand each other. She looked at my map and walked with me, stopping every now and then trying to work out if we were heading in the right direction. She appeared confused but had a determination that nothing could subside.

Once she led me to my hotel door around half an hour later, it hit me that she had been walking in the other direction when we met. Upon dropping me off, she headed back off that way after bowing constantly to me. I had been escorted right to my door, when she had in fact been heading home, who knows how far from the point of our meeting. I was astounded by this act of kindness. And it is only one of many that have happened to me throughout Japan.

These surprises, these moments, this generosity, brings about an addiction to return. For you know, you will always receive them.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. There is no other country on earth like Japan. It is one of a kind, beautiful and totally unique. The phrase “Only in Japan” was, is and will always be, right on the money.

SRI LANKA

Who could help but fall in love with the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”. When I first set foot in Sri Lanka I was overwhelmed by Its exoticism. A lush Garden of Eden of extraordinary natural beauty. As humans, we are drawn to the moments when our senses are flooded with happiness. This is the x-factor that draws me back again and again. Through sight, smell and sound, Sri Lanka completely intoxicates, and ticks all the boxes of a paradise on earth.

The glorious food exploding your taste buds, the scent of the spices filling your nostrils, the sounds of the jungle, the tea plantations and the crashing waves on some of the planets most beautiful beaches, the smiles of the people. This is what brings me back.

With our eyes we see another way of life. The country is very poor, but the citizens are rich with life. Sri Lanka makes you examine all we have built up in the West and question our values. Not many countries make me do this as much as this special destination.

The country had been exploding with tourism prior to recent terror attacks and the virus we all know and hate. It’s a pocket paradise and the world is well aware of it. The country was in danger of over-tourism and that may eventually be a path it continues on. The building of huge, major chain hotels has long been on the cards.

If you go to Sri Lanka, my tip is to support the small, family-run hotel operators. The locals who have suffered the hardest. Avoid the big chains and even the foreign owned mid-range boutique hotel groups. For a true Sri-Lankan experience, surround yourself with the island’s natives. They are amongst the warmest and most hospitable people on earth. By staying at locally owned and run establishments, you give the island you love the greatest chance at success that feeds into their country and into their future.

Returning to Sri Lanka feels like an honour to me. I very much feel like a welcome guest. It’s a land to ponder your place in the world and to see another side of life, far removed from our own, that offers something simpler, calmer and far richer.

SICILY

If there was ever a destination where everything collides it is Sicily. This large island off the Italian coast has a history as rich as anything on the European mainland. By traversing its terrain every period of its vast history is revealed. The island contains some of the most exquisite examples of Roman and Greek civilisation anywhere on Earth.

Sicily holds such atmosphere that when you visit these ancient sites you can practically sense the time of that civilization. A feeling washes over you as your own world fades away and you are plunged into that moment in time. Walking the quiet paths where citizens from centuries ago travelled, your mind is free to get the strongest sense of a great, glorious past.

The history is one of three things that draw me back to Sicily. The other two are the food and the wine. I am literally in love with both. Sicilian cuisine has such a combination of flavours that evoke the climate and the seasons. The ingredients are the islands bounty, born under a baking sun with unparalleled freshness, bursting with life like the island itself.

This is not Italian food. This is Sicilian, the recipes handed down from generations and so far removed from the familiar staples of Italy. My last trip to Sicily garnered some of the freshest, most magnificent meals, both traditional and modern, I have ever enjoyed. I am lucky to have such great bounty in my home country, Australia, but Sicily takes the prize for off-the-charts fresh seafood unlike anywhere else.

Tuna Tartare, Amberjack Sashimi, Mazara Red Shrimp / Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe with Lemon marinated Red Shrimp - Room Cucina, Ortigia, Syracusa, Sicily

When I first discovered the wines of Sicily’s Mount Etna wine region several years back I was blown away by what was something entirely new. I found the wines difficult to categorise. The Rosso’s (red wines), are made from a grape entirely unique to the volcanic soils of Etna.

Through all my years of wine collecting I have searched for the holy grail of reds. One that is entirely singular, that cannot be compared fully with any other varietal. Narello Mascalese is the one. When searching for a comparable wine style, it sits somewhere between Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo. But it remains quite singular. At this point in my never-ending wine exploration, it is my pinnacle red. A magnificent expression of juicy, structured red wine that once savoured, is burned into your soul.

That it is produced from such an iconic and unique single region that is Mount Etna, grown in lush but harsh volcanic soils, makes it even more special. Visiting the wineries there last year was one of my great life experiences. As ever with vignerons, I am drawn to their passion and unending love for the grape and for the land. On Etna, I met great winemakers producing exquisite wines.

The line up at Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Etna, Sicily

The white wines of the island are just as intriguing. Carricante is an ancient white grape indigenous to the island. Beautifully acidic and highly mineral, Carricante is savoury and fresh, with flavours of ripe red and green apples, pear and herbs. Striking in its salinity, wines produced from the grape are mouth-watering, and highly distinctive.

The symbiosis between Sicilian cuisine and the wines of Mount Etna is remarkable. If ever there was a premier example of “a match made in heaven”, this is the one.

The Sicilians are vibrant, vigorous, vivacious and full of passion. They know how precious life is and live it to the fullest, with a generosity of spirit and a carefree attitude and reverence to the important things in life. My three key factors why I adore the Island, the history, food and wine, is entirely attributable to them.

Venturing back into the world with some sense of freedom cannot come soon enough for us all. Discovering new experiences in destinations I have not explored is important. But I’ll be moving slowly, and part of that will be to return to the places I treasure the most.

Footnote: When timing allows, and I return to these countries, in upcoming articles in my journal I will report on my recommended accommodations that will support their economies and provide the best possible local experiences.