People love to travel for all sorts of reasons — to learn more about a country and its culture, to explore new places, to go food hunting, and more. For most people, travel is a positive means of escape — a break from routine, from work, from responsibilities, and from the people who drive you crazy on a daily basis. However, some destinations, though, are just so special that even the most adventurous travellers want to return again and again.
Familiarity, deep connection, good food
We typically step outside of our comfort zones while travelling, which encourages us to explore, taste, and try new things. It also continuously tests our ability, not only to adapt to and explore new environments, but to interact with different people, welcome new experiences as they come, and share them with friends and loved ones.
Wanderlusts typically want to visit as many different parts of the world as they can.
However, some destinations, though, are just so special that even the most adventurous travellers want to return again and again. Most have different reasons for going back to the destinations they know and love. Sometimes those reasons aren’t even things they can put into words, like how a certain place stirs their emotions in a way nothing else can.
But what makes a place so meaningful and compelling?
To get more information on why people love to travel to the same destination multiple times, I polled my friends, and here are their responses:
Stanley Jok, 36
The place that I have visited frequently for the past few years is Donostia-San Sebastian. It is located in the Basque Country, in the northern part of Spain. It’s a picturesque coastal city that takes deep pride in its Basque culture and heritage. If you are a cinephile, then you know that the city hosts the annual San Sebastian International Film Festival in September.
I’m sure most of you have heard of or even eaten the Basque Burnt Cheesecake before. Oh well, the delectable cheesecake originated here! The city is renowned for its cuisine, especially “pintxos” (pronounced peen-choos).
They are basically snacks with a variety of toppings on top of bread. It goes well with your drinks, and, believe me, you would have a difficult time choosing them. Among my favourite bars for pintxos is Bar Txepetxa, where they are famous for the marinated anchovy pintxo. Even Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) had been there!
Another reason why I love this city a great deal is because of its distinctive cultures. They have numerous local festivals lined up throughout the year.
One of the city’s festivals that I have attended is called “Tamborrada.” It’s a festival commemorating the city’s occupation by foreign soldiers and the locals’ retaliation for their presence. During this event, you can observe that there are two groups; one group will use military uniforms, and the other group will dress up as cooks or chefs. It is a 24-hour-long celebration in which they will be beating their drums in a specific rhythm (they actually use barrels as drums as well!).
Ultimately, another appealing factor of the city is its people. It does help that I have a friend in the city, a local Basque. I was introduced to his friends, and we were able to connect instantly. Despite having some language barriers, as some of them do not speak English, we were able to have a good time together whenever we gathered, specifically during aperitif.
The locals are also very friendly, and they would be delighted if you frequented their bars or restaurants and appreciated their food. Alas, it’s a city that has deep gratification for its cuisine, and as for me, a food lover, I will always have a part of me in Donostia.
Azlan Mohamed, 36
Travelling to other places is a great way to experience different cultures and embrace new perspectives.
You’ll gain new insights into the world around you when you travel abroad and become more accepting of other people’s views and opinions. You might even start to see certain things about yourself that you didn’t see before and feel that you want to change them.
Some destinations, I believe, are just so special that they make you want to return again and again. For me, that place is Thailand. I have visited the country numerous times and will always find it interesting. I’ve been able to visit Krabi, Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya thus far.
Travelling to Thailand makes me quite thrilled since I find the people to be so hospitable. They were really kind and polite in how they interacted with us and responded to our inquiries. In addition, their food, particularly Tom Yum, is very delicious and inexpensive. The serving size is very substantial and worth the money. The vegetables are tasty and fresh as well.
In Thailand, there are numerous destinations that might draw tourists, and each location’s entrance fee is reasonable and worthwhile.
Every tourist destination in Thailand is incredibly special and stunning, from its unbelievably beautiful sunsets, immaculate white sand beaches, magnificent mountains, engaging live shows, adventurous watersports, vibrant nightlife, and more.
The Songkran Festival, which takes place in April each year, is what I find most fascinating and my favourite. I’m hoping to come back to this Land of White Elephants next year.
Josephine L., 36
I like to explore new things, new places, new views, new people, and new everything. There are many ways to discover new things, but travelling is the most satisfying because it encompasses many elements, from views to people to foods and possibly more.
I think many destinations become repeat destinations because travellers develop an emotional attachment to these spots through the amazing experiences they’ve had there.
For me, I love to travel to Sabah, and I have been here four times. Sabah, especially the majestic Mount Kinabalu, appears to have sentimental value to me — it always makes me long for Sabah and constantly seems to be “calling” me to go back there.
There is no disputing that Sabah’s beaches make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Malaysia, which is great news for beach lovers like me.
In addition to its pristine white sand beaches, powdery-soft shores, and turquoise-blue waters, Sabah boasts numerous islands that you can visit and never get tired of.
So far, I have been to Manukan, Sapi, and Mamutik islands (all located in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, a marine park in Kota Kinabalu that consists of five beautiful islands, namely, Sapi, Manukan, Mamutik, Gaya, and Sulug).
Visitors to the islands can engage in a variety of activities, such as snorkelling, sea walking, jet skiing, banana boat riding, and scuba diving (for those who have a diving licence only). For unforgettable thrills and adrenaline experiences, tourists can try the daredevil zipline ride with the Coral Flyer. It is Borneo’s longest island-to-island zipline at 250 metres from Gaya Island to Sapi Island.
The islands in Semporna are on my bucket list to visit in the future. The beaches there are even more stunning than any I’ve been to — just thinking about the islands makes me eager to travel there!
Sabah is also famous for its seafood, which can be purchased for a relatively low price. For example, with only RM150, you can enjoy dishes including chilli crab, corn soup, steamed prawns, steamed or fried fish, vegetables, and dried chilli squid — not a portion for one, but for three to four people! Isn’t it really affordable?
Not to forget, those who love cold weather must visit Kundasang, especially the Desa Cattle Dairy Farm. Located at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, it offers some of the most amazing scenery one could imagine.
It is also known among the locals as Little New Zealand. Here you can have fun feeding young calves and goats at a small petting zoo or breathe in the cool mountain air with rolling green hills in the background.
Apart from that, one of the other must-visit places in Kundasang is Sosodikon Hill. It is a vista point from which you can view the magnificent Mount Kinabalu; it will take you just ten minutes to get to the top. While climbing, you can take in the scenery of the lovely hill and the chilly, windy weather.
This Land Below the Wind has a tonne of locations with stunning panoramas, which is why I’m so “crazy” about it. You should also come here!
Des Marcus, 33
Travel gives us the chance to leave our comfortable, self-made lives behind and gives us a stage to investigate and put into practise our ideal aspirations for ourselves.
I believe that being exposed to various environments and people may be both personally revitalising and eye-opening regarding how other people live.
My favourite travel places are those where I connect with the locals or feel compelled to learn more and go deeper into the culture.
I love visiting Thailand, and I’ve already been twice, first to Bangkok and then to Phuket.
I fell in love with these two places because of their spectacular views, the hot weather, the mouth-watering cuisine, and most importantly, the richness of the people’s cultures. I can finish checking off a bucket list of sights, but I can never stop learning about people and their cultures.
To me, Phuket is home to some of Thailand’s most exotic beaches. There is something for everyone due to the sheer number of white sand beaches with immaculately blue, turquoise waters that are strewn around the lush green and jungle-lined coast.
It is also a place where you can soak in the best sunset views, found nowhere else in the country. But Phuket is also well-known for a variety of other things — it has stunning temples, colourful night markets, vibrant nightlife, as well as fabulous local restaurants.
Speaking of restaurants, Tom Yum is one of the Thai dishes that always makes me eager to return; it is full of flavour — spicy, sour, salty, and a bit sweet.
Muslim travellers need not worry, because you certainly can find halal food pretty easily here. Finding halal restaurants in Thailand is not difficult; you just need to know where to look.
From my experience, I would say that Bangkok is by far the best city in Thailand for halal food. As opposed to other regions, Bangkok has tonnes of halal restaurants throughout the city.
Bangkok also has a wide range of culinary options. The best part (and my favourite reason to travel to Thailand) is how inexpensive most of their cuisine is, making it simple for tourists to have a satisfying dinner.
To me, I will always come to Thailand for holidays because I feel it is close to my heart — maybe because of its incredible scenery and the warm welcome that I get from the local people, which leave a true and lasting impression on me.
Erin H., 30
Travelling is one of my favourite pastimes since, in addition to being the ultimate adventure, it broadens one’s perspective by exposing people to various cultures and lifestyles.
I simply enjoy strolling across picturesque locations while also exploring new culinary terrains and new cultures.
Thailand is one of my favourite spots to go, and I’ve been there more than 10 times; Bangkok, Hat Yai, Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and Ayutthaya are among the places I have visited.
Returning again and again to the same place has a distinct charm. One of the factors for me is familiarity; I want to go back to Thailand since I know I’ll have fun there and already know what to expect in terms of experiences, food, and activities.
I can’t wait to go back to the Land of the White Elephant because of the great hospitality and diverse cultures of its people. I’m thrilled to return here to continue learning about and assimilating into their cultures.
From my experience, the people in Thailand are very friendly, kind, and helpful to tourists, especially when it comes to giving us information on how to get to popular tourist destinations and other things.
We can get a cheap price to go to any spot by negotiating with tourist guides or local residents; the price offered is typically lower than the existing tour package.
Another reason that makes me want to keep travelling to Thailand is their public transportation. Moving from one region to another, which takes between an hour and three hours depending on the distance from the lodging, is made easier for me and even other tourists thanks to the accessibility of public transportation.
The most intriguing aspect and what I like the most is how incredibly affordable the seafood (as well as other dishes) are here, which makes it easy for tourists to have a hearty dinner. Banana cake, Pad Thai, Tom Yum, and nearly all refreshments from 7-Eleven, especially Thai Tea, are also among my favourite foods (and must-eats in Thailand).
In addition to food, items such as clothes, shoes, and handbags can also be found at reasonable prices. Surprisingly, all of them are of high quality. I normally travel to Bangkok to purchase all of these things because they are so affordable and there are so many rare products to be found there.
Although the value of Thai currency is higher than it was before, it is still acceptable, and this will not stop me from returning to this country in the future.
