You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin from News Talks, EDB Travel with Windy Woo Tours Where the World.

You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin from News Talks, EDB Travel with Windy Woo Tours Where the World.

Is Yours for Now, and Meghan Singleton, Blogger at large dot com joins us. Good morning, good morning, and happy new Year and to you too, lovely to have you back with us. A lot of people are probably back from holiday and going gosh, that was good quite like that break? When is the next one? And of course we've seen some sales I've seen obviously in New Zealand's head of sail on, Jetstar's got a sail on Good Time of the Year to book of flight somewhere. What are some of your favorite destinations for twenty twenty five?

Is Yours for Now, and Meghan Singleton, Blogger at large dot com joins us. Good morning, good morning, and happy new Year and to you too, lovely to have you back with us. A lot of people are probably back from holiday and going gosh, that was good quite like that break? When is the next one? And of course we've seen some sales I've seen obviously in New Zealand's head of sail on, Jetstar's got a sail on Good Time of the Year to book of flight somewhere. What are some of your favorite destinations for twenty twenty five?

Yeah, well I've gone through gosh, that's a hard question, right, and people always ask me where's the best place you've ever been? It's super super hard. So I've but I've pulled eight together destinations that I think will be great for twenty twenty five. And I haven't just plucked them out of my hat. New York Times has got them all their list, CNN Traveling Letter and Blogger at Large, So yeah, all those lofty Publications a good company. Yes, So my top eight I'm just going to whip through them. I have written up a blog post explaining why I think people will like them and why I like them. I'm going to put Kosamui on my list. Kastamui, Thailand on my list for this year. It is actually where season three of The White Lotus was filmed, and while I haven't got up to that far yet, I know that a lot of people have and they've got the most idyllic and beautiful resorts with infinity pools, and to me, Thailand, I'm moving into a more of a phase where it's it's infinity pools and rooftop bars and a bit of markets and a nice little river, cruisy tours and things like that, not so much the backpackering. So that I've put Kostamur on my list, and that'll be fantastic. Florence, Florence, Italy, that was my most favorite city that I've ever seen in Italy. And this year there's a new orient Express train that is being launched. La Dulce Vita. Orient Express is going to do eight journeys from Rome to Venice, so that'll be a sleeper train and it'd be all the glam of sixties and seventies Italy. So if you're into that, that will be cool.

Yeah, well I've gone through gosh, that's a hard question, right, and people always ask me where's the best place you've ever been? It's super super hard. So I've but I've pulled eight together destinations that I think will be great for twenty twenty five. And I haven't just plucked them out of my hat. New York Times has got them all their list, CNN Traveling Letter and Blogger at Large, So yeah, all those lofty Publications a good company. Yes, So my top eight I'm just going to whip through them. I have written up a blog post explaining why I think people will like them and why I like them. I'm going to put Kosamui on my list. Kastamui, Thailand on my list for this year. It is actually where season three of The White Lotus was filmed, and while I haven't got up to that far yet, I know that a lot of people have and they've got the most idyllic and beautiful resorts with infinity pools, and to me, Thailand, I'm moving into a more of a phase where it's it's infinity pools and rooftop bars and a bit of markets and a nice little river, cruisy tours and things like that, not so much the backpackering. So that I've put Kostamur on my list, and that'll be fantastic. Florence, Florence, Italy, that was my most favorite city that I've ever seen in Italy. And this year there's a new orient Express train that is being launched. La Dulce Vita. Orient Express is going to do eight journeys from Rome to Venice, so that'll be a sleeper train and it'd be all the glam of sixties and seventies Italy. So if you're into that, that will be cool.

You can't sorry, and I'm just going to say, you can't go past four once. It is extraordinary. It's just this incredibly cultural place. But it's just gets so busy at certain times of the year, now, doesn't it.

You can't sorry, and I'm just going to say, you can't go past four once. It is extraordinary. It's just this incredibly cultural place. But it's just gets so busy at certain times of the year, now, doesn't it.

Yeah, so the trick for me and fortunately we know we're on the crazy time zone, right, so we wake early, get out early, take your camera, go your phone, go and watch as the sun rises up. I've got a photo in there that I took. I crouched right down on ponte Vecchio Bridge and I took a picture of across the cobblestone ground and up into the bridge. You can get so much fun. No people in it, and there's one lady and I'm looking at it now, perfect time of day. And then you know what they say, Oh, don't sit down in the cafes in this because they'll charge you. Well, they charged me eight euros for a croissant and a cup of coffee and I sit down at their table outside right beside the cathedral. That was priceless to me. Eight euros. That was no problem. I thought that was the best thing I ever did actually in Florence, was to a biling sit there and spend my eight euros. Yeah, so we've got time to go through the reason.

Yeah, so the trick for me and fortunately we know we're on the crazy time zone, right, so we wake early, get out early, take your camera, go your phone, go and watch as the sun rises up. I've got a photo in there that I took. I crouched right down on ponte Vecchio Bridge and I took a picture of across the cobblestone ground and up into the bridge. You can get so much fun. No people in it, and there's one lady and I'm looking at it now, perfect time of day. And then you know what they say, Oh, don't sit down in the cafes in this because they'll charge you. Well, they charged me eight euros for a croissant and a cup of coffee and I sit down at their table outside right beside the cathedral. That was priceless to me. Eight euros. That was no problem. I thought that was the best thing I ever did actually in Florence, was to a biling sit there and spend my eight euros. Yeah, so we've got time to go through the reason.

Yeah, Look, Mexico's on the list.

Yeah, Look, Mexico's on the list.

Love Mexico. Going back March with a small group tour, We're going to whizz through Mexico. But I've put Carbo on my list, at the bottom of the Baja Peninsula. And there's two little towns there. One's more busy and lively and got the marina, do boat trips and whale watching and nightlife and stuff. And one is more historic where there's artisans and you can go and watch them paint and sculpt and they have art walks every Thursday that are free to just walk around. And so I've put that on my list, and I think more Kiwis should go down there. It's two and a half hour flight from La down to Carbo, so we need to be getting there.

Love Mexico. Going back March with a small group tour, We're going to whizz through Mexico. But I've put Carbo on my list, at the bottom of the Baja Peninsula. And there's two little towns there. One's more busy and lively and got the marina, do boat trips and whale watching and nightlife and stuff. And one is more historic where there's artisans and you can go and watch them paint and sculpt and they have art walks every Thursday that are free to just walk around. And so I've put that on my list, and I think more Kiwis should go down there. It's two and a half hour flight from La down to Carbo, so we need to be getting there.

Pick one more from your wonderful blogger.

Pick one more from your wonderful blogger.

All right, one more I'm going to pick because it's on my heart. It's Santa Monica. Now. I just got a press release from Santa Monica Tourism this week. Obviously, very close to those dreadful fires, but not affected by the fires. So they're actually saying, look, we are here, we are well and good. We would love your custom, your tourism, your business, locals and visitors are like, please come back. They've got a whole lot of new hotels, they've got the beautiful sunsets on that Pacific beach. It's my favorite Los Angeles place to stay. And then there's a reason for that because it's got everything. So yeah, Santa Monica would be my final pick for this year.

All right, one more I'm going to pick because it's on my heart. It's Santa Monica. Now. I just got a press release from Santa Monica Tourism this week. Obviously, very close to those dreadful fires, but not affected by the fires. So they're actually saying, look, we are here, we are well and good. We would love your custom, your tourism, your business, locals and visitors are like, please come back. They've got a whole lot of new hotels, they've got the beautiful sunsets on that Pacific beach. It's my favorite Los Angeles place to stay. And then there's a reason for that because it's got everything. So yeah, Santa Monica would be my final pick for this year.

Wonderful. Thank you so much, Meghan, and if you want to read Megan's full list. If you want a bit of inspiration, just head to blogger at large dot.

Wonderful. Thank you so much, Meghan, and if you want to read Megan's full list. If you want a bit of inspiration, just head to blogger at large dot.

Com for more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin. Listen live to news Talks there'd be from nine am Sunday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.

Com for more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin. Listen live to news Talks there'd be from nine am Sunday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.