best place to travel
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THE JOURNEY #14 – The Best Place To Travel in 2022

Well, hasn’t 2022 been throwing us some travel related curve balls recently? It seems that to get anywhere this year, you just have to roll the dice and hope for the best. With massive airport delays, mountains of lost luggage, and soaring flight prices, it’s no wonder people are getting confused about what’s going on. All of this has caused me to sit back and look at the issues plaguing travelers, and think, “where is the best place to travel in 2022?”

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Bali is alive!

But first, an update.

It’s only been a couple of weeks since my last update in The Journey #13, but a lot has happened. We are still in Bali, but have been actually doing quite a bit. Bali is well and truly getting back onto its feet again, and even the areas that were totally dead only a few months ago, are now alive and starting to pulse with life. For someone that has been here through the entire pandemic, it is really hard to believe how good things are looking right now, and it’s only the beginning.

Bali Beaches are getting back to normal
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Right now, there are a little under 30 international flights in and out of Bali each day. This is only about 1/5th of the levels we were seeing back in 2019, but it’s a start. For now, there are a dozen or so flights from Australia each day, along with about the same amount from South East Asia, and then a couple from Europe. On top of that, there are around 80 to 90 domestic flights.

So you can see that we have a long way to go. But the trickle of International tourists is breathing life back into this amazing little island, and it will only get better.

Even on a couple of nights we took to stay up in Munduk, we found that tourists were trickling in there as well. We were so happy for our great friends at Adila Homestay, as they have been doing it tough, like everyone else here in Bali.

Fingers crossed that it continues!

Nusa Penida is crowded again

Prior to the pandemic, Nusa Penida had become one of the most popular places in Bali. The island became famous for its panoramic viewpoints, and Instagram got smashed with photos day after day. As a result, boat loads of tourists would flood the island, and line ups at some popular places stretched to over 2 hours, JUST to get a photo.

But is it still a contender as the best place to travel in 2022?

During the pandemic, we visited a couple of times, and had the island pretty much to ourselves. At the most popular points we could linger as long as we wished, and were able to actually enjoy it. Now, things are getting back to “normal” out there.

The Tourist crowds are returning to Nusa Penida
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This week we took a boat out to Nusa Penida for a snorkeling trip. We had an amazing time, and even saw one large Manta Ray swimming beneath us. While there were quite a few other boats getting around with tourists, and the fast boat out to Penida was full, it didn’t really strike me how many tourists there WERE until we sailed past Broken Beach.

The tourists above us at the popular spot were lined up, just like the old days. Dozens of them were trekking along the edge of the cliffs above, where we had found ourselves totally alone on our last visit. Even Angel’s Billabong has dozens of people hanging from the rocks taking photos and selfies.

The peaceful days are definitely gone. That won’t stop us from visiting one of the most beautiful islands in Indonesia though!

Travel Chaos

So, back to the subject at hand, and that is the travel chaos around the world.

Those that subscribe to my newsletter will already know how I feel about the travel issues plaguing the world right now. The pandemic is over, and everyone wants to travel. ALL AT ONCE.

This could be foreseen. I know during the pandemic, we discussed it on many occasions. People had been locked up for too long. Of course they were all going to want to travel when the doors were opened. It’s just common sense to expect that.

best place to travel in 2022 lost luggage
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The trouble is, the travel industry just wasn’t prepared.

Airlines are buckling under the strain. Pilots are not qualified anymore, and need time to get back up to speed. Planes are not serviceable, and need to pass tests before they can fly. Ground crews need to be hired to man airports, as most of the 2019 crews have moved onto other jobs.

It’s no wonder that airports are in chaos.

The good news is that it WILL get better. Things will sort themselves out. It’s too late for the northern summer however, but as winter approaches, and demand slows, the industry will recover. More and more staff, pilots and ground crews will be back on board, and by next year, I believe, things will be running at full throttle once more.

Hopefully this will also impact flight prices. The war in Ukraine will continue to put a stranglehold on fuel prices, but fingers crossed that everything else will combine to ease the pressure a little bit, and we can actually afford to travel again!

The best place to travel in 2022

So with all of this chaos going on, where IS the best place to travel in 2022?

You could Google it, and find out that the best place to travel in 2022 is Italy. Or Mexico. Or Barbados.

Seeing a theme?

Neither am I. You see, most of these lists are put together by someone with an agenda. Maybe they are getting kickbacks to promote that lion safari in Kenya. Or they will get a free berth on the ship they are promoting by saying that Antarctica is the best place to travel in 2022.

I mean, really?

Now, I won’t be a hypocrite and say too much, because I also get paid to promote travel. Well, to be truthful, I hardly make anything, but still, it is my job. (Hint – if anyone wants me to promote them, I am available).

The point is, how much can you trust these lists? Some of them are based on statistics. For example, I wrote an article of best places for Americans to travel, not long ago. It was totally based on statistics at the time. But when you are looking into the future, you really have to have a crystal ball, or back up your prediction with some good common sense reasons.

It is for that reason that I will give you MY best place to travel in 2022.

Ready for it?

South East Asia!

Ok, stop rolling your eyes. I know that I am based in Bali, and it was pretty predictable that I would say South East Asia, or Indonesia. But take this into account.

Bangkok airport is nearly empty
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  • I live here, so I know what I am talking about.
  • I am not sitting behind a keyboard in some boring office in a big city 5000 kilometers away.
  • I have only just got home from a trip right around South East Asia, and I actually have a reason that I believe it is the best place to travel in 2022

The reason?

There is no one else there!

The airports are empty! It’s like a ghost town out there. In Bangkok, I couldn’t believe that out of the 20 odd rows of check in counters, only one was open. In Kuala Lumpur, we did a self check in, dropped our bags, and 7 minutes later were at our gate. No line up at security. Nothing at immigration and customs. I actually thought we had take a wrong turn and somehow circumvented something.

But no. Things are just dead quiet.

So, instead of enduring the chaos of Europe, why not head to South East Asia. You will never get it like this again. Even at Angkor Wat, where there are normally thousands of tourists every day, we only had to endure a couple of hundred. And that was on a local public holiday!

So if you are looking for the best place to travel in 2022, then that is my prediction. I think the chaos in Europe and other major centers will continue for a while yet. Be like me, and head there at the end of the year instead. If you are already there, and can manage to get on a flight, then consider heading East. The beaches are amazing!

That’s a Wrap

Ok, so that is pretty much it for me and this edition of The Journey. I will see you all again in The Journey #15, probably in a few weeks. We don’t have too much planned except some blog work and local travel, but I will keep you all up to date on any wonderful sights we see, or new places we discover. In a place like Bali, we just keep finding them!

Till next time.

J

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