Every year, I like to set myself a little list of travel goals. There are so many countries I want to go to, but I like lists and I find it fun at the end of each year to make a list of the places that are particularly on my mind for the coming one. I might not manage to actually get to them all – I only did two of my four wishlist destinations in 2016 – but when I don’t have any trips planned in it makes me feel better to at least put some ideas down and consider how my year in travel might look. So, here are the places I’d love to visit in 2017.

Cuba

I’ve had Cuba on my must-visit list for a few years – the bright colours and retro colours of Havana have always caught my attention, and I love the idea of being in a place that is seemingly frozen in time. Cuba has been on the tourist radar for several years already and will certainly have suffered some of the negative imacts of that, and with the USA relaxing their travel restrictions the country could soon be swarming with even more visitors. I’d really love to go before that happens. My ideal trip would be a few days in Havana, a stay in Trinidad and a visit to the tobacco fields in Viñales, mixed with some beach time and scuba diving on the coast.

Prague

I can’t believe I’ve never been to Prague. Every time I see photos of it I see photos of things I love – beautiful old architecture, river scenery, spooky Gothic spires – and yet I’ve never managed to go. Having never been to Eastern Europe previously, I’ve visited Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia in the past two years and been blown away by all three, leaving me even more convinced that Prague has to be on my list for 2017. There are so many cheap flights from Leeds and Manchester that there’s really no reason not to skip off for a long weekend.

Scandinavia

Last year my travel wishlist included the Northern Lights – I didn’t get to see them and my desire to do so has not weakened, but my interest has spread to the whole of Scandinavia. It’s an area of the world that I’ve never known much about, but this year I’ve seen loads of people tweeeting and Instagramming about Oslo and Copenhagen and they both look beautiful. I’d also love to see the fjords of Norway, or visit in winter for snow and toboggan rides.

Dubrovnik

I went to Croatia for the first time in summer 2015, on a girls’ holiday to Zadar, and have been wanting to go back ever since. Dubrovnik looks so beautiful and I always warm to cities that are by the sea; it somehow makes them feel more relaxed and means you can hit the beach if you want a break from sightseeing. I’d love to spend a few days walking the city walls, sailing around the nearby islands and eating all the delicious Croatian food I could get my hands on. I’d definitely seek out a Game of Thrones tour too – everyone’s allowed an embarrassingly touristy activity every once in a while, right?

Montenegro

Montenegro was first mentioned amongst my friends and I when we were brainstorming a girls’ holiday destination last year. We found that flights were extremely scarce and ended up in Zadar instead, but the Montenegro idea got filed away for future use and I’m keen to make it happen in 2017! Conveniently we’d probably fly into Dubrovnik and spend a few days there before hiring a car to drive into Montenegro, so I might be able to tick off two of my wishlist items in one trip!

What’s in your travel plans for 2017? Tell me in the comments!