If you are dreaming of an vacation in Ireland while stuck in quarantine then now may be the best time to plan out and map out once in a lifetime trips to Ireland as Forbes has just named Ireland as the perfect destination to put on your bucket list.
As COVID-19 restrictions finally start to lift around the world, many people are now planning about the day when they can travel again. Whether it be a self drive vacation or a guided tour of Ireland, although your next vacation is realistically still some time away, now is the perfect time to think about where you want to go when life gets somewhat back to normal.
Forbes travel journalist Larry Olmsted has recommended that when we can travel again around the world, we should aim to “travel better than before.”
He suggests mapping out a multi-year travel plan to ensure everyone gets to see the places and do the things that are most important to you.
“Life is short enough without not knowing when the next shoe will drop. A lesson to be learned right now is that if there are things you want to do in your life, you should get a move on it,” he writes.
In an ongoing travel series for Forbes, Olmstead presents 30 best bucket list destinations to consider, one of which includes Ireland.
Ireland is on many travelers’ top dream destinations list for various reasons and many travel for the perfect Ireland honeymoon experience. Additionally for the estimated 80 million people around the world, many with Irish ancestral roots, many visitors to Ireland love to visit the homeland of their ancestors.
But even for those with no Irish roots, Ireland has a lot to offer, including welcoming friendly people, stunning scenery, the Wild Atlantic Way, beautiful castles and historic sites, vibrant culture and music especially in Galway, a great food scene, the best beers and whiskies, and some of the world’s best golfing destinations.
“Why Ireland? Because it is the land of 100,000 smiles and welcomes. Those who have visited find it the friendliest place on earth,” says Anne Scully, the president of luxury travel agency McCabe World Travel.
She adds: “To many American visitors it is their ancestral home, and the need to walk the land of their ancestors is so important to them. Ireland is also known for beautiful castles, fine hotels and welcoming B&Bs.”
There are so many attractions and cities to visit once you arrive in Ireland. Dublin, Ireland’s capital city is full of attractions like the Book of Kells at Trinity College, Kilmainham Gaol as well as the Guinness Storehouse.
And when traveling on the Wild Atlantic Way, the beautiful scenery of the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula should be on everyone’s travel list. Additionally Kinsale is the gourmet capital of Ireland and the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher in Clare should not be missed.
In Northern Ireland, a visit to the capital city of Belfast, the Titanic museum, Bushmill’s whiskey distillery, Game of Thrones sites such as the “Dark Hedges,” and the spectacular Giant’s Causeway are also popular with those visiting Ireland.
According to Scully: “All of Ireland is a land to experience slowly, enjoying and savoring the joy of its people, the great food of their land and sea, and the hospitality of their lodgings. One trip is never enough – Ireland is always calling you back for more!”