International

5 Places You Have To See In Your 20s

By , January 9th, 2015

There are a lot of great reasons to travel in your twenties: you’re young, and probably more energetic and adventurous than you will ever be in your life. You will look at new places with a unique eye, and the lessons you learn while traveling will stay with you for your entire life. Here are some of the most stunning places you need to see while you’re still in your twenties!

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires lights at night
Photo by Boris G

The capital city of Argentina is elegant, slightly dangerous and amazingly alive. While visitors of all ages can enjoy the city’s history and beauty, you will need massive amounts of youthful energy to fully experience the never-ending blur that is Buenos Aires’ nightlife. Whether it’s traditional tango or modern nightclubbing, the action lasts until well past the morning light here. A true Porteño (local) doesn’t eat dinner until well past ten and would never dream of arriving at the clubs before 2 or 3 am. You’ll need a place to catch some shut eye regardless, or at least take an afternoon nap.

Iceland

Hot springs in Iceland
Photo by Chris Connolly 

Iceland is like no other place on earth. Smoking volcanoes, black sand deserts and bubbling heat vents coexist alongside peaceful fields of wildflowers and vast glaciers. Visiting Iceland truly opens your eyes to how beautiful, violent and strange our natural world can be. Unfortunately, visiting is nowhere near cheap. However, as a young, virile twenty-something budget-traveler you can keep costs low by camping, eating gas station hot dogs and partying all night in Reykjavik. Iceland is one of the best places to travel solo as a woman as well!

The Thai Islands 

Visit Thailand's islands
Photo by Joan Campderrós-i-Canas 

Thailand is a mecca for travelers due to it’s perfect beaches, amazing food and very cheap prices. For the thousands of young people who stream in from all over the world, it is also the perfect playground to drink very cheap booze and dance on the beach all night. For most people there is a very finite window of time where drinking vodka and Thai Redbull out of a bucket seems like a smart idea, so pay a visit while the party scene still seems fun and not sad.

New York City

New York City party
Photo by Michael Semensohn

New York is without a doubt, a city for the young. Every year young and idealistic twenty-somethings migrate here to try their luck in the big city. You don’t have to move here to get a taste of the enormous vivacity of the city that never sleeps– although you might want to at some point!  There is so much to see and do here that you’ll find yourself walking until your feet ache, yet loving every minute of it.

Cambodia

Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Photo by Frederic Poirot 

When you’re young, it’s easy to develop rose-colored glasses about the world around you. Cambodia will rip those glasses right off. Don’t get me wrong: it’s an amazing place to visit, with bargain prices, beautiful beaches, and of course the immense and mysterious Angkor Wat. It is also a country that has endured immense suffering over the past 30 years. A visit to the Killing Fields will do wonders to open your eyes to some of the world’s worst problems. Visiting Cambodia is a great reminder that it’s important to go to the hard places too, not just the beautiful ones.

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