January is a time for making new resolutions – and even more importantly, planning out your
precious vacation days. This time though, why not forego the recycled hits of every year, visiting
Rome for The Colosseum or Paris for its Eiffel Tower, for hidden gems or extraordinary experiences?
Luckily, GLOSS is ready with its top 7 picks of must-visits to help you make the most of your free
time this year.
Countryside Charms
China’s Sichuan is best known for its Tibetan
villages, multi-level waterfalls, colourful lakes that
let you see straight to the bottom, and its cuisine
– widely known throughout China for being spicy,
hot, fresh and fragrant.
Lots of interesting and unusual sights also await
tourists in Sichuan from a 233-foot tall Buddha
(Da Fo) carved in a mountainside to the 36-peak
Mount Qingcheng, considered to be one of the
birthplaces of Taoism.
Other must-see spots include the Giant Panda
Breeding Research Base in Xiongmao Jidi and the
Jiuzhaigou Natural Reserve which is a network of
valleys. For historical hot spots, check out Jinli
Pedestrian Street and the museum Du Fu Cottage.
Bang For Your Buck
Barcelona is a great choice if you are looking for
a wallet-friendly stay in Europe. This Catalonian
city offers some of the best museums in the world
– Museu Picasso anyone? – and endless sightseeing
opportunities.
Its street life and architecture are irresistible and
any tourist worth their salt will want as expansive
a view as possible. So ditch the cable car ride across
the harbour if you are looking to save cash and
instead head over to El Turó de la Rovira, a civil
war gun emplacement on a hill near Park Güell –
free to climb. At the top, you can look out across
the city to the sea, up the coast towards France and
back to the Pyrenees.
The city is also known for its vibrant street art
scene as well, so sign up for a walking Barcelona
Street Style Tour – also free but you will be asked
to donate – for a gander at some of the city’s most
popular as well as hidden street art. You can learn
all about the emergence of the street art and graffiti
movement.
Besides this, Barcelona is also home to stylish stays,
an abundance of green spaces, alfresco cinemas,
famed beaches as well as food trends described
as “sweeping through Barcelona faster than a
pickpocket down the Ramblas.”