Ever since I’ve studied abroad, my experience has been on my mind 24/7. From January to March, I was in Florence, Italy, and as much as I loved Florence as a relaxing home base, I traveled a lot—like a new place every weekend. If you’re like me and also love traveling, sometimes it can become overwhelming deciding which places to go to. Look no further by reading about my top 3 countries that you should visit when you’re abroad or planning your next trip.
3. Portugal
Starting with third place is Portugal, while it did rain a lot of the time I was there that weekend, it was still such a beautiful country and I would 100% go back to see Portugal during its sunny days.
Places to see
- Miradouro da Senhora do Monte – Viewpoint with restaurants along the street.
- Miradouro Sophia De Mello Breyner Andresen – Highest Viewpoint in all of Lisbon.
- Castelo de São Jorge
- Cathedral of Lisbon
- Santuario Nacional do Cristo Rei
food
- Breakfast Lovers – Alfama & Fauna and Flora – So many cute breakfast places like these are scattered throughout the city.
- Manteigaria – Has the famous Portuguese custard tarts called Pastel de Nata. A must try with cinnamon!!
- Timeout Market – This indoor food court offers a variety of different food cuisines, perfect for groups that can’t make up their mind on what type of food they should eat.
Things to Do
- Tuk-Tuk Tour – Check out this sweet lady (@lisbontuk4u on Instagram) and tell her that I recommended you.
- Sunset Boat Party Cruise with DJ and Open Bar – Check out activities on GetYourGuide
- Lisbon Pub Crawl throughout Bairro Alto District – Also from GetYourGuide, and a great price for a bar crawl, if not you should still check out the Bairro Alto District or Pink Street for the best bars.
- K Urban Beach Nightclub
why i ranked portugal as 3rd place
I ranked Portugal as 3rd mainly because of the weather, the weekend I went was one of the only weekends that it ever rains in Lisbon. Because of this, my friends and I had to deliver a lot of our meals to our Airbnb through Glovo (Lisbon’s version of DoorDash, and the main food delivery app there). We also had to use Bolt (an app similar to Uber however offered at a significantly cheaper price throughout Lisbon) to get around because of how rainy and windy it was.
Despite dealing with bipolar weather, I still got to see a lot of the beauty of this city and I truly loved Portugal. It was a great break from my home base – but these next two places outshone all my other travels abroad.
2. Switzerland
My second favorite place was Switzerland, now I may have a personal bias towards this country because my mom was born and raised in Switzerland. This also makes me fortunate enough to visit my mom’s family in Switzerland every other summer, preparing me to know what to do and see when going there this time with my friends.
places to see
- Interlaken
- Bern
- Lake Thun
- Grindelwald
- Lauterbrunnen
food
- Bebbis Interlaken – The best place to try fondue for the first time and a fun experience since the owner brings the restaurant to life.
- Swiss Chocolate – Probably the best type of chocolate to exist (sorry for the bias again) but don’t get scammed by overpriced Swiss chocolatiers, instead buy Swiss chocolate in grocery stores such as Migros and Coop.
- Side Note – My favorite Swiss chocolates are anything by Frey or Callier, and Ragusa or Torino bars.
Things to Do
- City hop throughout Switzerland – The public transportation, like most places in Europe, is amazing, and since it’s a small country you can cover most of it by taking the train to different destinations.
- Paragliding or Skydiving – I went Paragliding with Twin Paragliding and it was the most insane adrenaline rush but I would 100% do it again (if my wallet would let me).
- Skiing or Snowboarding – It’s not any day you can ski or snowboard on the Swiss Alps, so if you already know the basics, I would recommend you to hit some of these slopes.
Why i ranked switzerland as 2nd place
Switzerland will always be close to my heart as my mom’s family still all lives there and being Swiss is part of my identity. However, there was a major con which is Switzerland being ranked as the #1 most expensive country in the world.
Although it’s pretty expensive and I also lost a lot of money spending it on chocolates, I was able to visit my grandparents and a few of my other family members and visiting them in their small village made the trip even more meaningful. Switzerland will forever be a part of who I am, but when considering the trips I did only while studying abroad, there was one major standout that I will always remember and resonate with my experience abroad.
1. Morocco
Crazy to say it, but even as a developing country, Morocco was truly the best trip I took while studying abroad. Although my parents were initially concerned about me traveling to Morocco with only four other girls, we ended up going with around 40 other study-abroad students through a program by Bus2Alps. While this program didn’t include flight costs, it included hostel accommodations, transportation to and from the airport, and optional day activities with the whole group which overall made my experience a lot better as I felt more comfortable there.
Places to see
- Jardin de Secret
- Explore the Medina (Old Town) – Start at Jemaa el-Fnaa square and traverse the Medina and its narrow alleyways filled with shop and their bright and vibrant colorful items.
- Kutubiyya Mosque – The highest tower in all of Marrakech, pointing towards the Sacred Mosque in Saudi Arabia.
food
- Azar Restaurant – My favorite restaurant I went to while in Morocco, they had performances featuring traditional Moroccan music and belly dancers.
- Chicken Tagine & Couscous
- Mint Tea – As you go on different tours, you’ll probably be given mint tea and it’s so fun to watch how people brew mint tea.
- Edible Argan Oil – Along with mint tea, you’ll most likely be offered edible argan oil with bread and an assortment of other spreads such as butter, olive oil, and other nut butters.
things to do
- Camel Riding
- Shopping for Moroccan Oils – Check out all of the different oils produced in Morocco, just make sure to check on reviews on the stores to make sure you’re not being overcharged.
- Hamman’s Bath and Spa – A bonding experience, to say the least, I still recommend doing it with your friends.
- Camel Riding and ATV Tour with Get Your Guide – This Get Your Guide had a full day of activities and for a good price compared to the prices offered for the extra activities in my program.
- Hike in Ourika Valley – This was included in my Bus2Alps program, and even though the hike was steep in some parts, it led to a beautiful view, and our tour guide was the sweetest old man ever.
Why Morocco is ranked as 1st
I could go on and on about my getaway in Morocco and how astonishing it was, because it’s unlike any Western country I’m used to. My expectations were completely blown away (in a good way), and I loved figuring out how to navigate through the Medina with my friends to find our hostel. In addition to this, the people in Morocco were probably the friendliest I met while traveling from country to country.
Lastly, the people really make the trip. After my freshman year, I didn’t think I would find any new best friends during my college years, yet I met four amazing girls from UCLA and UCI, and going on this trip with them strengthened our bond even more.
one last note
As I reflect on all these recommendations of places to see, food to eat, and things to do, every country has its pros and cons. However, these three countries will always hold a special place in my heart, making my study abroad experience even more memorable.