Jan 28

Jan 28 ELAN GALE'S 7 PLACES TO GO BEFORE YOU DIE

AS A PRODUCER ON THE HIT SHOW THE BACHELOR AS WELL AS BEING AN INTERNET PERSONALITY, SERIOUS WORLD TRAVELER, CONSUMMATE FOODIE AND ALL AROUND STRANGE PERSON (HIS WORDS, NOT MINE), ELAN GALE WAS THE FIRST PERSON I TURNED TO WHEN I WAS HIT WITH A SERIOUS CASE OF WANDERLUST. ON THE BACHELOR HE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND TIME IN SOME OF THE MOST EXOTIC AND BEAUTIFUL PLACES ON EARTH, AND IN HIS DOWNTIME HE VISITS SOME OF THE MOST FAR-REACHING LOCATIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE ("TO EAT AND SATE HIS CALORIE LUST"). I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD SHARE WITH US HIS 7 MOST FAVORITE PLACES ON THE PLANET (OR THE 7 PLACES TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DEFINITELY DIE) AND HE HAPPILY OBLIGED WITH A LIST THAT TRULY COVERS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF SPECTACULAR TERRITORY.

1. SAYULITA, MEXICO

Here’s a list of three things that make life worth living: hot sun, beautiful beaches, and some of the best tacos in the world. Sayulita has become one of the hottest destinations in Mexico. It’s a short drive from Puerto Vallarta, but once you’re there, you can feel utterly secluded. If there’s a room available, you’ll want to stay at Playa Escondida, which is home to some of the most pristine beach property I’ve ever seen. The rooms are open air and in June, the crab migration is one of the coolest things to experience for yourself. The town of Sayulita is great with jewelry shops, restaurants and bars, but I just want to sit on the beach and watch some of the longest and most dramatic sunsets on Earth.

2. ANGUILLA

Anguilla is sometimes forgotten when listing off places to visit in the Caribbean, and for that I am thankful, because you can still go there and it feels untouched. You take a plane to St. Maarten and then take a boat over the border. When you land, have some goat stew and conch fritters. And sell your house if you have to in order to book a week at the Ani Villas. Tennis, hot tubs and a ten minute walk to some of the most beautiful white sand beaches you have ever seen. There's no water on earth as clear and beautiful as this.

3. ST. LUCIA

This is where I will spend my honeymoon if I ever convince someone to marry me. The food is spectacular, the fishing is amazing and the hikes are some of the most majestic in the world. The Piton mountains are a sight you need to see before you die, like the pyramids, but better. And Sugar Beach is the only hotel that is directly between the two mountains, giving you the best possible view of what the island has to offer. I once spent a week here and never wanted to leave. In fact, I want to go back right now.

4. TOKYO, JAPAN

Tokyo has everything, so I’ll keep it short. Shop in Ginza. Eat Ramen at Rokurinsha in Tokyo Station. Try to eat sushi at Yoshitake (if you can get a table.) Go to the robot restaurant (but don’t eat there), and stop at every Izakaya you see for a chicken thigh and spring onion yakitori. Literally everything there is good. My first trip to Tokyo was three weeks long and I still feel like I hadn’t seen nearly enough of it. For tranquility and hospitality, stay at the Aman Tokyo. It’s attached to a subway station so in mere minutes, you can be anywhere in the city, but in your room you’ll feel like there’s no one around for miles.

5. HAKONE, JAPAN

Hakone, Japan is the opposite of Tokyo in some ways. There is very little to do, and that is perfect. The Hakone Open-Air Museum in one of those things you have to see to believe, and it’s likely you’ve never heard of it. The sculpture garden has over 1000 major works, and there is a collection of Picassos you’ve never seen before. Down the street you’ll find Goro Kadan, which is possibly the most beautiful and luxurious Ryokan in the world. The kaiseki meals are incomparable and the service is impeccable. Spend your days in a robe or in the onsen (hot springs) and you’ll never want to go home again.

6. MIYAJIMA ISLAND

Okay you can probably tell I’m a little obsessed with Japan. But before you leave, you need to head west and take the Shinkansen train to Hiroshima, and then hop a ferry to take you to Miyajima Island, where you'll find the most beautiful shrines, an amazing cable car ride to the top of the island with 360 views of all the beauty around you, spend the day strolling with the hundreds and hundreds of wild deer that you can feed out of your hands, eat some fire grilled oysters, and eventually settle in at Iwaso to sleep on a traditional tatami mat and wake up to the changing tides that make Momijidani so iconic.

7. URUBAMBA, PERU

Everyone goes to Peru to see Cuzco and Macchu Picchu, and those are amazing and wonderful places, but to me, there is no place in Peru as beautiful as Urubamba. Stop on the side of the road and eat cuy (guinea pig), have amazing ceviche (pretty much anywhere), drink traditional chicha (a corn based drink), walk through the unbelievable salt mines, and find a home at Sol Y Luna, where you can eat a fantastic dinner of alpaca, get a massage from heaven, and wake up just minutes from Ollantaytambo, a place you must see on your way to Macchu Picchu.