Julia Sotnykova | Global Travel

Much like her passion for skiing, Julia Sotnykova’s passion for world travel started at an early age. A small road trip to Seattle, Washington blossomed into life-long hobby, as Julia would seek out trips to destinations near and far. One of her favorite parts about traveling is experiencing new cultures.

Most recently, Julia Sotnykova traveled to Austria, England, and France. During this time, Julia realized how just how unique and beautiful each country is. Vienna is the capital of Austria, with a population of about 1.75 million. While in Austria, Julia set out to visit some of the major tourist attractions of the country. Julia was quick to visit Schonbrunn Palace – covering more than 120 acres, the palace is a World Cultural Heritage site and Austria’s most visited attraction. Schonbrunn remains one of the countries most important cultural and historical monuments.

Venetian Canal by Julia Sotnykova

While in England, Julia Sotnykova stayed primarily in London, taking in the incredible sites and learning about its rich history. London, the capital of England, is also the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom.

Julia was also fortunate enough to visit Paris, France, a trip she has looked forward to since she was a young girl dreaming of the exploring the farthest corners of the world. Paris, the capital of France, is located in the north of the country, is France’s most populous city, and lies on the Seine River.

Lest you think she’s a European-phile, Julia has also spent an extensive amount of time exploring her home continent of North America, from Quebec, to Colorado, Washington D.C. and New York.

Julia hopes to travel to all seven continents (yes, even Antarctica), though she still needs to visit South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Below is a list of places that she would like to visit in each continent (this will inevitably be updated.

Africa: Africa is an amazing land home to so many varieties of peoples, cultures, and nature. A lot of Julia’s work focuses on animals and nature, she would love the opportunity to experience what Africa has to offer firsthand. Given her experience with the French language, Julia would be very interested in going go Senegal, Burkina Faso, an Mali. In terms of specific sites, Julia would love to walk through the Ngorongoro Crater, spend some time journeying down the Nile River, and observe what life is like in the Great Sahara Desert.

Asia: The sense of history of this continent brings Julia such a sense of awe. When she was little, Julia recalls seeing pictures of great temples nestled in forests and perched on mountaintops. Asia is another continent filled with so much diverse beauty. Julia’s had the pleasure of visiting Japan, but there are so many other countries that she hopes to visit. It’s hard to pick out a few countries, but on her bucket list are China, Indonesia, Jordan, and Veitnam. Particular sites to visit include Angkor Wat temple, the Taj Mahal palace, the ancient city of Petra, and Palawan island.

High Street in Japan by Julia Sotnykova

Australia: Australia is one of the most wondrous and intimidating of continents to visit. A ring of inhabited greenery surrounding a core of less explored vastness. Any trip to Australia would hopefully be met with a trip to New Zealand as well. But where can one find the time?  The Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, and Kakadu National Park are a few spots that make for must sees.

South America: Spanish is not a language in Julia’s arsenal, but that can’t keep her from wanting to explore the densest reaches of South America. Machu Pichu, Iguazu Falls, the Galapgos Islands, and the Amazon Rainforest are all on Julia’s bucket-list.

Antarctica: This will probably be the last continent that Julia ends up exploring, but it shouldn’t be dismissed any less. Antarctica is a land of beauty all to its own. It’s often billed as “the last true wilderness,” and despite how true that statement is, one thing that’s for certain is that there is a lot of untouched Antarctic land and but a handful of people who can attest to visiting it.

Check-out Julia’s blog for more info on her travels.