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Looking for unique travel gifts for family, friends or even yourself? Finding an unusual or quirky travel gift can be a challenge but we’re here to help!

We’ve traveled the globe together for over fifteen years now, and in that time we’ve had a chance to find some unusual gifts for travelers that they will actually want! How do we know? We own or have used pretty much every single thing on this list.

There’s something for everyone here, from unique travel gifts for her or him, to special travel gifts for friends going traveling.

Unique Travel Gifts

Here they are: our list of 40 unique travel gifts! There are gifts here that range from less than ten dollars and up, and they’re all aimed to make the traveler in your life happy.

Travel Experience with Tinggly

What most travelers want above all is an amazing and unique travel experience. So a gift of one-of-a-kind experiences and bucket list adventures is a perfect fit.

A tinggly gift is a unique voucher that lets the recipient choose an activity from over 350 experiences in over 100 countries around the world.

There’s everything from hot air balloon rides to champagne cruises to whale watching and even hotel stays from which to choose.

You choose the Tinggly voucher to give, and the recipient picks an experience (or experiences!) from hundreds of activities worldwide. They have five years to choose their experiences.

You can choose to give a physical Tinggly gift box, or an e-voucher.

It also makes a great last minute gift! You can get an e-voucher any time of the day (and even on Christmas morning, if you’re procrastinating that much!).

You can find out more here –> https://www.tinggly.com/collections/merry-christmas-gift-box

WiFi hotspot

Our international WiFi hotspot has pretty quickly become one of our must have travel gadgets.

Right now, we’re using the Skyroam Solis WiFi hotspot, which gives us unlimited WiFi wherever we travel in the world.

We’ve also used the similar Tep WiFi hotspot, and liked it as well (see our review of the Tep here).

As a traveling family, we love the WiFi hotspot, because it lets us connect up to five devices at a time. You can rent the Solis for about $9 USD a day while you travel, or do like us and buy a device and get either a monthly, no contract Go Data plan or activate it for 24 hours at a time anywhere in the world.

Our personal review of the Solis is coming in the next week, we promise!

Find out more about the Skyroam Solis here.

Packing cubes

You can never have enough packing cubes! Actually, you can, however you likely need more.

Socks and underwear in one, spare shoes in another. One for pants, another for shirts and a final one for dresses or ties depending on what you’re bringing.

Also, never hurts to have a dedicated packing cube for electronics if  you carry more than what your purse or backpack can handle. Don’t forget you also need something for your dirty clothes to come back in.

Sound like too many? That isn’t even factoring in kids, pets, winter travel or makeup and medications. Still on the fence? Just get more.

We use these eBags ultralight packing cubes, which are lightweight, compress well and the mesh also lets us easily see what’s inside.

See prices and details on Amazon now.

Travel Insurance

Safety is sexy! Well, not really, but it can be a large cost in any travel plan. Every traveler needs travel insurance, but it’s pretty shocking that a lot of people travel without it. It may be practical, but travel insurance is also an unusual and unexpected gift for travel lovers.

World Nomads has coverage for everyone from backpackers to families, and they cover nearly every country on the planet. Surprise someone with their own travel protection and if something bad does happen, know that they’ll be thanking you for years and years.

Get a quote here.

TSA-compliant clear toiletry bag for air travel

Seeing what’s in your toiletry bag quickly can save major frustration every morning and even when passing through security.

We wrote a post dedicated solely to the best toiletry bags but if you’re in a rush, just grab the bag below and you’ll instantly be better off than nearly every other traveler out there.

Unfortunately, TSA-compliant toiletry bags are necessarily small (a quart or litre), so it probably won’t hold all of your gear. What a lot of people do is take a quart size TSA compliant clear toiletry bag, and use it to store their liquids. They store other (non-liquid) toiletries and accessories, like hair brushes and tweezers, in another bag.

What does TSA compliant mean? This means that the bag is compliant with the TSA’s 3-1-1 liquids rule, meaning that it’s a quart or litre in size, resealable, and clear. According to the TSA’s liquids rule, “You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes through the checkpoint. These are limited to 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. This is also known as the 3-1-1 liquids rule.” Any liquids over 3.4 ounces need to be carried in checked baggage.

Here’s our choice for a TSA-compliant clear toiletry bag: the YAMIU toiletry bag. It’s a quart sized, clear, waterproof, and resealable bag that’s TSA compliant with the 3-1-1 toiletries rule. This is a two-pack that comes with two sizes for your wet and for your dry.

See prices and more details here.

GoToob travel toiletry containers for clear liquid

Leaving for a weekend, but need your favorite shampoo and conditioner? Want to have some sunscreen for your week in the sun, but the only container you have is well over the 100 ml limit that the nice airport people will instantly confiscate?

Well, you could just buy shampoo there, but likely they don’t have what you need and even if they do, it’s likely you’re going to pay a heck of a convenience charge. Grab some easy to fill GoToob travel toiletry containers (see our GoToob review here) and don’t look back. They’re cute, come in a variety of sizes, refill and clean easily and they don’t leak which is probably the best reason to travel with them.

See prices and more details here.

Photo backup

Great travel memories start with great pictures. What better way to preserve them than to securely store them online in the cloud?

Amazon Prime comes with unlimited free picture and video storage. It also includes free music and a subscription to Amazon Prime Video. Oh yeah, someone said Amazon Prime even includes free shipping. Just kidding, that was the original use case for Amazon Prime but with so many goodies included with Amazon Prime these days, to us it’s only a bonus.

Check out Amazon Prime here.

Audio books

What’s better than reading a book while traveling? Listening to one! We’re huge fans of Audible and have a decent library of things we’ve listened to ourselves and as a family during our epic road trips.

You can get an Audible subscription here and of you’re still not convinced, check out our list of the best audiobooks for road trips. You can get them all on Audible.

Check out Audible here.

Portable hard drive

Not convinced about online backups, or maybe just traveling to some remote destinations and need more space than your phone or expensive DSLR camera can handle?

Don’t worry, with this Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro Portable External Hard Drive you don’t even need a computer.

Wirelessly connect it via WiFi to your phone or tablet or grab your camera’s SD card and backup those files quickly so you can keep on taking more photos! Available in a variety of sizes, you can choose the perfect size for yourself.

See prices and details here.

Yoga paws

Love yoga, but don’t want to take a bulky yoga mat when you travel? We feel you. I take my yoga mat on every road trip, but it’s just too big to take with us in our carry-on, where space is limited.

Enter Yoga Paws, which are slip on yoga gloves and non-slip toeless socks that are supposed to literally become a wearable, lightweight, yoga mat.

Full disclosure here: We haven’t tried Yoga paws yet, but they get good ratings and it’s such a quirky travel gift idea we had to include them.

See Yoga Paws prices and more now.

French press travel mug

Love coffee? Love to travel? Then a french press travel mug may be a great gift.

This Espro travel stainless steel french press is attractive, lightweight, and makes a mean cup of coffee. All you need is a few grounds and some hot water so it works on the road or even while camping.

Not a coffee drinker? Get the tea filter instead.

See more about the Espro here.

Kindle with free cellular connection

As airlines get stricter with baggage limits, the luxury of carrying a slew of physical books is starting to disappear.

Instead, we’ve started to travel with ebook readers almost exclusively. You can literally fit hundreds of books on an e-reader, which is enough for even the most dedicated bookworm.

If you want to be really popular, get your travel lover a Kindle with both Wi-Fi and free cellular connectivity like the new waterproof Kindle Paperwhite or the more expensive Kindle Oasis.

A Kindle with built in Wi-Fi + free cellular connectivity uses the same wireless signals that cell phones use. However, there’s no monthly fees or commitments: Amazon pays for the cellular connectivity and it lets you grab your ebooks on the go quickly and easily.

See the Kindle Paperwhite here (be sure to select the Wi-Fi + free cellular connectivity option).

Collapsible straw

This folding, collapsible stainless steel drinking straw is a fantastic choice for travelers who want to reduce single use plastics such as plastic straws.

It comes with a cleaning squeegee and a carrying case. Plus, it’s BPA free, and made with food grade silicone and quality stainless steel, so it won’t rust.

See prices and more on here.

Collapsible travel bottle

I’m all about reducing the amount of plastic we use, but it can be hard to avoid plastic water bottles when we travel.

We’ve tried carting around full size refillable water bottles on our travels, but they take up a lot of space, especially for a family of four.

A collapsible water bottle like this one from Nomader is a great solution.

It’s BPA free, with a silicone body, fits 22 oz, is dishwasher safe, and has a leak free twisting cap.

See prices and reviews here.

Video on the go with the Amazon fire stick

We’ve been traveling with an Amazon Fire Stick for a few years now and love it.

At just a few ounces, this portable Android device plugs directly into the HDMI slot on nearly any TV and, coupled with WiFi, allows you to stream Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube and nearly any Android video source directly to the TV. Sure, nearly everyone owns a Smart TV at home these days but when you’re on the road, most hotels, hostels and nearly any place that has a TV is still pretty basic. The Fire Stick takes it to the next level and even lets you play a few games with the tiny remote.

See prices and more on Amazon.

Waterproof Bluetooth speaker

With four of us on the go, listening to music is usually a headphone moment in our family.

That said, when we all want to jam out together, our go to device is our baby blue Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker. This thing puts out amazing bass for its size, it floats, is waterproof up to a meter and comes with us whether we’re jumping in the pool, relaxing in the hot tub or soaking in the sun on the beach.

See details on Amazon.com.

Canadians – grab yours at Best Buy Canada.

Wireless Noise Cancelling headphones

We’ve owned four different Bluetooth headphones in the past two years, and I have to say the only one that ever gets thrown in our bag anymore is our silver Bose QuietComfort 35 II Over-Ear Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones. What makes these headphones truly shine is their active noise cancelling ability. Stuck on a plane with a noisy neighbor? These over the ear headphones will drown out anything and sound good to boot.

Get them on Amazon.com.

Canadians – see prices and more on Best Buy Canada!

Print on the go with the HP Sprocket Photo Printer

We received our portable photo printer as a gift, and thought “who would actually use that?”, but the truth is we actually use it!

The tiny HP Sprocket Photo Printer is about the size of a cellphone, but prints out incredibly cute 2 x 3 inch full-color pictures. Our daughter is in love with it, and has cataloged a nice collection of mini prints.

If you ever loved the idea of traveling with a Polaroid camera, who’ll definitely appreciate this device. Especially since you can edit the pics right there on the spot before you print it.

See it on Amazon.

Canadians! See it on Best Buy Canada.

Tile device tracker

If your gift receiver loses their keys or devices regularly then the Tile Mate Bluetooth tracker might be a great gift for them. These little plastic electronic tiles get placed into bags, put on key chains, attached to phones, etc. and when you need to find them just run the app. Working up to 200 feet away and with community searching if the item gets lost, there is hope for them. It may be one of the more unique travel items we’ve seen, but it’s also one of the most practical.

See it on Amazon.

Get it on Best Buy Canada.

Petzl Tikka headlamp

One of our longest used travel devices that has a permanent spot in our day pack wherever we travel to is our Petzl Tikka Headlamp. We use it a lot over our cell phone flashlight, because the headlamp means that we can have our hands free.

Going on 15 years, it still works just as well as the day we bought it. We’ve studied nesting penguins with its red light mode down in Australia, witnessed a giant leather-back sea turtle lay its eggs on the beach in Costa Rica, and we’ve searched for crabs on the beaches in the Philippines more nights than I care to remember (our then 2 year old son was fascinated by them).

We also love it for camping and even use it around the house all the time for renovations, electrical work and even just doing yard work after the sun has set. The model has changed a bit over the years, but the Petzl quality is still there today.

See prices and more now.

Travel games

If you have kids, or just enjoy playing games on the go, then nothing beats a pack of playing cards for versatility. That said, dedicated card games like UNO and Skip-Bo are great as well. Our daughter adores UNO and we often have a UNO deck wherever we go.

These days, we also carry a game called OK Play by Big Potato Games. It’s kind of like Connect 4 with tiles but for 4 people. It’s fun as is, however we’ve created our own gameplay that involves stacking and jumping that the kids love.

See UNO prices and more here.

Travel jacket with pockets

I’ve worn my women’s Chloe Glow SCOTTeVEST travel jacket for a couple of years now, and still love it.

It’s made of a smooth cotton/poly/spandex blend, and has 15 hidden pockets, with plenty of room for passports, electronics, and more. The only downside is that it’s a fairly warm jacket, so it’s only good for climates where it gets cooler than about 18 degrees Celsius or 65 Fahrenheit. Warmer than that, and it’s uncomfortably hot.

See our review of the SCOTTeVEST women’s jacket here.

See the women’s Chloe Glow jacket on Amazon.

Charles has the men’s microfleece hoodie from SCOTTeVEST, and while he likes it, he finds it a bit casual for his taste. The fleece means that it’s a little less polished looking than the smooth finished jacket, and his size medium has a bit of a gap at the waist (Charles is fairly slim). That said, it has a whopping 21 pockets.

See prices and details for the fleece men’s SCOTTeVEST jacket.

If you’re looking for a more polished men’s travel jacket with a lot of pockets, we’d start with the less casual men’s cotton blend jacket, with 25 pockets, instead.

See more on the men’s cotton blend SCOTTeVEST jacket.

Hidden pocket cardigan

To be honest, I wear this around the house too, but this hidden pocket cardigan from SCOTTeVEST is great for holding small amounts of cash or credit cards.

Unfortunately, the zippered pockets aren’t big enough for a passport, but it’s great for a casual walk around town when you don’t want to carry a backpack or purse.

The fabric is quite sheer, so it’s perfect as a light cover-up in warmer weather.

Find out more here now.

Bra stash

We love this cute, discreet little bra stash from Pacsafe.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t hold a lot, but you can easily fit in a credit card and some spare cash, and a single passport, and it’s one of the more unique travel gifts for her we’ve seen.

Check out our other alternatives to hidden money belts here for more ideas for keeping your belongings safe and secure when you travel.

See more and get prices here.

Travel money belt

Okay, let’s admit it. Traditional money belts can be pretty geeky.

Luckily, Stashbandz has an alternative that’s a more attractive choice for both men and women.

There are two pockets in front, plus two behind, with plenty of room for money, cards, passports and more.

See prices and more here.

Minimalist travel wallet

If you’re looking for something to put in a money belt, this slim travel wallet is a great choice.

There’s enough room for credit cards and some cash (though your passport won’t fit), but it’s great for fitting neatly in a small pocket or hidden in your money belt.

Even better, this wallet from Corkor is made of vegan material, and comes in several stylish options.

See prices and colors here.

Travel Underwear

Like everyone, we have multiple articles of clothing that we refuse to travel without.

For Charles, one is a pair of ExOfficio Give and Go Boxer Briefs for men. Super comfortable and high quality, dries in under 2 hours and doesn’t hold any odors. Ask anyone, Exofficio make great travel boxers.

Click to see prices for the men’s ExOfficio boxers here.Micki swears by her ExOfficio Women’s Give-N-Go bikinis. They’re quick drying, comfortable, and look good.

See the women’s ExOfficio give-n-go bikini here.

Personal item backpack

These days, we travel carry on only (for the most part), so we’ve learned to maximize the amount of stuff we can carry on an airplane.

In addition to your carry on bag, most airlines will let you also carry a personal item as well like a purse, laptop bag, or smaller backpack, free of charge.

This can give you a nice bit of extra storage space on top of your carry on baggage limit.

We really like the little Standard luggage Co. daily work backpack as a personal item. It’s stylish, and small at only 2.2 pounds and 17′ x 11′ x 6′ (45 x 28 x 15 cm). It has a lot of little bonuses, like an integrated USB port and lockable zips. Plus, it works well as a day bag.

See prices and more here.

Elastic clothesline

An awful lot of people love this affordable travel clothesline.

It’s elastic, packs away neatly, and even has built in clothespins. Love it!

See prices and details now.

Portable wash bag

Hate scrubbing out your skivvies in the bathroom sink but don’t have time to take them to a laundromat while on vacation? This portable wash bag from Scrubba may be for you.

Just add water, soap, and your clothes, rub a little, and the Scrubba’s internal washboard scrubs your clothes clean.

There are a few limits though: it doesn’t hold a lot, so forget about scrubbing a family’s worth of laundry, or even a heavy pair of pants. Plus, we think it’s a little on the expensive side.

That said, this is a pretty cool gadget.

Make sure you get the new version with the twist valve – it apparently solves some issues the older versions had.

See Scrubba prices and more now.

Travel hammock

For us, a travel hammock is one of those items that sounds amazing in theory, but that we’ve never used as we travel.

That said, this would make an amazing gift for the traveler who spends a lot of time outdoors, and who loves to relax by hanging out in a hammock.

The Active Roots travel hammock is developed in partnership with fellow blogger, adventurer and explorer Will Hatton from The Broke Backpacker, so it’s a great choice.

See prices and details now.

Compression Socks

OK, so compression socks are probably the least sexy item on this list.

That said, blood clots (aka deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms) aren’t especially sexy either.

Surprisingly, blood clots from flying are fairly common, and they affect more than just older travelers. Check out this story from blogger Sherry Ott.

Compression socks are said to help travelers prevent blood clots from flying by increasing circulation in the legs.

You can even pick up some pretty cute versions, like these.

See prices and sizes here.

Lonely Planet’s A Spotter’s Guide to Toilets

It’s not talked about a lot, but toilets become a pretty important topic when you travel.

We’ve seen some that are pretty nasty, some that look like they’re works of art, and lot that are just plain quirky. We can pretty much guarantee this is one of the most unique gifts for travel lovers you’ll find.

See more here.

The Food Traveler’s Handbook

Written by fellow travel blogger, Jodi Ettenberg, The Food Traveler’s Handbook is a fantastic guide for traveling foodies.

There’s great information here on safely navigating street food (think hot, busy, and fresh), as well as great tips for those on special diets.

Highly recommended.

Get it on Kindle or as a paperback here.

Carry on backpack

Admittedly, a backpack is a more practical travel gift, but a good carry on backpack is always a fantastic choice for travelers.

That said, we’ve chosen the best travel backpack for carry-on from an independent retailer that’s a little more stylish and roomy than the usual choice.

The Tortuga Setout travel backpack lets you can carry a surprisingly large amount of stuff in a backpack that packs like a suitcase and carries like a backpack.

It’s a great choice for Europe, where you’ll want a pack that’s stylish, but holds a lot for its size.

The Setout is 22″ x 14″ x 9″, so it’s small enough to work as carry-on, but at 45 L it’s probably the most spacious pack you’ll get at those dimensions.

See prices and reviews for the the Tortuga Setout Backpack now.

DJI Mavic Pro 2

Well, we’ve definitely saved the most expensive, and possibly the coolest, travel gift for the end.

The Mavic Pro 2 is brand new in October 2018. It will set you back a few dollars, that’s for sure (think high four digits).

That said, it has one of the best drone video resolutions out there at a 4K resolution of 3840 × 2160 24/25/30p. Still image sizes are a whopping 5472 × 3648.

See details and price here.

DJI Spark drone

If you just can’t pony up for the expensive Mavic Pro 2 (and who can blame you!), check out the smaller, more affordable, and more travel friendly DJI Spark instead.

This is a fantastic little drone. The video resolution on the DJI Spark is an impressive 1920 x 1080 (30fps), with a photo resolution of 3,968 x 2,976 pixels.

See the Spark details and prices here.

Do you have any ideas for unique travel gifts? Let us know!

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Finding your ideal Holiday Vacation Rental

Are you looking for the perfect vacation home rental for your friends and family to enjoy a warm weather getaway? Sea Horse Ranch in Cabarete, Dominican Republic has many unique options which are perfectly suited for the ultimate in Caribbean island living.

Relax at Sea Horse Ranch luxury resort and enjoy the famous sunshine, sandy beaches and beautiful crystal-clear water that the Dominican Republic is known for.

Villa Nirvana – Stylish Cabarete Villa Rental

The interior design and modern style of Villa Nirvana set it apart from standard vacation rentals. Located in the exclusive gated resort of Sea Horse Ranch, guests have access to the upscale amenities and enjoy close proximity to local attractions in Cabarete.

This five bedroom villa offers an expansive living area which opens to magical exterior views allowing for guests to maintain a connection with the natural setting. A pool patio, with the Japanese-inspired slate stone wall, is complete with a waterfall fountain and connects to a rectangular lap pool.

Casa Colonial – Stunning Caribbean Vacation Home

Casa Colonial is a luxury four bedroom villa with a spacious private pool and garden, which is ideal for families, or a small group. For those who desire a thoroughly relaxing, sumptuous and stylish base from which to explore the region, this home is for you. If you desire to simply relax and enjoy your surroundings, you will discover beautiful beaches, our resort restaurant and the swimming pools of Sea Horse Ranch, just a two minutes’ walk away.

This is a world-class colonial style villa with contemporary English design and fine local craftsmanship perfectly combined to create a beautiful and elegant atmosphere.

Sea Horse Ranch is a destination that caters perfectly to luxury home rentals in an exotic location. Contact us to speak with our travel planner and learn more about our offerings.

The post Luxury Home Rentals for your Holiday Vacation appeared first on Sea Horse Ranch.

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Looking for the best castles in the world?

We’ve visited dozens of castles on our trips to six continents (we haven’t made it to Antarctica yet, but there are no castles there, anyway), and we’re always amazed by the sheer size and beauty of the castles we’ve visited.

Of course, what’s best or beautiful really depends on your point of view. In this post, we’ve included some of our favorite castles that visually made us say “wow”, and that have a cool history or story behind them.

Our best castles in the world list includes the biggest castles in the world (either the Prague Castle or the Windsor Castle depending on who you’re talking to), what we think may be one of the oldest castles in the world (Goreme Castle, Turkey), as well as cool and unusual castles built into the surrounding rock like the mountainside cave covering Predjamski Castle or castles built on Tibetan mountaintops (Potala Palace) and so forth. Some of these are among the most famous castles in the world as well as some you probably have never heard of before.

What got them on this list is that in their own way, each one is an amazing castle in it’s own right.

So, before we start, what exactly defines a castle? Can a monastery or church be a castle? Turns out, the definition of a castle is pretty simple. The Merriam Webster dictionary says a castle is “a large fortified building or set of buildings”, “a massive or imposing house” or “a retreat safe against intrusion or invasion”.

Tip! Are you lucky enough to have visited one of these amazing castles? We’re always looking for ways to remember our travels. We realized long ago that if we took a souvenir from every place we’ve visited around the globe we’d now have a house full of fridge magnets and t-shirts! Instead, we love preserving our travel photos with specialist print firms like hellocanvas. There are a lot of amazing things you can do with your travel pics, including creating custom, photo themed smartphone covers, HD metal prints, and framed collages.

The Best Castles in the World

Here they are: our top 20 pictures of the best castles in the world, with beautiful castle photos to prove it.

Schloss Schwerin Castle, Germany

The Schloss Schwerin Castle in Germany is about as close to a fairytale castle that you’re ever likely to find. It’s surrounded by lakes and forest, and features stunning towers that reach into the sky that are topped with golden domes and pinnacles.

Schwerin Castle was built between 1847 and 1857 by Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. It’s said there has been a building on the site since around 1160. You can visit this castle at the Schwerin Museum, Germany.

Blarney Castle, Ireland

The medieval Blarney Castle is near Cork, Ireland, and it dates from way back in 1446. It’s one of Ireland’s most famous attractions, and brings in thousands of visitors who want to climb to the top and kiss its famous Blarney Stone.

While there’s the castle itself to visit, there’s also over 60 acres of gardens, waterways, and grounds to explore.

There’s an admission fee to visit, but it can be well worth the cost if you take the time to walk around the ample grounds and check out the castle’s interior.

Osaka Castle, Japan

Osaka Castle is beautiful in and of itself, but it really comes to life during cherry blossom season, when the blooms turn the landscape of Osaka Castle Park gorgeous shades of pink.

The castle is one of Japan’s most well known attractions, and was built in 1583 by feudal lord Hideyoshi Toyotomi, whose love of gold is seen in the gold embellished exterior of the castle.

Uchisar Castle, Goreme, Turkey

We caught our first peek at this ancient castle in Turkey on a balloon ride over Cappadocia. (See the video here).

The castle is made out of solid rock, with rooms and stairways hollowed out of the rock itself. I couldn’t find any confirmed information on the castle’s age, but UNESCO says “It is believed that the first signs of monastic activity in Cappadocia date back to the 4th century at which time small anchorite communities, acting on the teachings of Basileios the Great, Bishop of Kayseri, began inhabiting cells hewn in the rock.”

Today, Uchisar Castle is largely a crumbling ruin, and visitors are banned from visiting due to the risk of collapse. As such, most of the rooms on the north side of the castle are now used as pigeon houses.

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Neuschwanstein Castle looks like it was plucked straight from your favorite fairy tale, and it’s easily one of the most famous castles around the world, with up 6,000 people visiting a day.

It’s located in Bavaria, Germany, and was built for King Ludwig II. The name means “new swan stone”, figuratively named after Wagner’s the Swan Knight.

There are only 14 rooms currently finished inside the castle, and they’re all on view for visitors.

Bonus Note: Neuschwanstein’s white limestone façade and blue turrets are rumored to the inspiration for the castle in Disney’s Cinderella.

Lichtenstein Castle, Germany

Lichtenstein Castle (Schloss Lichtenstein in German) is privately owned, and operates as a tourist attraction today. It’s located in the Swabian Jura of southern Germany, an hour’s drive south of Stuttgart.

The Lichtenstein Castle is popular with German tourists, but fewer international tourists visit these days. The current castle was built between 1840 and 1842, however the original castle on the site was built back around 1200.

In terms of size, Lichtenstein is a relatively small castle however, with stunning views of the Echaz Valley and Swabian Alps it more than makes up for that with it’s beautiful scenery.

Pena Palace, Portugal

We visited the Pena Palace on a cool spring day a few years ago, and it absolutely wowed us.

You’ll find Pena Palace (Palácio da Pena in Portuguese) just outside of Lisbon, standing high above the municipality of Sintra, Portugal.

It’s a fine example of 19th century Romanticism style of architecture. It was built by King consort Ferdinand II in 1847, and purchased by the Portuguese State in 1889. Today, it’s a museum and tourist attraction, and we’d say it’s well worth a visit.

Tip! Don’t forget to check out the expansive grounds when you visit. It makes a perfect place for a picnic!

Prague Castle, Czech Republic

The Prague Castle is thought to be the largest ancient castle in the world, at about 70,000 square meters (750,000 square feet).

The castle has a long history, dating back to the 9th century, and it has been used by kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia. Today, the castle is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic.

Bonus tip! Don’t expect to be alone when you visit. With 1.8 million visitors every year you’ll have plenty of company.

Mont Saint Michel, France

The Mont Saint Michel is one France’s most stunning sights. Mont Saint Michel is a medieval monastery that’s perched high on top of a small island.

The island is located about a kilometer off the coast, and dates back to 709.

Today, Mont Saint Michel is one of France’s most iconic tourist attractions.

Matsumoto Castle, Japan

Matsumoto Castle is an easy day trip from Tokyo. A National Treasure of Japan, and the current structure dates back to 1594.

The Matsumoto Castle is also known as the crow castle because of its black exterior.

It’s a beautiful place, and an especially good choice for visiting Japan with kids.

Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

The 13th century Eilean Donan is one of the most iconic and visited castles in the Highlands of Scotland. It’s situated on an island at the point where three great sea lochs meet, making for some stunning views.

Want to stay on the grounds at the Eilean Donan? It’s possible to stay on site at the Eilean Donan Cottage only a stones throw from the ancient castle.

Egeskov Castle, Denmark

Egeskov Castle opened in 1554, and it’s Europe’s best preserved Renaissance water castle. It’s located near Kværndrup, in the south of the island of Funen, Denmark.

There’s a lot to enjoy here, from touring the castle and grounds, to enjoying exhibitions and events involving lots of amazing local food and drinks.

Windsor Castle, England

Windsor Castle is unique in that it’s a currently active royal residence. In fact, it’s the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. The original castle was built in the 11th century, and it’s still possible to visit. If you’re lucky, you may even catch the Queen in residence!

Duart Castle, Scotland

Duart Castle (Caisteal Dhubhairt in Scottish Gaelic) is a castle perched on a craggy cliff on the Isle of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland. The castle dates back to the 13th century.

It was brought back from ruin in 1911, and to this day, it’s still privately owned by the MacLean clan.

Swallow’s Nest, Ukraine

Swallow’s Nest is a small castle perched precariously over the Crimean Sea.

It overlooks the spa town of Gaspra. While it looks like a castle architecturally, it’s not a castle in the truest form, because it wasn’t built to protect its occupants.

A large earthquake in 1927 closed the castle for close to 40 years because of damage to the underlying rock. Today, it houses an Italian restaurant.

Peleș Castle, Romania

Peleș Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. It was built between 1873 and 1914 for King Carol I.

It was originally used as a summer residence, and today it operates as a museum. Its extravagant looks led to it being featured in the 2009 movie The Brothers Bloom as well as many TV movies.

Potala Palace, Tibet

Admittedly, Tibet isn’t the first place you think of when trying to picture a castle.

That said, the Potala Palace has a long history, and was the residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India during the 1959 Tibetan uprising. Today, it’s a museum, and on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It’s located in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

Predjamski Castle, Slovenia

One of the world’s most dramatic castles, Predjama Castle is a Renaissance castle nestled within a cave mouth in south-central Slovenia. It’s in the village of Predjama, and was built around the 12th century.

In the summer, you can visit the caves underneath the castle.

Dundas Castle or Craig-E-Clare, New York

Dundas Castle is the lone castle from the USA in this list. It was built between 1915 and 1924, and is located in Roscoe, New York, and was modeled after Dundas Castle. It is also known as Craig-E-Clare.

Sadly, it’s currently abandoned, and has a long history of misfortune. The original owner, Ralph Wurts-Dundas, died in 1922 as the castle was being finished. His wife Josephine Wurts-Dundas, was committed to a sanitarium soon after. It was inherited by their daughter, who was swindled out of a great deal of money by the caretakers of the castle. She was admitted to a mental institution herself.

After that, the Dundas Castle went through various owners, including a time as a children’s summer camp for children. It was bought by a Masonic chapter as a retreat, but it was abandoned by the Masons (who still own the building).

Arolsen Castle, Germany

Arolsen Castle was built in the early 1700s, in Bad Arolsen, Hesse, Germany.

The baroque-style castle is still inhabited by Wittekind, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his family.

The castle is now a museum with daily tours.

Bride on the Steps of Cathedral Se, Porto, Portugal

While the Cathedral Se in Porto, Portugal doesn’t technically count as a castle (as it wasn’t built to protect its occupants), it’s so beautiful, and one of our favorite buildings in Portugal, that we’ve included it in this list.

Cathedral Se is located in the historic city center of Porto, and it’s still a working church, with mass celebrated at 11 am every day.

If you’re lucky, you’ll even see a wedding in progress, like the day we did!

Would you visit any of these castles? Let us know in the comments.

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I love October. Halloween is my one of my favorite times of year, and it’s even better with kids! The San Francisco Bay area has tons pumpkin patches (Half Moon Bay is particularly well-known for it’s annual Pumpkin Festival and pumpkin patches) but we wanted to try something new. We spent an hour driving up […]

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