Two Irish destinations have been included in the ’50 Bucket List Places’ for 2020s

The new decade is officially underway so it's natural that the 2020s bucket lists are coming thick and fast.

One company that certainly knows its stuff is Big 7 Travel, having previously acknowledged the beauty of the Aran Islands and shown plenty of appreciation for Pi Pizza in Dublin. The travel experts are now back with a brand new bucket list just in time for the new year and this time it's the Wild Atlantic Way and Belfast that are getting  pats on the back. The famous route in the west of Ireland has been placed at number 20 in a list entitled '50 Bucket List Places You Need To Visit This Decade', with the Northern Irish capital finishing as high as seventh in the list. The accompanying blurb for the Wild Atlantic Way is very complimentary, as you would expect. It pays homage to 'the most spectacular places, from UNESCO World Heritage site Sceilg Mhicíl (Skellig Michael) and the largest karst landscape in the world, The Burren to the traditional Irish towns.' The piece adds that 'the scenic coastal route winds its way from the Inishowen Peninsula in the north down to the picturesque town of Kinsale, County Cork, in the south.' , The Wild Atlantic Way places just behind Dubrovnik in Croatia in 19th position and just ahead of Portland, Oregon, U.S.A in 21st. As for Belfast, it slots in at seventh position in the list, just ahead of the salt flats of Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. Of the city, Big 7 says : 'Historic sights, super-chatty locals, legendary pubs and a thriving restaurant scene ensure Belfast punches well above its weight on almost every count. The city might be small but it is fact emerging as one of the UK’s most exciting destinations.' We'll just slide that 'UK' bit under the rug for now. The piece goes on to urge people to 'visit the Titanic Belfast museum with all manner fab interactive, experiential exhibits on hand to bring the doomed ocean liner’s tragic tale to life,' and concludes that 'we also love Belfast for its proximity to some of Ireland’s most stunning scenery, such as the Giant’s Causeway.' Not a bad little tribute to a great city there at all. If you're interested, the sun-soaked island region of Guadeloupe came out on top in the '50 Bucket List Places You Need To Visit This Decade', followed by Kiev in second and Boston in third. The full list can be found here.