In 2018 a lot of travelling and discovering new places happened. Like most years before, I didn’t sleep in my own bed about 50% of the year and explored many other countries besides Austria. If I remember correctly, I went on 25 trips that led me to 10 different countries of the world. These include Mexico, Germany, USA, England, Ethiopia, Luxembourg, Croatia, Romania and Poland – and I have visited most of them several times. In this blog post I’ll tell you which of my highlights I would like to recommend to you:
Travel Highlight #7: Croatia
Croatia just surprised me. Especially the colourful underwater world and the incredibly good cuisine. And we liked it so much in June that we went to Croatia again in October.
➵ Road Trip Croatia: Scuba Diving, National Parks and more
➵ Scuba Diving in Murter: Welcome to the Paradise of the Kornati
Travel Highlight #6: Ethiopia
One country I definitely didn’t have on the radar before was Ethiopia. Inspired by a press trip – which was way too short for my taste and which I was able to extend – I spent two weeks travelling in this African country. Landscape-wise it is a real jewel! And I won’t forget the national dish Injera either. My highlight and at the same time the most challenging part of the trip were the three days in the Danakil Depression. Temperatures above 40°C and no running water made this experience especially adventurous.
➵ Lalibela: A Journey to the Past
➵ Travel Tips Ethiopia
➵ Packing List Ethiopia
➵ Impressions of Ethiopia: My Trip in 25 Photos
➵ Breathtaking Moments in Ethiopia
Lalibela, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Travel Highlight #5: Poland
More by chance than long planned, was Anne’s and my road trip through Poland. How glad I am that we didn’t go to Finland as originally planned and we met in Poland instead. We both took the train from Linz and Berlin to Warsaw and visited cities like Lublin, Lodz, Kasimierz Dolny and many others. I liked the colourful facades and the green landscape so much that I booked a flight to Poland!
➵ Road Trip in Poland: Warsaw, Lublin, Lodz and more
Travel Highlight #4: England
I just feel comfortable in England. Without really much of a plan and with a lot of spontaneity and the desire to discover I was even twice on the road in England in 2018. The first trip was a road trip to Oxford, the Cotswolds, Stonehenge, Salisbury, Cheddar, Bath and Windsor. And my second trip took me to Manchester, Chester, the Peak District and Chesterfield. I didn’t book anything in advance but the rental car and tried to find my day each day and only bothering to look for accommodation in the late afternoon of the same day. Mostly I stayed at YHA hostels which were never crowded as I always travelled in the low season.
I love to explore England on my own and just let myself go never knowing what I will see and where I will go. Mostly I started the days with a pot of tea and scones, a travel guide and Pinterest and then picked some places and simply went there.
Travel Highlight #3: Austria
Oh, my Austria! When home is so immeasurably beautiful, it is often difficult to leave it. In 2018 I was able to explore a lot in Austria again. Probably the most beautiful place I have discovered for myself is Gosau. But also our weekend road trip through Styria or diving in Carinthia will not be forgotten.
➵ Road Trip through Salzkammergut: Hallstatt, Gmunden, Salzburg, …
➵ A perfect Day in Linz
➵ A perfect Day in Salzburg
➵ Scuba Diving in Carinthia
➵ Canoeing on the Drava
➵ Nothing but relaxing at Teichalm
➵ Road Trip through the South of Styria
Travel Highlight #2: Romania
If Anne had not expressed the wish to go to Romania, I would probably still be ignorant how absolutely breathtaking – and misunderstood – this country is. In just little over a week we explored Bucharest, Transylvania and Constanta on the Black Sea. Although neither Bucharest nor Constanta fascinated me, I liked Transylvania all the more. The cities Sibiu, Sighisoara, Brasov, Bran and the Transfagarasan Alpine Road are definitely among my highlights in Romania!
Travel Highlight #1: Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
My all times favourite and this year’s number one travel highlight: my beloved Mexico! After we celebrated the new year 2018 in Cozumel, I had a chance to fly to Mexico again in December. I was travelling to the LA Auto Show for Mazda, I was able to push my return flight to Austria and jump on a plane to Baja California. And that really made my dream come true. For years it has been my goal to visit this part of Mexico. Honestly, I didn’t care much what to see on land, but longed to see the ocean and go scuba diving. Because Cabo San Lucas is known for its beautiful underwater world and that’s the reason why I went there. I was there for over a week, watched whales and dolphins while snorkelling and saw the biggest schools of fish I’ve ever seen! Only the sharks didn’t want to be really seen and so I will probably come back soon!
↠ Whale Sharks and Street Art in La Paz
Tell me! What were your favourite travel memories and highlights in 2018?
ps. have you read about my travel plans for 2019 yet?
pps. pin and save it for later!
[irp posts=”18759″ name=”Road Trip in Poland: Warsaw, Lublin, Lodz & more”]
