How many ways do I love thee, South Africa?
The third installment of my five-part Top Travel Experiences of All Time blog series and I feel like things are starting to get a bit real here. I’m mostly kidding, of course, there’s no doubt that I value all of the previously mentioned travel experiences #31-50, but there is something to be said about entering the upper echelon if you will. We’re starting to skim the surface of the top half of this list– the crème de la crème of these coveted experiences–the ones that I’ve deemed as the juiciest, the most impactful, and undoubtedly most memorable tiers of an already-impressive collection of experiences.
Unseasoned travelers getting bit by the travel bug in Barcelona
Crete’s charming Old Venetian Harbour of Chania
Caving & trekking through the untouched jungles of Honduras
Stalking King Ludwig and all of his opulence in Bavaria, Germany
An innocent luncheon quickly turns into debauchery in Montmartre, Paris
Exploring the walled city of Cartagena
Dining at Mexico City’s Pujol, one the best meals of our lives
Young love: Honeymoon euphoria on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula
Maui’s spectacular Road to Hana
As with my previous two posts of this series, the following ten entries span the globe and have resonated with me not only as a traveler, but as a global citizen of this wondrous world.
Characterized by beauty, charm, history, delectability, and humor, here are #21-30 of my 50 all-time favorite travel experiences.
#30: Getting Lost in Barcelona
Barcelona will always hold a very special place in our hearts. Aside from Canada, Spain was our first international trip as a couple and was the impetus that led to our passion for traveling this gorgeous world of ours.
We spent five wonderful days in Barcelona, and to date, it’s still one of our favorite European cities. Artsy, cosmopolitan, eclectic, sexy, delicious, enchanting: all of these words immediately come to mind when describing this fabulous city. Barcelona will forever serve as our gateway to the world and an introduction to the countless memories and experiences that have shaped us throughout the years.
The exceptional Sagrada Famiglia
And so while I love all of the things that often define this glorious city like its abundance of phenomenal food, wine, art, architecture, style and eclecticism, my most favorite memory of our time in Barcelona is the night T and I wandered for what seemed like hours* in the pursuit of finding a bar that a friend of ours had recommended, which translates in English to, Black Sheep, while being utterly and completely lost.
*If I’m being honest here, we were pretty intoxicated after drinking copious amounts of sangria, so it was probably more realistically closer to 30-40 minutes, but the inflated word, hours, sounds so much more dramatic than minutes, don’t you think?
The vivid mosaics of Gaudi’s incomparable Parc Guell
Of course we have been lost plenty of times before and after our Barcelona trip while trying to navigate our way through foreign locales–nearly two decades have past and I can still vividly remember being lost in Florence and not being able to locate my hotel for literally over two hours–but this particular instance sticks out more than the others. T and I, aimlessly stumbled along the cobbled-stone streets repeatedly asking everyone and anyone that crossed our paths, “Donde il bar di nero animale di goes bahhhhhhh?”.
This utter gibberish was our drunkenly poor attempt to ask, “Where is the bar of the black animal that goes, bahhhh?”--because of course we didn’t know the Spanish word for sheep [it’s la oveja, in case you’re wondering]. For some apparent reason, we found our ill attempts and undirected wandering absolutely hysterical, and couldn’t control our incessant crying-laughing-screaming throughout the bustling streets of Barcelona. Between T’s broken Spanish and my resorting to speaking in Italian, combined we were a drunken linguistic disaster at best.
Yep. You know those obnoxious traveling Americans you never ever want to be? Well, we were them. And you better believe T and I still laugh out loud every single time one of us brings up this hilarious and should-be-embarrassing-but-it-isn’t moment.
No photos from this night, sadly, but here is us striking a pose at Parc Guell.
It’s worth noting that we are indeed sober here.
While every featured experience on this top 50 list is of course personal, this particular one is one of those “You’d really had to have been there…” moments to truly appreciate all of its ridiculous splendor. So, you’re probably over this entry and ready to move on. So let’s, shall we?
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, we did eventually find L’Ovella Negra, where we continued to drink and laugh into the late hours of the night, making for one incredibly fun and unforgettable night.
To read more about our love for Barcelona, click here.
#29: Stalking King Ludwig in Bavaria, Germany
Neuschwanstein: the king of all castles [see what I did there?]
Don’t believe in fairy tales? Germany’s stunning Bavarian Alps region might just make you believe otherwise. This breathtaking area is defined by its majestic mountains, green meadows, and staggering opulence, largely due to the story-book castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof, created by the eccentric and downright crazy King Ludwig II of Bavaria.
We spent a beautiful day exploring the resplendent region of Bavaria, where we stalked castle after castle belonging to King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the insanely narcissistic, abnormal, and crazed Bavarian leader. While King Ludwig was anything but perfect, his castles certainly were. From their lavish interiors to their meticulously-manicured grounds, every square centimeter was crafted with precision and prudence. And of course the extraordinary panoramic views surrounding the grand estates only amplify their extravagance and magnificence. This was our favorite day during our ten-day trip to Germany.
Linderhof: Just one of King Ludwig’s lavish palaces
Pretending to be at our summer estate: Neuschwanstein
To join us in stalking King Ludwig, click here.
#28: Easy Riding The South African Cape Peninsula
Spoiler alert: this is the lowest ranked South African travel experience on this list–and you better believe this is just the first of several homages to my all-time favorite country, South Africa.
The gorgeous Boulders Beach Penguin Sanctuary
In terms of day trips, it seriously doesn’t get much better than this one: cruising along the Atlantic Seaboard aboard a vintage World War II motorbike sidecar to the Cape Peninsula makes for one epic day. To this day, this is still one of the best day-trip excursions we’ve ever been on.
Upon exiting the incredible city of Cape Town, our stupendous adventure began with a stop in the lovely fishing village of Hout Bay.
The delightful fishing village of Hout Bay
We then continued coasting down the peninsula to the spectacular Boulders Beach, home to the freaking cutest penguins you will ever lay your eyes on. This might have been my favorite part of the day. Well, because penguins.
You’d pretty much have to be dead inside to not in fall in love with the adorable penguins at Boulders Beach. They are the sweetest.
We ultimately reached the Cape of Good Hope, a stunning rocky promontory where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans merge, and most south-western point of the African continent, where you are enveloped in vistas like this:
Breathtaking views of where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet
Much more detail to come in a future blog post, but below captures the kind of view that dominated our day-long ride along the South African coast–insane or insane? An awesome adventure for the memory books for sure!
Stay tuned for a more detailed blog post soon!
Click here for a related blog post on Cape Town.
#27: Slipping, Sliding, Spelunking: Caving in Honduras
I’m not going to lie and say that we loved Honduras. Sure, we had a great trip with friends and thoroughly enjoyed our travels, but it’s by no means one of our favorite places. Not even close.
BUT I will say that to this day, our Honduran caving expedition continues to be one of the most thrilling, memorable, and physically grueling excursions in all of our travels. Our 8-hour adventure consisted of hours of trekking through the jungle along muddy and treacherous trails, spelunking in a hidden and oh-so-slimy-and-slippery cave, followed by cooling off in beautiful lagoons, winding streams and endless waterfalls. Without a doubt, this was an adventure that we’ll never forget.
Sporting skinny-arm, even while covered in bat $hit–a true testament to my true self.
To read more about our Honduran spelunking adventure, click here.
#26: Ubriaca with Zia Santina in Montmartre, Paris
Swept away by Versailles’ splendid and sprawling gardens
Similar to the rest of the world’s population who has traveled to Paris, within minutes of arriving in the City of Lights, we fell under its dazzling spell. In fact, it’s probably T’s favorite city in the entire world. If it were up to him, this particular entry would be ranked much higher, but it’s not, so here we are at #26. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I absolutely adore Paris–it is definitely one of the most stunning and captivating cities we have ever visited and we are both dying to return. It’s just that in terms of favorites, I tend to gravitate towards the more exotic and chaotic locales like Marrakech and Istanbul [both extremely high on my overall list, by the way]. But I digress.
Standing in marvel at the unrivaled Louvre
My dear Zia [Aunt] Santina [Santa for short] took me and T to Paris for a belated wedding gift and it was pure magic. My aunt is a former French teacher and being that she lives about an hour’s flight away from Paris, she travels there frequently and knows the city like the back of her bilingual hand. She took care of everything and was our own personal tour guide as we navigated through its whimsical streets, impeccable gardens, world-renowned museums and churches, and captivating cafe scene. Thanks to my aunt, our trip to Paris was utter perfection.
Ahh…to be young and utterly spoiled by your aunt in Paris!
P.S. In case you’re wondering, that used to be my go-to pose when taking photos with T.
Of course, who doesn’t love floating along the Seine River, shopping in chic boutiques and glamorous shops along Champs-Élysées and exploring some of the world’s best museums while stopping every thirty minutes to indulge in croissants, macarons, and profiteroles?
No-one, that’s who.
So while these were all indeed highlights of our marvelous time in Paris, by far the best day during our Parisian holiday was the day that we spent sitting at an outdoor cafe in Montmartre and getting my aunt completely wasted.
Ubriaca means drunk in Italian, by the way.
Local artists line the cobbled quaint streets of Montmartre
What started out as a casual sunshine-filled Parisian lunch with a bottle of Sancerre somehow turned into ten-hour drinking marathon that eventually took us into dinner entrees under the gleaming stars of a midnight-blue sky. I don’t know how many bottles of Sancerre and Rose we went through, but I do know that it was far more than any three individuals should ever imbibe in one setting. If T and I were intoxicated, then my sweet and innocent aunt was completely annihilated–resulting in many ill-attempts of finding our hotel and eventually holding my aunt up as we clumsily climbed the narrow staircase to her hotel room. Zia Santa repeatedly slurring the phrase, “Sono ubriaca, sono ubriaca” [I am drunk! I am drunk!], sent T and me in an uncontrollable frenzy of laughter, making the arduous journey to our rooms all the more challenging.
P.S. Zia Santa thankfully doesn’t speak any English, because she’s most likely be mortified if she knew I was sharing this little tidbit.
One of our very favorite days in one of the most beautiful destinations with the kindest and most generous aunt in the universe. I’d say it was a very good day indeed.
Lovely Montmartre
To read a related blog post about our day-trip to Versailles, click here.
Stay tuned for a future Paris blog post!
#25: Exploring The Island of Crete and All of Its Delicious Beauty
Elafonisi Beach, a dreamland of pink sand beaches and green-blue waters
I can’t believe I nearly forgot to include the idyllic island of Crete, the largest, and most deliciously mouth-watering of all of the Greek islands. It’s easy to become spoiled here with its eye-popping pink-sand beaches, divine cuisine and luscious wines, and romantic Medieval towns filled with cobble-stoned streets and charming boutiques.
Pretty-as-a-postcard Chania
Crete’s varied terrain and wide array of landscapes is so alluring. It’s a true natural phenomenon and it’s absolutely incredible to encounter all that this one sole island has to offer: emerald and turquoise waters, pink sugar-fine beaches, towering majestic mountains, verdant meadows, and expansive vineyards and olive groves. We enjoyed one of our favorite winery-hopping days ever on the gorgeous island of Crete. In short, Crete literally has it all, promising to fulfill every traveler’s wanderlusting desire.
Crete’s verdant and lush terrain is a foodie and oenophile’s dream!
A comprehensive guide to the stunning island of Crete is coming soon!
Read here to read all about our time in Athens.
#24: Cartagena: The Jewel of Colombia’s Crown
A gorgeous blend of Spanish-colonial charm and vibrant Caribbean vibes, the enchanting old town of Cartagena is oozing of sophistication, splendor and sultriness. With stunning views of the sea, a varied and creative dining scene, elegant plazas, chic boutiques, and a myriad of vivid colors and quaint backstreets at the turn of every corner, it’s easy to see why so many fall in love with this captivating city. I remember T and I simultaneously turned to one another while walking throughout the city and both said something along the lines of, “We should live here.” That certainly wouldn’t be the worst decision we’ve ever made.
To read more about why Cartagena shines so brightly, click here.
#23: Highway to Heaven Runs Through The Road to Hana: Hawaii
One of my next blog posts following this 5-part blog series will focus on Maui and the Road to Hana, so I’m not going to spend too much time here, and that’s probably a good thing, since your focus and interest are most likely waning at this point 🙂
But in all seriousness, I’m not sure what I can possibly write that hasn’t already been written and I’m definitely about the 12,087,855,544th person to proclaim just how stunning this winding road really is. The Road to Hana is easily one of the most beautiful drives we’ve ever been on.
Around nearly ever zigzagging turn and corner lies pristine landscapes, towering waterfalls, vivid blue ocean vistas, and luxuriant plant life. Its raw and unblemished natural beauty is nothing short of spectacular, easily exceeding both of our existing elevated expectations. I’m pretty sure the Road to Hana runs directly through Heaven on Earth.
Keep your eye out for an upcoming blog post on The Road to Hana and Maui!
#22: Eating Our Way Through Mexico City
Finding divinity at Pujol: Currently ranked 12th in the world
Pujol’s infamous and signature Mole Madre. On the night that we dined at Pujol, it had been aged for 1,432 days. That’s nearly FOUR YEARS!
If any entries on this list catch readers by surprise, my guess is that this one might be one of them. Similar to many of the misconceptions and pre-conceived notions that plague Colombia, many people are still wary about Mexico City. When I shared that T and I were traveling to Mexico City for my 40th birthday, there were more people than not, who were left flabbergasted, essentially questioning my sanity. It’s time to get out and explore the world, folks. Start seeing the world and its treasures with your own eyes, as opposed to bing-watching Netflix and what the media chooses to feed you.
Excuse me while I step off of my soap box.
But in all seriousness, Mexico City boasts a world-renowned and trend-setting food scene. When I think about our travels in terms of food [which I often do], my all-time best culinary trips are hands-down Japan, India, Italy, and Mexico [and not necessarily in that order].
Still unsure? Mexico City is home to three of the top 100 restaurants in the world [that’s right, the world] and we gleefully ate at two of them.
When you make friends with your server and she invites you back into the kitchen! Pure foodie heaven right here (featured: THE famous mole).
Dinner at Sud 777, currently ranked 58th in the world
In short, few cities, or any destination, for that matter, can hold a candle to Mexico City’s thriving and innovative culinary scene. Its cuisine is affordable, accessible, and constantly evolving, relying heavily on indigenous and fresh ingredients. I am notorious for often not wanting to repeat destinations, as I am frequently in search of new places to explore, but I promise you this: I will return to Mexico City, if just to feast on all of its delectable goodness.
To read more about our full-fledged obsession with Mexico City, click here.
#21: Honeymoon Bliss on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula
Par for the course, our honeymoon in Costa Rica was absolutely spectacular. The highlight was the time we spent on the somewhat remote Osa Peninsula, home to a pristine and verdant rainforest, defined by its rugged natural beauty and diverse ecosystem. We stayed at the phenomenal Lapa Rios ecolodge, that even nearly fifteen years later remains as one of the most amazing places we’ve ever stayed. We filled our days with surf lessons, waterfall hikes, night-walks throughout the rain forest, and local medicine tours. An absolutely lovely way to explore and enjoy Costa Rica’s diverse and stunning topography and wildlife.
Click here to read more about our two trips to Costa Rica.
So there you have it: #21-30 on the list of my top 50 all-time travel experiences.
Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll share my favorite travel experiences #11-20.
A little bit of eye candy to close out the post. You’re welcome.
To read about my selections #31-40 of the list, click here.
To read about my selections #41-50 of the list, click here.