When people ask me, what was the best trip I’ve ever had, I can never answer with ease, as there were so many great ones. As someone who enjoys the road as much as the destination, and road mishaps as much as smooth sailing, it is not easy to pick even the 10 best – after all, what defines a memorable trip? Obviously, it has to be remembered for something, whether beautiful or unusual sightseeing, or an adventurous journey, or exciting photographic opportunities. You will see that many of my memorable trips were to island destinations, because I like islands just as much as the next guy.
So here you go – my top ten most memorable trips in no particular order.
Annapurna Circuit Trek, 2008
Have you ever looked for a personal challenge that was tougher than anything you’ve done before but still doable, both physically and logistically? A trek around Annapurna massif in Nepal is a perfect balance of tough, affordable and absolutely amazing. It takes 2 weeks minimum, you will hike throughout the most spectacular scenery you’ve likely ever seen, you are not going to get lost as many people are likely to be walking the same trek, and best of all – after the trek is over, you will probably be in the best shape of your life. I lost about 20 pounds in 2 weeks just walking, sleeping, and eating the modest Nepalese food that was available. Oh, and you will be pleasantly surprised about the ridiculously low cost of this trek. You don’t need a guide or expensive gear. You will be sleeping in villages along your way and eating the food that is prepared for you. My total trek cost was under $400. In fact, I might do a separate post about Annapurna Circuit Trek as it truly is one of global hiking highlights for just about anyone.
Easter Island, 2016
I keep saying that I love islands, and it’s true – the more remote, the better. Islands hardly get more remote than Rapa Nui, or Eastern Island. It’s not exactly tropical – subtropical at most, so it’s not the best place for lying on a beach. But its famous moai, the giant Polynesian standing heads are worth every penny you’ll pay to get here. Getting here does not need to be prohibitively expensive – you just have to find a good-value fare to Chile and then find another deal for Rapa Nui for one of the daily flights. As you can imagine, the place is no longer off a beaten path, but the island can still (for now) accommodate all the visitors and you can even feel alone for a good chunk of your time there. A trip to the 2 moai highlights, Rano Raraku and the nearby Ahu Tongariki will reward you with those Natgeo-worthy photographs, either at sunrise, which is mercifully late in Rapa Nui, or in the afternoon light.
Northeast India, 2014
India is packed with exotic and unusual destinations, but one part of it, the Northeastern group of 7 states, is unlike any other region. This area will redefine what you have previously thought of India and show what a truly multi-cultural country it is. Here, Indo-Aryan ethnic groups meet Sino-Tibetan and Austro-Asiatic tribes that have called these lands home from times immemorial. I took a tour of this region on my trip to India back in 2014 and I must say, it was one of the most unusual journeys for me. First of all, I hadn’t seen another foreigner for a week at a time sometimes – this place is as far away from tourist routes of India as can be. Secondly, I got to experience the exceptional hospitality of the local people every step of my way. And the English spoken here is some of the best in India. There are certain limitations, of course – alcohol is not always easy to get in the predominantly Baptist states of Nagaland or Mizoram, but I found a break from liquor to be a refreshing thing, as I did on my trip to Iran a few years later. In return, I was rewarded by sights of unexpected beauty and interest, such as Unakoti in Tripura, Dzukou Valley in Nagaland or Majuli Island in Assam. Please note that I did not include Darjeeling and Sikkim in this group (although they are both fantastic destinations) since they are a bit more well-trodden and culturally, more “Indian”.
Scottish Islands, 2000
My trip to Inner and Outer Hebrides of Scotland way back in 2000 was one of the first independent trips I have taken. My ex-girlfriend and I packed up a car we borrowed from her dad who lived in Glasgow at the time, bought Calmac ferry passes and set on our way. Yes, Scotland can breath-taking up in the Highlands, but the Isles provide a whole other level of wind-swept charm. We started with Arran, the nearest island to the mainland and called “Scotland in Miniature”, then proceeded to drive across Kintyre Peninsula (nothing particularly memorable) and off to the islands of Islay, Jura, Mull and Iona. Each one presented us with its own character, from the peaty whisky smell of Islay to uninhabited bogs and mountains of Jura to the ancient monastery on Iona. We then took a long, memorable (not in a good way, trust me) ferry ride through extremely choppy waters of the Minch to Lochboidale in South Uist from whence we drove all the way to Stornoway, encountering countless lochs, bridges, hills, peatbogs, Gaelic-speaking hosts and endless, dreamy but frigid beaches. The highlight was Callanish Standing Stones, the place I mentioned as an alternative to Stonehenge in one of the previous posts. But the awesomness didn’t quite end there – we still had to visit the crown jewel of all of Scotland, the isle of Skye. In terms of sheer beauty, it is unrivaled among all of the Scottish islands, and that is a tall order. I absolutely recommend visiting these islands as I am sure, even now, with exception of Skye, they are nowhere near Iceland in terms of numbers of tourists visiting in the short summer period when it does not rain 24/7. Although, even in the best season, it will rain there just as much as the sun will shine, believe me.
Myanmar, 2008
Myanmar now is a popular backpacker destination, a new Thailand so to speak, but back in 2008, it wasn’t. The junta that ruled the country kept tourist numbers pretty low, as visas to foreign nationals were given somewhat reluctant, at least to UK and US citizens. I had to write an essay explaining the consulate officer why I wanted to visit his country. Fortunately, I was let in. I dreamed of visiting Myanmar (Burma, to many) since I was a kid and read a book about its well-preserved monuments such as Bagan, Shwedagon, Ubein Bridge, Mingun pagoda. Fortunately, all of these places were excluded from the 60% of the country off-limits to foreigners in 2008. I won’t tell you much about those famous sights – they are everything you see in the pictures and more. I will mention the trip to Kyaktiyo pagoda that took the whole day and 4 different pickup trucks, and the equally difficult trip to Ngwe Saung, where I found myself the only westerner in the stretch of perhaps 3 kilometers of perfectly beautiful tropical beach lined with empty bungalows. Bottom line, Myanmar may be more touristy and expensive now, but each of the sights I mentioned would be worth a visit on its own, so if you have any hesitation, I couldn’t recommend it more.
Artsakh, 2016
I am willing to bet that most of you not only haven’t been there, but also have no idea what the hell this place is. Well, if the words Nagorno-Karabakh ring a bell, you are still perhaps in the 1% of the general public that knows what I’m talking about. This is one of the several no-man’s lands – countries, some say – on the post-Soviet space that is basically not recognized by anyone but one or two other countries and where travelling is often off-limits. Artsakh used to be a part of Azerbaijan but is now controlled by Armenia because, well, Armenians have been living here for centuries and that’s just the way it is. One problem though – visiting here will make you a criminal in Azerbaijan, so plan carefully. A well-known blogger was once jailed for almost a year for visiting this place. What’s in Atsakh? Well, apart from feeling like you are in some sort of an outlaw place and visiting 2 very gorgeous ancient Armenian monasteries (as shown on the cover image) without any tourists, you can also enjoy the mountain scenery and try to convince a local taxi driver to take you to Agdam, a town completely destroyed in the war and now a picturesque ruin. Certainly a memorable trip it was.
Banda Islands, 2014
The year was 1667, and as part of the Breda Treaty among the key European powers of the time, a tiny, God-foresaken island Run in the remote Banda Archipelago in Indonesia was traded by the British for another tiny island in North America. I briefly talked about Banda islands in my recent post about Indonesia as one of the trip-worthy, if tricky to get to, parts of the country. If you were ever interested in the history of great geographic discoveries and especially the spice trade that drove them, this group little islands is for you. For it is here, light years away from Europe, some of the most sought-after spices were grown – cloves, cinnamon but most importantly, nutmeg which could make any sailor willing to take the risks of undertaking an expedition here a wealthy man. Nowadays, you can have nutmeg jam on your pancake and it won’t put any dent in your wallet. Besides the spice trees that still grow here, Banda islands are famous for pristine diving and snorkeling, volcanic terrain (as anywhere in Indonesia), and ruins of Dutch fortifications dating back to 1600s. Oh, and the North American island the Brits got from the Dutch in exchange for Run was called Manhattan. You can stay in Manhattan (and Manhattan II) guesthouse right in the middle of a nutmeg grove in Run.
Faroe Islands, 2017
I wrote a detailed post about the Faroes in this blog before, so I won’t repeat myself too much. I will just say that it is a very refreshing northern European destination – very orderly, very neat, very wet and strikingly beautiful. I spent a week there, driving in a rented car across most of the islands, and flying some by helicopter, which is simply awesome and for a change, not super expensive there. Make sure you go there in summer time when thousands of sea birds, including puffins, nest on the islands, particularly Mykines, a short – you guessed it – helicopter ride away from Vagar, the island with the main airport.
Newfoundland, 2012
Speaking of islands, Canada has its fair share. One of the biggest is Newfoundland, which I found to be the closest place to Ireland in all of North America. In some villages, locals speak the only legitimate dialect, not just an accent, of English in Canada. My favourite spot on the islands was Gros Morne national park – one of the most picturesque, ruggedly stark places in all of the Eastern Seaboard. Besides the mountains, coastline and weird, barely understandable English, there are beautiful, brightly coloured houses scattered among ancient rocks and weirdly shaped lakes that pepper the entire island. And St John’s, the provincial capital that happens to be the oldest post-Columbian settlement in North America, was a true delight as well with the friendly locals and top notch bars.
La Guajira, Colombia, 2009
Most people visit Colombia for the bustling city life, beach scenery, jungle treks, mountains, coffee and perhaps some other stimulant I’m not going to name. But there is more to it – the barren and arid peninsula of La Guajira, the northernmost tip of South America. Why did I go there? Once again, it was for the sheer desolation and completely off the beaten path sense of the place, or at least that’s how it was back in 2009. The trip there involved hitching a few collectivos, one with a car-sick kid, another two pickup trucks until I finally reached the remote and isolated settlement of Cabo de la Vela. What was there? Nothing much, actually. An old lighthouse, a salt-crusted lakebed, a pretty beach about 2 miles away and a hammock to sleep under the stars. A memorable journey indeed.
