2016 was quite a crazy year full of adventures. It’s actually nice to sit down and look back at all the memories. Hopefully this article can give you a bit of inspiration for where to go in 2017. The world is too big to just stay in one place!
2016 TRAVEL STATS
Number of flights taken: 22
Number of countries visited: 12
Number of continents visited: 3
Longest travel by car: 3 000 km (Croatia)
Longest bus travel: 17 hours (Brno to Sarajevo via Zagreb)
Longest flight: 12 hours 30 mins (Frankfurt to Taipei)
This year was all about returning to places I have been before. Out of the 12 countries I visited, about half of them I was already familiar with (for example Croatia and Thailand). Although I am usually tempted by new undiscovered places, I am starting to appreciate “old and familiar”. Do you sometimes feel like you didn’t see everything a country had to offer?
There is still one place that feels like a home away from the Czech Republic to me – Taiwan. If you follow my blog on Facebook, you must have noticed. Taiwan is just too good to be true. And by the way, it’s where I embarked on my biggest adventure of the year – a 912-kilometer cycling trip around the whole island. Yes, insane. I know! Just wait to see my first post of 2017; I will tell you all about it!
In 2016, I stayed mainly in Asia and Europe. Yet, there were still new destinations explored. So where did VeronikasAdventure travel this year?
AUSTRIA: Winter adventure
Austria is the only true winter destination I visited this year. If you have been following me for a while, you surely know I am not so into snow and ice. If you see me going, it must be for some special reason. And let’s be honest – Austria is one of the best places to do skiing in Europe.
I enjoyed lots of winter fun in the Kitzbühel Alps and realized that there are other fun things to do apart from the skiing, too. Did you know you can cycle on snow, too? I did a stunning Fatbike tour and it was seriously a blast!
Related post: Fat Bike Adventure in St Johann
KERALA: The Green India
Kerala Blog ExpressDear bloggers, still not convinced that Kerala Blog Express could be the trip of a lifetime? Watch this video and catch a glimpse of the merrymaking for yourself!. Log on to http://keralablogexpress.com/ for registrations #KeralaBlogExpress #tripofalifetime #SonyAlpha
Posted by Kerala Tourism on Friday, November 18, 2016
Kerala is one destination that really surprised me. Not in my sweetest dreams did I imagine India looked like this: green pastures, untouched mountains, and stunning beaches flanked by slouching palm trees.
During my 3-week trip, I discovered many of the country’s charms. They say Kerala is India for beginners, and I can really reaffirm that this is a pleasant and easy place to go, even for solo female travelers. The people there were really friendly and it isn’t a coincidence that my photo essay on Kerala is full of smiles and warmth.
Related post: People of Kerala, India: Photo essay
SERBIA – Most relaxing country
This year I decided to spend more time in the Balkans, starting with Serbia. I’m not sure whether it was my own state of my mind at the time or the country itself, but it just felt so good to be there. I got to visit a few places in Vojvodia including Novi Sad, Topola and several wineries particular for this region.
The place I spent the most time was Belgrade; it was my third and most enjoyable visit to Serbia’s capital. If you like architecture, Belgrade is the place to go. It’s a walker’s paradise with its pretty boulevards and ancient history dating back to Celtic times.
Related read: Ultimate Guide to Belgrade
SLOVENIA: All the glamping
Answer this: would you say no if your good friend invited you over to test a new luxury campsite that had just opened?
Staying in Big Berry camp, occupying a serene spot along the Kolpa river, me and Andreja had a great base to explore more of Slovenia. This country is so little that you can visit the main sites such as Lake Bled and Postojna Cave from pretty much anywhere. I just wish the weather had been better – I experienced some cold and wet moments in Slovenia.
Related read: Glamping in Slovenia
TUNISIA – The best beach destination
Ask me what my ultimate beach holiday destination was, and I will surely say Tunisia, with its amazing coast, sandy sun-drenched beaches and wide open sky. My 10-day trip across Tunisia from Djerba to Tunis was definitely one of the greatest memories of the year.
If you go to Tunisia, make sure to visit its fascinating desert. It can even be visited as a day trip from Djerba.
Related read: 7 Reasons to Spend Your Next Holiday in Tunisia
SCOTLAND – A few days in Glasgow
Glasgow makes for a great city break, if you are looking to spend a weekend somewhere within Europe.
I hadn’t planned on visiting Scotland but one Czech travel magazine needed an article about Glasgow, so they flew me over on Jet2.com to explore the city and write about it (including some whisky tasting :0)!
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – Outdoor paradise
If you are into the outdoors, Bosnia is your place! With all its mountains and natural wonders, this tiny Balkan country is perfect for hiking, biking, rafting and other fun activities.
During my 10-day trip, the travel agency Visit Konjic helped me to enjoy a new adventure each day, including a pretty extreme canyoning tour. The adventure guide I published here went viral and even won an award in a Balkanvibe contest, taking the prize as second best blog post about the Balkans, winning me a trip across Croatia. Seriously, how lucky am I?
Related read: Things to Do in Bosnia and Herzegovina
THAILAND – Must-visit country in Asia
Tuk tuk ride in BangkokJedu tuk tukeeem!
Tuk tuk ride!
Veronika Tomanová
Posted by Veronika’s adventure on Monday, August 1, 2016
If you’re visiting Southeast Asia for the first time, Bangkok, Thailand’s dynamic capital, is the perfect place to start. Bangkok is home to countless attractions, so I still like coming back here even after several visits.
After exploring Chiang Mai, Asia’s capital for digital nomads, I headed to Phuket to experience some of Thailand’s most pristine beaches. There are many more places to visit in Thailand of course – I wrote about the best islands in Thailand here.
Related read: Complete Guide to Bangkok Attractions
MALTA: Small but cute
15 sekund krásy. Azzure Window na Maltě.
15 seconds of beauty. Azzure Window in #Malta.
Posted by Veronika’s adventure on Wednesday, September 7, 2016
It doesn’t get any more southern in Europe than Malta! This archipelago in the central Mediterranean is perfect for sun seekers and explorers, with numerous fortresses and megalithic temples for you to experience and traces of various civilizations all around.
I spend a holiday in Malta and Gozo with a bunch of friends. This country is quite compact, so you can visit everything in just a couple of days. It’s a shame that Malta is not gifted with sandy beaches – the coast is mainly rocky.
CROATIA: Road trip along the Adriatic
With its 1800 kilometers of coast and second cleanest water in Europe (Cyprus is usually chosen as #1), most people come to enjoy Croatia in summer time. I have been here with my parents countless times, so many that it almost became boring for me.
This time, I made it to Croatia in winter. Together with my father, we journeyed 3000 kilometers– starting from Czech Republic, across Croatia all the way to Dubrovnik, and even adding some extra days in Montenegro to our trip. If you are interested in sightseeing in Croatia, consider going there in the off-season!
Related read: Road trip along the Adriatic Coast
TAIWAN – Cycling 900 kilometers
Chances are this isn’t your first time on my blog and you know that Taiwan is my favorite country. I spent two years of my life there and it brings me joy every time I go back. This time, it was with a clear and brutal plan: to cycle around the whole island.
With a great team from Giant Adventures, I did that in 10 days. It was a spectacular but really exhausting trip. Apart from cycling 100 kilometers a day, as a Lonely Planet explorer I had to work on my pictures and writing each night. When Europe woke up, my updates were already online.
So, these were my best trips and adventures of 2016. Having visited so many countries I am honestly a bit tired. I am spending first days of new year in Germany, working on my first plans for 2017.
WHERE DID 2016 BRING YOU? AND WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING MOST IN 2017?
For sure you visited some amazing places during the year and I am always happy for new inspiration. I hope new year brings some exiting moments to all of us!
Edited by Nick Kembel
The post My Year in Travels – 2016 Travel Recap appeared first on Veronika's adventure.