Faroe Islands
Pictured: In the wharf of Torshavn having a walk along the waterway
The weather in the Faroe Islands can be tricky, and we had a mix of beautiful sunshine, as well as some light sprinkles. Our trip was cut short because of travel delays, but we made the most of it and drove around to at least 6 different islands. The city of Torshavn was unsuspectingly charming.
Greenland
Pictured: Sipping on welcome cocktails at our glamping site in Saqqaq, Greenland
We had originally planned to spend more time in Greenland, but with the weather and plane instrument dependencies, our trip was cut short almost 2 days. Either way, we cranked out all the activities one could fit in an entire day, including paddle boarding past ice bergs, walking through the local towns and seeing the Inuit way of life, rib boat rides through pack ice, and having a BBQ on the shores of an abandoned coal mine.
Iceland
Pictured: Standing outside our monster vehicle just outside Katla Ice Caves
We've taken a few trips to Iceland now and have done a good amount of mostly the central and south coast areas. It's funny that you don't get sick of seeing new and beautiful waterfalls over and over again - they just never get old. The weather is tempermental and you have to be prepared for both sunshine and torrential downpour all in one day. We'll be back to Iceland again, someday soon!
Azerbaijan
Pictured: Taking a break from walking along the promenade in Baku weeks before the Formula 1 Race
Baku is a bustling modern city that amazed us in many ways. The food was incredible, the modern buildings were uniquely designed with purpose, and Old Town Baku was as charming and preserved as one could hope. The 4-storey winding slide in the Deniz Mall made us feel like kids again.
Kuwait
Pictured: At the AlSadu Society workshop where designs from the Kuwaiti culture are maintained and preserved by the women inside.
Kuwait was incredibly hot, over 100 degrees every day we were there. We did manage to get a tour around the city and saw many incredible places that the Kuwaitis have built over the years. The Peace Palace was one of the most incredible museums we've been to and we learned so much there in just the short amount of time that we were there. Everybody we met or interacted with was so kind and graceful.
Cyprus
Pictured: Talking a walk on the boardwalk in front of our hotel on the south side of Cyprus near the city of Limassol.
Cyprus was such a relaxing time! The Four Seasons hotel was a wonder, the spa was absolutely serene, it was a bit warm outside, but we did manage to get a nice long walk along the boardwalk on the beach. The Cypriot food and culture are something to appreciate and we left feeling the warm hospitality of the locals.
Ireland
Pictured: Taking a rest at the Unesco World Heritage Site, Giants Causeway
There is so much to love about Ireland. We've now been twice, but we already have more trips planned to go back. Admittedly, the Giants Causeway was such a startling and beautiful surprise - between the Causeway and Dromoland Castle - it's a toss up to choose which one was our favorite!
Scotland
Pictured: Aboard the Royal Scotsman train in the Scottish Highlands (Kyle of Lochalsh) after a visit to Plockton.
Scotland commands such a deep respect and the allure of their strength makes you fall quickly in love with their culture, cities, and everything in between. From the highlands to the city of Edinburgh, there's so much to love about this incredible and unique place.
Estonia
Pictured: Posing for a picture after lighting some candles inside the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
It felt like every day we were in Estonia we got almost 20,000 steps in. The Old Town of Tallinn is so charming and you can lose yourself in the winding and narrow streets (and forget about your feet). The food in Estonia was shockingly amazing and we didn’t have one bad meal (thanks to Max’s detailed research!).
Latvia
Pictured: Standing next to a locally curated art installation outside the Nativity of Christ Cathedral
Latvia has beautiful scenery, incredible food, great cocktails, and so much character! We missed our opportunity to see a Russian ballet at the opera theatre (just next door to our hotel), but we made up for it in exploring all corners of their capital, Riga.
Lithuania
Pictured: Making our way towards the Trakai Island Castle located about an hour way from Vilnius, Lithuania.
Lithuania is so peaceful and beautiful. We spent a good amount of time walking around the main area, Gediminas Avenue, in Vilnius and driving around the country to see attractions like the Trakai Castle and the Hill of Crosses.
Bolivia
Pictured: Smiling for the camera in the salt flats of Uyuni.
Our time in Bolivia was short and we only had time to visit Uyuni, where the infamous salt flats are. Surprisingly, we took the entire day to tour around the city, visit local hand made crafts, see art creations, visit cactus islands, train graveyards, and saw the most amazing night sky with the stars shining bright.
Peru
Pictured: Snapping a pic with locals on top of Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain) located just 2 hours outside of Cusco City.
We spent over a month in Peru, the longest we’ve spent consecutively in any country. Peru has so much to offer, the culinary creativity in Lima, the world wonder at Machu Picchu, the charm of Cusco City, the adventure on the Amazon River, Salt Mines, Incan ruins throughout, a peaceful refuge in The Sacred Valley, and larger than life condors asserting dominance while swooping overhead in Colca Canyon.
Brunei
Pictured: Standing outside the Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, named after the 29th and current Sultan of Brunei
We spent a few days touring around the island of Borneo. We didn’t realize it at the time, but we actually booked our trip in the middle of Ramadan, so, as a byproduct of this oversight, we were actually able to learn a bit more about this cultural tradition of theirs.
China
Pictured: Taking a selfie at the bottom of Big Buddha In Leshan, China.
China: what a beast. We spent about a month in China covering 6 different cities all over their massive country. We feel like every city had something different to offer and were so grateful that we got to see the variety of things. We had some incredible food, saw some breathtaking cities and live performances, and even after spending almost a month in China, still want to go back to visit Tibet, Harbin and many more.
El Salvador
Pictured: Standing in front of the Palacio Nacional in El Salvador days before their presidential election
Honduras
Pictured: swimming around The Odyssey ship wreck in West Bay, Roatan, Honduras
The entire time we were in Honduras was spent in Roatan either in the water or sitting by the water. The West Bay area has so much life to it and the beaches were bustling with people enjoying the sun and the sand. Roatan seems like a great place to vacation if you’re looking for something different from what you’re used to doing. It’s so relaxed there and we are looking forward to going back someday.
Belize
Pictured: Taking a relaxing bath in our outdoor jacuzzi at Hamanasi Dive Resort
We spent 4 days in Belize and took advantage our time by scuba diving as much as possible! The most exciting sighting underwater was a school of nurse sharks (maybe up to 10) that were crawling up and down the reef waiting to be fed lionfish. Aside from the underwater excursions, the most exciting adventure above land was spending 3 hours at the ATM cave, which houses historic Mayan artifacts including skeletons potentially used for human sacrifice.
Guatemala
Pictured: walking around the streets of Antigua
We spent all our time in Guatemala in the ancient city (hence the name) of Antigua. It immediately reminded us of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. We loved walking around the streets in the small city and you can easily do so in a day or two. We took the hike up to Cerro de la Cruz and enjoyed the light exercise along with the beautiful view of Volcano Agua which is such a powerful landmark.