I’m lucky to have travelled to quite a few different places so far in my life. When looking at things that had happened in the last decade, I realised that actually a lot of my ‘more interesting’ travel has happened in these 10 years and I’ve been to some really cool places.
My list still isn’t as extensive as some and I’ve only ever travelled out of Europe once. However, I have visited some great places in the past decade so here are my top travel experiences.
#1 – Finland Expedition
I travelled to Finland in my second year of university. I did a Wildlife Media degree and as one of our modules we had to plan an expedition. It could be anywhere in the world, depending on your budget of course. We settled for trying to photograph bears in Finland.
And what an experience it was.
We stayed in hides at two different places, saw plenty of bears and even had a special animal appearance nearing the end of the week. As a travel experience, it is up there pretty high!
>> Read more about my Finland expedition and see more bear photos here!
#2 – Solo Travel in Barcelona
My first solo trip whilst travelling to another country! I fell in love with Barcelona, completely.
The buildings were super pretty and I loved wandering around all the different areas. I think the Gothic Quarter was probably my favourite and I ended up there a few times. I also really loved visiting the Sagrada Familia, and it was even more impressive than I thought it would be.
My last day ended with a cycling tour, and it was interesting to learn a little more about Barcelona and the people that lived there. I do think being there solo really influenced my experience of the city but even so, I’d definitely go again.
>> 5 Reasons to Visit the Sagrada Familia
#3 – Race Experience in Disneyland Paris
I had actually visited Disneyland Paris a few times as a child, but hadn’t been past the age of at least 10 I’d guess. Couldn’t really remember much about the place.
Going back as an adult was great. It was easy to figure out what we wanted to do and character meals and the like just weren’t on the list anymore. Much prefer to get on some rides than take a photo with a character.
The trip was even better because I was there to run the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon. Not everyone’s idea of fun, I know, but it really was amazing to be able to run through the park and see characters dotted about with no tourists in there!
>> 9 Tips for Disneyland Paris
>> RunDisney Half Marathon Paris
#4 – Venice Trip with College
This was my first travel experience abroad without parents. I was in my second year of college and we were there to see the art, take photographs and just learn a little from the Venetian culture. It started with a horrendous 27 hour coach ride and ended the same too. However the rest was amazing.
I loved Venice and all it’s little streets with canals. I loved seeing the art, and I just really enjoyed exploring with my friends. We ate so many slices of pizza, had tasty spaghetti and plenty of bread and cakes too.
We did actually head into Verona for a day however that trip was cut short – we saw the Juliet balcony and that was it. People were heading into an open space and people were warning us to stay away from buildings. Our teachers quickly discovered there was an earthquake warning and got us out of the city sharpish. I don’t think it actually happened though.
Anyway, Venice was lovely. We went late January so it was pretty cold for the most part, but in the sunshine it was actually quite warm. Trouble is, most of the city is shaded because of all the narrow streets. One thing I sort of regret is not going on a Gondola. Next time.
#5 – Festival Experience in Croatia
This one makes the list because 1. I didn’t have to pay because work did and 2. I went to Ultra – a dance festival. If you know me, you know that’s really not my kind of thing, but I think that’s just what makes the trip stand out.
It was a kind of surreal experience. Being in another country, in the middle of a huge stadium and surrounded by thousands of people from all over the world. The music was alright, and I recognised a good amount of it. The only name I actually knew though was David Guetta, so I can say that I’ve seen him live at least!
Besides that, Split was also a beautiful place. We didn’t do half as much as I would have liked though, so Croatia really needs another visit.
>> 6 Reasons to Visit Split, Croatia
#6 – Visiting Tenerife
This one gets a special mention because it was the first holiday my boyfriend and I went on together. It was a slow, hot and relaxing kind of week and it was great.
We lounged by the pool, we went to the beach, we went on a boat trip and snorkelled, we ate good food and had good drinks. The best thing of course, we visited Siam Park. The biggest waterpark in Europe. So many slides, such good fun. Definitely recommend. I’d also recommend eating at Lucky 7’s Fanabe.
>> Do’s & Don’ts For Visiting Siam Park, Tenerife
So, there’s my top travel experiences from the last decade. What are yours?
