As the year of our gap adventure, 2011 was huge for us travel-wise. We'd like to take a moment to make some shout-outs about the things we liked best.
A stop along the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand.
Best adventure activity: Climbing Volcan Villarrica in Chile
Best attraction: Iguazu Falls, Argentina
Best beer: Brain Blasta, Porterhouse Brewing Company (John) and Emerson's Pilsner (Andrea)
Climbing Volcan Villarrica in Pucon, Chile
Best city: London (Andrea) and Berlin (John)
Best country: Germany
Best new country: Colombia
Best food: Jordan
At a vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina
Best people (friendliest): Ireland
Best hike: Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand
Best hostel: The Albatross Backpacker Inn, Kaikoura
Best hotel or resort: Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi
At the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
Best meal: BBQ at our mate Klemen's place in Ljubljana
Best Museum: Terror Háza, Budapest
Best national park: Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Argentina
On the Caribbean Coast in Colombia
Best organized: Switzerland
Best restaurant: Francis, Montevideo
Best tour guide: Raed from Jordan
Rain and wind in Ireland at the Cliffs of Moher
Best town: Grindelwald, Switzerland
Best thing we saw that we didn’t know about when planning: Bozcaada, Turkey
Best wine: Chile
Hanging out in London
About to take on the zipline at Grindelwald First in Switzerland.
We'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the following fellow travellers we met or caught up with this year who made our time extra special. Because it's always more about the people you meet than the places you see:
Abby (The Jungle Princess), Adam (Travels of Adam), Amar and Dipti, Andi and Lucas (My Beautiful Adventures), Andrew (Grounded Traveler), Anna, Adam and Basia in Poland, Ayngelina (Bacon is Magic), Brad (LindVentures), Brendan (Brendan's Adventures), Cheryl (Cheryl Howard), Christina (Jandal Road), Christy and Kali (Technosyncratic), Claudia and Umit, Dalene and Peter (Hecktic Travels), Dave (Go Backpacking), Eileen (Bear Shaped Sphere), Emily and Rodolfo (Don't Call Me Gringa), Jasmine (Jasmine Wanders), Jim (Holes in My Soles), Julie (Nueva Americana), Katrina and Dario (Tour Absurd), Kerry-Ann (Audacious Freedom), Kirsten (Aviators and Camera), Klemen, Kyle and Seba (Kyle Hepp Photography), Laura and Roberto (Travel for Love), Lucy and Michael, Marcello (Wandering Trader), Marko, Melvin and Astrid (Traveldudes), Rease (Travelated), Rob and Angelica (South America Me), Robbie and Luke, Stephanie (The Travel Chica) and Tobi.
Enjoying litres of beer at Oktoberfest
Petra, Jordan
What was your favourite travel experience of 2011?
Thanks for the mention. I’m just now getting through some of my reading backlog. Looks like you guys had a great year. It was great fun visiting and drinking with you two. Glad that Germany made your top country. 🙂
So wonderful meeting you, Andrew – thanks for a great time in Freiburg and we hope to see you again. Looking like Europe is a strong possibility for our next stint so hopefully we can meet you and Ali again sometime soon!
Great shoutout for 2011. I wish I did a post like this. =) Love that you found the best food in Jordan. That country is really making its way into my bucket list of travels.
It’s not too late for you to do one =) Would love to know what you enjoyed the most last year!
wow… you’ve been to so many places last 2011… Happy 2012 John and Andrea… wishing you more adventures this year:-)
Thanks so much – wishing you many wonderful adventures this year as well! =)
Great picture of the donkey in Petra – and I love the scarf, and the pink and white polka dot handbag he’s wearing!
Thanks for the shout out darling! 2011 was amazing because I got to meet you!!! Can’t wait to see you again in 2012. Much love and safe travels!!!!!!!!!!
I can’t wait either!!! Here’s to many fabulous adventures for both of us in 2012!! =)