We asked our ambassadors and Instagram community to share their favorite trips of 2016. Some of the top reoccurring places were Iceland, Hawaii, Bali, Nepal and Australia.
Hawaii was by far my favorite travel destination of 2016. Not only is the weather absolutely perfect all year round, but when you’re there you can’t help but be caught up in the active lifestyle of the islands. With stunning mountains and volcanoes and gorgeous beaches, hiking and swimming are commonplace activities, so it’s almost impossible to be a couch potato. The locals are super friendly, the food is delicious, the rich culture is fascinating (check out the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu!) and it’s almost inconceivable that anyone would have a bad time in Hawaii. adventureatwork More on her trip HERE.
Iceland is by far the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. (And, I’ve been to 46 countries and lived in five.) How could you not fall in love with the glacier lagoons, fluffy horses, lava fields, stunning landscapes and puffins? That’s right – PUFFINS! I went in August to visit old friend who moved to Iceland three years ago. The cost kept me away initially but I decided this was the year to make it happen. Since I am a photographer, I choose to visit in the summer and take advantage of the endless sunlight and planned my route around the light and photo opportunities. I plan to go back again in the winter for a shorter trip to photograph the northern lights. annamazurekphoto For more about Iceland, check out Anna’s posts about Where to Go in Iceland and Budget and Packing Tips for Iceland.
Ecuador was by far my favorite destination of 2016. The hubby and I were there for work, but we flew in early to explore and stayed with the most amazing family at the Casa Jimenita. It was quite rainy when we were there, but it was wonderful to tuck into a little church in Quito and wait out the storm with the locals. There were women selling potatoes and peppers they were cooking on makeshift portable grills. My husband was actually bit by a stray dog during our shoot, and we ended up seeing the inside of an emergency room…not something I recommend, but definitely a slice of life we wouldn’t have gotten to experience otherwise. It was a week full of vibrant moments, made familiar by bowls full of locro quiteno. rinehlers
My favourite trip was hands down Rio for the Olympics 2016!! Crazy whirlwind of solo travel, hostels, hiking and world class athletes!! jenju92
Thats a hard one! Its a toss up between Italy and Croatia for me! Croatia is very special to me and I was able to attend my cousins wedding in Zagreb. We also went to Split, Zadar, and Trogir. In Italy we went to Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, and Isle of Capri andreastravelss
I took an accidentally long vacation in Puerto Rico when I found an €85 flight to London from there then ended up changing it and staying longer when I made a new travel partner best holiday ever nadia_dailyself
Mine was definitely Dubai! So many new experiences, overcoming my fear of heights, being treated like a queen, meeting a camel, staying in a hotel shaped like a sailboat, Such an amazing time! eatlivetraveldrink
For me my favourite trip of 2016, and I think my all time favourite was my trip to Jordan. Jordan was such an incredible county, from the history, to the beautiful sites and mostly due to the incredibly welcoming people. Unfortunately over the last few years Jordan has seen a decrease in tourism, but hands down I would recommend it to anyone. I’ve never really felt as drawn to a country as Jordan and I would return in a heartbeat! traipsetowards
Favorite part of my year is going to Japan to see the cherry blossoms for my 30th! tourdelust
Santorini was my favorite this year! sarahfunky
Favourite trip was to Namibia and exploring the skeleton coast and etosha national park thetrinitraveller
Hawaii was my fav this year! latravelgirl
This sounds amazing! My favorite trip was my honeymoon to the Serengeti in Tanzania where I stayed at the most incredible @singita_ resort!!! kravetheworld
My favorite trip this year was Iceland by far jazmynh
Croatia was a dream sarahland.xo
I did the same trip and now I’m feeling so nostalgic! It was by far my most treasured trip of my life since I’ve dreamed of going to Australia since I was little and last New Years it finally came true! I saw fireworks from the Sydney opera house, the Great Barrier Reef at Whitsunday island, and felt the chill/fashionable/foodie capital of oz in Melbourne need to go back one day!! trvldiary
My fave was Cebu and El Nido in the Phils! kollectingkoordinates
I think it must been my trip to Budapest! Because I had no expectations but the city totally blow my mind, I fell in love with it! kattislundin
My favourite trip was moving to Sydney, Australia to start my lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian. My boyfriend, Tom joined me 6 months later and in between my exams, we’ve been having a blast exploring all the New South Wales has to offer. dontforgetyoursunscreen
My favorite trip… probably Nepal. Stayed with locals all the way through, traveled the whole country, accidentally stayed with a cult for a week, so many incredible memories and so much one on one time with locals thenomadsoasis
New Years in London was the best night of my life tuni.metropolife
My favourite trip had to be… travelling around Southeast Asia in November, when I stumbled across a group of five-year-old students from a language school and got to teach an impromptu English class in the middle of Hanoi, Vietnam dani.davies
Awesome perspective!! My favourite was Bali. It’s just so beautiful culturally and physically! mvandersluis
My favorite trip of 2016 was visiting Taiwan for the first time, where it sparked my boyfriend’s and my idea to bring back craft coffee with the pour over methodology. We started a pop up coffee pour over bar this summer at our local farmers market where our beans are sourced from a roaster that focuses on carbon negative coffee (they plan trees to offset carbon emissions from the roaster), and also just launched an online shop so that people can now buy our beans and roast their own coffee at home the pour over way! Can’t wait to see where 2017 will bring us and what new ideas will be inspired! witandfolly
Yes 🙂 feb 2016 the Philippines rosiescapes
It’s soooo easy – Kilimanjaro travel_inhershoes
This year has been one long holiday as I have taken a 12 month career break. I’ve visited some amazing places and had some life changing experiences, but without doubt the highlight of my year was the trek to Everest Base Camp. It was the most physically and mentally challenging thing I have ever done, but worth every step. megs_shannon