TRAVEL + PHOTOGRAPHY

My Top 10 Most Beautiful Snapshots From 2-Years Globetrotting

Europe, Asia, and beyond.

I left the UK, my home country, in September 2021, which means I’ve been traveling for almost 2 years now. During this time I’ve visited bustling metropolises, tranquil coastal towns, and rural resorts across Europe, Asia, and Australia.

I’ve recently returned to my homeland — well, kind of — I’m in Inverness, Scotland right now, and I’m from London, England, so about as far apart as you can get from one end of the UK to the other.

But, being the closest to home that I’ve been in the past 22 months has led me to reflect on the amazing journey I’ve had so far, and the beautiful vistas I’ve captured along the way.

I very much wanted to enjoy the traveling experience with my eyes rather than through a lens so I’ve actually taken very few photos on my travels — the equivalent of 1 photo per week.

With that being said, I think I have more quality photos because I have been very picky about what to capture.

While scrolling through my collection, there were several clear stand-out photos — some because they so obviously captured a beautiful place, but others because they captured something deeper within me.

I hope you’ll enjoy looking at and reading about the stories behind these beautiful photos.

10. Hoi An Riverside & Memories Show, Vietnam

I visited Vietnam twice during my travels, staying for a total of two months. This photo is the view I had from my balcony during my one-week stay at the Lantana Riverside Hoi An Boutique Hotel and Spa.

Being a freelancer, I rarely take time off work, but I took the whole week off while here and spent many days relaxing on the balcony with this gorgeous view. Which is probably one of the reasons I remember it so fondly.

The view is of the river, of course, but also of an island that holds a 25,000-square-foot outdoor performance venue designed specifically for the impressive Hoi An Memories Show. It features more than 500 actors and dancers who perform 400 years of Hoi An’s rich history.

Every night the bridge that connects to the island which you can see at the right side of the photo, lights up, and music is played welcoming people to the show.

Here are two bonus photos taken in the evening. The first is of the show, and the second is of the bridge.

9. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Malaysia was another country I visited twice during my recent travels. I remember watching the film Entrapment in the 90s starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones — it features a heist that goes wrong at the Petronas Towers and ever since then I’ve wanted to visit Kuala Lumpur.

It’s funny when you arrive somewhere that you have only ever seen in a film. I expected it to feel very atmospheric, and it just didn’t. People were just going about their daily business and it all just felt very ‘normal’. I think I was expecting some big performance or something. I guess this is the problem with romanticizing a place based on what you see in a film.

However, I was very lucky that the second time I was in Malaysia it was Chinese/Lunar New Year, and the towers were lit up in gold and red — two lucky colors in Chinese culture. Typically, the towers are just a dull silvery metal and tend to blend in along the skyline. Sorry, I know that sounds horrible, again, I think it’s to do with the fact I had high expectations of them.

I wasn’t aware they were going to be lit up during New Year, but heading out in the evening, I turned the corner and seeing them rise up in front of me in gold and red, they totally took my breath away.

8. Ta Phrom Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia

You may recognize this temple from the Tomb Raider films. Yes, another place I wanted to visit because I’d seen it on screen.

I was lucky enough to visit here when the country was only just opening up to tourists again after the pandemic and it was very quiet.

There was just something about the atmosphere here, I can’t quite explain it, almost like stepping back in time or into another world — perhaps that is the best way to explain it.

Even though there were very few people here, so you’d expect it to be quiet, it was actually very, very quiet, like the atmosphere at a church, where everyone is paying their respects. It felt very different from the other temples that are also part of the Angkor complex of temples, which felt lively and everyone chatted and posed for photos.

I visited the temples as part of a group tour and we were pressed for time as this was the last temple of the day. So, I’d love to go back again someday and just sit quietly for an hour. It really was a magical experience.

7. Birdcage Installation, Sydney, Australia

Yes, this is rather different from the other photos so far on this list. You may be wondering what is so amazing about this art installation.

Well, you see, at the time of stumbling across it in an alleyway in Sydney, I had been traveling for about 1 year and had been going through quite a significant personal transformation.

One of the biggest changes in me was that I’d been dealing with a lot of suppressed and repressed emotions and finally felt free having acknowledged them and let them go.

So, when I came across this bird cage installation, it felt very symbolic and it even prompted me to write a personal essay about my experiences growing up in a culture where emotional suppression has been normalized. The 40+ comments my essay has had to date, show that many other people have experienced the same.

I stood in that alleyway for a long time just reflecting on how far I’d come emotionally. Because of this, it is one of my most beautiful photos because it represents a beautiful transformation in me.

6. Split, Croatia

Split was the very first place I visited on my (so far) 2-year globetrotting adventure, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. And it’s also the reason why this photo features as the main image for this article because it’s where my adventures began.

It was very difficult to just pick one photo as Split is so picturesque. I finally chose this photo which was taken from Marjan Park, which is really what I’d call a hill rather than a park. And because of that, it gave the best views of Split.

I was only a 5–10 minute walk from the hill and I went there almost every day during my one-month stay in this city. And every time I had this wonderful tingling feeling all over my body — gratitude at being able to experience such a beautiful place.

5. Sydney Opera House, Australia

When I arrived in Sydney in June 2022, they were experiencing the worst rainfall they’d had in over 160 years.

However, the last week I spent in Sydney, the weather suddenly improved and I managed to take some gorgeous photos. And you’ll see that 4 out of the 10 photos on this list are from Australia, showing just how much the place blew me away.

This photo is of the famous Sydney Opera House, lit up at night. While it is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Sydney, I’m actually a huge classical music fan so it is a place I’ve wanted to visit since I was a teenager. I don’t tend to visit popular attractions just for the sake of it, I have to actually want to see them for my own personal reasons.

I’ve been lucky enough to have experienced some of the best classical music performances across Europe. However, nothing compared to the performance and acoustics here.

The Sydney Opera House actually houses several venues, and I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the largest of them — the Concert Hall for a performance called Towards Serenity featuring pieces by Debussy, Copand & Elga performed by The Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

I sat there absolutely mesmerized throughout the entire performance, it really was amazing. Here’s a bonus photo from inside the Concert Hall itself.

4. Comfort Food, Sydney, Australia

As previously mentioned, Sydney was experiencing heavy rain when I was there. Despite this, I still feel like I had such a wonderful experience there.

This photo represents a day off work where I’d decided to spend the morning inside with a good book. There were several books left in this Airbnb from previous guests so I was spoilt for choice.

I made a bowl of healthy granola and paired it with ginger and lemon tea. As I carried my bowl and mug into the living room and placed them on the windowsill next to the book I was going to read, I had such a feeling of contentment, I felt like I just had to take a photo to capture the moment. I am not usually one to take photos of this kind, at all.

Whenever I look back at this photo, I feel all warm inside remembering how happy I was that day.

I had a lovely morning reading, and the rain had cleared by the afternoon and the glorious sun came out, which leads me to my next photo.

3. Rushcutter’s Bay Harbour, Sydney, Australia

I was just a 5-minute walk from the beautiful Rushcutter’s Bay. And this is one of the most beautiful harbour views I think I have ever seen.

A park lies alongside it, so you can walk for quite a while and really take in just how spectacular this place is. I’m not one to envy others, but I absolutely envy the people that get to live in the apartments with this view.

On one occasion, I saw someone swimming in the harbour. I’m not sure that’s allowed but it was certainly memorable.

Come rain or shine, I walked around this park almost every day during my 1-month stay in Sydney, and I’d say it has to be my favorite vista in Australia.

2. Melaka, Malaysia

This is the view from my 37th-floor Airbnb apartment in a beautiful coastal city that can be called/spelled Melaka or Mallaca, situated in southwestern Malaysia.

Most people will do a day trip here from Kuala Lumpur as it only takes a few hours on the bus, but I had 3 months on my visa so I decided why not spend a month here.

Waking up to this every morning just took my breath away. Even on the last day, I stood out on the balcony just looking out to sea for an hour and then I had to rush to catch my bus.

It was unbelievably quiet here, and the perfect place for rest and relaxation. I’d love to return one day.

1. Benchakitti Park, Bangkok, Thailand

In the sweltering heat of Bangkok city, Benchakitti Park is an oasis of tranquillity.

I was lucky enough to be just a 20-minute walk from this gorgeous park, so I walked around it almost every day when I took a lunch break.

The most popular park in Bangkok is Lumphini, and while it is beautiful, I honestly preferred Benchakitti. It’s easy to get to as it is just a five-minute walk from BTS Asok station and Queen Sirikit MRT — two train lines that connect to most parts of the city.

Many people come to this park to run. I don’t know how they do it in the heat, as I could barely walk. I would often sit down while walking around the lake as there are many places to sit.

It definitely sticks out in my mind as being one of my favorite places not just in Thailand but in all the places in the world I’ve visited.

What are your favorite places around the world? Let me know in the comments.

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