2025 Travel Year in Review [Good, Bad + the Ugly]
Looking back on the past 12 months, one thing is very clear. This was a year truly defined by travel. And here is our 2025 travel year in review. The good, the bad and the ugly can be found at the end!
We spent the majority of the year on the move, with only four months of the year at our home base in Australia (five months for Doug). Outside of those months, we were travelling almost constantly, moving between continents, countries, cultures, and landscapes.
It was not a year defined by slow travel (lessons learnt perhaps?)
It was a year of firsts and returns. We visited countries we had never been to before, revisited familiar destinations but explored entirely new regions, and experienced travel in ways that were exciting, challenging, and at times a little tiring. Above all, it was a year filled with meaningful experiences, wonderful people, and moments we will never forget.
One of the biggest personal milestones of my life happened this year. Travelling to South America and Antarctica meant I finally set foot on all seven continents. That alone makes 2025 a year I will always remember. (And South America is firmly in my sites for a more extended visit in 2027!)
We spent time in the UK England and Scotland, as well as visiting Morocco, Portugal, Turkey, Qatar and Sri Lanka (the later 5 for the first time) and adding repeat visits to Spain, Malaysia and Singapore. For me the year also included time exploring Argentina, the Falkland Islands, and Antarctica.
Month by month travel year in review
January: Scotland
We began the year in Scotland, ending December 2024 with a house and pet sit near Edinburgh that ran throughout January and into mid-February. Having a base after a busy end to the previous year was exactly what we needed.
Find out more about housesitting!
January was productive and I spent most of the month recording podcast episodes, catching up on social media and drafting website articles.
Doug made the most of being in Scotland and travelled extensively by train recording videos for our UK Travel Planning YouTube channel. This even included a trip over to Northern Ireland by coach and ferry from Glasgow and a trip on the Caledonian Sleeper Lowlander from Edinburgh to London.
Winter travel reminded us how important flexibility is, especially after a series of storms left Doug stranded in Inverness for two nights due to cancelled trains.
February: London and Morocco
February brought a long weekend for me in London and a Caledonian Highlander Sleeper journey back north from London to Inverness.
Time in London included afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason’s at the Royal Exchange, attending Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral, and a day trip to Stonehenge and Bath as guests of small group tour company ‘The English Bus’. (use code UKTP5 for 5% discount)
Midway through the month (after a sad goodbye to the lovely Enya), Doug and I flew to Morocco, our first visit to the country and our first new country of the year. We spent a day in Marrakesh (and took a tour of the Souk) before heading off for two weeks travelling around Morocco on an Intrepid tour and completely fell in love with it.
The warmth of the people, the food, the landscapes, and our guide Fouad all contributed to what became the most surprising destination of the year. Chefchaouen, the Blue City, was a particular favourite.
I fell in love with Morocco so much that I am returning in March 2026 to co-host a women only group tour with Intrepid!
Read more – Morocco Travel Guide
Episode #48 – Moroccan Adventure: Highlights, Culture, and Travel Tips from Our Intrepid Trip
March: Spain and Portugal
At the end of February, we flew from Marrakesh to Madrid and began the first of our stints that month in Spain. After a couple of nights in Madrid, we travelled south by train to Seville, which quickly became one of the standout destinations of the year.
We loved the city, its atmosphere, and its food, and a Take Walks tour with Alba brought Seville to life in a way we will never forget.
Unfortunately the weather did not play ball and March was unusually wet, and persistent rain followed us across much of Spain.
From Seville, we took a day trip to the Alhambra. Probably the most underwhelming destination of the year (tied with the Pena Palace outside Lisbon which was also disappointing)
From Seville we travelled by bus to Portugal (there are no direct train lines from Seville to Lisbon), another new country for us, spending time in Lisbon (including a day trip to Sintra, Pena, Regaleira, Cabo da Roca and Cascais before heading north by train to Porto.
While heavy rain limited our sightseeing in Porto there we were still glad to have visited (we managed one full day before the heavens opened and this combined with a bad cold kept us holed up in our rental)
Bad luck tends to go in threes and this was the case in Porto when our planned rail travel to our next destination was disrupted by a strike. I quickly booked a flight to Barcelona (much to Doug’s disappointment). I will say that this didn’t go smoothly either as we were grounded for a few hours on the tarmac in Porto due to a storm impacting landings in Spain.
When we finally arrived in Barcelona we hopped into an Uber to our next base in Sitges, just south of the city. This was a childhood holiday favourite for Doug and although I was dubious at first about staying outside of Barcelona it was undoubtedly a fantastic decision.
Sitges is a small town crammed full of small cafe and boutique lined lanes leading down to beautiful beaches and historic Church. It is full of character and I was quite happy to spend some relaxing days there interspersed with some train journeys into Barcelona.
Throughout Spain, we joined excellent walking and food tours, including a tapas and flamenco experience in Seville that easily ranked among our top three tours of the entire year.
Tours we took in Spain and Portugal
- Seville
- Barcelona
Read more – Spain Travel Guide | Portugal Travel Guide
Episode 51 – Spain Travel Planning: 3 week itinerary [Trip Report]
April: Türkiye, Qatar, and Sri Lanka
At the end of March, we flew to Istanbul, marking our first visit to Türkiye. We spent five days exploring the city, visiting major sights including the Blue Mosque and joining a food tour to sample Turkish cuisine.
Tours we took in Istanbul
From Turkey, we flew to Qatar, another first for us, staying in Doha for three nights as a short stopover. We took a dhow boat trip around the harbour and joined a private full-day city highlights tour, enjoying the return to hot weather.
From Doha, we flew to Colombo and began three weeks in Sri Lanka, which became one of the highlights of the entire year.
Sri Lanka Highlights: Trains, Wildlife, and Incredible People
Because we booked train tickets late, we travelled around Sri Lanka anti-clockwise, which worked extremely well.
We began with a few days in Colombo before heading by train to Galle, which ended up being our favourite place in the country, before travelling to Yala National Park, where we were lucky enough to see a leopard as well as elephants and other wildlife.
From there, we headed north to Ella and took the spectacular train journey to Kandy, one of the most memorable rail journeys of the year.
We stayed in a homestay just outside Kandy during the Festival of the Tooth, which made the city incredibly busy but fascinating.
A day trip to Sigiriya and the Dambulla Cave Temples was another highlight. The food in Sri Lanka was excellent, though often spicy, and one of the real joys of the trip was meeting people along the way. Almost every tuk-tuk ride turned into a cricket conversation for Doug, which was a wonderful way to connect.
Read more – Sri Lanka Travel Guide
Episode #59 – Sri Lanka Travel Planning 3 Week Itinerary + Essential Travel Tips
Late April and Early May: Malaysia and Singapore
From Sri Lanka, we flew to Malaysia, returning to a country we had visited before. We spent time in Kuala Lumpur before travelling north by train to Butterworth and taking the ferry to Penang.
Despite the heat, Penang remains one of our favourite destinations in Malaysia. From there, we travelled by train to Ipoh, a new destination for us, where we stayed for five nights exploring temples, street art, and local food.
After returning to Kuala Lumpur, we travelled by coach to Singapore, a route we have done before and continue to recommend for its comfort and ease. We spent a couple of days there catching up with a friend we had met the previous year in South Korea.
On my birthday, we flew from Singapore to Perth.
Read more – Malaysia Travel Guide | Singapore Travel Guide
Episode #67 – 13 Day Malaysia Itinerary: Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh [+ Travel Tips]
May: Western Australia Road Trip
From Perth, we headed north on a short road trip to Kalbarri, exploring Kalbarri National Park, including the Skywalk and Nature’s Window. Sharing this trip with our daughter made it particularly special.
After returning to Perth, Doug flew back to Brisbane while I stayed on for a few extra days to catch up with friends before also heading home.
June, July, and August: Home in Brisbane + Trip to Stanthorpe
After months of travel, June, July, and August were spent at home in Brisbane. This time was essential for recording podcasts, catching up on work, and planning the rest of the year.
We did head off to our favourite Queensland haunt of Stanthorpe for a 4 day break – plenty of wine tasting and walks in Giraween National Park!
September and October: Big Road Trips (and the UK for Doug)
September brought one of the biggest road trips of the year as we drove from Brisbane to Perth over ten days, crossing Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, the Nullarbor, and continuing through Kalgoorlie. We loved every part of the journey.
Doug then flew directly from Perth to London, where he spent time travelling extensively by train to create content for the UK Travel Planning website, podcast, and YouTube channel.
In October, I house-sat in Fremantle before Doug returned to Australia. We then drove back from Perth to Brisbane over 15 days via Albany, Esperance, the Nullarbor, Adelaide, the Great Ocean Road, rural Victoria, Canberra, and the New South Wales coast.
By the time we arrived home in early November, we had visited all eight states and territories in Australia in total, with Canberra being the final one to complete the set.
Episode 74 – Brisbane to Perth Road Trip [Itinerary, Tips and Costs]
November: Argentina and Antarctica for Tracy
After just four days at home, I flew to Sydney and then on to South America. I travelled via Santiago, Chile and onto Buenos Aires – Argentina – before flying south to Ushuaia.
From there, I joined a 15-night expedition cruise to Antarctica, with stops in the Falkland Islands before returning to Ushuaia. Antarctica was unlike anywhere else I have ever been. It was peaceful, breathtaking, and incredibly special.
Setting foot on Antarctica meant I finally visited all seven continents, something I had dreamed of for many years. I also learned to identify five different species of penguins along the way.
After returning to Buenos Aires, I spent a day exploring the city on a private tour before flying back to Australia via Santiago and Sydney. It was a lot of flying, but every moment was worth it.
Read more – Things Nobody Tells You About Visiting Antarctica: Insights From My HX Expedition
December: Rest and Reflection
December was spent at home, resting, reflecting, and recovering from such an intense year of travel.
The loss of a loved one has made me truly reflect on my next decade and what I want out of future travels.
Together, we have began planning what comes next……
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Our 2025 Travel Year
Looking back on the year as a whole, it’s clear that 2025 wasn’t just about where we went, but how it felt to travel this way.
The good was extraordinary. Visiting new countries and revisiting familiar ones in deeper ways, completing a lifelong goal of setting foot on all seven continents, and experiencing places like Morocco, Sri Lanka, Antarctica, and long stretches of Australia by road were all unforgettable.
And the people we met – so many shared moments across the world.
The bad was the reality that long-term travel at a fast pace is tiring. Juggling work across multiple time zones, unreliable Wi-Fi, weather disruptions, rail strikes, and constantly changing plans all added to the challenge. But flexibility is always key and maybe slower travel is a future goal!
The ugly was the physical and mental toll. Being ill while travelling, feeling run down every few weeks, and managing medical issues alongside constant movement made parts of the year hard. Always needing to be “on” for podcasts, social media, and work added a constant mental load and one that its difficult to convey to those who perceive we are ‘living the dream.’
Would we change the year? No.
Would we do it the same way again? Probably not.
Watch our year in review on Global Travel Planning Instagram
Looking Ahead to 2026
If 2025 was about seeing as much as possible, 2026 may be about slowing down. Longer stays, fewer destinations, and more space between journeys are very much on the horizon.
So far the Phillipines, Morocco and the UK feature heavily!
Wherever we go, one thing remains certain – travel continues to teach us, challenge us, and bring us immense joy.
Read more – 2024 Travel Year in Review
