Travelling creates memories that last a lifetime. Whether it’s finally getting to visit your dream destination, the taste of a particular food or adventures with new friends, there is no doubt that you will remember these moments for the rest of your life. I have been fortunate to travel to some incredible places with some wonderful people and each trip has added to my experiences and forged lasting memories. Some have been simple, fleeting moments and others epic bucket list adventures, but each one of these travel memories will stay with me forever.
1. My first big trip
At just 22, me and my now husband Jon embarked on our first big adventure, a 64 day organised tour around Northern America. Having only been on a plane once before and never travelling with strangers, we set off on what was going to be the best experience ever and the start of our wanderlust. I don’t know what it was that made this trip earn a special place in my heart, maybe it was the excitement of being away from home for so long or seeing places I had only ever seen on TV or meeting incredible people, but right from the start I felt at home there.
Eleven of us and a tour guide travelled the USA, Canada and Mexico for nearly 10 weeks. We camped together, cooked together and instantly bonded. There was hiking in national parks, partying in Las Vegas and New Orleans and beach days in California. The travel days were long but were filled with car games and American country music. The whole experience was something out of a movie (and we saw many filming locations as well). Although there were chores involved, it made the group closer as we cooked, cleaned and grocery shopped in our small teams. There were people from teenagers to mid 30’s and each one brought a new exciting vibe to the group. Everyone was up for a laugh and nothing was ever serious. It was a summer of adventure, one that has become engrained in my sole. From that moment on I knew that the open road was where I belonged.
2. The people
The people you meet when travelling are some of my favourite travel memories. From the weird strangers to the ones that become your best friends, so many interactions are now etched into my brain. Like….
The middle-aged German man who would sit outside our hostel window snogging and groping his girlfriend for all to see. A guy who got so drunk that he had an argument with the hostel owner, threw a chair at a passing car and passed out in someone else’s bed and started spitting everywhere. Four kind Japanese girls who we lived with on a farm who taught us the correct way to cook rice and threw a cake in Jon’s face on his birthday because apparently it was ‘tradition’. The young couple we kept bumping into during our time in New Zealand who became our first friends on our trip when we were worried we wouldn’t make any. The tour cook in Peru who got so drunk and danced around the campfire in a grass skirt, so close to it we got worried he would go up in flames. The old couple we ended up playing board games with on an all-inclusive week away in Greece. Watching the hilarious interactions between a London wide boy and a Danish teenager who spoke little English on a tour who later went on to become best friends. Babysitting three sweet kids for a farmer we were working for. The mad old lady who ran a New Zealand hostel who greeted us with her over the top personality and singing and dancing. Being serenaded by a homeless man in the USA. The couple we met while camping who had the same car as us and we went on to become good friends with. And the hundreds of other interactions both big and small which a left lasting impression and made our trips memorable.
3. The first look
It’s a cliché but there are moments when travelling that truly take your breath away. For me it was the first time I saw these four incredible destinations – the Amazon rainforest, Venice, Times Square and the Grand Palace in Abu Dhabi. All four of these things really made me want to cry.
Times Square was iconic. I had grown up in the 90’s watching it depicted on TV and in movies. My first time on a plane was to New York with my family and being a teenager from rural Wales, stepping out into the vast craziness of Times Square was overwhelming. It was just like in the movies. It was loud and there were tourists and yellow cabs everywhere. It was my first ‘pinch me’ moment as I just couldn’t believe I was finally in this place that I had seen hundreds of times on my TV screen.
The Amazon had been on my bucket list since I was a child. Growing up watching David Attenborough documentaries with my dad and now working in conservation made it even more precious to me. There was a moment when we were travelling into the rainforest where the bus stopped and it looked out over the forest and a small river ran through it. There were sounds of birds and other animals all around us. I felt like I was one with nature and so privileged to be allowed to step foot in this vast ecological hotspot and share space with all these animals that call the Amazon its home.
Venice took me by surprise. I had just booked to go there as we had some time off work and it was one of the cheapest flights at the time. Although it looked pretty in the movies, I just thought it was going to be another overhyped and overcrowded tourist destination. How wrong I was. For those of you who don’t know, one of the main ways to get to Venice from the mainland is by train. This train is nothing special, yes it does run next to the water, and you get to see some of the skyline of Venice, but other than that, it is just an ordinary train. That’s why I wasn’t expecting anything special when we got off it.
How wrong I was.
You step off the train, head along the platform and filter through the station towards the exit. But as you exit, the most beautiful sight appears. The Grand Canal is just there, at the exit of the station with the most beautiful old buildings all around, like something out of a Bond movie. You can instantly feel the history and glamour despite all the tourists, and if the sun hits the water it turns a brilliant shade of turquoise. This memory sticks with me as it was the unexpected. It wasn’t just another overcrowded tourist attraction, it was real, and it was beautiful and there is a reason that millions flock to Venice every year.
If you have ever wanted to feel like you are a Disney princess then go to the Grand Palace in Abu Dhabi. From the moment we drove through the palace grounds I knew this was going to be a special place. The bright white marble reflecting the sunlight, gleaming against a blue sky was something spectacular. The grandness of everything was unbelievable and something I had never seen on that scale, even having visited places like Buckingham Palace. Inside it was even more opulent. Chandeliers dripped from every ceiling and gold leaf ornately decorated the walls, floor and even the toilets. The first look at this place caused me to well up with joy at just the sheer scale and opulence of it. It was pure luxury to the point of seeming unreal. I felt like I was Princess Jasmine in Aladdin and just kept spinning around, looking up at the high ceilings trying to take it all in. Even now it still amazes me that something like that could exist and that I had the honour of being able to step inside its amazing walls.
4. The farm
Australian farming life is not an easy job. Long hours, backbreaking work and unbearable heat. However, it was something that all backpackers had to go through if they wanted to secure the coveted 2nd year working holiday visa, and we were no different. We started out fruit picking in Western Australia, then volunteered on a vineyard before finally ending up on a 2500 acre farm in the outback of New South Wales.
From the start we had reservations about this farm where we had decided to work. The farmer collected us from a small run-down outback town and drove us back to his farm (but not before necking several pints at his local first). The farm was miles from nowhere and half boarded up with broken down rusted tractors in the garden. If I had been on my own, I would have turned around and run away, but we didn’t, we decided to stay and we are so glad we did. What started as volunteering on a farm to be able to obtain a 2nd year visa ended up being one of the most memorable experiences of our whole 2 years in Australia. We not only got to herd cattle and sheep, feed chickens and build a scarecrow, we also became integrated into his family. This 55 year old grizzly looking outback farmer, who lived alone, took us in and made us feel at home. We were introduced to his 4 siblings, babysat his grandchildren, and attended family barbeques. We also went to market with him to choose a new bull, went camping with his friends and attended a talent show at the local village hall.
Officially we were supposed to work full days for our visa, but he only made us work until 1pm. Then, in the afternoons we were free to drink beer, swim in the river and hike the mountains surrounding his farm. We were there helping when his farm got flooded and held his dog in our arms when he died from a snake bite. This run-down farm had become our home and this old farmer our family. What started as a way of getting a visa turned into something more special than either of us could ever imagine.
5. Madagascar
Volunteering with animal research in Madagascar was a dream come true, especially for me studying animal science and working as a zookeeper. The world’s 4th largest island, home to thousands of endemic animals was where I would spend the craziest 3 weeks of my life. What started as a university trip to help with conservation research turned into a crazy adventure full of near-death experiences and living as a local. The brakes failed on the way into camp nearly hurtling us off the road, the zip broke on my tent on the first night exposing me to the deadly creepy crawlies and by night 2 I came face to face with a wild crocodile which nearly swallowed me whole (read more about that HERE). Add to that no running water or electricity, living off rice and beans for every meal and hiking up to 9 hours a day and it was an experience I will never forget. It was hard, gruelling and exhausting. But also scatted with incredible moments like the first time I saw a lemur in the wild or the night that the local guides invited us to join in with their celebrations and taught us Malagasy dancing. Kids were smiling and playing in dirt and farmers would leave trails of hay on the roads to help feed the cattle of the next cart that came along despite having not much for themselves. Despite the language barrier, I found comfort in this remote impoverished community who treated our group of white westerners like their own.
6. Trekking to Machu Picchu
For four days and five nights we trekked towards Machu Picchu. The scenery was stunning, but I wasn’t taking it in as nothing could have prepared me for how hard the altitude would hit me. Every day we walked I couldn’t breathe. Every night I slept I felt like someone was crushing me, only allowing me gasps of air. I was fit, but that didn’t matter, my body just couldn’t cope with the lack of oxygen. I cried a lot of the time. I had to ride a donkey part of the way. But even with all of this, the evenings were filled with fun and laughter. Silly games and drinking and dancing with the locals. Getting to know our hiking companions and guide. We were only together for 5 days, but the struggles of the hike quickly bonded us all.
The final day was brutal. A 4am start and hours of switchback paths which went on forever. I stuck with a girl I had met on the hike and we took it in turns dragging each other up the steps, mile after mile, watching as tour groups passed us on buses, taking the easy way up. As dawn hit, we arrived at the top. But it was cloudy and all of our efforts felt in vain as nothing could be seen. But then, as if by some miracle, the fog lifted and the days of exhaustion and crying seemed like a distant memory, as in that moment the sky cleared revealing the ruins of Machu Picchu and the vastness of the landscape around us. It felt like we were in heaven. The whole trip had been a rollercoaster of emotions but the end made all the pain worth it.
7. The hostel
I ran a backpacker hostel in Queensland, Australia and it was one of the best jobs I have ever had. I started as a receptionist but then the owner went abroad and left me in charge. I lived on site and had up to 50 guests staying at a time. While many people would hate this and want their own space, I thrived. It was like having dozens of housemates from all over the world, all with their own interesting stories. We would cook together, play games together and I would organise fun activities for everyone from barbeques to beach trips. It didn’t even feel like work despite being on call 24/7 and never having a day off. Even some of the crazy and challenging stuff that happened, like someone trying to commit suicide, just engrained this experience into my memory more. It made me realise that I could cope with anything life throws at me. I was happy there and became the truest version of myself surrounded by great people, helping to turn their trip into a memorable one.
8. The watering hole
Who doesn’t dream about going on safari? So, it’s probably no surprise that one of my core travel memories is seeing the big five in the wild. But what sticks with me is the first day of our safari when I first encountered all these animals.
We headed to a rhino reserve in Botswana and was told not to get our hopes up as it was getting darker and cooler and they can be hard to spot. So, we set our expectations low. Little did we know then that we were in for a big surprise. Almost instantly we saw 2 white rhinos. It was incredible and we felt so blessed. But that wasn’t even the best part. As we turned a corner, we came across a large watering hole and there on the water’s edge was every animal you could think of. Dozens of zebras, giraffe, rhino, antelope, birds flying overhead. It was like something out of the Lion King. I had expected to see a few animals here and there and have been close to big game before having worked as a zookeeper, but I just wasn’t prepared to see so many different animals all cohabitating together. With the sun starting to set on our first night in Botswana, our tour group watched in awe as these animals allowed us to share space with them. It was a privilege and a moment I will never forget.
9. Fun at the fair
I was staying in a hostel in Australia when I saw a job advertised to work for a travelling fun fair. Jon was living and working in another part of the country at the time, and I was bored of where I was staying and was looking for work. I rang the number and they said I could start immediately. So, the next day I set off on a bus to a remote town and joined the fair.
It was wild. There were 5 of us all living in a tiny trailor with just a few bunk beds. We cooked on a camping stove outside and had to use the on-site toilet and shower facilities at whatever showground we had parked up at. It was impossible to sleep as the music from the fair went on into the early hours of the morning. Meals were basic and whatever could be cooked on a camping stove. The rest of the time we lived off hot dogs, candy floss and slushies which we got free from the other fairground stalls.
We ran three attractions. The men oversaw the aqua zorb ride (inflatable balls you stand in on water) and us girls ran the ‘Hook-a-duck’ and ‘Burst-a-ballon’ stalls. The hours were brutal. We would start at 8am and finish at 11pm and sometimes even later if it was a day when we had to pack everything away. We had to constantly hustle to get people to come to our stalls and were horsed at the end of the day from the constant shouting. We would drive long hours between locations and would often be setting up our stalls in the early hours in the morning, ready for the following days event. On the days when there wasn’t an event we would have chores to do like cleaning the trailer or buying supplies. There was never a day off. One night water leaked out of our trailer and flooded our pitch site, something which my boss could get fined for. So, she just sent us out in the middle of the night to steal bark chipping from a local playground to put down and soak up the water so she could avoid getting fined.
Like with many fairground and arcade games, ours was rigged. Children would hook a duck or pop a ballon which had numbers on, and the numbers were supposed to correspond to certain prizes. But it was never about the numbers, it was about how much the person spent on our stall. My boss made up rules that a person had to spend X amount of money before they could get a larger prize. So, I would just have to lie to children and their parents and only give out a little prize if they hadn’t spent enough with us. Occasionally we would give away a large broken teddy in the morning just so people would think it was possible to win one, but it never was, not unless you were willing to spend a large amount of money.
I was supposed to be travelling with the fair for 3 months but after 5 weeks of non-stop work, little sleep and scamming people out of their money I decided to call it quits. Fairground life wasn’t for me. But I did it and it was an experience I will never forget.
10. Disasters
Travel doesn’t always go smoothly, and you may face setbacks and disasters along the way. I definitely have. I am such a chaotic and unlucky person and always seem to end up in some perilous situation. While some disasters can ruin your trip or worse your life, I am fortunate that I have never experienced anything so extreme that it has had a detrimental effect on my life. However, I have been in some strange and disastrous situations while travelling. Like the time I was chased by an elephant in Zimbabwe or narrowly missed an earthquake in New Zealand or when I found a deadly snake in my bedroom in Australia. While lots of these moments were scary at the time, they have become some of my most favourite travel memories ones which I will remember for the rest of my life.
Want to read more about my worst travel disasters then check out our post Why travel disasters make for the best stories: Tales from an unlucky backpacker.
