Travel Bucket List-2017 Gapyear and Expating
Last year’s travel bucket list focused on Africa… And with a reason, we were living in Angola and knew it would be our last year there. So, we had to take the opportunity and visit Angola and its neighbors.
The travel bucket list successes
As scheduled we went to Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe and completed an 8-day overland Safari through Africa! 🙂 This was undoubtedly our main adventure of the year. We loved this overland adventure and will surely do others in the future. It’s a great way to go to several places in one trip, and some of them aren’t easy to get to.
In Angola, we were able to go to Malanje (check here & here) and Lubango, which we still haven’t published, but you will love it! Because, there’s no way anyone doesn’t love Lubango…
Kalandula Falls, Angola
“Serra da Leba” in Lubango, Angola
And this marked the end of our journey in Angola! We will miss it and our friends there, but new experiences are to come! We will continue our expat adventures because we believe that expating is the ultimate slow travel, and the best way of really knowing a region.
Benguela, Angola
Travel bucket list fails
Unfortunately we couldn’t go to São Tomé and PrÃncipe because of Angola’s oil and foreign currency crisis. We literally couldn’t buy USD or plane tickets from Angola. It is an easy trip from Portugal also, so we will do it later…
São Tome and Principe
These problems also meant we had to postpone the trans-Siberian. As we really don’t want to deal with Siberian and Mongolian winter, this “must do” adventure will have to stay on the shelves for a little while.
The surprise trips
On the upside we did two amazing road trips in Europe. One road trip through Andalusia and another through Bavaria, Austria and the Czech Republic. Both were really immersive trips with culture, food, trekking, beaches… and even an experience in sports tourism :). So much happened that we still have a few post to write about!
2017 Traveler & Expat Bucket List
2017 is the year of the East! So, South East Asia is the focus of our travel bucket list. We will start in the south of Thailand and go north to Laos and then Vietnam and Cambodia. This trip will take a few weeks or more… It will depend on how our expat project unveils.
Thailand
We discovered a fantastic deal from Cologne to Phuket, 199Â euros, one way. So we will start the journey there, visit the southern beaches and head north to Bangkok and then Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.
Thailand
Laos
From northern Thailand we will cross the border overland into Laos and get a slow boat cruise in the Mekang River to Luang Prabang. From there we will go to Vang Vieng where we want to try tubing in the river. Apparently it’s a major thing there. We still haven’t decided if it’s worth going the Laos Capital: Vientiene.
Laos
Vietnam
We will arrive in Vietnam from Laos and go directly to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. From there we will slowly go south into Ho Chi Minh City, passing through Da Nang, Nha Trang and the beautiful rural country.
Vietnam
Cambodia
In Cambodia, the main goal is obviously Angkor Wat in Siem Riep, but we will pass through Phnom Penh and maybe rest in some beaches along the coast. We heard there are a few fantastic and yet very little known ones…
Cambodia
And beyond
Well, this is when this travel bucket list becomes complicated… Our project is to embrace a new expatriation, but this can happen in February or May, even by the end of the year…
Therefore, we will continue the trip as long as we can. However knowing that we will have to return and go to work in a new region and appreciate it in a completely different level. Our focus is in the Middle East (east again), probably Qatar or Dubai.
Doha, Qatar
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
We will just have to wait and see what the world has to offer, but one thing is certain: it will be a year of great new things!! And you? What do you have in your bucket list for 2017?
