It’s that time of year again; the time to reflect on the year gone by, and to look forward to the year ahead. It’s a cliché to do so, but I think it is important to be thankful for all the opportunities I’ve been given. 2015 has not been the most prominent year for me travel-wise, but there have still been a few travel ‘firsts’ along the way.
January – Unawatuna, Sri Lanka
We saw in the New Year on a beach in Sri Lanka. This was the view that I woke up to on January 1st.
February – Manali, India
I wanted snow; I got snow. I loved this snow-covered auto-rickshaw parked up by our hotel in Manali.
March – Holi, Mumbai
It was great to celebrate India’s most colourful event with my parents in Mumbai. These two men are the security guards joining in the fun, just look at the look of mischievous delight on the man’s face at the back!
April – Palolem, Goa
I visited Palolem a decade ago, and I was so excited to go back. It was busier, but just as lovely as I remembered. These two fellas were appreciating the view from a great look-out point.
May – Goodbyes
In May I said goodbye to my lovely friend and colleague, Calin, who was leaving Mumbai for California to work on her sustainable clothing line. Check her out at Alter Eco Clothing
June – Summer in Europe
I left Mumbai for the summer to travel around Europe. On the way I took in Stockholm, Tallinn, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin and Prague, (The Czech Republic became my 50th country).
July – Cornwall, UK
In July I spent a couple of weeks back home with my lovely, crazy family in Cornwall – a wonderfully rugged area of the UK – before experiencing a travel first (and, most likely last): a Business Class flight back to Mumbai.
August – Mumbai Street food
Monsoon season is allegedly the best time to see the Mumbai street food scene, so amid a torrential downpour I tried a few local haunts.
September – Kare Ayurveda Retreat, Pune
3 days of massage, healthy eating and yoga at KARE Ayurvedic Retreat was JUST what I needed halfway through a really long teaching term back in India. This photo shows the closest I’ll ever get to a headstand!!
October – Kerala, India
It is said that the backwaters of Kerala, India, are ‘God’s Own Country’. Honestly, the Keralans way of life was so traditional that I couldn’t help thinking of the final line of ‘The Great Gatsby’.
November – Himalayas, Nepal
2015 has not been kind to Nepal; an earthquake and a devastating fuel crisis have knocked their crucial tourism industry. Prices were much higher than normal, and some restaurants struggled to function, but we had a wonderful time nonetheless. The highlight was a mountain flight over the Annapurna mountain range
December – Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka
2015 was somewhat of a cyclical year: we ended up exactly where we started—geographically, at least, but this year we are a little further down the Sri Lankan coast at Hikkaduwa.
Thank you, 2015, for all that you have given me. I hope that 2016 will be as good!
Happy New Year x
What has been your best moment of 2015?
Love these pictures! I keep thinking that I should do a round-up like this just to jog my memory!
Haha, so it’s not just me who is desperate to master the elusive headstand? I eventually managed it last year but then got pregnant and had to put it on pause. Need to get back into the swing of it now!
Thank you. I mainly wrote the post to jog my own memory. I said at the beginning of the article that 2015 had been a slow travel year, but looking back at the post shows me that maybe I was wrong about that – I actually did quite a lot!
As for the headstand: I would love to do it, but I am far too top-heavy to balance 🙁
Lovely photos! Sri Lanka especially looks stunning and is high on my wishlist. Look forward to seeing where 2016 takes you.
Thank you! Sri Lanka is lovely. I have no idea where I’ll be headed in 2016 – my contract expires in June and I have no plans yet!
First of All, Thanks for Sharing this Amazing Post! I Got Impressed With Your Writing Skills. I Must Say You Are An Incredible Writer Ever. I love Manali. It’s one of my favorite destinations in Himachal. The Amazing Food, Culture, Friendly Smiles and so many things to do. It was great to read.