Collecting Travel Memories

The last place I travelled to was Ibiza, one of my favourite places in the world, the energy there is like no other place on earth.

I have some beautiful memories of spending time on the island but right now my mind seems to be drawn to nature as an anchor. We once ventured down to the south of the island to see Es Vedrà, the rock formation that appears to emerge from the turquoise sea. It is shrouded in myth and legend of mermaids and sea nymphs and is said to be the third most magnetic place on earth (after the north and south poles).

We walked up a very dusty path led by the pull of Es Vedrà and sat quietly for a while in awe of the natural beauty before us. It is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. Once we had soaked in the healing energy from the rocks, we made our way down to the beach to relax with a delicious traditional paella with the sun shining down on us and Es Vedrà as a magical backdrop.

It had been a surprisingly rainy few days in Barcelona, but our last day was absolutely beautiful. We made our way up to Los Bunkers del Carmel, all while stopping to admire the unique architecture around us. Although we were out of breath, the journey was worthwhile.

At the top, both tourists and locals were admiring the view, taking pictures, laughing, eating, cheering – that moment was one I will never forget. You could see the entirety of Barcelona from this viewpoint and I feel honoured to have been able to make the journey.

After a hot day walking around Marrakesh old town with 4 friends, well I use the term friends loosely, me and three unconnected friends. We came across a Hamam and hustled for a good deal.

We were taken through the back streets and in and out of rooms through to a changing area where we stripped down to paper pants. I saw more than I wanted to in that steamy spa, my friends were naked on marble slabs and every nook and cranny was being aggressively scrubbed by Moroccan ladies.

I soon got a taste for it though and ended it feeling completely done in and feeling relaxed! Read the post on a guide to the gardens of Marrakech.

The winding lakeside roads, lush vineyards, blazing heat and blood-orange sunsets of the Okanagan Valley embodied late summer haze.

Our first foray into BC’s interior, we stayed in the winding hills of Summerland and spent five days touring vineyards and cideries, swimming in local beaches and jet skiing on Penticton shores.

On the road home to Vancouver, a young black bear loped across the road ahead of us and disappeared into the trees. It was a truly magical end to a stand-out Canadian summer experience.

A beautiful hidden gem. We were driving south from Split when we stumbled across this beautiful spot. We found this by exploring the countryside and travelling off the beaten track. It was the most tranquil, picturesque place.

This is something we love to do on our travels because you never know what you are going to find! It’s the chance to discover somewhere that isn’t in the tourist guide and therefore you can have the space all to yourself.

A slow walk to the beach and we came across one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. A monitor lizard taking a casual stroll only a few feet away from us. Without warning, it flashed away into the brush, causing the leaves to crash and rustle.

He appeared atop the low wall with mouse pincers in his jaws. He threw his head back and gulped it down. It was just incredible to see nature in action against the backdrop of such a paradise.

While the crumbling facades of the pastel-painted houses hold none of the glamour of nearby Capri and Ischia, the colourful homes stacked on this little known island hold so much more charm.

In early summer, the narrow streets are scented with the native ‘bread’ lemons – huge and pithy and served in everything from the savoury Insalata di Limone to the sweet lingua di bue – a puff pastry filled with lemon cream, and in the harbour of Corricella, centuries-old traditions tied to the sea come alive as the fishermen tend to their nets as the sun sets.

I witnessed what I feel is a once in a lifetime experience. Me and some other travellers were in the national park. Driving around these dangerous roads chasing orcas like storm chasers.

We were told there had been a sighting at a particular point and we drove over to witness orcas teaching their young how to hunt with a seal. Letting it go and then hunting after it.

A strong memory is the hiking we did in Norway. Particularly the hike to Trolltunga, situated at 1180 metres, the round-trip hike is 28 km with an ascent of almost 800 metres.

The estimated hiking time it took us was 11 hours. It was one of the best experiences of that trip, the feeling of accomplishment at the end, the views along the way and the conversation with Emily as well as even the guest house family we stayed with.

The country that’s full of surprises. Every state offers something different whether it’s a trip to Western Australia for beaches with the whitest sands and bluest seas. To Melbourne or Sydney for the busy cities and nightlife.

Then Queensland has the tropical rainforest as well as the Northern Territory but with the orange desserts too. Not forgetting Tasmania for its array of mountains and landscapes.

They don’t allow mass tourism so the lodges are small and in the middle of the national parks. The Okavango Delta when in flood, was amazing. It felt like Disney’s Fantasia come to life.

When you are boating through the waterways with lions on the one side, turn your head and you hear a fish eagle call, then the next minute a hippo snorts in the reeds while an elephant trumpets in the distance.

We had gathered again after some years for a friends birthday in Ibiza and combined that with spending time enjoying our Honeymoon on mainland Spain.

We visited many places, tastes various foods, explored Spain and enjoy the difference from our home country Japan. I had wished to expand more time to stay there when we reached our time to leave Spain.

It’s hard to choose a favourite holiday but visiting Yosemite in 2015 is the most stunning place I’ve been to. The whole place looks like a Mac desktop picture, it’s so high res and perfect it doesn’t look real. I wasn’t expecting it to be this amazing and dramatic.

The best view is through the valley which looks onto Half Dome. I’ll never forget getting out of the tour van to see this view just before sunset. And to think that before being protected as a National Park, parts of Yosemite were once used as farmland for grazing sheep and trees were being gouged out and chopped down.