It’s 11 years since I started working in the travel industry. To celebrate, here’s 11 memorable moments—highlights, lowlights, and everything in between—from my travels that I’ve listed in no particular order.
- Taking an early morning 3 am chartered flight funded by the Indian government to Bodh Gaya with two monks to my right—one from Indonesia and the other from Thailand.
- Soaking in an onsen with a view of Mt Fuji during sunset.
- Asking a local restaurant located halfway up Fushimi Inari and Torii Gate walk for a bag of ice after my friend sprained her ankle.
- Witnessing a Ganga Aarti ceremony along one of Varanasi’s many ghats in the evening.
- Arriving into wintry Sapporo from a scorching Sydney climate: opposite weathers, and changing from t-shirts to warm winter jackets and snow boots. The first sight of snow in Sapporo after the train exited the tunnel at the airport. Magical.
- Getting charged by a bull in Udaipur, which left me with only a slight bruise near my right ribcage. That experience left me traumatised, but grateful that I’m still alive.
- Meditating with monks, travel professionals, and journalists under The Bodhi Tree at Mahabodhi Temple.
- Experiencing Delhi Belly for 9 out of 12 days on my first trip to India, and befriending the toilets.
- Going for an early morning kayak trip in the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay.
- Waiting for the beauty of the Otaru Canal in Hokkaido meant experiencing -7°C temperatures and having to take shelter at hotel lobbies and 7 Elevens to defrost my fingers and toes.
- First time in Vietnam with family and experiencing culture shock as the taxi weaved its way through the chaotic streets of Ho Chi Minh City.
