Wow – what a year. 2023 has been full of ups and downs, but I experienced some truly incredible moments this year. I left the UK in mid-February for a quick jaunt through Asia on my way to Australia. And what a time I’ve had the last ~9 months in Australia!!

For most of the years that I’ve been blogging, I’ve written these yearly recaps (2020 and 2021 are the only exceptions, for obvious reasons). I always like to pick out a few of my favorite moments and top experiences from the year. You can catch up on my annual top travel experiences posts here:

• 2016 – highlights including seeing Victoria Falls from a microlight and moving to the UK
• 2017 – highlights including White Nights in St. Petersburg, Russia, and seeing the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania
• 2018 – highlights including eating all the food in Georgia and finally visiting Iceland
• 2019 – highlights including the Isle of Skye in Scotland and a big trip to the Balkans
• 2022 – highlights including visiting Orkney, hiking the West Highland Way, and a well-deserved solo trip to Greece

There’s no requirement for what can make the cut in this list – it just has to be a good moment or time or experience. I had so many to pick from this year, I found it hard to be specific! Here are my top travel experiences of 2023.

A scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef

One of the top items on my bucket list in Australia was a scenic flight over the ocean. I wanted to see those epic views and look down on the reefs from above. Although my original flight was canceled due to bad weather, when I finally got to go it made it that much sweeter. Not only was the 40-minute flight full of unbelievable views, we actually saw whales jumping out of the water!!! Nothing could have prepared me for that moment. I have never felt so lucky and so grateful for my life. This was actually a partially sponsored experience with Get Your Guide – so the fact that I was doing this as part of my career as a travel blogger made it even more meaningful. If you’re going to Cairns, book your scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef here!

Living in paradise on Great Keppel Island

I think the happiest I’ve ever been in my whole life were the five weeks I spent living on Great Keppel Island. I was doing a work exchange, so I spent a few hours cleaning and making beds in the morning in exchange for my accommodation. The rest of the day I was free to do as I please: swimming, snorkeling, hiking, laying on the beach, and – on those few rainy days – working on my blog. I lived and worked with a wonderful group of people, who were truly like family. I didn’t worry about my budget or money, I wasn’t constantly driving, I could relax and enjoy spending time with good people on a paradise island. I loved it so much.

Read More: Paradise on Earth: A Guide to Great Keppel Island, Queensland

Exploring the Blue Mountains

After landing in Sydney and starting to sort out my new life in a new country, the first place I visited outside the city was the Blue Mountains National Park. This is an amazing part of New South Wales and Australia, and I loved it so much that I came back about a week later after I’d bought my car and started road tripping! I felt so at home, so at peace, with the future of my time in Australia. I knew I’d made the right decision to come here. I’m hoping to return for a third time after I finish my Lap! The photo some random person took of me here remains one of my favorite photos of me of all time.

Read More: The Best Hikes in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales

Seeing my best friend Nate in South Korea

The main reason I went to South Korea on my way from the UK to Australia was to hang out with my best friend Nate, who has been living there for two years. I hadn’t seen him in well over a year (since New Year’s Eve 2021 in Minneapolis), and getting to see him was so awesome. We spent some time in Seoul, visited the DMZ (which was a huge highlight of my time in South Korea!), and he took me all around Jeju, the island where he lives. Jeju was awesome, but for me it was so meaningful to just hang out with my best friend and see his life. I loved getting to meet his girlfriend Liv (finally!) and some of his friends, go to his favorite restaurants, see where he works. As someone who lives abroad, there is nothing more meaningful to me than getting to share my life in York with the people I care about. It was so great to do the reverse of that with Nate in South Korea. (I unfortunately gave him covid and ruined his trip to Vietnam, but we don’t need to focus on that haha!)

Read More: What to See and Do on Jeju, South Korea

Watching the sunset in Ao Nang in Thailand

I saw some spectacular sunsets on my trip to Thailand, but I’ll never forget my first one on the beach, in Ao Nang. I couldn’t believe that 2 years ago I was crying on the bathroom floor, and that I’d somehow managed to rise from the ashes and make my own dreams come true. I cried, from happiness, thinking about how far I’ve come. It was a moment I’ll never forget.

Backpacking around Thailand

I actually just loved backpacking around Thailand in general. Thailand is an amazing country, full of diverse scenery and landscapes, friendly people, and unbeatable food. Best of all, it’s a very affordable country for those with dollars, pounds, or euros – I treated myself to mango smoothies almost every day simply because I could. I loved meeting people in hostels and going out for drinks. I loved the chaos of travel days where you have no idea what’s happening, but you know that you and your backpack will get there in the end. I loved swimming at the beaches and eating good food at the end of the day. It definitely made me want to backpack around all of Southeast Asia – hopefully I can do it someday!

Read More: How Much Does it Cost to Spend 2 Weeks in Thailand?

Finishing the East Coast in Cooktown

I came to Australia with barely any plans. But I knew I wanted to travel the East Coast – and once I bought my car in Sydney, I knew I would make that dream a reality. I decided to end my East Coast adventure in Cooktown, the end of the sealed road (the northernmost point of Australia, Cape York, is accessed by unsealed roads of varying condition). Cooktown was a bit of an anti-climactic destination, but I made it meaningful. It was my greatest achievement – I’d actually DONE IT! I’d driven the East Coast, all on my own! I was so proud of myself in this moment and I’ll never forget that feeling.

Swimming with a whale shark at Ningaloo Reef

A picture’s worth a thousand words, right? Well, hopefully this one of me swimming with a whale shark on tour of Ningaloo Reef is good enough! This was such an incredible experience. I was a little worried that we wouldn’t get to see any whale sharks, as it was out of season. And the reef tour was expensive – a lot of money to spend if it didn’t happen. But we got lucky, and our boat got a call that there was a whale shark! We had five swims with the shark, which was physically challenging but a total once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’ll never forget it.

Experiencing the Northern Territory

I never planned on going to the NT when I thought about my year in Australia. I literally had no intention to go there. But when I decided to go for a Lap, well, I ended up going. And holy hell, what a place! I can’t believe I almost didn’t go here – it’s the most magical place I’ve been to Australia yet. Experiencing the outback, hiking through diverse landscapes, seeing wildlife (from a safe distance!), swimming in so many pretty waterfalls and swim spots – it was like a dream. Every day, I experienced magic. I loved it.

Everything about Karijini

Karijini National Park is in northwest Western Australia, between Broome and Exmouth. I planned on a few days here, but extended my stay due to a road closure. My God, Karijini is incredible. I went hiking around gorges and then swimming in them every day; I summited the second-highest peak in WA at sunrise; I experienced true bliss. It was one of the best places I’ve been to in Australia.

Chasing waterfalls in Far North Queensland

I spent most of the 2.5 weeks after leaving Townsville chasing waterfalls and hiking around Far North Queensland – and I loved every second. Every day was another mix of hiking and swimming, every day was another beautiful sight to see and place to experience. I did ALL of the hikes, I saw all of the waterfalls, I traveled fast but did so much. The Atherton Tablelands will always be a special place for me, because I experienced happiness every single day, doing my favorite things.

Getting to visit Blackdown Tableland

I hadn’t planned on visiting Blackdown Tableland National Park, in central Queensland. But when I ended up leaving K’gari (Fraser Island) early, with some time to kill before starting my next work exchange on Great Keppel Island, I saw a picture on Instagram and decided to spend three days there. What a great decision – I did all the hikes in the park, including spending a wonderful day swimming in the incredible rock pools. It remains one of my favorite unplanned destinations in Australia.

Read More: A Travel Guide for Blackdown Tableland National Park, Queensland

The blue, blue waters of Western Australia

Every person I’d met who’d done both the East Coast and the West Coast of Australia, told me that West is best. I loved my time in WA, and I especially loved all the beaches. From the bright hues of Turquoise Bay near Exmouth in the northwest, to Lucky Bay near Esperance on the southern coast, and even Cottesloe Beach in Perth – I loved them all. I kept thinking WA couldn’t get any better, and it surprised me time and time again with the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Summiting peaks in the Flinders Ranges

I gambled on my decision to visit the Flinders Ranges – I gave up time on the beautiful beaches around southwest Western Australia, for a few days hiking in South Australia. And my gamble paid off – I was right to plan my trip this way. The Flinders Ranges astounded me. I hiked difficult trails every single day, all day, for four days – and loved it. The views brought me to tears, I challenged myself and my hiking skills in the best ways. I’m so glad I made the time to come here.

Good times with friends in York

While so many of my top travel experiences this year were while I was traveling, I also had lots of great moments with friends in York before I left. I started the year with my best friend Lisa visiting me, and got to play host and tour guide to my three coworkers who finally came to York – they are all British, but had never been to York before!! As my leaving date came up, I had a lot of people to say goodbye to, I got to catch up with friends at my leaving party, and I spent time with the people who mattered most. Leaving them was hard, but I felt so loved by the people who mean so much to me.

Read More: All of my York posts!

Meeting so many amazing people on the road

This year, more than anything else, has been amazing because of the wonderful people I’ve met. I honestly can’t put into words what it’s meant to me. I’ve met my Aussie soul sister, connected in real life with awesome people I’d only known through Instagram, reconnected with friends I hadn’t seen or spoken to for years, found a family on an island, and shared a campsite or a beer or a chat with so many kind and interesting travelers. Truly, the people I’ve met this year have made this year so good. And while leaving them is so hard and I felt like my heart might actually tear into two, it’s worth it for the memories we’ll share together. If we’ve met in this last year, please know that I cherish those moments and will remember them forever. Thank you.

2023 was a wild year, full of adventure and magic. I feel so grateful to have had the experiences I’ve had this year. It truly has been one of the best years of my life – thank you so much to everyone who has supported me, near and far, and helped make it happen. I can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store for me!

Happy New Year and here’s to an adventure-filled 2024! Thank you so much for following along on my journey!

What were your favorite travel experiences in 2023? Any travel plans coming up in 2024?