Hi guys!
We're here on Vashon Island, my hometown in the U.S, and we're thinking back to our favorite
travel memories from the year.
So in this video, we compiled our top 10 countries that we visited in 2022.
We hope you enjoy it!
This year, we visited a total of 15 countries, mainly in Europe, Northern Africa, and North
America.
There are a few countries we won't mention in this video, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina
as we only spent one day there.
We also won't mention Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, or the US, since we focused on
friends and family during those visits rather than travel advice.
For each country, we'll give our subjective rating in terms of Nature, Adventure, Culture,
Cuisine, and Affordability, which might inspire your next trip.
We also ranked each place according to our personal experience which was tough as all
countries are unique in their own way.
Now, let's dive into our top 10 travel destinations of 2022.
We're Zac and Ine.
We make helpful videos about destinations around the world so you can easily plan your
own adventures.
At number 10, we have the tiny country of Luxembourg.
Located in Western Europe, Luxembourg borders Belgium, France, and Germany.
Despite its size, this country offers some great diversity.
We really enjoyed the capital Luxembourg City as it's surprisingly green and enjoyable to
explore on foot.
But besides that, the biggest draw is probably the wealth of castles.
Overlooking a small town, Vianden is one of the most idyllic castles we've ever seen.
And while Luxembourg is a pricey destination, we think it's worth a visit in combination
with other neighboring countries.
Located in Northern Africa, Morocco ranks at number 9.
We had high expectations after visiting Egypt earlier in the year, which weren't exactly
met.
But don't get us wrong: Morocco is absolutely beautiful, especially in the south which is
home to the Sahara Desert, Atlas Mountains, fortified villages, beautiful gorges, and
waterfalls.
But we didn't like the driving distances and just driving a rental car there in general.
Other than that, we also dislike the chaos of the cities, especially in Fez.
Looking back, we wish we spent less time in the cities and more time in nature.
Our time in the Erg Chebbi desert was one of the most memorable moments of the year.
Situated in Southeastern Europe's Balkan Peninsula, Albania is a country we didn't know much about
before going there.
We spent five weeks exploring the top attractions of the country.
And while we absolutely loved the Albanian Alps and the countryside villages, we weren't
huge fans of the overcrowded beaches and coastline, which is where we spent way too much of our
time.
Our favorite moments in Albania included river hiking in Osumi Canyon, exploring Valbona
Valley, watching sunset from Rozafa Castle, learning about the Communist past in Tirana,
and wandering the streets of picturesque Berat and Gjirokaster.
7th place goes to Scotland, which is the most northerly part of the four areas that make
up the United Kingdom.
We visited in November and we definitely wouldn't recommend that time of year because of the
weather.
It was raining for most of our trip in the highlands, which limited the hikes and exploration
that we could do.
Visit between May and October for the best chances of good weather.
Our favorite places in Scotland included the rugged Isle of Skye as well as the various
Harry Potter film locations, such as the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Glencoe.
So this was a filming location of Hagrid's Hut in the famous Harry Potter movies.
But unfortunately it's not here anymore today.
But you really just have to use your imagination.
The city of Edinburgh is now in our top three cities we've ever visited in Europe thanks
to its unique Scottish culture, vibrant pub scene, intriguing historic sites, and beautiful
natural scenery.
Norway is another rainy and mystical place to visit.
Located in northern Europe, we spent four weeks here during the summer, dividing our
time between the city of Bergen and Northern Norway, which lies above the Arctic Circle.
The nature of the Lofoten Islands and Senja especially blew us away, with spectacular
hiking trails like Reinebringen, Yttersand, Offersoykammen, and Kvalvika.
One of our favorite moments of the entire year was hiking to Hesten Peak on Senja, and
camping here to see the sunrise.
We were all by ourselves and it was just magical.
The downside of the trip was definitely the weather.
In fact, the summer went down as one of the wettest and coldest in Norway since the 1950s.
At number 5, we have Croatia, which is situated in the west of the European Balkans.
This country had long been on our bucket list and we visited at the best time possible,
from the middle to the end of October.
At that time, the weather was pleasantly warm and dry while the crowds were small.
The highlights of Croatia included the beautiful waterfalls of Krka and Plitvice.
But the coastal cities and towns also exceeded our expectations.
Zadar, Trogir, Split, and Dubrovnik have beautifully walled old towns that are a joy to walk around.
The sunset above Dubrovnik was one of our most beautiful moments of the year.
4th on our list is Egypt, which is tucked in the northeastern corner of Africa.
Egypt is a truly fascinating country, with some of the most historical monuments on Earth.
This is also the reason why we enjoyed it so much.
The historical sites of Luxor, Giza, and the Nile region are unmatched.
But besides that, our favorite moments included exploring the mysterious White Desert by 4x4
for three days, snorkeling with dolphins in the wild at Marsa Alam, and obtaining our
PADI Open Water Certificate in Dahab.
Dahab goes down as our favorite beach destination of the year because of its laid-back vibes,
incredible snorkeling and diving, and other outdoor activities.
But one thing we didn't enjoy in Egypt was the fact that it's hard to move around independently.
There were a lot of limitations for tourists and a lack of public transportation routes
so you have to plan carefully.
Mexico is a country we absolutely love and have visited several times.
In 2021, we spent some decent time in the Yucatan Peninsula and Chiapas, whereas this
year we decided to explore a new region: Oaxaca.
Located in the southwest of Mexico, the state of Oaxaca is made up of a vast coastline,
rugged mountains, and intriguing cities.
We were really impressed by Oaxaca City, which offers a mix of interesting history world-class
cuisine and colorful examples of indigenous and colonial cultures.
But the highlight of our Oaxaca trip was undoubtedly visiting the petrified waterfalls of Hierve
el Agua, a few hours outside the city.
This natural wonder is unlike anything else we've seen in Mexico.
We're here at Hierve el Agua and a lot of people know it for the pools, which are beautiful.
But you can also go on little hiking trails and see the limestone formations from lots
of different angles.
So it's nice to do that and then go dip in the pools after.
At number 2 we have Portugal.
Situated in southwestern Europe, Portugal is home to beautiful beaches, a great wine
region, and the most charming cities in all of Europe.
With its mild climate, affordable prices, and diverse landscapes and activities, Portugal
is the perfect travel destination.
Our favorite moments include kayaking to the impressive Benagil Cave along the Algarve
Coast, exploring the ancient palaces and castles of Sintra, surfing in Ericeira, taking part
in the St John's Fest in Porto, and tasting wine in the idyllic Douro Wine Valley.
And our favorite destination of 2022 is Montenegro.
Perched between Albania and the south and Croatia in the north, Montenegro is Europe's
most underrated destination in our opinion.
Thanks to its small size and affordable prices, it's the perfect road tripping destination.
But besides that, there's a ton of diversity: from quaint towns to gorgeous beaches, rugged
mountains, and Europe's southernmost fjord.
The town of Kotor is a gem of medieval architecture and natural scenery.
But our favorite places were the mountains of Prokletije and Durmitor National Park.
We hiked in both parks when the fall colors were at their most vibrant and we had hiking
trails almost all to ourselves.
We can't wait to release our videos about Montenegro in the next month.
So stay tuned for what's to come!
You ready Ine?
I'm ready for it.
How is it?
Nice.
Fast? yeah.
2022 was a year that we'll never forget.
Thank you so much for following our adventures this year.
We're excited for the year to come and if you ever need any additional help or advice,
don't hesitate to contact us at any time.
We have videos about all the countries we mentioned here and you can find them on our
YouTube channel.
We'll catch you in 2023!