My ten most memorable travel experiences

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my most memorable travel experiences. Sometimes it4. comes down to moments that just made me weak in the knees. Sometimes it’s a monument or edifice or place that wowed me. Other times it’s a day like none other.

I’ve given this a lot of thought after my last trip, three months in Morocco, Spain, France, and Portugal. So many people have asked me what was the highlight, or what was my favorite place I visited. And I just can’t pick one, because the entire experience was memorable.

So I went back and started looking through my photos, not just from this trip, but from all my travels. And I’ve picked out ten truly extraordinary things I saw or did that gave me a feeling I’ll never forget.

Here they are, starting with the most recent:

1. The Mezquita-Catedral in Córdoba, Spain

I visited Córdoba in February 2025. You can read about my impressions of the Mezquita-Catedral in the blog post I wrote during that trip.

2. A performance by students at Champey Academy of Arts in Phnom Penh

I visited Cambodia in December 2024. Read about my visit to Champey Academy of Arts in Phnom Penh. There are two other videos in that post.

3. Aigai: The Royal Metropolis of Macedon in Vergina, Greece

When I was in Greece in October 2024, I visited the royal tombs at Aigai. Read about my experience in this extraordinary museum.

4. Encounters with Bernini at the Borghese Gallery, Rome

I’ve seen so much art that has stopped me in my tracks at a museum or in a church, but I have to call out Bernini’s amazing sculptures at the Borghese Gallery, and most especially his depiction of David in the midst of slinging the stone that kills Goliath. Read what I wrote about my visit to the Borghese Gallery when I visited Rome in October 2024.

5. Temple of Khnum in Esna, Egypt

I saw so many spectacular temples in Egypt when I was there in October 2023. But Esna is the one that stands out in my memory. The rich colors that once adorned these temples have faded over the years, but at Esna they are restoring the Temple of Khnum. It’s small and still in progress, but it is just magnificent. Here are all my photos from Esna, and here is what I wrote about it at the time.

6. Snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands

I’ve been snorkeling before and since my 2022 trip to the Galapagos — in Hawaii, in Costa Rica, in Fiji, and at the Great Barrier Reef. But none of those other experiences came close to the magic of being immersed in the underwater world at the Galapagos. Sadly, I didn’t have an underwater camera; I did see many king angelfish, but this photo and all the other photos I have in my album from the Galapagos are from a book.

Read about my two snorkeling experiences in the Galapagos here and here.

7. The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Michoacán

It’s hard to describe what it’s like to encounter millions of butterflies all at once. It’s one of those experiences where nature left me awestruck and speechless. I stood there holding my breath. 

I visited the Reserve in January 2020. Here are my photos from the entire trip, including some from Morelia and Pátzcuaro.

8. Supphellebreen, Norway

When I was in Norway in 2016, I was constantly blown away by amazing scenery. But this one spot, in view of a huge glacier, was especially memorable because I had it all to myself for an hour. I enjoyed a picnic lunch here and just marveled at the wonder of it the entire time before a bus load of school kids arrived.

9. Driving from Ljubljana to Bohinj, Slovenia

I did a Balkan trip in May 2014 with my sister Troy. We were driving to Bohinj on a back road from Ljubljana when we got this view. Troy described it as “fucking gorgeous.” I concur. That entire day was filled with scenes of amazing beauty, but this moment, when I just had to stop the car to get out and gape, is the one I will never forget. Read about it and check out the rest of my photos from Skofia Loka, Bohinj, and Bled.

10. Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Loren Maazel, playing Beethoven’s first three symphonies at the Konserthuset

I’ve been to more concerts, operas, and live theatre than I can count, so many of them brilliant. But none of them affected me as powerfully as this performance in 2012. You can read what I wrote that evening when I got back to my Airbnb.

Bonus: Three first glimpses that made my heart skip a beat

Sometimes the best moment is when you are just arriving to a place you’ve imagined. Here are three of those moments.

Mont Saint-Michel, from across the bay

Venice, from the train

Carcassonne, from the bridge across the Aude River

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As I write this, I’m at the airport about to embark on yet another adventure. This top ten list was really hard to pare down. I’ve had so many wonderful moments in my travels. And since I still have a lot more travel to come in the future, I know it will be tempting to expand this list. We’ll see what happens.