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2018 brought me to so many amazing places. I visited a total of 57 cities, towns and islands spread throughout 16 countries. I visited London and Paris before undertaking an 8 month trip through Asia and then finishing in Europe. Picking a favourite destination can be hard. I created a list during my travels to rank each place we visited. Although I would find it impossible to decide which country was my favourite, picking a favourite single destination was a bit easier. Not all of the destinations were something special but many were incredible. Some big hitters missed out on making the top 5. Some cities that I love and return to as much as I can, Bangkok, for instance, didn’t make it. So here are my Top 5 destinations of 2018.
5. Penang
I regretted not visiting Penang when I first spent time in Malaysia back in 2014. Stupidly on my next trip to Asia, I overlooked that fantastic country, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake this time. Penang was the first destination after Singapore that I was really excited for. Admittedly, I didn’t know a whole host about the island but I knew enough to make me desperate to go there. Mention Penang to any Malaysian person and you tend to get one response, “food paradise”. Penang is known for having the best food in the entire region and I couldn’t wait to arrive there and start eating.
The food lived up to the hype. Food in Malaysia is good, better than good in fact but Penang took it to another level. Every night, streets would be filled with vendors all selling their specialities, it was so hard to choose. It wasn’t just the food that made Penang so good to be in. The island is really nice. I loved the street art that was everywhere. It was a good day walking every street we saw searching for these artworks. Most people, myself included, stay in Georgetown when they visit Penang but taking a bus to different parts of the island was a great way to see as much as possible. Whether it was to the beach or to Penang Hill, there was so much to visit and keep us busy. I loved being able to walk the same streets in Penang and notice different little things each time. I didn’t spend enough time here, just 5 days, and that is a big regret from the trip.
Check out my Penang Food Guide here
4. Singapore
Singapore was where my trip began and what a place to start. For my girlfriend, who had never visited Asia before, starting in Singapore was as easy as it could have been. Singapore is clean, beautiful and barely even has any traffic. We were both very excited to be going there despite its reputation as quite an expensive destination. In reality, I didn’t find Singapore to be too costly. I am not one for really paying into attractions, avoiding it completely if I can. Food in the hawker centres can be found for less than €2 and for the most part, it was all delicious. Accommodation cost a bit more than neighbouring Malaysia for example but apart from that, costs were kept to a minimum.
Singapore, even on a tight budget, still has so much to do. Walking the promenade to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the Gardens by the Bay was a fantastic introduction to the 8 months ahead. The country had so many different areas to explore. You could spend a day up near the Botanic Gardens and then spend the next day at Sentosa, a man-made island full of theme parks, beaches and more. We did splash out on the Night Safari at Singapore Zoo which was quite a unique and interesting attraction. I don’t feel like the 5 nights in Singapore was enough but plans were made before I realized we could keep costs down. I would like to return to Singapore with a slightly higher budget in the future. Of course, I would still eat at the hawker centres but I wouldn’t be totally against visiting some of the theme parks there too.
3. Chiang Mai
I first visited Chiang Mai back in 2015. I spent 6 days there, exploring the temples of the city and eating as much Khao Kaa Moo from the famous “Cowboy Hat lady” as I could. When I left, I thought of Chiang Mai as a city I liked but that was it, nothing more, nothing less. This year, I had the chance to return. I intended on staying for slightly less time than I did the first. After a delay in the processing of my Chinese visa, I extended my stay for a total of 9 days. At first, this seemed like an inconvenience but even after all that time, I wasn’t ready to leave. Despite two stressful days at the Chinese embassy, the rest of my stay was incredible.
I didn’t visit as many of the temples as the last time. Instead, I went to an elephant sanctuary, which was something I couldn’t recommend enough. I also spent a great morning taking part in a cooking course, something I regretted not doing on my first visit. I visited the markets and even went to the cinema. Most of my long nights out drinking occurred in Chiang Mai, drinking Chang on the hostel rooftop until the early hours. The food scene in Chiang Mai is so good that finding delicious food there is easy, Khao Soi being the meal of choice most mornings. The time I spent in Chiang Mai wasn’t about seeing as much as I could. It was more about taking it slow and simply enjoying myself.
Check out my Chiang Mai Food Guide here
2. Hong Kong
I knew Hong Kong was going to be expensive and it also meant leaving China and then going back in. This caused a problem with the visas when we couldn’t get a multiple entry visa into China. It meant we had to stay in Hong Kong and apply for a second Chinese visa there. At first, like Chiang Mai, this was seen as an inconvenience but worked out for the best. We arrived from China, after being not totally impressed with what we had seen so far. I felt that Hong Kong was going to be more of the same but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Once we crossed that border, the world around us changed. Hong Kong had a totally different feel to it, a much better feel and a much better atmosphere.
I loved the food there. It was odd and it was unique but I really loved it. Scrambled egg and corned beef sandwich for breakfast, yum! Despite being strange for the region this food was totally normal too. This is what the locals were eating. Saying the skyline was impressive is an understatement. I had never seen anything like it. I loved the streets and the feel of walking them. Whether it was the hill streets of central or the older Kowloon streets, it felt like a good place to be. The star ferry was the best mode of transport in the city and gave amazing views of both sides. The six nights I spent in Hong Kong for budget reasons was probably enough, but that did not stop me wanting to stay or to return since.
Check out my Hong Kong Food Guide here
1. Istanbul
Anyone that follows me on Twitter or has talked to me since returning home knows that this was going to be the only winner. Istanbul was everything I thought it would be and so much more. I really loved it there. Istanbul was never in the plans when I left home. It was only when flights to India from Sri Lanka proved to be too expensive that I booked the flight to Istanbul. In reality, I always wanted to visit Istanbul, there was always something slightly mysterious about it. When the time came to finally go, I could hardly hide my excitement. From the first day there, I had this feeling of contentment, I knew I was exactly in the place that I was meant to be. I planned on giving Istanbul as much time as I could, despite being very limited with my dates in Turkey. I chose to stay for 5 nights and then return for a further 3 nights a couple of weeks later before I left the country.
The food might be a huge defining factor in making Istanbul great. When every meal was as good as it was, life seems a lot better. Waking up in the morning, excited for breakfast and the day ahead is what travelling should be like. My two meals a day in Sri Lanka had gone up to 4 a day in Istanbul in an attempt to fit it all in. The parks were beautiful and green and the weather was just perfect after six and a half months in the Asian heat. The people always came across as friendly and attentive. Then I could fill my days visiting amazing sights like the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. I didn’t want to leave Istanbul. Only that I had to, I think I would have decided not to move on. All I know now is that the first opportunity I get, I am going back!
Check out my Istanbul Food Guide here
As incredible as this list is, I can’t help but think if the amazing places that aren’t on it. The fact that Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Budapest, Ella or Ubud don’t make the Top 5 proves to me just how good the year was. It is not as if everywhere we visited was a great place to be. Nanjing and Guangzhou, both in China, were two places that looking back, I wish I never visited. It can be frustrating, thinking about all the places, this top 5 included that I wished I spent more time in. Then visiting places like the 2 above, among others, that were not worth the time and money spent. Unfortunately, it is only after visiting that you realize this. This is only a minor complaint about what was in truth a great trip and a great year. Hopefully, 2019 will be just as good!!!
Singapore is a place towards the top of my travel bucket list! It always looks so amazing. I am looking forward to going to Istanbul in Feb ♥ Penang sounds so awesome too.
I love street art- Penang looks amazing! Sounds like you had an exciting year!!!