249 days, 4 continents, 15 countries

We can hardly believe that 8.5 months went by so fast and we have traveled around the world! Here are a few highlights and travel stats for our incredible adventure.

Countries Visited

Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru

How we Traveled

Number of…

  • Flights: 29
  • Boats / ferries: 4
  • Bus rides: 1
  • Car trips: 2
  • Train trips: 3
  • Metro, taxi, tuk tuk: who knows
Taxi in Chiang Mai

Taxi in Chiang Mai

Where we Stayed

Number of…

  • Hotels: 21
  • Flats: 11
  • Tents: 2
  • Houses: 1
  • Bomas: 1

Things we Did

Here are just a few of the incredible experiences we had…

  • Rode an elephant and learned about elephant behavior at Anantara in Thailand
  • Explored incredible temples in Cambodia
  • Visited a Masai home in Tanzania
  • Learned how to make banana beer in Uganda
  • Went on a gorilla trek in Uganda
  • Did a shark dive in South Africa
  • Viewed city-wide history exhibits in Berlin
  • Saw a shipwreck on a scuba dive in Ibiza
  • Met truffle farmers in Spain
  • Visited Machu Picchu
Bwindi gorilla

Bwindi National Park

World Trip Best Of

  • Airline – business / first class flight: Singapore Air, Swiss Air
  • Airline – coach class flight: Emirates – huge luggage allowance, hot meal served on real dishes, free alcoholic drinks, individual movie screens, towels, pillow, USB port and plug
  • Airport Lounge – Johannesburg, Cape Town, Swiss Air arrival lounge in Zurich
  • Hotel: Anantara in Golden Triangle Thailand; Navutu Dreams in Siem Reap, Ushuaia in Ibiza, JW Marriott in Cusco
  • Flat / Serviced Apartment: Forest by Wangz in Singapore, Fraser Suites in Istanbul, Avemore in Stellenbosch South Africa
  • Hotel / Flat Gym: Fraser Place in Istanbul, Metropolitan Hotel in Bangkok
  • Hotel Breakfast: Ushuaia, JW Marriott Cusco
  • Hotel Shower: Dhow Palace in Stonetown, Zanzibar – our room was on the top floor and there was a huge outdoor tub/shower
  • Hotel Toiletries: Anantara, JW Marriott Cusco
  • Coolest ways to say hello: Jambo (Tanzania), Sawadee (Thailand)
  • Yummy Food: Thailand, Spain, Turkey

Not so Much

  • Worst Airline – business / first class flight: United Airlines flight home from Peru to Houston – departed 40 minutes late, unfriendly and indifferent flight attendants, broken restroom, below average food
  • Worst Airline – coach flight: Easy Jet flight from Valencia to Lisbon – must print own boarding pass in advance, inconsistent baggage policy, difficult check in
  • Worst airport for a long layover: Nairobi – we had an 8-hour layover on the way to Europe

Things we wish didn’t happen…

  • We got food poisoning: Michael and Lori in Cambodia, Michael in Brazil
  • A pickpocket stole Lori’s cell phone on the metro in Barcelona
  • We saw a dead guy on the side of the road in Koh Phangan (really)

Travel Gear and Resources

  • Most useful gear: lifesaver water purifier, luggage scale, converters, laptop, jambox, small microfiber towels
  • Most useful resources: Google chrome (it automatically translates websites into English), Skype
  • Least used gear and resources: universal translator (When Michael bought it, Lori said, “You won’t use that very much.”)
  • Things we should have brought: fold up raincoat, more long sleeve shirts
Plaza de Armas Cusco

Plaza de Armas, Cusco