In September 2023, we (a family of three) embarked on a nine-month-long round-the-world journey, visiting 15 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. Summarizing such an extensive trip in a single blog post is impossible, but I’ll give it a try to help myself process it all. This might not make perfect sense to others since it’s just a bunch of bullet points with little explanations, but if you’re curious, you can check the individual blog posts for more details and my Instagram for the photos. Unlike nine months of routine life—which can often be condensed into a few lines about work and the occasional vacation—traveling seems to stretch time, filling it with countless memories. So, here’s my attempt to sum up this incredible journey.

We visited awe-inspring historical sites

  • Knossos Palace in Crete
  • Acropolis and Ancient Agora of Athens
  • Persepolis ruins in Shiraz
  • Ayutthaya ruins in Thailand
  • Imperial sites in Hue, Vietnam
  • Angkor Archeological Park in Cambodia
  • Prambanan Temples in Java
  • Borobudur Temple in Java

We explored breathtaking natural wonders

  • Amazing island of Santorini
  • Geological wonders in Hurmoz Island
  • Island hopping in Krabi, Thailand
  • Limestone mountains and rice fields in Ninh Binh, Vietnam
  • Mt Bromo National Park
  • Waterfalls in Bali
  • Rice fields in Bali
  • Noosa National Park in Australia
  • Rolling green hills in New Zealand
  • Moorea landscape
  • Bora Bora island and lagoon

We visited iconic cities

  • Strasbourg
  • Bangkok
  • Hong Kong
  • Taipei
  • Kuala Lumpur
  • Singapore
  • Sydney

We explored charming small towns

  • Cochem in Germany
  • Colmar and other small Alsacian towns in France
  • Chania in Crete
  • Santorini
  • Old town of Yazd
  • Hoi An in Vietnam
  • Ubud in Bali

We enjoyed spectacular beaches

  • Chania in Crete
  • Qeshm in Iran
  • Krabi in Thailand
  • Koh Yao Yai in Thailand
  • Nha Trang in Vietnam
  • West Bali and Amed Beach
  • Sunshine Coast in Australia
  • Temae Beach in Moorea
  • Ofetaro Motu in Raiatea
  • Matira Beach in Bora Bora (the best, by far!)

We encountered incredible wildlife

  • Elephant sanctuary in Krabi, Thailand
  • The aquarium in Kuala Lumpur
  • Australian animals in Sydney Zoo
  • Wild kangaroos in Noosa Beach, Australia
  • Glowing worms in Waitamo Caves in New Zealand
  • Kiwi in New Zealand
  • Pearl farms in Raiatea, French Polynesia
  • Swimming with large mantas, eagle rays, stingrays, moray eel, and sharks in Bora Bora

We indulged in exquisite dishes

  • Munster cheese in Colmar
  • French cuisine all over France
  • Greek cuisine all over Greece
  • That one Cretan restaurant that blew us away with its flavors
  • Kebabs in Tehran and Mashhad
  • Southern seafood dishes in Qeshm and Hormoz
  • Yom Tom in Bangkok
  • Street food in markets across Thailand
  • Pho and Vietnamese food in Saigon
  • Bun Cha at the Obama restaurant in Hanoi
  • Coffee in Vietnam
  • Street food in Taipei
  • All the tropical fruit we had across Southeast Asia
  • Grapefruits in French Polynesia

We met up with family and friends around the world

  • My cousin and his wife in Hambourg
  • Friends in Greece
  • All of our extended family and friends in Tehran and Mashhad
  • Old friend in Shiraz
  • Old friends in Saigon and Hanoi
  • Another cousin and his wife in Sydney
  • Old friends in Sydney

We had truly unique experiences

  • The circumnavigation of the earth
  • Renting and driving a tuk-tuk in Koh Yao Yai, Thailand
  • Watching airplanes land right above our heads in Phuket, Thailand
  • Attending a royal cremation in Bali
  • Vanlife in Sunshine Coast, Australia
  • Experiencing a dark cave with glow worms in New Zealand

We experienced unforgettable attractions

  • Miniatur Wunderland in Hamboug
  • War Memorial Museum in Saigon
  • Kuala Lumpur Petronas Towers
  • Science Museum in Singapore
  • Hobbiton in New Zealand

We enjoyed memorable accommodations

  • Farm stay in Colmar
  • Hotel with the million-dollar view in Santorini
  • Historical “boomgardi” accommodation in Yazd, with its memorable host
  • Friendly hosts in Qeshm
  • 5-star hotel in Shiraz
  • Our Thai-German host in Koh Yao Yai
  • Our lovely and kind host in Siem Reap
  • Kind hosts in Mount Bromo
  • Lovely stay in West Bali
  • Picturesque cabin in the rice fields in North Bali
  • Room with a view in Sidemen in Bali
  • Noosa North Beach campsite by the beach and its resident kangaroos

We captured stunning photographs

  • Eltz Castle in Germany
  • Alsacian old towns such as Riquewihr, Eguisheim, and Colmar
  • Santorini’s iconic caldera and white-washed houses with blue domes
  • Great Mosque of Yazd and its Old Town
  • Pink Mosque in Shiraz
  • Sunset and sunrise in Persepolis
  • Large Sitting Buddha statue in Bangkok
  • Sunset in Ayutthaya
  • Beaches and islands of Ao Nang
  • Street life all around Vietnam
  • Golden Bridge near Da Nang
  • Towering limestone mountains in Ninh Binh
  • Hanoi Train Street
  • Hong Kong’s neon lights, skyscrapers, and huge building complexes
  • Temples in Angkor Archeological sites
  • Singapore’s modern architecture
  • Borobudur and Prambanan Temples
  • Mount Bromo at sunrise
  • Waterfalls in Bali
  • Ceremonies in Bali
  • Noosa National Park in Australia
  • Views of Bora Bora from its lagoon

Most memorable highlights of the trip

  • Early morning photography at Eltz Castle
  • Our farm stay in Colmar
  • Our hotel in Santorini
  • Visiting Acropolis
  • Spending extended period of time with family
  • Old town in Yazd
  • Southern food in Iran
  • Hurmoz Island night life
  • Visiting Persepolis
  • Pink Mosque in Shiraz
  • Ayutthaya ruins
  • Slow Thai island life in Koh Yao Yai
  • Old town of Hoi An
  • Ninh Binh scenery
  • Photography in Hong Kong
  • Night markets in Taipei
  • Angkor Archeological Park
  • Borobudur Temple
  • Watching sunrise over Mt. Bromo
  • Balinese culture and customs
  • Bali’s waterfalls
  • Snorkeling in Nusa Penida
  • Vanlife in Sunshine Coast of Australia
  • Massive beaches of Noosa National Park in Australia
  • Peculiar Australian flora and fauna
  • Waitamo Cave
  • Shades of blue in Bora Bora lagoon
  • Snorkeling with mantas, eagle rays and stingrays in Bora Bora
  • Snorkeling with sharks in Bora Bora
  • Snorkeling in coral gardens in Mo’orea, Taha’s, and Bora Bora

What wasn’t so good?

Surprisingly, just a few things come to mind, and even those were minor anyways:

  • Bus attendants in Greece who were sometimes a bit too curt and aggressive
  • A few of our stays like the ones in Taipei, Raiatea, and Hambourg
  • Our tense flight connection from Taipei to Siem Reap with Vietjet.

This trip was our dream for the longest time, and we are enormously fortunate and proud to finally make it happen. You live once, and only once, so if you have a dream, chase it! You won’t regret it.