2015, a year in review

As 2015 comes to an end, it’s time to look back at what happened and highlight the most important and interesting events of the year. This was not only our first full year living and working abroad but also one of the busiest years ever when it comes to travel!

To get things started and after a bit of discussion we decided on our 5-best experiences of 2015:

• Hiking in the footsteps of Fidel at the Sierra Maestra
• Riding a camel at the Giza Pyramid complex
• Unexpectedly playing in the snow in San Marino
• Going inside an ice cave in Iceland
• Discovering the history and the castles of Wales

Before we go into details and if you’re curious, this is what happened last year.

What happened in 2015

What a busy year! We managed to visit 7 new countries, spend 117 days away from home and take 57 flights. All of this while working full-time. Sigh! Let’s say we’re very glad to be taking some well-deserved time off in Portugal right now.

Our main and longer trips this year were to Cuba, Egypt and Iceland, while other shorter European trips include Wales, Denmark, Monaco, San Marino and Jersey.

From last year’s wishlist, we failed to travel to the Faroe Islands. We couldn’t make it work but still eagerly looking to visit soon!

Cuba

Cuban car

Cuba was our first long trip of the year and a destination we’ve been meaning to visit for a while. The picture above is a bit of a cliché, the old Cuban cars. Thankfully, during our 2-week road trip, we got to see a different side of Cuba, or as we usually put it, the real Cuba.

This Caribbean country has a lot to offer. By staying locally and venturing a lot off the beaten path, we discovered a side of Cuba that is rarely seen. Nature-wise it’s an amazing destination and the Zapata peninsula is a great example of it. And let’s not forget its recent history, with Fidel and Che-Guevara in the Sierra Maestra.

Cuba is also one of the most sought-after destinations as of late. If you’re planning on going, let us know!

Egypt

The Great Sphinx of Giza

For us, Egypt was a last-minute decision. The instability in the region almost put us off, but we’re very glad we went. There’s no better place in the world to see the wonders of an ancient civilization.

Egypt is like an open-air museum. Pyramids, tombs, temples, you name it! There are countless sites scattered throughout the country. All of these historic places (some with 4000 years) made us feel very small but also very happy to be witnessing it all.

Iceland

Ice cave from the inside out

Iceland again! There’s no doubt Iceland is a magical place and we love it. The raw nature and landscapes are stunning. Just perfect for waterfall lovers and road-trip aficionados. This year’s trip was winter-based, which allowed to see a different side of the country. A snowy slow trip to the Snæfellsnes peninsula and the South.

We recently asked fellow travel bloggers about their favourite things in Iceland. What’s yours?

Wales

At the beginning of the year, we promised to explore more of the United Kingdom and we’re happy to say that we delivered! In September, we headed to Wales for a road-trip starting in Cardiff and ending up North in Conwy.

We had a great time visiting Wales, going up and down the rolling green hills, hiking, visiting castles and counting sheep. There’s a lot to see and do in Wales and we’re already planning to go back.

European getaways

We took advantage of the excellent (and cheap!) flights in Europe for some shorter trips. San Marino probably being our favourite of them all.

Where 2016 will lead us

We need your help! In short, we have no idea where to go. The last few weeks we’ve been discussing multiple possibilities and by now we’ve probably talked about every single place on earth. Not helping.

What we are more inclined towards:

• The Balkans
• Ecuador (with Galapagos), Peru and Bolivia

What do you think? Have you been to any of these? What else would you recommend?

The only thing scheduled right now is the 3rd trip to Iceland due to happen in June. The goal is to explore some of the least visited parts of Iceland, starting with the Westfjords.

Blog

Just four months ago we celebrated one year of Breathe With Us. Now that the year is coming to an end not a lot has changed. We still have plenty to write about to keep us busy for a long time. Expect plenty of new articles about Cuba and Egypt.

Our 5 most popular articles of the year were:

• Iceland road trip: The ultimate guide
• What to pack for a trip to Iceland
• Petra, the rose-red desert stone city
• Wadi Rum, the valley of the moon
• The Hobbiton movie set tour

Photography

Instagram best nine

You probably know by now that photography is one of our main focus alongside our blog. We try to capture the best of our trips through photography and share it with our readers.

These are our 9 most popular photos on Instagram this year! If you’re not following us already on Instagram, you should. We’re @bwucom.

Thank you for reading! We would like to wish all our readers a very happy 2016 with lots of travel!