{"id":264573,"date":"2021-12-20T16:02:14","date_gmt":"2021-12-20T15:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turkeyalwan.net\/?p=264573"},"modified":"2021-12-29T15:26:27","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T14:26:27","slug":"my-10-best-travel-experiences-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turkeyalwan.net\/2021\/12\/20\/my-10-best-travel-experiences-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"My 10 best travel experiences of 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monday\u00a0newsletters<\/a>\u00a0always feature\u00a0top 10 travel lists<\/a>\u00a0to inspire.<\/p>\n

Today: My 10 best travel experiences of 2021<\/strong><\/h5>\n

As the year 2021 is coming to an end, it\u2019s a good time to reflect on the headlines and stories that shaped the past year. 2021 is a year most of us want to forget as quickly as possible. It’s a year that we were hoping for an end to this pandemic, but more than 5 million deaths later, it seems there is no end in sight. Even worse, it feels like the emergence of the omnicron variant is pulling us back into this dreadful misery. I assume most of us are exhausted from the relentless restrictions that are imposed on societies and from the constant not knowing what the next day will bring.<\/p>\n

2021 is also the year that international travel tried to bounce back (and partly succeeded in doing so) after it collapsed in 2020. Concepts such as \u201clockdowns,\u201d \u201cquarantines<\/span>\u201d and \u201cvaccine mandates\u201d are part of our everyday language as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact all aspects of our lives, including our (disrupted) travel plans and wanderlust. However, since this is a travel blog that tries to give you some enlightening travel inspiration, I want to focus on hope, positivity, and my personal travel stories (trying to make the best of the complicated travel situation). I hereby share with you my own travel highlights of 2021, most of them taking place within Europe (except for one fabulous trip). Early 2022, I\u2019ll share what to expect from me in the next year.<\/p>\n

There is more information (with trip reports & YouTube videos) below the slideshow. You can share your own thoughts on 2021 or your own 2021 travel highlights in the comments section<\/strong>\u00a0below.<\/p>\n

This slideshow requires JavaScript.<\/p>

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*** Follow me on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0YouTube<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***<\/em><\/p>\n

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10. STAYCATION IN BELGIUM<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n

From January till May 2021, a travel ban was implemented by the government of Belgium – my home country – in an effort to curb the spread of covid (on a personal note, I think travel bans do more harm than good). Due to this travel ban and my own covid infection<\/a>, I didn’t travel for almost 6 months. To keep my YouTube audience (and myself) entertained during these frustrating times, I created several videos featuring the highlights of Belgium, hereby re-discovering the charm of my home country. Located in the heart of Europe, Belgium is globally known for indulgent chocolates and tasty beer. But my country offers so much more than that of course. Highlights include gorgeous medieval towns displaying splendid gothic architecture and modern cities boasting designer shops and world-class museums. Watch my 4K videos of the cities of Bruges<\/a>, Ghent<\/a> and Brussels<\/a> by clicking the links.<\/p>\n