There seems to be a fairly widespread feeling that by and large, 2015 wasn’t one of the world’s best years. Which makes us all the more excited that this sorry excuse for a year is now behind us, and 2016 lies tantalisingly before us.
In an effort to make the most of the year we have already begun thinking about our travel hopes for the next twelve months, based largely upon all of the exciting events that 2016 has to offer. So below follows our dream list of travel destinations for 2016, subject to the small matter of money and time off work!
1. Brazil for the Olympics
Being huge fans of South America and having been to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014, we don’t really need an excuse for returning back to the continent but even so, in 2016 there is a huge magnet luring us back - namely the 2016 Olympic Games. So time to dust off our samba shoes and head to Rio for some serious sports-related partying!
Watching the Germany vs. Portugal match on Copacabana Beach with our friends Steffi and Nina from 2polloslocos.com
2. Saying yes to Europe
Being an English-German couple with Italian ancestry on Chris’s side makes us feel much more like Europeans as opposed to identifying only with our respective nationalities. Which is why whenever the EU referendum is called in the UK, Chris will no doubt rush home to say a big fat yes to remaining part of a continental entity which for all its faults, has helped bring peace and stability to a continent historically plagued by war. Plus, we really like Austrian music, Italian food, Spanish dancing, German beer, and English pubs - which also seem like good reasons to celebrate European unity above and beyond the small matters of peace and cooperation.
3. Germany winning the Euros in Paris
Notwithstanding the above, for one month during 2016 we will revert to being shameless nationalists, loudly booing each other’s national anthems and wishing hamstring injuries upon each other’s respective national footballers as the Euros head to Paris and hopefully, therefore, so will we!
4. Marking our ten year anniversary in Cuba
Assuming our relationship survives the inevitable German victory in Paris, Chris and I will be marking ten years of marriage this summer. And bearing in mind Chris proposed to me in Havana, it seems we have the perfect excuse to practice our Spanish (and mojito drinking!) back in Cuba’s fascinating capital.
Havana 2005 - Just after Chris popped the question
There have been 44 US presidencies and exactly zero of these have seen woman in the top job. In the hope that 2016 could see that change (apologies to all you Trump fans out there!), this year seems a fitting time to revisit the US, perhaps this time to the west coast where we’ve never been before or maybe back to Washington DC, one of our favourite cities in the world.
Accountants amongst you may have realised that ticking off the above list isn’t going to be cheap. So with that in mind our fist stop, on Monday actually, will be a return to Ghana where Chris and I are lucky enough to be employed by some great organisations working on access to health, education, and gender equality in Ghana and across West Africa more broadly. On which note, I’d better go an find my passport and yellow fever certificate otherwise this year’s going nowhere fast!
That’s not my baby - in case you were wondering. 😉
So happy new year to you all, and do let me know what your travel plans are for the year. Especially if it seems our paths may cross sometime in 2016 which I know already is going to be a great, great year!!!
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Happy new year Chris and Tammy - looking forward to reading your posts on all these destinations. I’ll be planning to see more in South East Asia while I’m in Cambodia - more of Myanmar to follow up from a quick visit to Yangon this year, and also Laos. Possible wild card entries - Japan, Korea, India. If only we had more annual leave!!
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I feel you, but at least Cambodia has lots of bank holidays. I really regret not having gone to Laos when we were living in Cambodia actually. I think it is a beautiful country. Gives us an excuse to go back one day I guess.
Same same exactly for us (except for Ghana). We’re really hoping to explore Latin America extensively this year and embrace our home ground (Europe - we’re UK-Greek/French) more.
Congratulations on 10 years by the way - we’re coming up to our 7th. And what a place to celebrate it - Cuba!!
Happy Newyear to you too!! There are some great destinations listed I’d love to go, don’t know if it will be for 2016 otherwise for next year 🙂
Cuba has been on my list for many years, as well as Ghana. Europe is easier, since I’m from Belgium.
We probably go back to Africa in 2016 and continue road tripping in that lovely continent. We’ll see, the year just started!
Wow what great photos of your travels and nice 2016 list. I look forward to seeign your travels.
Thanks Rebecca. Hope you have a year full of travels too.
Hahaha this is a great post! Being German myself, I had to giggle a lot! Thanks for the inspiration and happy travels to you guys, viel Spaß noch 🙂
Ha ha, I couldn’t help it. Dankeschoen! 😉
Good plan! Looking forward to see how the unfolds. Have a wicked one guys!
Thanks Amelie. Hope you have a good travel year too.
Sounds like you have a great list of places to visit! And I completely agree with you on Washington, DC, but if you’re in the U.S., take a trip up the coast and visit Boston as well. If you like American history, you won’t regret it.
Jolanta | Casual Travelers recently posted…Looking back at 2015 and forward to 2016
Looks like a great year is coming up! =) I’m hoping for Scandinavia this year, but yeah, gotta work around the budget…
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Scandinavia is the one part of Europe I haven’d had the pleasure to discover yet, but it is also on my list!
We currently live in Europe (Germany) so we’ve hit most of the EU by now. We are getting ready to head back to the US and would love to hit some of South/ Central America! I think Cuba and Brazil would be amazing places to check out!
I love Europe for that. It is so easy to travel there. South and Central America will be great. I love that part of the world!
We just got back from Cuba and it was really awesome. Congrats on 10 years together. You have some great plans laid out here for 2016. I hope it’s the best year yet.
Thanks so much Laura. I am glad you liked Cuba. Can’t wait to go back!
Brazil, Cuba, Ghana - yes, yes, yes. 😉 Europe - all good, but more for city breaks for me (I’m from Poland).
Poland is nicely positioned to enable you to do many city breaks to Europe. And flights to different European countries are so short. I love travelling in Europe.
Chris and Tammy, all the best for 2016! It looks like you have a lot of travel planned for this year and I hope that it all works out well for you.
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Thanks very much Anne. And the same to you too!
Sounds like some great plans in the works. Cuba is up there on the places I really want to go. I’ve got Bali to check off this year but that might have to be the next big trip.
Bali is also a place I’d love to see actually. I think it is beautiful.
Sounds like fantastic plans for 2016! You’ve given me a few ideas for travel too - Rio for Olympics? Yes please! Congrats on 10 years and I look forward to following your next year of travel!
Thanks very much. I think Rio is a nice place to travel to anyway, but with the Olympics, its gonna be even better.
Sounds like a great year ahead! I totally forgot that the Olympics were this year!! Brazil for the Olympics would be amazing, it’s on my bucketlist to make it to at least one games during my lifetime, and I don’t see them coming back to Australia anytime soon, so maybe I’ll meet you both there!
I missed the Olympics when they were in the UK, as I moved from the UK to Cambodia in that year. So I really want to see the games one day.
Wow Ghana, what an amazing trip that would be. I also love Cuba and would like to return just to see how it has changed since we visited 12 years ago. Sounds like you have some fantastic trips lined up for 2016. Hope you have fun!
I am sure Cuba has changed a lot since I went actually. Even in terms of tourist numbers, now it is open for US citizens to travel there too. But I am sure I will still love it just as much as I did 12 years ago.
Cuba is at the top of my bucket list as well, and we’d love to make to Brazil for the Olympics! Let us know if you end up in Mexico, would love to meet finally.
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It would be lovely to meet. If we end up in Mexico, I’ll definitely let you know.
Wonderful plans! I hope all your travels will be great and everything will go smoothly.
Ghana is a great country so it was a good choice for 2016 start destination!
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Such great travel plans! I’m German myself and fingers crossed for the Euro in Paris - whoop whoop! Wish you all the best for 2016
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Ja dann uns Deutschen viel Glueck bei der EM! 😉
Hey Tammy
Even I had been to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014, loved it.
and yup this time for sure will plan for the Olympics too…
will meet as you people have planned to be there.
and yeah best wishes on your happy ten years of marriage.. 😉
keep posting
🙂
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It was a great party, wasn’t it? And thank you for stopping by. 🙂
YEAH, like this post soo much - this plan is great indeed!
Thanks ALice, glad you like it.
My plan is visiting some islands 🙂 Unfortunately I can’t afford visiting more than one per year, but who knows, may be one by one, year by year and I’ll conquer all the islands in the world 😀 This year I’m going to Cyprus! :))
That’s a great bucket list! I would love to visit Cyprus. Have heard many good things about it.
You’ve been to all these places? Great! I’d love to visit all of them, especially Ghana!
Yes, we are very lucky. Ghana is not an easy country to travel in solo, but if you go with a tour it is much more relaxed. If you ever end up going, let me know and I can give you some tips.
You mean it’s not OK for a woman to go there by her own?
It is absolutely ok for women to travel solo in Ghana. I have done it and saw many other women do it too. You will probably attract more stares and advances from local men, but I guess this is the same as in every other country women travel solo in really. I just wouldn’t recommend going out alone at night, and if you do always take a taxi and don’t walk home.
I’ve also wanted to visit Brasil, but I gave up on that idea after reading some brasil related forums. I wanted to go to Rio de Janeiro, but it turned out this place is quite dangerous for foreign tourists. So tell me Tammy what was your experience in Brasil and are there any places that we can walk around without fear?
There are areas in Rio that are dangerous and areas that are safe. If you stick to the safe areas and have your guards up, just like in any other big city really, you will love Rio. It is a beautiful city.
I bet it is, but I think I’ll first visit the famous Iguaçu Falls. Besides, I’ve heard that the city located next to Iguaçu is quite pleasant and worth visiting.
Yes, Foz de Iguacu is very small, but there are nice restaurants. The Iguacu Falls are absolutely incredible. I think from all my travels, these have by far been my favourite destination.
Brazil is in my travel list for this year as well!
Enjoy! It is a great country to visit.
Last year I went to Brazil - amazing place! In a couple of months I’m going to France.
I loved Brazil too. Such a beautiful country. I need to explore more of France really as I have only been to Paris so far.