A Sumatran orangutan in Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia.
I kicked off 2024 in the same place I will be ringing in 2025—Chiang Mai, Thailand. In the last 12 months, I’ve been to 17 countries and haven’t been in the same place for more than two weeks, which is why I took the last three months to sit still in Chiang Mai, Thailand to recharge. (I did go visit Moo Deng, the viral baby pigmy hippo, who lives near Bangkok.) Reflecting on the year is always an exercise in gratitude for the beauty and diversity of the world and my experiences.
People often say I’m “lucky” because I get to travel for a living, which I previously was offended by (and wrote about in an old post) because it devalued all the hard work and sacrifices I made to build this life. (If you’ve read my book, you know 2010 Anna was working three retail/service industry jobs and barely making $20-30K/year.)
Last year, a friend had a slight turn of the phrase that I loved: I am lucky—lucky I found the courage to put in the hard work, quit jobs that didn’t align with my career goals, make the decisions and sacrifices (like the time I rented my friend’s living room for $230/month to save money for my first South America trip) it took to build this life. Bravery is often mistaken for luck.
Every year I share a recap of my favorite adventures and photographs of the year. I am lucky that I was brave enough to make these trips happen. From Egypt to Indonesia, here are my best travel photographs from 2024!
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Giza, Egypt
Pyramids of Giza viewpoint, Egypt
In January, I visited the Middle East for the first time with stops in Dubai, Egypt and Jordan, which was partially a work trip. Due to the war in Gaza, I was nervous about visiting the region, but I felt very safe the entire trip. The energy and chaos (at times) in Egypt were reminiscent of my five summers in India. The food was phenomenal—Egyptian strawberries might just be the best in the world. My work trip included a few days in Cairo where I composed this shot of a camel at the viewpoint near the Pyramids of Giza, followed by a cruise down the Nile from Luxor to Aswan with a trip to Abu Simbel, which you can see in my Egypt Instagram highlight.
Petra, Jordan
The trail to the monastery in Petra is roughly two miles roundtrip and involves over 800 stone steps.
I loved Jordan—the people and food were amazing. Tourism is down tremendously due to the war, which is tragic for those who make a living off tourism. (FYI: All flights from Egypt to Jordan fly around Israeli airspace now.) It also meant that I had a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be at Petra and other sights when they were nearly empty. There’s more to Petra than the famed Treasury building from the Indiana Jones movies—it’s a huge 102-square-mile archeological site. There’s dozens if not hundreds of structures carved out of the rock. I’d recommend spending at least a full day if not more exploring.
You can view my Instagram story about my Jordan highlights.
Sumatra, Indonesia
Thomas’s leaf monkeys are endemic to northern Sumatra in Indonesia.
In August, I got to visit the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, which parallels peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. My short visit was focused on one destination: Gunung Leuser National Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve that’s home to the critically endangered Sumatran orangutans and endemic Thomas’s leaf monkey. We stayed in the town of Bukit Lawang, the main hub for visiting the park and an easy place to arrange guided orangutan treks. The treks were short—a few hours each time roundtrip with amazing sightings. I have been to all seven continents, and this is arguably one of the coolest experiences of my life. If you are in the region, don’t miss a chance to visit.
Moo Deng, Thailand
Moo Deng, the baby pigmy hippo who’s gone viral on social media, at her home at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo.
Since I was in Thailand, a friend and I went to visit Moo Deng, a famous baby pigmy hippo who’s achieved international fame on social media for her playful personality. She put on quite a show for my camera and even got in a fight with some monkeys. I rounded up my favorite photos in a blog post and wrote a second blog post about how to visit Moo Deng at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Si Racha, Chonburi, which is roughly a two-hour drive from Bangkok. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend visiting her!
Caddo Lake, Texas
Water lilies and bald cypress trees make Caddo Lake one of the most beautiful places in Texas.
The 25,400-acre Caddo Lake and bayou straddle the border of Texas and Louisiana. The forest of Spanish-moss-draped bald cypress trees looks too beautiful to be real. My first trip to visit in April was foiled by a major storm that closed the lake due to severe flooding. I went back again in July when I was visiting Jefferson, Texas for a Texas Monthly story. My morning boat ride from Johnson’s Ranch Marina, the oldest inland marina in Texas established in 1908, was magical—perfect reflections, blooming lily pads and great bird sightings. If you visit, be sure to try the chicken fried steak at the Shady Glade Cafe in Uncertain, Texas—one of the lake’s access points.
Half Dome Hike, Yosemite National Park, California
Left: Half Dome peeking through the trees as we neared the sub dome on our hike. Right: The infamous cable system that’s needed to climb to the top of Half Dome.
On a whim, my friend Rolando and I entered the lottery for a hiking permit for Half Dome, the iconic 8,800-foot rock formation in Yosemite National Park last spring and WON on our first try! Permits are required when the cables are up from the last Monday in May to the second Monday in October. (The rest of the year, permits aren’t required, and the cables hang down like ropes. It’s much easier to climb when the cables are up like staircase railings.) There’s only a 20 percent chance of winning, so I can’t believe we won—it took us FIVE years to win permits to hike The Wave in Arizona.
This was by far the hardest day hike I’ve ever done—5,200 feet of elevation and 18 miles roundtrip. We totally lucked out with the weather for August—only 80 degrees and blue skies. Since this hike was so tough, I only took my iPhone for photos to cut down on weight. For a breakdown of the hike, check out my Instagram story.
Kumano Kodo, Japan
The Kumano Hayatama Taisha Grand Shrine in Shingu, Japan.
My hiking adventures continued in Japan when I hiked a section of the Kumano Kodo, a series of ancient pilgrimage routes that connect three grand shrines on the Kii Peninsula. (It’s very similar to the Camino de Santiago—both are UNESCO pilgrimage routes.) I kicked the trip off at this lovely guesthouse/goat cheese farm with a Michelin-starred restaurant. Then, I hiked roughly 20 miles total the first two days to the first shrine in Hongu, stayed at a lovely traditional Japanese ryokan and then, took a traditional boat trip to the second shrine, Kumano Hayatama Taisha Grand Shrine in Shingu, which was my favorite and the most beautiful. Then, I took a bus to the final and most famous shrine in Nachi due to some dreary rainy weather from a typhoon. I also didn’t take my camera on this route, and it was lovely to be so lightweight—my backpack was only 17.5 pounds with 2.5 liters of water.
Malta: Valetta & Comino Island
We hiked around the Blue Lagoon on Malta’s Comino island.
In May, I spent a few days in Valetta for work and then, came back to explore the rest of the country for 10 days with my best friend. The country feels much like Italy due to the proximity to Sicily and the amount of Italian that’s spoken, but they drive on the left, a little holdover from its days as a British colony. There are two official languages—English and Maltese, a dialect of Arabic.
Left: A window kitty in Valetta. Right: The colorful windows and enclosed balconies of Malta’s capital.
I loved photogenic Valetta, the hilly capital is built of limestone. It’s famous for its unique and colorful enclosed balconies, called gallarija. To escape the mega cruise ships, we rented a car and took the ferry over to the quieter Gozo for hiking and exploring the rugged limestone cliffs and turquoise waters. For details about my trip, check out my Malta Instagram highlight. (Malta is when I dropped my 24-70mm lens and had to spend the next month traveling with only a working 70-200mm lens. This is why I transitioned to Sony in August.)
Isle of Mull, Scotland
An impromptu Highland cow roadblock on the Isle of Mull in Scotland.
On a work trip to Scotland in June, we stumbled upon this group of Highland cattle along the roadside on the Isle of Mull. I only had my 70-200 mm lens (because my 24-70 was smashed), which was the perfect lens for this shot. Initially, I wanted more landscape photos but really liked these tight shots. This was shot along the sole road from Fionnphort (ferry terminal to visit the island of Iona) to Craignure. It’s hard to find Highland Cattle in scenic locations because most are either in pastures far from the road or just in a pasture as a roadside attraction with no scenic backdrop.
York, England
Left: The walls of York. Right: York Minster can be seen from across the city.
I went to York, England for the first time in a decade to visit an archeologist friend. I took advantage of the blue skies to shoot images of the enormous York Minster, which towers over the city that was once ruled by Romans and Vikings. Again, I only had my 70-200mm lens, so I got creative with my angles. I also loved this shot of a lone person walking the York City Walls, which is one of my favorite things to do in the city.
Valley of the Temples, Sicily
The Temple of Concordia is part of a UNESCO site in Agrigento, Sicily.
I was lucky enough to visit this stunning archaeological site in Agrigento, Sicily twice this summer in both the morning and afternoon, a lovely opportunity to photograph in different light. While each time of day has its good angles, I really loved this image of the Temple of Concordia, one of the world’s best-preserved Greek temples originally constructed in 430 B.C., with the modern city in the background. I also framed the image to exclude all the people visiting the exterior. (The interior isn’t open to the public.) Fun fact: This temple is the inspiration for the UNESCO logo.
Alfred the Gnome’s 2024 Adventures
Alfred the Gnome at the Sphinx in Egypt.
Alfred, the globetrotting gnome, had a fun year of exploring—he’s officially the only gnome who’s even been kicked out of the Taj Mahal and this year, the Sphinx in Egypt. I shot three frames before security rushed over saying it wasn’t allowed but never giving a clear reason. (I’d asked my Egyptian guides in advance if this was okay, and they said yes.)
Alfred the Gnome in Petra in Jordan.
I hiked with him in Petra to get the best angles with the famous Treasury building. It took a bit of patience to wait for a moment to get this frame. Petra, as I mentioned, wasn’t as crowded as I was expecting. Still, it took a few moments to get the shot with no people.
And, of course, Alfred needed a shot with the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, in Dubai.
For more of Alfred’s photos, check out this gallery.
If you’re interested in a print of the landscape or gnome images above, shoot me an email (Anna at TravelLikeAnna.com) with Photo Print in the subject line.
Happy New Year and Safe Travels in 2025!
