Happiest of New Year’s to all of you! We wish you love, joy and happy travels in 2026! For us, 2025 began at a month-long housesit in the upside-down where winter is summer, and summer is winter. While listening to new carols which could really enhance the Mariah Carey selection like Six White Boomers and My Dingo Stole my Christmas Pud, Melbourne was an otherworldly place to celebrate Christmas and ring in 2026 with a fabulous fireworks show, which was delightfully enjoyed NOT in the freezing cold. 

We’re end capping 2025 with yet another month-long housesit in the South of Spain, which is a three-minute waddle to the beach, accompanied by our cerdita (piglet) of a dog, aka Pixie, the Frenchie and her companion, Shelly the tortoise. For the Spaniards, hace mucho frio, but for us, at least while the sun is out, it feels idyllic. 

In between these two sits we have been trying to balance a blend of fast and slow travels, which includes checking off a few more items on our “60 by 60 Lists.” For Mandy, this included traveling by tiny van and sleeping in a yurt, and for Greg taking a DNA test to uncover some of his genetics and ethnicity and learning to read Cyrillic. Throughout the year, we experienced some of the most beautiful mountain terrain and hikes on the planet, witnessed the most stunning Islamic architecture we might ever encounter, learned about real nomadic cultures, and after foregoing our thoughts of “settling” in Bulgaria, did some serious healing and transitional thinking about what our nomadic lives are going to look like moving forward. In 2026, we have a new goal of 6 to 8 one month stays in the same location and a continued goal of visiting the USA once a year. 

2025 was a year of numerous road trips starting with the $1/day Imoova rental cars in New Zealand and Australia, overnight mountain getaways to delightfully spellbinding Bulgarian villages, and the grandest highlight…journeying seven days along the Pamir Highway, commonly known as the “Rooftop of the World” in Tajikistan, alongside good friends. 

Other highlights included seeing diminutive kangaroo-like creatures off our doorstep in the New South Wales rainforest, a three-day overnight trek to a hypnotic mountain lake, volunteering for pub food, drinks and free accommodation in a roadside NZ motel, having (very) basic conversations in Bulgarian, and regular runs along the Caspian Sea in Baku, Azerbaijan.  

Over the course of the year, we visited 13 countries on four continents, including Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Bulgaria, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Portugal and Spain. Among these included six new countries, as we edge towards our goal to reach 100, by our respective 50th birthdays in 2028/2030 (currently 88 for Greg and 82 for Mandy).

Before we get to the numbers, we also want to take a moment to thank you… our readers. As we enter our 10th official year with our “Explorer Genes” brand, we’ve managed to organically grow to 7.1k Facebook followers and our monthly newsletter continues to steadily gain subscribers after a revamp this year. We sincerely appreciate all of the comments, shares, fellow travelers/nomads, and armchair explorers out there who have joined us in our journey! As you might have noticed, we have chosen to never monetize our content for fear of it changing how we write and share our travels; as such, our content will always be offbeat, free, and without clickbait or advertising. With that, if you feel charitable and would like to give thanks in support of the efforts that go into our posts and website anyway, you can now make a contribution through Ko-fi, via our website using the Ko-fi widget located at the bottom of the page, or by simply using any one of our referral links. Your support genuinely helps us, and keeps us doing what we do! 🙂

…Onto the Budget Stats for the Numbers Nerds

Total 2025 Spend on Travel Expenses: On the budget front, we spent a total of $18,287 or an average of $50.10 a day, or $327 under our $18,615 annual budget (which increased to $51/day in 2025, so we apparently stuck with our old budget). Our monthly average over 2025 was $1,524/month. This broke down to:

• Flights: We took 18 flights using 288,151 points and miles over the course of the year. Fees added up to $427, which were paid out of pocket. Additionally, we used 80,000 points to book eight free nights in hotels. In total, using points and miles, we got $5,432 worth of free flights and hotel stays had we paid cash.
• All transportation: This said, we spent $4,218/total on all transportation, which mostly included buses, marshrutkas, trains, and taxis. It also included credit card annual fees, which we put in this category because the points mostly go towards fights.
• Accommodations: We had 207 nights of paid accommodations totaling $5,936, which were mostly booked through Booking, Airbnb, Agoda or Hotels/com. The rest of the year was free by using credit card points and miles (8 nights), housesitting (85 nights), volunteering through Help X (5 nights), or staying with friends/family (60 nights). Our average cost/night on paid accommodations was $28.67/night. $5,936/total.
• Groceries: Our annual grocery budget was $5,377.
• Restaurants: $1,363 eating out in restaurants, which also included treats, like sweets and alcohol.
• General: $1,393, which includes other living and travel expenses like…visas, toiletries, the fee to hold our US phone number, sightseeing, laundry, etc.
• Our Supplementary Buckets: Is this all we spent? No, we also have a $3000 annual medical bucket for which we self-insure, and a $1,000 splurge bucket. This brings our GRAND total to $21,453. ($2,165 medical, and $1,000/splurge).

Best Rewards Credit Cards:  

1. Capital One Venture X: (yes, despite their more restrictive lounge announcement removing guests), getting 2x on everything, makes the best catch-all card for spend. It’s also great for transferring points to airline and hotel partner programs. For a complete look of what we love this card, check our Behind the Budget post)
2. Chase Sapphire Preferred: 3x on restaurants, outstanding value for Hyatt transfers, and bonus transfers to airline programs. For a complete look at why we love this card, check out our Behind the Budget post.)
3. Citi Strata Premier: 3x on all grocery AND travel spend. Transfer your points to American Airlines for outsized value (which allows us to get to obscure places, like Indiana) and frequent bigger bonus transfers to airline programs. Pair with Citi Custom Cash for 5x on the bonus travel/grocery category in the US.
4. US Bank Altitude Connect: (Fee Free!) 4x on transportation, including gas, 4 entries to Priority Pass lounge with restaurants AND complimentary 5gb of international data from Gig Sky, renewable every two weeks. We’ve paid for very little for mobile data in 2025 because of this card. FYI, there is no referral links for the second two cards.

Biggest Budget Challenges: finding suitable month-long accommodations in our price range in Bulgaria, and also dealing with the unexpected challenge of food and transportation inflation in the country as they adjust to the Euro, which for groceries, is on par, if not more expensive than what we experienced in Australia/New Zealand or Portugal/Spain. 

Biggest Money Savers: Include the obvious one of slow travel. Other than this: Imoova rentals in Oceania, Trusted Housesitters, which has saved us thousands, HelpX volunteering, saving food from waste through Too Good to Go, free global internet data through Gig Sky, free hotel nights, flights and airline lounges through the (mostly American) privilege of credit card points/travel hacking, and working with friends on cheaper accommodation options. Thanks to many of these methods, Australia and New Zealand became attainable for our budget at $37/day and $84/day.

Most Expensive Month: October ($2271) when we moved relatively quickly through the three countries of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, had two visa application fees, bought an annual back-up data plan because our Gig Sky wasn’t working, and paid for our annual Venture X credit card fee of $395, which we immediately got back by booking transatlantic tickets for January 2026 through our annual $300/credit.

Our most expensive month in reality was September at $2,543, but $1,000 came out of our annual splurge bucket (of $1,000) for the Pamir Highway adventure.

Least Expensive Month: April ($964) while in the States. Our least while traveling was December ($988) while in Spain.

Most Expensive Country: New Zealand at $83.97 for 31 days. 

Least Expensive Country: USA at $23/day for a total of 43 days (stayed with family)

Whew! It’s been quite a year! From best cultural experience, best meals, most unbelievable moments, most unique stay, best country overall and more, you’ll find it all below. 

So without further adieu, we bring to you our 8th Annual Geney Awards: 

Best Cultural Experience

Yurt Camp: Song Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan

(August) People in Kyrgyzstan have been nomadic for at least 30000-4000 years, so it’s only natural two nomads like us felt inclined to experience their customs. To do this, we planned our independent-ish journey to Song Kul, a 29-kilometer long, freshwater lake ringed by nothing but rolling mountains and surrounded by miles and miles of high, open pastureland…grazing nirvana for the many cows and horses we would meet along the way. Fortunately, the livestock, like the nomadic people, live alongside the lake in yurt camps only from May through September because it’s common for temperatures to regularly drop well below zero down to –20 °C (–4 °F) in the off-season. This opportunity allowed us to stay with two of these families in a setting that felt far more authentic than what we experienced on the Ala Kul trek, despite the obvious tourist appeal. Read more.

Honorable Mention: Life on the Dairy Farm, Victoria, Australia

(January) When Georgian trail friends, Joel and Leah reached out to us to come visit their dairy farm in rural Victoria, we were quite elated because we had no idea they were even still following our page, nor that they lived in this part of Australia. (Speaking of, all you silent stalkers…say hello or post a comment…we’d love to hear from you!) That said, we jumped at the chance for a rural farm experience and to explore a part of the state of Victoria we wouldn’t get to otherwise….Read More.

Most Unique Stay

Waipara Sleepers: Waipara, South Island, New Zealand

(February) With the New Zealand rains pissing down in the most persistent way possible, it seemed like the weather gods were finally sticking their tongues out at us on our South Island road trip. So…we had two choices…tent camp in the soggy rain, or come up with an alternative. Normally, we probably would have stuck it out, but Mandy wasn’t feeling well and those two realities combined made looking for an indoor option all the more attractive. 

This is how we ended up at the $60/night budget-friendly historic train motel called Waipara Sleepers, which ended up being our favorite accommodation in New Zealand….AND was a super snug place to wait out the rain. In the early 1990s, four of these 1940s decommissioned rail cars were transported from Christchurch to Waipara and carefully restored. They are nestled in a quiet field off the main road north from Christchurch, which was sprinkled with the scent of lavender and also featured a full kitchen and functional bathrooms. Read more.

Honorable Mention: Mueller Hut, Hooker Valley, New Zealand

(February) Doing the Hooker Valley Track gave us our first glimpse of the majestic Mt. Cook/Aoraki, but to truly soak in the beauty of New Zealand’s Southern Alps and the entire Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, you have to climb a mountain. Perched 1,800 meters (5,900 ft) up nearby Mt. Ollivier lies one of the most incredible alpine huts in the entire country. The bright red Mueller Hut offers a truly epic panoramic view of Mount Cook—New Zealand’s tallest peak—and the surrounding alpine wilderness. And…it’s available for an overnight stay if you’re willing to put in the sweat equity to get there. Read more.

Most Outstanding Accommodation

Hyatt Regency: Dushanbe, Tajikistan

(September) This category is not only outstanding, but also unpaid. So confession…we don’t know why it took us so long to get on the Hyatt bandwagon, but this is the first year we’ve started realizing that transferring our Chase Sapphire Preferred points to the Hyatt is actually the best way to redeem them. And, this particular two-night stay couldn’t have come at a better time…following the Pamir Highway when we were eager to go lick our roughing-it wounds with some bougie bandaids.

The stay cost us 5000k in Chase Sapphire points, or the equivalent of $50…for this $186 value corner suite we got upgraded to. It also had a massive bathroom, pool, sauna and workout facilities, along with this phenomenal view. Don’t forget US travelers, you can still get 75,000-125,000 sign-up points by clicking the referral link above, which can stretch a LOT as you can see with this purchase. Read more.

Honorable Mention: Hyatt House Gebze,Turkiye

(August) Our stay at Hyatt House Gebze was our first stay in a Hyatt ever that we “paid for” (aka sans parents). Of course, like the one in Dushanbe, we did not actually pay for it, but instead spent 5000 Chase Sapphire Preferred points, or about $50 for a $200 seaview room. Considering this level of poshness is normally way above our budget grade, we were kinda gleeful and Mandy was ecstatic to find her name was even on the TV when we arrived. That’s a first! 

This one bedroom (upgraded) bougie suite included a kitchen, seaview balcony, a buffet breakfast, and a tap on the door. Yes, when we thought things couldn’t get any better…. a nice young Turk to deliver us our (complimentary) welcome treats. Whaaaaa?!?? It wasn’t  wine…because this was Türkiye, but a bubbly and fancy rendition of water that when placed in a wine glass felt (almost) as good as the real stuff. Read More.

Best Unpaid Accommodation

Caroline & Mark’s Rainforest Getaway: New South Wales, Australia

(January) In the town of Kyogle, we were fetched by a random lady we met on the internet who would be driving us further afield and tossing us into an off-the-grid cabin in the middle of the rainforest. What could possibly go wrong?! In reality, we’ve “known” Caroline since 2018 as a tried and true follower of our page. She and her husband, Mark, even welcomed us to their home during COVID if we needed a place to go, so we absolutely had to make a visit reality during our premier trip to Australia. And, not only did we get to know some special new mates, we were able to experience life in the rainforest and see part of the country we never would have otherwise. Oh yes. This felt like the REAL Oz! Read More.

Honorable Mention: Dream Housesit in Wanaka, Otago, New Zealand (South Island)

(February) During our time volunteering in Beaumont, a six-day pop-up catsit in Wanaka delightfully showed itself on Trusted Housesitters…and we got it!! Wanaka is a stunning lakeside town one hour north of Queenstown, folded delicately in the Southern Alps. It’s popular with tourists for its activities and dynamic views. And the house we were in definitely showcased that feature, as well as gave us unique perspective of what it was like to live as a local in this alluring destination with two adorable kitties in tow. Read More.

Best Place to Flâner

Sevilla, Andalusia, Spain

(December) Whether roaming the Crayola-encrusted pueblos of Colombia, surveying the buzzing but jolly daily laborers of Mexico, or strolling through the elegant boulevards of Buenos Aires, at its core, Hispanic culture offers something that has always deeply attracted us…societies that appreciate community, while melding vibrancy, life, purpose, and the value of tranquillo. And we’re now realizing all the more, Spain unsurprisingly holds a piece of that treasure as well.

Sevilla, particularly, is unequivocally a place to flâner, a French word that roughly means “to saunter,” but with a richer cultural meaning. Writers like Charles Baudelaire and later Walter Benjamin turned flâner-ing into a sort of philosophical creature: part detective, part daydreamer, part social antenna. They said, “it isn’t about laziness; it’s about deliberate, attentive drifting. The world gets weirdly generous when you don’t force it to go anywhere specific.”

In Sevilla, it was simply dreamy to weave a tangled web through its labyrinth of alleys frozen in the pages of time while admiring its pockets of undeniable prettiness…

Honorable Mention: Istanbul, Turkiye

(August) It only takes moments for our second favorite world city to once again beguile us with its pulsing energy. And since this was our third visit and we had all the major tourist things out of the way, it was even more exhilarating to discover parts of the city where you’re not being approached by rug salesmen on every corner, or encouraged to empty your wallet for a twirling ice cream “magic show.” Our flaner-ing took us to the old city walls, deeper into the heart of the Fatih district, where we’d find our best meal of the year, (see below), to the vibrant enclave of Kuzguncuk, as well as old favorites like Kadikoy and Eyup. Read more.

Most Picture Perfect Village

Shiroka Laka: South-Central, Bulgaria

(June) During our Southern Rhodopes road trip leaving from Plovdiv, we entered another Bulgarian Architectural Reserve, which we quickly started referring to as “villages so cute you could pinch their cheeks.” This list of architecturally significant villages was a fantastic find in 2025 and helped us discover the same kind of instant seduction we’ve felt in many Pueblo Magicos in Mexico or Colombia.

We visited several of these villages during our time in Bulgaria, and Shiroka Lake was arguably the most beguiling. Flooded with 19th Century Bulgarian Revival style architecture, Shiroka Lake is just that kind of place…utterly surreal and classically timeless. Folded in the scenic Rhodope Mountains, on stepped terrain, it evoked memories of other places we’ve fallen head over heels with like Albania’s Gjirokaster and Berat as if fallen out of the pages of a storybook. Yes, we could live here. Read more.

Honorable Mention: Kovachevitsa, Southwest Bulgaria

(May) Another architectural reserve, Kovachevita, is the kind of contemplative village you could easily amble in for a half a day, because with every bend and turn on its cobblestoned streets, an urge prevails to discover what’s around the next corner (so you can take 50 more photos.) Tucked high in the Western Rhodope Mountains, you feel like you’re being transported to another world….a world with only 50 permanent residents…a few of which came out to say Zdraveite. One woman, who was even providing a classical music ambience from her terrace, even spoke English so we chatted for a bit. Needless to say, she was very surprised to meet two Americans strolling and appreciating her village. Read more.

Most Captivating City

Baku, Azerbaijan

(November) It didn’t take long for us to become enchanted by Azerbaijan’s glittering capital of Baku perched on the fringe of the Caspian Sea. It’s a city that has it all, yet no one is talking about….a fascinating place to get lost in, with few tourists, dozens of pedestrian thoroughfares, idyllically sunny skies, a mystical sense of wonder, and a delightful architectural mash-up of innovative and modern blended with timeless and ancient.

Its Icherisheher, or Inner City, well deservedly achieved its UNESCO status in 2000. Within its fortressed walls and labyrinth of alleys, it is layered with captivating architecture from the Persian and Ottoman Empires and with clear traces of Russian and Islamic influences as well. For us, it was reminiscent of places we’ve visited in the Balkans, as well as Turkiye, Spain, Paris, and Malta. Next time we come, we’d love it be for a full month because 17 days was definitely not enough.

Honorable Mention: Porto, Portugal

(November) This visit to Porto was drastically different than our first hurrah in May 2022. There are several reasons for this…it was off-season so the crowds were significantly lighter, and rained…a lot. That said, since we were there for 2.5 weeks housesitting the world’s cuddliest cat (Mr. President), we were able to meander its unbelievably walkable terrain at a relaxed pace, and explore only when we felt like it, or when the weather cooperated.

Most importantly, the spirit of the city had metamorphosed because, this time, MANDY. COULD. FREAKIN’. WALK!! Yes, it was certainly hard not to reflect on that first visit when she was gimping around Europe on crutches for months. Although we managed to make the best of it and soak in a lot of the city by scooter, it was challenging to say the least. It was also virtually impossible to see areas entirely made for the feet, such as the UNESCO gem of Ribeira. But this time, we got to appreciate the magic the way it’s meant to be. Our post isn’t read yet for 2025, but you can Read More about our first time in Porto.

Best Adventure

Pamir Highway Road Trip: Osh, Kyrgyzstan to Dushanbe, Tajikistan

(September) The Pamir Highway, often called “The Roof of the World” or the second highest international highway in the world, is one of the most legendary roads on the planet, traversing the four countries of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. The 1200-kilometer (750 mile) section we journeyed 6 nights/7 nights would take us from Osh, Kyrgyzstan to Dushanbe, Tajikistan and provide some of the most unique and remarkable experiences we’ve ever had. This included voyaging with three good friends along the border of Afghanistan, encountering our first two-hump camels, hiking to an epic viewpoint, playing with children of the Pamir, observing sites of the Silk Road, basking in hot springs, dancing and feasting with locals and the positive list goes on and on…

All this said, although the mountain scenery is undeniably the most consistently swoon-worthy we’ve ever witnessed, this is not a leisurely drive in the Alps, and the term “highway” is a wee bit of an understatement. In fact, after days and days of travel on persistently bone-rearranging roads, parts of it can be simply maddening. This, combined with altitude sickness, diarrhea, inadequate calories, holes in the ground, dog bites, heartbreaking poverty, and general fatigue from challenging nights of sleep creates an environment best suited for the traveler ready for some adventure…certainly one ready for some arduous ups and downs, both of the highly literal and figurative variety. Read more.

Honorable Mention: Cairns to Brisbane Road Trip, Queensland, Australia

(January) In order to explore both expensive Australia and New Zealand on our meager budget, we knew we had to be both crafty and flexible to make it work, and thanks to the goodness of friends, housesits and letting the stars guide us to our first Imoova rental…aka…this trip… Australia turned out to be even cheaper than we expected at an astounding $37/day.

This adventure surfaced only about two weeks in advance because we signed up to relocate a rental car from the steamy tropical jungles of Cairns to what Australians affectionately refer to as “Brissie.” During it, we learned all about the many things that can kill you while camping in the country, snuggled with mossies, learned to drive on the left, embraced our inner Mary Poppins, and met our first Bogans, the similar, but far gentler version of the US Redneck. Read more.

Most Epic Natural Scenery

The Pamir Highway: Tajikistan

(September) 2025 was undeniably a year of ravishing mountain vistas and although the Pamir Highway had some stiff competition, nothing has actually ever compared with this road trip for us in terms of ongoing, for days, and consistent natural beauty. From being immersed in the Pamir Mountains themselves to having regular glimpses of the Hindukush Mountains in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the expanses we saw on this trip were utterly awe-inspiring. Read more.

Honorable Mention: South Island, New Zealand

(February) Most people know that New Zealand, particularly the South Island, packs a serious punch in the scenery department, and when the Southern Alps come out to play, they are absolutely breathtaking. Of course, it’s not only mountains, but practically every other terrain on earth, and some maybe even from Middle Earth, on full display. You’ll see crystalline reflective lakes, emerald green seas, jagged fjords, curious mega rocks, sparkling waterfalls, lush temperate rainforests, bubbling earth forms, and utterly serene beaches. In our three weeks, we took three road trips on the South Island, all offering a little bite of this wonder. The first trip was southbound from Queenstown to the famed Milford Sound, the second trip was through the middle from Queenstown to Christchurch, and the final trip was from Christchurch to Auckland.

Best Man Man Wonder

Shah-I-Zinda Necropolis: Samarkand, Uzbekistan

(October) With the abundant cerulean splashes of ravishing Islamic architecture, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the allure and options in ancient Samarkand. Thus many tourists flock straight to the Registan, which is the obvious grand-daddy of all the sites, or the nearby Bibi-Khanym Mosque. Although both are iconic and beautiful, we learned some of the sites in the city didn’t seem to equal the admission price in value. However, our favorite, of the ones we paid to enter, and also a cheaper one, was undoubtedly Shah-I-Zinda Necropolis, which means “The Living King.” This series of successive kaleidoscopic mausoleums are by far the most exquisitely intricate we’ve ever seen and feel like walking into an ethereal dream. 

Honorable Mention: Itchan Kala, Old City of Khiva, Uzbekistan

(October) Our final and most favored stop on Uzbekistan’s Silk Road took us to the legendary lair of Khiva, home to the first 1990 UNESCO site in the country….an immaculately preserved fortress city called Itchan Kala, which showcases one of the most intact examples of medieval Central Asia. Treading into its compact and quiet inner city walls is like stepping centuries back in time. Many travelers liken it to a living museum, while others say it has been Disneyfied. With its polished, clean and mostly pedestrian-only streets, it certainly has some Disney elements, but for us, felt visually magical…but also authentic. It’s much more excellently executed history than a theme park, and the affordability also wins high awards. That said, for us….it was absolutely worth the effort to get to.  

Most Unforgettable Transit Experience

Journeying by Campervan: Christchurch to Auckland, New Zealand

(March) Our third and culminating roadie in New Zealand was much anticipated because we finally ditched our tent and camping supplies we’d been hauling around since we first found it as street candy in Melbourne and lovingly collected at NZ’s opp shops. For this trip, we fetched an all-in-one adorably packaged Jucy Campervan, which guaranteed us the opportunity to “Find our Happy.” 

The rental was booked about two weeks prior to departure, and would cost us $1/day from Imoova (com) to relocate from Christchurch to Auckland and allow us to live our final days in New Zealand in functional luxury. It also included a $100 stipend for a gas, and the vehicle fee for the ferry from the South to North Island. In short…it’s THE way to travel in New Zealand (Or, Australia, or USA, or Canada, or Europe…because Imoova is also available in these places…) Read more.

Honorable Mention: Sleeper Train from Khiva to Tashkent, Uzbekistan

(October) From Khiva, we were destined to rumble 15 hours back east to the Uzbekistan capital of Tashkent by overnight train. This time, because it was a lengthy trip, we opted to upgrade about 10% to the 4-bed private berth cabin rather than the more open 6-berth we had done from Bukhara to Khiva. This was still only $27.50/ticket. A real value for this length of trip with your own semi-private compartment, which we got to share with a friendly Italian couple. Should you choose to take this same journey, which we definitely recommend, make sure to book far in advance. We booked two months ahead and it was already about 80% full. Like the train from Bukhara to Khiva, we were equipped with a case for a very fluffy pillow, two sheets and a towel.

Best Splurge

Greg’s Birthday Overnight: Melnik, Bulgaria

(May) Although the Pamir Highway was the only splurge on our actual “Splurge Account”, which was by far the best, we did do some other splurges in our regular budget worth mentioning. To celebrate Greg’s 47th birthday, we chose to have an overnight escape to the seductive teacup-of-a-town called Melnik, which we first visited on a whirlwind hour-long dash and drink in 2019, thanks to the inconvenient buses we had to catch from Blagoevgrad. This time, catching a direct bus from Sandanski, we were thrilled to spend more than 24 hours in this heritage gem, which still holds its honor as one of our most beloved places in Bulgaria.

Melnik is extraordinary. And old. It was founded in the 9th Century and features Bulgarian revival architecture, mixed with traces of Byzantine and Ottoman influence, a 2000-year saga of winemaking and, what actually looks like the icing on the cake…the wondrous sandstone pyramids, which seem to drip and meld into the lush and forested surroundings. Read More.

Honorable Mention: Tour from Almaty to Charyn Canyon, Kolsai & Kaindy Lakes, Kazakhstan

(August) From barren steppe and deserts, to slicing canyons, to turquoise lakes encompassed by carpets of evergreens, traversing the terrain in southeast Kazakhstan can feel like rolling from the American Southwest to the Pacific Northwest in a matter of moments. Yes, there is SO much to do in and around Almaty for nature lovers. However, since we were limited on time, we chose to do a (VERY LONG) tour of three iconic sites, which are all growing in popularity with tourists…Charyn Canyon National Park, Kolsai Lake & Kaindy Lake. The ~700 kilometer tour, which we booked through Kazakhstan Guided Tours, began at the upbeat hour of 5:00 and finalized way past our bed time at 11 p.m. This might be a record in a tour day length for us, and our 40-something bodies certainly could feel it the day after. Read More.

Best Off-the-Beaten-Path Destination

South Rhodopes Road Trip: Bulgaria

(June) From Plovdiv, we settled on a plan to take an exploratory trip south to tackle some of the sights and villages in the gorgeous Rhodope Mountains, which we can now say, is arguably the most fetching and varied of Bulgaria’s four major mountain chains, and probably the most beautiful area in all of Bulgaria (which several locals confirmed!) It’s a region shrouded in mystery, legend and charm from its ruins and canyons, to its foreboding caves, to its monasteries, to its teacup-sized villages with Ottoman charm, and other abundant natural attractions. And the best part? No tourists anywhere…even in summer…other than a few locals. Read more.

Honorable Mention: Almaty, Kazakhstan

(August) At 2.2 million people, Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan, which is crazily the 9th big country in the world. We chose to spend a week here, which by the time we’d started to recover from losing a night of sleep on our red eye, was more like four days. The city is surrounded by accessible mountains and blanketed with some of the best tree-lined parks and streets we’ve ever seen….a true walker’s paradise. Combined with an easy and affordable lifestyle, abundant supermarkets, a fair supply of Georgian restaurants, and abundant sunshine, as nomads, it definitely left us wanting more. And of course there are a few tourists here (mostly European or Asian), but mostly, it’s still off the radar for most. Read more.

Most Regrettable Departure

The Country of Bulgaria

(May, June, & July) It was with great sadness we had to depart from Bulgaria in late July due to Schengen. Although the rose-colored glasses lifted a bit, on our third and longest jaunt to Bulgaria so far, it continued to enamor us with its serenity and allure. It affirmed itself as a place we undoubtedly could settle down in one day, and also as a place in our top five countries! 

This time around, we chose to pump our brakes significantly and park ourselves in three bases… Sandanski in the Southwest, Plovdiv in the center, and Sliven in the east for ~4 weeks each. What we found was a place to explore, contemplate and heal, which we didn’t realize how much we desperately needed. Because of Mandy’s physical situation, we also got to embrace some autonomous endeavors, which was good for both of us to explore. Read more.

Honorable Mention: Baku, Azerbaijan

(October) Baku was an unexpected destination for 2025 on our way back to Europe from Central Asia, but it didn’t take long for us to become utterly enchanted by this underrated and under touristed destination. In fact, it’s a place we undeniably see ourselves returning to again, and though we needed downtime this visit for the 2.5 weeks we had, we’re also very eager to get into the villages and mountainous regions next time around. It’s becoming more difficult to balance our need for extended stability, alongside our itchy feet.

Our life in Baku was exactly what we’d been yearning for….a comfortable apartment, ample feline friends, fresh sea air, slow days grounded back in our exercise, cooking and work routines, and long late afternoon walks accentuated by sunshine and nearly perfect fall weather. It was also regrettable in the fact that here we said our temporary goodbyes to our friends, Annabelle and Yi, who accompanied us down the Pamir Highway.

Most Ahh…Some Moment

Rupite Hot Springs: Southwest, Bulgaria

(May) Southwest Bulgaria has a unique geothermal landscape, with the perfect amount of fertility for a plethora for vino of the future, in addition to rich in mineral hot springs. One such hot spring can be found near the village of Rupite, which is also the home of mystical healer, Baba Vanga. The springs were public, free, encompassed by nature, and rustic…all of our favorite things when it comes to a good soak. There were a couple of changing rooms, as well as a free parking lot with a very appealing set-up for van lifers. Read more.

Honorable Mention: Al Sham Lebanese Restaurant, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

(September) After a week of quite mediocre food on the Pamir Highway, we were delighted to fill our tanks with an extravagant meal of the world’s best cuisine (our vote depends on the day), at Al Sham. Although we were with our Pamir friends, we hardly spoke because we were all too busy devouring this meal with gratitude and relief while making “Mmmmmmm!” sounds and smacking our lips. This Middle Eastern “mega splurge” was probably our most expensive meal of the year at $38 and consisted of mint Aryan, beer, tabbouleh, falafel, tagine, and hummus! It was to die for, and the service was absolutely outstanding as well. Read more.

Amazing Animal Encounter

Mobs of Kangaroos: Victoria, Australia

(January) After a sprightly kangaroo race on Joel and Leah’s paddock (aka farmland), we knew we had to get a bit more boing-boing time with this fascinating creature. And there was no place better to do so nearby than Winton Wetlands, which is one of the most massive wetland restoration projects in the Southern Hemisphere clocking in at a whopping 8,750 hectares (22,000 acres). At first glance, the expanse looks like a a desolate, dry and eerie wasteland. However, it only takes a chunk of patience before you start seeing what are clearly espionage lurkers peeping their heads up from the stark and wiry bush. And before long, you’re completely surrounded by mobs and mobs of curious onlookers. Read more.

(Honorable Mention) Two-Hump Camels on Pamir Highway: Tajikistan/Afghanistan Border

(September) It was when we first plowed into the Afghani border that we’d meet a welcoming committee of our first two-hump wonders. Most people are disappointed not to see these types of camels when visiting Arabia…or even the city zoo…for the first time. They are native to the steppes of Central Asia and are cold adapted unlike dromedaries (one-humpers) of the Middle East. They would be the first, and only, Bactrian Camels we would meet. It was so unbelievably wild to see them perched on the river island between two magnificently exotic lands. Read More.

Most Mouth Watering Meal

Buuzecedi Syrian Restaurant: Istanbul, Turkiye

(August) We heard about Buuzecedi Restaurant through two sources…a follower (thanks Laura!), and Atlas Obscura, so we knew it must be good. This vegetarian palate delighting restaurant, bedecked with colorful tiles, Damascus Days of Yore photos, and olive oiled mountains of savory chickpeas, provides war refugees a chance to fulfill their homesick food cravings and us, the chance to delight in authentic Syrian cuisine, arguably some of the world’s tastiest. Read More.

Honorable Mention: Ashlan Fu, Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

(August) Without a doubt, the gotta-have-it dish in Kyrgyzstan, which happens to be vegetarian, is Ashlan-fu. This is Karakol’s signature cold noodle soup, best found in the easy-to-miss, “Ashlan-fu Alley.” The street food-friendly Dungan (Chinese Muslim) dish is a cold broth made with vinegar, chili, garlic, two types of noodles, and fresh herb toppings. To toss in a Russian twist, it’s usually eaten with Piroshki, fried buns stuffed with potato, and a side of peach tea, all for about $1.70/meal. Absolutely delicious! Read more.

Best Airport Lounge

Lounges…they’re kinda like smartphones. We seriously don’t know how we survived endless travel days before without this game-changer. That said, the glory days are numbered on the Capital One Venture X card, which is what gives us Priority Pass access, because they are beginning to restrict guest access in February 2026. However, we still think it’s definitely worth it for us, and frequent US travelers or solo travelers. If you are interested, they are currently doing a 100k sign-up bonus. Please check out the link above.

Primeclass Lounge: Rome Fiumcino, Italy

(November) We had a 36-hour marathon journey on budget airlines from Baku, Azerbaijan to Rome, to Madrid, to Porto, Portugal, which is exactly the kind of trip you feel tremendous gratitude for having lounge access. Both of our best lounges occurred during this trip, but the best was in Rome, which in addition to an amazing food and drink selection, even included a “quiet room” with dim lighting where we able to get a few zzz’s in a proper lounge chair before we had to board our 1:00 p.m. plane to Madrid. 

Honorable Mention: Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain

The selection of Spanish wines, and spirits, included in our lounge visit during our stop in Madrid. Unfortunately, by the time we got to this stop, we were pretty full from eating all day! Yes, yes…first world problems…seriously.

Best Hike

Ala Kul Trek: Karakol, Eastern Kyrgyzstan

(August) It didn’t take long to realize that Kyrgyzstan is easily already one of the most naturally ravishing countries we’ve ever set foot in, which isn’t too surprising considering 90% of its land mass is blanketed in mountain ranges. But as soon as you set foot on a trail…especially this elevation-challenging trail…it’s mind-blowing. It had been more than two years since we had done our last overnight trek in Ecuador, and after concluding one of the most epic and rewarding 3 day/2 nights hikes yet to Ala Lake in the Tien Shan mountains, we keep asking ourselves, why aren’t we doing this more often? Read More.

Honorable Mention: Hooker Valley Trek, Otago, South Island New Zealand

(March) The 10k (6.2 mile) Hooker Valley Track is an absolutely must when journeying through the South Island of New Zealand. Fortunately, this day hike is mostly flat, which makes it relatively easy for most people. We were also grateful to have simply idyllic day. It’s renowned for its stunning alpine scenery, including glaciers, rivers, and panoramic views of the country’s highest peak at 12,218 feet (3724 meters). Read More.

Most Desirable Country Overall

Australia

(Dec, Jan. & Feb) This year, on our premiere visit, Australia shot to our top five list of favorite countries in the world, which came as a giant surprise to both of us. Yes, we fell way harder for the Land Down Under than the Land of Aoraki. In fact, we weren’t even planning to go there! But, it ended up being a budgetary move en route to New Zealand…one that drastically paid off both from a budget perspective, but also a pleasurable one.

Why was it so amazing?! Well, firstly, we really didn’t have many expectations. But, had we only gone to New Zealand, we feel it would have been a grave mistake because we fell hard for the diversity, adventure, climate, and terrain of Australia in a way we didn’t expect, nor can we entirely explain. This has us chomping at the bit to return. It also helped that we had some very generous host experiences which we’ll treasure forever. Read More.

Honorable Mention: Bulgaria 

(May, June & July) That said, we certainly can’t end the Geneys without one more nod to a country which seriously tugs on our heartstrings…one which we seriously contemplated moving to this year. Although we ultimately decided to pump this brakes on this plan for several reasons, Bulgaria is definitely on the back burner of a place we could “settle” one day. These three months confirmed it has everything we want in a place to live. But for now, we ultimately decided to continue our lives as nomads, but at a much slower pace. Read more.