It’s hard to believe we’ve spent the entire year of 2019 on the road. But we did, and to reflect a bit we’ve compiled a few statistics to nerd out on…

• 20 countries, 3 continents, 17 capitals, 14 languages, 30 UNESCO sites, and 11 land borders (crossed by bus, rail or on foot)
• We’ve stayed in 42 AirBnbs, 51 guesthouses or homestays or hotels on Booking.com & Agoda.com, 55 days of house-sitting, 14 days on a “vintage yacht”, and one poorly judged night camping in Oman
• Average daily step count was 10,884 steps with our biggest pedometer day being 37,883 steps (Valbona/Theth hike in Albania)
• Highest elevation: Muldai Peak in Nepal, 3637 meters (11,932 feet)
• Lowest elevation: Dead Sea in Jordan, -430 meters (-1,410 feet)
• Our most expensive day was September 26 at $570.50, which included part of the safari, food, accommodation, guide and tip (Tanzania)
• Our least expensive day was August 11 at $1.20 while house-sitting in Bulgaria.
• We spent a total of $20,497.76 ($56.15/day*) for both of us to travel for one year. We had two big splurge months in September and October where we spent nearly double our monthly budget which was due to an African safari, and two treks in Ethiopia which we wanted to do to partly give back to local communities. Also, the visas were quite expensive for Oman, Tanzania and Ethiopia. *We spent an additional $3,790 on flights so including them, our grand total would be $66.54/day, compared with $49.68/day in 2018.

And now, on with our 2019 Geney Awards…

Most Welcoming Culture: Jordan

Honorable Mention: Sri Lanka

In 60+ countries and counting, we’ve never met a culture quite like the Jordanians. When you cross paths with a Jordanian person, they’re almost guaranteed to smile at you and say two things…”where you from?” followed by a sincere “Welcome.” And there’s no other motive!! The Jordanians are overwhelmingly hospitable and some of the most welcoming and genuine people we have come across anywhere. We were treated as guests everywhere we went, and regularly given free or extra gifts to take with us from restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, or strangers on the street. When you’re actually welcomed into a Jordanian home, they will stop at nothing to adorn you with food, drinks, laughter and even gifts. Be careful not to give a compliment to an item in the home however, because they might just give it to you. It is almost overwhelming. Read more about our time in our Jordan.

Most Memorable Accommodation (Unpaid): Housesit in Pungovitsi, Bulgaria

Honorable Mention: Staying with Sue & Peter (friends) in Colne, UK

We don’t think we could have enjoyed our 14-day house and pet sit in the mountains of Bulgaria any more. The home was owned by Sally & Doug, a warm and welcoming British couple, who had settled in Bulgaria a year before and were busily working on renovations for their lovely home and nearby future business for the past 18 months. Once we got settled in we had more space than we knew what to do with…not to mention an extraordinary home gym on par with LA Fitness, a superb pool, views, and a house that was decorated incredibly to look like a spot in Luxury Living magazine. Plus, on top of all this we got to watch some super adorable teddy bear terriers. Read more about our time in Bulgaria.

Side note: Don’t forget the huge benefits of staying somewhere for FREE, making some fast friends, and getting a unique travel experience (or getting free pet care and your home looked after on the flip side) by signing up with Trusted Housesitters!! It’s only $119 for a year membership, and can quickly be well worth it on the accommodation, or pet care savings. Save 25% by using our referral link.

Most Memorable Accommodation (PAID): Bedouin camp, Wadi Rum, Jordan

Honorable Mention: Kok Kamp yurts, Kabak, Turkey (Lycian Way)

Tucked far into the Wadi Rum desert, our camp, Desert Moon, was simplistic at $30/night but still a perfect Bedouin slice of glamping experience with a local flair. Although the inside of our tent had no heaters, we kept plenty warm in the 3C/35F nights with massive blankets. We also amazingly had access to hot showers in the community bathroom thanks to solar panels and even WiFi! But our favorite part of this place was the delicious meals, listening to Arabic music and dancing in the evenings, as well as meeting some people we still consider friends. It was “camping,” but it wasn’t exactly roughing it… Read more about our stay.

Most Charming Small Town: Melnik, Bulgaria

Honorable Mention: Berat, Albania

Melnik is located 20k from the Greek border, and 80k from our base town of Blagoevgrad, although we’d stay here next time if we could. It is truly an architectural and cultural stunner…sandstone pyramids ring the village, wine abounds in this 600-year-old wine culture and all buildings have been renovated in “Bulgarian National Revival,” style, but are heavily influenced by the Byzantine-style. Read more about our time in Bulgaria.

Most Captivating City: Istanbul, Turkey

Honorable Mention: Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Arriving to Istanbul was an assault on all our senses…in the best way possible. The smells, the tastes, the sounds, the sights, even the lingering heat of the air and the sea breeze, the unbelievably inexpensive prices…all simply divine. We have not been to a city of this size (14.5 million, biggest in Europe) that has left us with a better first impression. And after five nights, that lusty first impression didn’t fade into the summer glow either. In fact, Istanbul enamored us so wooingly that she easily rocketed to our second favorite European city. (Naturally our bias still keeps Prague in the top spot.) Read more about Istanbul.

Most Stunning Natural Wonder: Accursed Mountains, Albania

Honorable Mention: Tigray Highlands, Ethiopia

Being immersed in the Accursed Mountains was so incredibly beautiful it rendered us speechless for much of the hike. The Valbona <—> Theth trek takes you across an especially rugged range in the Accursed Mountains of Albania, also know fittingly as, the “Albanian Alps.” Although it’s a (long) day hike of about 14k end-to-end, getting to the remote trailhead took us well off-the-grid. There is some truly epic mountain scenery in this part of Albania which we were totally shell shocked to discover… We had no idea Albania had this caliber of alpine wow factor! Read more about the Valbona/Theth trek

Most Stunning Man-Made Wonder: Petra, Jordan

Honorable Mention: Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia

Visiting Petra is actually what inspired us to roll up our sleeves and deal with the technological challenges we had been having on getting our blog operational and writing about our travels. Once you see firsthand this remarkable 2000-year-old Nabatean city you understand that it deserves to be one of the New 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. It’s hard to imagine that a city can be built from carved rock facades, but when you glimpse Petra firsthand it’s clear… this was an ancient and functional city of rock in the desert. It’s a place of purpose and absolute intrigue…way more than just the iconic Treasury and Indiana Jones… Read more about Petra.

Most Surprising Country: Oman

Honorable Mention: Albania

Oman was the first place we’ve gone on this trip that felt truly and totally exotic. It has impossibly lush and green oases, desert forts, wondrous ruins, stunning canyons, and a still very much intact history and traditional way of life on display. It was also hot in a way we never knew was possible. We were quick to notice the Omanis have a refreshing kind of naivety and pureness for the simpler joys in life. They seem content with things as they are, are polite and reserved. In fact, the Omani are so peaceful, we’ve read they’re actively striving to be the “Switzerland” of the Middle East… we can see why, and they’re also currently rated a level one on the safety/travel index. Read more about Oman.

Best Transit Experience: Stopover in Dubai

Honorable Mention: A nearly empty overnight plane from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

There are many cities that offer free or very cheap stopovers en route from Point A to B if you fly with certain airlines. For us, this was with Fly Dubai Airlines, and a mandatory pit stop in the Vegas of the Middle East. After all, we had to check off some superlatives at the world’s tallest building and world’s biggest shopping mall! In total, it cost us $520 to fly from Muscat, Oman to Zanzibar, Tanzania, which included three nights accommodation in a very posh hotel (for us). Read more about Dubai.

Worst Transit Experience: The 10-hour local bus ride from Bardia National Park to Butwal, Nepal.

Honorable Mention: the 9-hour local bus ride of hell from Gondar to Aksum, Ethiopia

We took two-hour shifts sitting on a (hard as a rock) rice bag in the aisle, while using our packing cubes as cushions/pillows to avoid bruises, and/or standing in the aisle on the winding “highway.” Mandy was especially excited to share her floor space with an animated five-year-old who wouldn’t stop singing or eating crumbs of food off the revolting floor, and an infant whose exposed diaperless and dainty willy was floopily bouncing back and forth while remaining pointedly aimed at her face. Read full story.

Best Cuisine: Indian

Honorable Mention: Ethiopian

If you’re wondering if Indian food IN India is better than in the UK or US, the answer is yes. There are not many cuisines that can stand up against the diversity, aromatic spices, quality and richness of the 8000-year history of the Indian subcontinent. Plus, it’s uber-easy (and maybe recommended) to be vegetarian in India.

Most Challenging but Rewarding Country: Ethiopia

Honorable Mention: Tanzania

Ethiopia is definitely the most challenging destination we’ve been to in terms of ease of transportation, human behavior, and living without always having modern conveniences. Blackouts are regular, as is losing water supply, not having hot water, and of course, unreliable internet. However, it’s also one of the most rewarding. The culture is unlike anything we’ve experienced, it‘s exotic and really off-the-beaten-path. Not to mention, the utterly divine food, breathtaking nature, ruins and history galore, gorgeous weather, and access to the best coffee we’ve ever had.

Best Multi-Day Trek: Lycian Way, Southern Turkey

Honorable Mention: Tigray Trek, Ethiopian Highlands

The Lycian Way has blissfully undeveloped wild mountain terrain matched only by aqua seas and white limestone beaches, majestic old black pine, serene mountain hamlets and hidden under-any-radar coastal villages which beckon you to stay “just one more day.” There are wonderful colorful and truly kind people here who offer you mouth-watering food, every time! Oh, and you literally stumble over ancient Lycian ruins that are 2,500 years old… dating from 500 BC. We found all this in about 100k in 7 days of walking. To complete the Lycian Way is to hike 540k (335 miles) in about 30-days. Read more about the Lycian Way.

Best Beach: Dharavandhoo, Maldives

Honorable Mention: Goyambokka Beach, Sri Lanka

After months of dynamic and challenging travel, we couldn’t have been more giddy to jet off to the luxurious and exotic Maldives for some forced R&R and a rendezvous with Greg’s parents. The Maldives is a collection of a whopping 1,190 isolated coral islands and atolls (all but 200 uninhabited) 2000 km off the coast of southern India. After a lot of planning (it’s not exactly easy as an independent traveler), we settled on the island of Dharavandhoo, which is one of the few islands “big enough” to have a domestic airport. By big, we mean 800 people and 1.3 km long and .4 km wide. But no matter where you go in the Maldives, you’re pretty much guaranteed a killer beach.

Best Wildlife: Tanzania

Honorable Mention: Sri Lanka

There’s really no question. If you want the real Lion King, and you want it guaranteed, go to Africa. For us, this was specifically a budget safari in Tanzania with Golden Dreams Safaris. We saw the Big Five (leopards, lions, elephants, wild buffalo, and rhino), as well as everything else you can imagine—hippos, cheetahs, ostriches, giraffes, zebras, hyenas, and the list continues. Seeing all these animals roaming freely, in their natural habitat, and not behind a barrier in some zoo was truly surreal and mesmerizing. Read about our safari.

Most Regrettable Departure: Albania

Honorable Mentions: Turkey AND Bulgaria

The Albanian state tourism slogan for 2019 was incredibly, “Be Taken by Albania.” It’s a peculiarly cheeky nod to the kidnapping-centered movie series “Taken” filmed in the country. A perplexing choice for a tourism slogan to be sure. But they went with it. And now, we have to agree, the slogan kind of… fits. This “sleeper hit” turned into one of our favorite countries in Europe due to its complex and fascinating history, charming medieval towns, aquamarine-colored waters framed by white sand beaches, alpine mountains, and budget-friendly pricing. We were depressed in Montenegro for days after leaving. Read more about Albania.

Least Expensive Country Overall: Nepal

Honorable Mention: Sri Lanka

The above screenshot is an example of our average daily expenses in Nepal. Private accommodation in a guesthouse, some meals and snacks, some sightseeing and our visa, which we distributed over the number of days we’re in a country. Read more about Nepal.

Most Maddening Cultural Experience: 48 hours of an Ethiopian wedding

Honorable Mention: Dynamite on Easter, Leros & Patmos, Greece

In the city of Mekele, we had the luxury of being forced awake for the better part of 48-hours straight because of the bone shaking, screeching, nails-on-a-blackboard Ethiopian music that was blasting from a traditional three-day(!!) Ethiopian wedding taking place outside our hotel. In this country, as we had learned at a different event a few days prior (pictured), weddings are typically held on the streets and depending on the luxuriousness, will often be blockaded with giant tents and go round-the-clock for 3 days. The music is completely impossible to cut out with ear plugs because it incessantly thumps the same general bass-lines over and over.

Best Day: Oman

Road tripping to a giant sinkhole, hiking and swimming through a gorgeous canyon with a waterfall surprise, meeting new Nepalese and Australian friends along the hike, encountering Debby, the zaniest lady we’ve ever met, and seeing phosphorescence on the beach for the very first time. This was a day travel dreams are made of where we truly lived in every moment. Read more about Oman.

Best Country Overall: Turkey

Honorable Mention(s): Sri Lanka & Bulgaria

We almost didn’t go to Turkey. In 2017, due to politics we won’t go into, but concerned US citizens and e-visa entry into the country. Since our visit travel advisories and news alerts have warned travelers not to go, creating an inappropriate fear of the entire country, while the security issues are largely marginalized to the southeast corner the rest of Turkey is a truly incredible gem to be discovered.

We are very glad we didn’t let fear stand in our way into what was undoubtedly our favorite country for 2019. In fact, putting logistics and bureaucracy aside, if we could move to any country we’ve visited, it would be Turkey. Although we visited twice and spent three weeks, it’s a country that simply left us wanting much more. Turkey certainly has significant wow factor and ticked every box that’s important to us from its varied terrains, beautiful beaches, environmental progressiveness, mouthwatering food, friendly people, ease of transportation, walkability, temperate climate, clean water, feeling of safety, access to cheap/amazing produce, ease of using English, fast internet and historical and cultural attractions. Not to mention, it’s cheap! Our daily budget averaged $48 and we splurged constantly, even in Istanbul. Read more about Turkey.