My Favourite Travel Memories
Recent events have had me reminiscing a lot. With all the sad updates in the news, I have found myself having to dig deep for happy memories. Travel, is my one thing that makes me happy. I get lost, thinking about travel and all the great times I have had travelling this beautiful world. Looking at a list of my favourite travel memories, they range from romantic to fun; to adventurous and of course, to historical sightings. One thing they all have in common is how epic they are.
I’m excited to share 20 of my favourite travel memories with you.
1. The smiling lady in Mexico
Mexico was a really fun all-inclusive trip. However, we had a few hours a day when we ventured outside the resort to enjoy the authenticity of the city. On one of those wanderings, the mission was to find a taco stand. Our driver took us into the city and we walked to the supermarket to buy water. Then we met this smiling Mayan lady who kept pointing at me and smiling. So I smiled back and she started calling me Christina.
It was the most bizarre, funniest and heart warming experience all wrapped in one. Maybe I looked like a Christina she had met before? I will never know! But we hugged, she spoke Spanish to me, I replied in English. We both didn’t understand each other obviously except that we were both laughing and smiling. I chuckle every time I remember the experience.
2. Boat cruise in Santorini
If you follow my Instagram, I am sure you would have heard me preach about the unforgettable 5 hour boat cruise. In Santorini, aside from all the beautiful backdrops for pictures, a boujee boat cruise is necessary. We went on a ‘Lover’s sunset’ catamaran cruise for 4 couples. The cruise had a butler who served food and drinks and we watched the sun set. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life till date. My exact definition of a perfect date! It was definitely one of my favourite travel memories of all time.
3. Private Dinner on the Beach in St Lucia
Oh our lovely chill honeymoon. As a little treat, we booked dinner on the beach in our resort. We were staying at Sandals Grande resort in St Lucia and this was our first proper luxury holiday together. There was a private chef and for about 2 hours, it was the beach, the stars, our waitress and us. We ate the loveliest seafood dinner and danced to the waves under the stars. It was a perfect night.
4. Seeing the Eiffel Tower with Mr E in Paris
I had been to Paris a few times but never with Mr E. Since I’d already fallen in love with the city, I was eager for Mr E to fall in love with it too. So on our first trip together to Paris, I timed everything perfectly. We had walked around all evening and when it was almost 9pm, we walked to Trocadero. Got there at about 5 mins to 9 and by 9pm, the Eiffel Tower started to sparkle. I looked at Mr E and I could see the awe in his eyes. He was so mesmerised and it was just so beautiful and perfect.
That night, he fell in love with Paris too.
5. A wedding in Abidjan
This was one family wedding I loved so much. My cousin got married to an Ivorian and we were invited. Mum, my sister Nwady and I flew from Lagos to Abidjan and spent a few days there. The wedding was for about 3 days but the most memorable was the beach festivities. All the fusion of African colours and dances and food. That Nigerian-Ivorian mix highlighted African culture at its best! I went on that trip a very very long time ago but that memory has never left me.
6. That sunrise in Mexico
For as long as I can remember, I have always been a sunset girl. Mr E and I have a tradition to catch a sunset in every new location we go to. However, I had heard about Mexican sunrises and how jaw-stoppingly gorgeous they are. So I set my alarm to a very ungodly hour of the morning and we headed to the beach on the resort.
It was the most beautiful sunrise that I have ever seen – not that I have seen a lot. It was so pretty; all the vibrant colours kept changing. Pinks, Blues, Purples, Oranges and I just couldn’t take my eyes off the sky until it had completely risen. That one sunrise is the reason why I tend to wake up for sunrises now!
Related: The sun rises in Mexico
7. Spotting a dolphin in Malibu
I remember this morning like it was yesterday. It was a Sunday morning; we drove from Beverly Hills to Malibu for breakfast at Malibu Farm. Afterwards, we decided to just chill on a deserted part of the beach. For some reason, it was very quiet and deserted.
As we lay on the beach, what happened next is one of the most memorable sights I have ever seen. We saw a dolphin! A dolphin, just out there living her best life in her natural habitat. It swam across and it was so spontaneous and quick that it almost felt like it was not real. I remember squealing so loudly in excitement and I eventually grabbed my phone to catch the tail end of it.
8. Seeing the statue of Liberty, NY
This one was one of those moments you’ve dreamt about for so long and then it happens. Growing up in Lagos, I had seen so many pictures and movies of the Statue of Liberty. I knew exactly what it looked like so the first time I went to NY, it had to be seen. I got to Battery Park and I got on the ferry. As we got close to the statue, I was just so excited and happy to finally see it in reality. For me, at my ‘big age’, it was like reliving my childhood dream but in real life.
9. Valentine’s in Paris
One of my most favourite travel memories will always be when we spent Valentine’s in Paris. Paris quickly became our favourite city after I hypnotised Mr E into falling in love with it lol.
We had gone to Paris in summer, spring and autumn. So we thought we should go for Valentine’s and it did not disappoint. We stayed in a cute boutique hotel in the 18th arrondissement. The room was small, cosy, intimate and had a bathtub in it. It was the definition of romantic. We went out for breakfast in the mornings and stayed in the room all day. At night, we walked, talked, went to cute corner local restaurants for dinner and drank a lot of wine. It was the most beautiful and romantic 2 days in Paris.
10. The sunrise in Cappadocia
It would have been surprising if I did not add this one right? Cappadocia, Turkey is a special place. A very special and magical town. Of all the places I have been to, Cappadocia is the most magical. If the magic of the town is not enough, wait till sunrise, go up the rooftop or balcony and watch the most incredible thing happen. What you will see is hundreds of hot air balloons going up at sunrise in the quiet of a sleepy town. The balloons are dotted around the sky and mixed with the colours of the sunrise, I cried in awe.
It was magic and definitely one of my favourite travel memories of all time!
11. Mass at St Peter’s Basilica, Rome
Imagine going to Rome, and then you decide that on this special day, you are touring the Vatican city. We had walked round the museums, including the Sistine Chapel. The last place to go was St Peter’s Basilica. We walked in and noticed that the Priests were walking up to the altar. A few seconds in I realised OMG; we are about to watch Mass LIVE in the Basilica. As usual, cue the waterworks; I started crying tears of happiness.
There is a possibility that I did not hear any part of the Mass lol. I was just so excited to be there. That was one that surely went down in my memory book. As a Catholic, this was a very big deal for me. Therefore, it was a no brainer adding it my favourite travel memories list!
12. Camp Nou, Barcelona
There is one thing Mr E always does every time we go to a football city. He visits the football grounds. For every football lover, regardless of what team you support, Camp Nou is most likely the one stadium on your bucket list. So when we went to Barcelona, we headed to Camp Nou for a stadium tour. It was mind blowing just being there. We saw all the trophies and especially that one trophy from the 2006 UEFA Champions League. Sad times! But it was a wonderful experience and just knowing I stood on that field, BLOWN!
13. Basketball game in Madison Square Gardens, NY
My sister got Mr E and I the best tickets on one of our visits to NY. Guess where? THE Madison Square Gardens. Yes, that one!! It was home of New York Knicks and we watched them play against Dallas Mavericks. Even though, I don’t know anything about basketball, it was definitely one memory that I was glad I had. I saw a few celebs sitting front row and Lala’s boo, Carmelo Anthony was playing for the Knicks. All in all, a brilliant night!
Related: New York City Guide
14. Lunch in St Tropez
Is there any city in the world more boujee than St Tropez? LOL! We were in South of France for a week and decided to go on a little trip to St Tropez for the day. We got off at the port, walked around for a bit and took a taxi to Eden Plage for lunch. I was on the beach, the most beautiful setting, food was yummy and life was good. There are some moments that you sit back and wonder how you got so blessed. This was one of those moments, etched in my memory forever.
15. Football Game in Porto
There are derbies and there are derbies. In England, the biggest derby I have watched is Arsenal vs Tottenham. That did not prepare me for the madness that is Benfica vs Porto. Mr E took me to Porto for this football weekend and it was electric. We headed to Estádio do Dragão quite early and made our way to our seats. The chants were so loud that the atmosphere vibrated.
The Ultras were screaming for 90 mins and it felt like I was on a battlefield the whole time. I loved every minute of it and saw football in a totally different (in a good way) light!
Related: A football weekend in Porto
16. Driving a super car in Paris
Mr E loves cars but me, I cannot tell a Toyota from a Honda. They are all cars to me. Big cars, small cars. Blue cars, black cars. All cars to me. However, Mr E got the opportunity to drive a Ferrari in Paris for a few minutes. We went through the inner streets off Champs Elysées and even drove past the Eiffel tower. The whole time, with the roof down. How cool is that? Maybe this one is a more memorable experience for Mr E than it is for me? Oh well, it definitely was an afternoon to remember.
17. The Berlin Wall
I will be very honest with this one, I was not blown away by the sight. Infact, seeing the Berlin wall was quite underwhelming. So why exactly is it on my list of favourite travel memories? Well, it is THE Berlin wall. One of the most prominent sights to see in Europe. So even though it did not totally overwhelm me, I was pretty excited to be seeing it in real life. We spent the afternoon checking out the graffiti and reading some of the writings. When I think of the history attached to it, it does make it 100x more memorable in my imagination.
Related: Landmarks in Berlin
18. That sunset in Cappadocia
Back to the magic of Cappadocia! I have mentioned how Mr E and I always catch sunsets in whatever new location we visit. Cappadocia was no exception. I asked the concierge at our hotel and he recommended Red Rose Valley because he felt the sunset there was the most romantic. He did not lie at all. Red Rose Valley was beautiful with rose tinted formations and when the sun set, it was perfection. It looked like a scene from Lion King and I was Nala and Mr E was Simba hehe!
Related: The best sunset points in Cappadocia
19. A world wonder, in Mexico
How awesome is it that I was able to stand face to face with a world wonder? We were in Mexico so of course, we had to see the Chichén Itzá! I was quite tired from the drive so I think I was over the excitement of where we were headed. All that changes once you step into the space and face the Temple of Kukulcan. It is a UNESCO heritage site and it was definitely one of the most striking structures I have ever seen.
Related: Adventures in Riviera Maya, Mexico
20. Disneyland, Paris
My first time in Disneyland was the best day of my life at that time. I just could not believe I was in the happiest place on earth. Yes, it truly is the happiest place on earth.
It was one place I had dreamt of going for so long. So my first time in France in 2005, I saved up and went on a day trip from where I lived in Besançon to Disneyland. Spent the whole day there and was so happy even though, at the time, it was so expensive for me to afford. I was broke afterwards but who cares? haha! I have now been back about 3 times more.
So that’s it! 20 of my favourite travel memories until date. Let me inspire you to write your own list; whether you have a blog or not. Maybe you have 5 or 10 or even just 1 favourite travel memory. No matter the number, write a list and whenever you miss travel, have a look at your list. Bask in your beautiful past experiences and let them give you hope.
I hope you are all well, healthy and staying safe.
Until next time….
….Bisous, ‘Bugo x
18 Comments
Tiesé Etim-Inyang
Such Sweet sweet memories! I was grinning reading these and especially about you getting Me.E to fall in love with Paris too. So sweet. And hello fellow Disney loverrr. I miss being back home in Florida and being a short drive away from Disney World!
Bugo
I don’t even know how i’d contain myself if Disneyland was a short drive away. I’d probably go every weekend LMAO – what a blessing!
Honestly, I knew I needed him to fall in love with Paris or else we’d be fighting everytime loooooool. Now, it’s easy for me to drag him to Paris everytime I feel like it!
kerry
Ok, I feel I need to get this out the way……. I have never been to Paris!!!!! I have been to Disneyland Paris, but not the city itself. Not sure why, it just hasn’t happened! Anyway, I am the exact same as you, I love trawling through holiday memories. I wrote a similar post about 18 months ago, maybe I should do an update! So many of these I would love to do. Cappadocia is a given, but the St Tropez setting looks WOW. I remember my first time of seeing Lady Liberty, I cried! Ohhhh I miss travel so much! Thank you for sparking some of my own happy memories xx
Bugo
No wayyyyyy! I feel like you’ve been EVERYWHERE haha but I get it. Paris is so close by that it’s very easy to keep putting it off until later. I think you’ll love it – well, I always say this to everyone until they go and tell me they were disappointed LOL. I have conceded to the fact that I might the only one who loves Paris so dearly! Yes, you should totally do an update!I’m sure you’ve made so many more lush memories in the last 18 months! I miss travel so much tooooooo! oh gosh, one day we’ll be back 🙂 x
IvieBabs
What wonderful experiences, I have stolen some for my bucket list. once the world is back to normal we will be globe trotting
Bugo
haha steal away!
I am so eager to continue with my globe trotting! Infact writing this post gave me all the feels!
Fike
This was sooo lovely. Literally smiled the whole time I was reading this 🤩 I can’t wait to travel again!
Bugo
thank you Fike!!
Me too, I really can’t wait 🙂
Thatcorporatechic
Oh, I love reading your travel post.
I can’t wait to travel to south of France, Mexico and Paris.
Bugo
i LOVE writing travel posts so much. reliving those lovely memories >>>
3 lush locations to look forward to! Thanks for reading darling x
Adebola - MyBreakingViews
This post makes me miss travelling your memories are absolutely beautiful and it makes me want to go more trips with babe.
Bugo
awww! thank you so much baby girl! I always preach travelling with your partner; honestly, the memories are just second to none!
Oladayo
Dunno how I feel about this post. Warm and fuzzy cause it reminded me of amazing vacations I’ve had and how blessed I am to have experienced such, sad that we are in lockdown and 2 months of our lives have just gone like that? Or hopeful that this virus will be off soon and we can start junketing around the world again and creating new memories? Or fretful that life as we know it might never remain the same
Bugo
I know what you mean Dayo. It is one of those posts that you write to feel good about the situation. It made me so nostalgic. I smiled a lot while I wrote it and reminiscing always gives me hope anyway! Life will probably not remain the same but we are human beings. We will adjust accordingly 🙂
Jumie
Girlll you’re travel goals! This post made me so nostalgic😭
A lovely wedding in Poland (polish folks can party and drink!), and Hubby and I’s almost yearly trip to Barbados are top of my fave travel memories.
Hoping and praying this pandemic passes soon and life can eventually go back to normal. I can’t wait to resume my travels next year, pretty sure it’s out of the question for this year already.
Bugo
loool I actually haven’t written this year off yet – I still believe in my end of July trip LMAO I know I’m crazy but we can only hope! Thank you so much Jumie for reading and leaving a lovely comment, I appreciate it x
Metrogypsie
That shot after you mentioned Santorini has to be saved an recreated with Mazi 🔥
Bugo
hahahaha enjoy baby girl, ENJOY x