2015 was an extremely busy year for Jess is a Wanderer. This site officially launched on February 1st and there have been trips to Chile, Beirut, Egypt, South Africa and my home in the Cotswolds since then. It's been a great year so here's a quick look at everywhere I've been.
Being a teacher, I always get two weeks off over the Easter period. This year, I decided I wanted to spend the holiday on Easter Island. It seemed more than fitting. Although no out of the ordinary celebrations take place for the occasion, it was a fantastic place to spend ten days. Right out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, away from civilisation and with so much history too!
Our half-term break this year coincided with my birthday. I didn't want to go out partying, I wanted to go camping in Egypt's White Desert. I love this spot as it's a million miles from anywhere. Phone signal is limited and the rock formations are incredible. This is a great spot to spend a few days. It's possible to spend longer but maybe not ideal, give the no toilets and showers situation!
I had always wanted to go on Safari and I decided that 2015 was my year. We chose South Africa as we were already in Egypt and didn't want to have to worry ourselves with Malaria pills and vaccines etc. Being winter in South Africa, we were advised that it was a good time to travel without the threat of malaria in the brush. We had an absolutely incredible three week trip, spending time in Johannesburg, Kruger National Park and Cape Town.
Upon the return of our wintry trip to South Africa, we needed a bit of warming up so we decided to call into Dahab in Egypt. This is defnitely one of our favourite spots on the Red Sea and the perfect location for a bit of sunning. It's also great for snorkelling and scuba diving too.
After the summer holidays, there was only one thing left to do: head back to work in Cairo. We made the most of being in Egypt's capital city by visiting a number of fancy restaurants and taking a felluca ride along the River Nile. Despite its chaos, Cairo really is a home away from home for me.
With an impromptu week off at the supposed start of term, we didn't really have enough time (or money) to plan a proper trip away. Nonetheless, the Renaissance hotel (part of The Marriott hotels group) was doing a special offer on three-night stays. We checked ourselves in and enjoyed three days of luxury, cocktails, sunshine and ultimate relaxation.
Being in Egypt is great, guaranteed holidays at random times. It was early October when we were told we were going to have five days off. With only twenty-four hours until we could leave, we booked flights to Beirut and had an absolute blast. If anyone is looking for a long-weekend away I can highly recommend Beirut!
I've lived in Egypt for five years now and hardly touched the surface with many of the sights that are available. We took the overnight sleeper train from Cairo to Aswan, a cruise along the River Nile from Aswan to Luxor and then flew back from Luxor to Cairo. This was all at a time when Egypt was being very negatively portrayed in the media and we were happy about being able to promote some of the wonderful attractions.
I started my countdown to Antarctica at the end of January 2015. I had almost waited a year from the time of booking until the date of departure. There will be a full write-up coming soon as I'm not back until January 2016!