Travel moments we’re grateful for in 2025

I took my kids on a last-minute fall break to Pickett State Park, and on our first evening, the lake in front of our cabin was like glass. Deeply regretting my decision to not bring our paddleboards, we settled on the little dock to watch the sun set behind the cliffs. A breeze rustled the golden leaves, and the air was hushed with only an occasional birdcall. 

The scrape of a barn door broke the calm, and I turned to see my son discovering the boathouse door unlocked and full of big, old, and very dirty gear. I couldn’t pass up the chance to liberate (without asking) a board and paddle that perfect lake. My daughter needed a bit of convincing (my son, worryingly, did not), but soon we were loaded up and pushing off from the dock.

We drifted past lily pads under granite cliffs topped with flaming red trees. We listened to frogs and watched the light in the sky blaze, then dim. We floated under the rock arch. We didn’t see a single human. It was a little naughty, stunningly beautiful and incredibly peaceful. 

Together, we experienced the best part of travel – serendipity mixed with a dash of courage – and I shared the brave and wild piece of me that I cherish. 

I’ll be forever grateful to whoever left that boathouse unlocked. Here, my colleagues share their similarly defining moments from the year. If there is one thing that we at Lonely Planet believe, it is that no experience should be taken for granted. 

Learning to incorporate wellness into my everyday life

James Pham, Destination Editor for Southeast Asia

Wellness travel has always been a bit of a woo-woo concept to me. Who doesn’t love getting a massage on vacay? But I changed my mind after spending some time at the Westin in Cam Ranh, Vietnam, for Global Wellness Day. My stay was packed with mindful activities like workshops on embroidery, cooking and sound therapy, along with morning stretching and using recovery boots by the beach. I came home a different person, determined to incorporate many of these lessons into my everyday life. I’m grateful that travel has the ability to teach me new things.  

Running into old friends on another continent

Ann Douglas Lott, Digital Editor

So often when I travel for work, I’m either alone or with a group of people I’ve just met – both fantastic ways to travel in themselves. At the tail end of a 10-day trip to Europe in April, I was solo in France when I came down with an acute bout of homesickness in Annecy. I was so embarrassed. Here I was in one of the most beautiful places I’d ever visited, a fairy-tale medieval town beside an idyllic turquoise lake, and suddenly all I wanted was to be eating pizza with my roommates at the restaurant on our block. Like magic, I received a text from my friend Kate, who I had completely forgotten was finishing up her time as an au pair for a family in Annecy. She had seen photos on my Instagram story when I was in nearby Evian and was also in need of a dose of home. How we both ended up in the same exact place at the right time still leaves me smiling like a fool, and I’ll always be grateful to come from places that are so easy to miss.

Feeling connected in the Amazon rainforest 

Acacia Gabriel, Associate Editor 

On a press trip this spring, I went on a river cruise with Delfin Amazon. We took safaris deep into the rainforest to spot the endangered pink dolphins, sleepy sloths and cheeky monkeys. Each meal highlighted different local ingredients that I had never heard of, teaching me more about the region with every delicious bite. However, as per usual, the most impactful moments of the trip were with the local community. A quarter of the drugs used in Western medicine are derived from plants in the Amazon’s rainforest, and a shaman taught us how to use these natural remedies. On a trip to a village, artists demonstrated how they weave pieces inspired by the natural beauty of their home. The Amazon feels so magical and so far removed from the skyscrapers of my daily life, yet in those moments I was reminded how much we have to learn from one another. 

Taking a beat to travel solo in Lisbon

Serina Patel, Lifecycle and Programming Lead

I headed to Lisbon in March for my first solo trip in a few years. I had the freedom to do whatever I pleased, whether it was trying out a new cycling studio, shopping for pottery at my favorite spot (Cerâmicas na Linha) or taking myself to my favorite wine bar (Nata Wine Bar) for the evening. My mornings consisted of seeking out new bakeries, chatting with people I met in shops and devising new routes home each day to do a bit more exploring. Though it was my sixth time in Lisbon, this trip felt the most powerful. I was completely my own, not on anyone else’s schedule – just me, my Kindle and whatever the day had in store for me. Living in New York and being surrounded by sounds, people and life 24-7 had me craving for a slower paced and unorganized week, and that’s exactly what I got.

A restorative 48 hours in Vermont

Rachel Lewis, Senior Social Media Manager

I traveled more this year than ever before, with at least one or two flights a month, yet my favorite trip was a mere few states away: Vermont. My wife and I spent a little over 48 hours in Burlington, Vermont as an anniversary celebration, and it couldn’t have been more delightful. It was my first trip all year that had zero itinerary: we woke up when we wanted, stayed in when we wanted and took things nice and slow. We wore snuggly flannel robes at Hotel Vermont (a new fave; we’ll be back) and read queer novels that we'd bought at Phoenix Books. We sipped iced coffee and wandered Church St all afternoon. We ate maple creemees (a thick soft-serve ice cream) for dinner – as amazing as anticipated. I took an hour at sunset to just wander and take photos on my little digital camera, tucking into bushes and tree tunnels in search of sweet angles of crunchy leaves. It was restorative and delightful, and proof that sometimes, simple is best.

Cave diving in Crete

Deepa Lakshmin, Director of Social Media

Growing up, I had the unfair reputation of being a scaredy-cat, and though I maintain there’s nothing wrong with being cautious and careful, I admit I occasionally play it a little too safe. Except while traveling: confident and with just the right amount of chill, Vacation Deepa is fearless, even when diving through a dark tunnel nearly 30m underwater, holding a flashlight and surfacing among stalactites and stalagmites in a prehistoric Greek cave. The third-grader who was embarrassed to take swimming lessons passed her PADI advanced open-water certification in Hania, Crete, this year, and I’m so proud of every version of her who cautiously, carefully chipped away at her comfort zone to make this achievement possible.

Catching my breath in Yosemite

Margo Rosenbaum, Editor for Gifts and Illustrated

Backpacking has always been a great escape for me, a chance to step away from my computer screen and the busyness of life in my beloved home city. Out in the wilderness, I only need to focus on the bare necessities: a cozy tent, nutritious meals, warm clothes, clean water and good company. 

My September backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park came at just the right time. As I climbed to the top of Chilnualna Falls, a spectacular trail in the Wawona area of the park, I felt the stressors and distractions of everyday life melt away. Instead, I concentrated on the meadows and mountains around me, tracking one foot in front of the other until I reached the top. And once I placed my heavy backpack down, a new sense of relief came over me. We’d made it. Now it was time to put on my swimsuit and leap into the pools of snowmelt. It was exactly the reset I needed. I will always be thankful for the stillness and clarity I find when I’m far away from it all.

Our first trip in 5 years

James Smart, Destination Editor for Britain, Ireland and the Nordics

Travel didn’t stop when we had kids. We took our son to Istanbul at 6 months old – he was transfixed by the Blue Mosque's ceiling – and when our daughter was a toddler, we went to cities, beaches and hill towns. Then long COVID sapped my partner's and my energy and blurred our minds. Every day got harder; trips away were impossible. It’s still there, but this summer we made it on vacation for the first time since March 2020, travelling from London to Weymouth on England’s south coast.

When you can’t travel, you tell yourself that experiencing your local area mindfully is just as good, that you can find the same joy in a park around the corner as in a faraway place, and sometimes you’re right. But then we got away. The horizon, usually broken by houses and flats, became a faded line of sea and sky. The sand scrubbed our feet, the salt lingered on our skin, people (was that us?) seemed to smile more. Our kids came alive in a different way, and we did too. We licked ice cream dripping from chunky cones, squinted at the August sun, swam out from a cove and felt the great mass of water – a whole world – beneath us.

Travel spontaneity – with kids

Emily Dubin, Creative Manager for Gifts and Illustrated

Before becoming parents, my husband and I planned every trip around a few destinations and must-dos but left most of our time to chance. Aimless wandering down city streets to happen upon a cozy tucked-away bar, hopping on a bus and jumping off wherever we saw something intriguing, taking the spur off the main trail, making a U-turn to stop at an unexpected roadside attraction – those spontaneous decisions always led to our favorite memories from a trip. 

But as parents our travel style became much more regimented. We needed to plan our days around snacks and naps and dealing with car seats, and I missed the unexpected. Then in September, we took our kids to London and Reykjavik, and at ages 5 and 10, something finally clicked. This was the first trip that they were now old enough to go with the flow and share our appetite for spontaneity. On a rainy day in London at Kings Cross Station, we were deterred by the massive line for a platform 9 ¾ photo-op and were scrambling for an alternative. "What if we just take a train somewhere?" my husband mused. "Yes!" the kids agreed. Half an hour later we were on a commuter train for a day trip to St Albans, a city I'd only faintly heard of prior to that.

We spent the afternoon exploring winding medieval city streets, the landmark Norman cathedral and the ruins of the Roman city of Verulamium. After being in crowded London museums, the kids loved having St Alban's delightful Verulamium Museum all to ourselves. We couldn't have planned the day better – and that unplanned detour made it so memorable. We're all excited for more spontaneous travel moments in 2026.