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Home » Destinations » Europe

2015: A Wild Ride Through 16 Countries and One Life Reset

Modified: May 11, 2025 · Published: Dec 31, 2015 by Dave Lee |

Taking stock of the new places I visit yearly has become an annual tradition, even though I continue to wait until the very last minute to share!

Before we begin, I would like to thank everyone reading for their support. In 2015, Go Backpacking again surpassed 1 million visitors and 2.5 million page views!

As much as I enjoy traveling, I appreciate that the stories and images published here inspire and inform others to save up and go abroad.

Table of Contents

  • Destinations
    • Colombia
    • Turkey (Istanbul to Izmir)
    • Georgia
    • Armenia
    • Turkey (Mt. Nemrut to Bodrum)
    • Greece
    • Berlin, Germany
    • Romania
    • London, England
    • Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Destinations

Colombia

Johnny Cay, San Andres
Johnny Cay, Colombia

I began 2015 in the familiar city of Medellín. In February, I took a 90-minute VivaColombia flight to the Colombian island of San Andres. Geographically, it's closer to the coast of Nicaragua, but you can't fly between the two.

I rented a golf cart and spent a day cruising clockwise past white-sand beaches. The next day, I visited a little island 15 minutes away by boat, and by the third day, I was ready to move on.

Providencia is a smaller, quieter, less developed island, located 20 minutes north of San Andres by air. The airport is a short spit of asphalt surrounded by lush plants and palm trees.

Accommodation is basic, but I was due for a splurge, so I booked two nights at Deep Blue, the island's only boutique luxury hotel.

On San Andres, I rented a golf cart and spent over half a day cruising around the island, stopping to snorkel, eating fresh fish on a beach for lunch, and checking out the island's only (reggae) bar.

San Andres is to Cancun as Providencia is to Tulum. I still daydream about my stay in Providencia and would return in a heartbeat.

Turkey (Istanbul to Izmir)

Hagia Sophia - Istanbul (photo: Dave Lee)
Hagia Sophia - Istanbul (photo: Dave Lee)

I flew from New York City to Istanbul in early May with Turkish Airlines.

I felt lucky to participate in the first blog trip organized by the airline, which allowed me to see the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the ancient ruins of Ephesus, and the natural pools of Pamukkale.

After waving goodbye to my fellow bloggers, I stayed in the capital to continue sightseeing, visit a traditional bath, and taste the world's best baklava.

From Istanbul, I traveled south overland to Bursa, then west to Çanakkale to see the ruins of Troy and learn about the Battle of Gallipoli. I wrapped up the first leg of my trip to Turkey with a visit to Pergamon's ruins and a few nights in the coastal city of Izmir.

Georgia

My curiosity led me to take a brief break from Turkey and visit the neighboring country of Georgia, a former Soviet republic. I flew into the capital of Tbilisi just in time to see the residents celebrate their Independence Day in Freedom Square, complete with tanks and fighter plane flyovers.

I took a day trip north to see a few churches listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, traveling as far along the Georgian Military Road as possible to reach the Russian border.

I also made a two-night side trip to eastern Georgia. It began with a drive to the David Gareja Monastery, located on the border with Azerbaijan.

It was followed by a day of wine tasting near Signagi, a 2,000-person town offering scenic views of the Caucasus Mountains.

Armenia

It was a five-hour van ride from Tbilisi to the Armenian capital of Yerevan. I only spent four nights there, but it was enough to get a taste of the city, check out the super cool outdoor sculpture garden called The Cascade, and learn about the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

I booked my return ride to Tbilisi through my hostel, which included a friendly guide and driver. I stopped at the UNESCO-listed 10th-century Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin near the Georgian border.

Turkey (Mt. Nemrut to Bodrum)

Dave atop Mount Nemrut
Dave atop Mount Nemrut

I flew back to Istanbul and then to Adiyaman, from which I took a bus and a taxi to Kahta. This small town serves as a base for visits to Nemrut Dagi, the mountain upon which an egomaniacal king had larger-than-life sculptures carved from stone.

I left Kahta by bus for Cappadocia, where I shacked up in a cave hotel, overcame my fear of hot air balloon rides with a 75-minute sunrise flight, and spent several days sightseeing above and below ground.

Continuing westward, I spent a few nights in Konya, where I visited the grave of Rumi, the famous Sufi poet. I also squeezed in a half-day trip to Catalhoyuk, a 9,000-year-old Neolithic site designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

My first stop along the southwestern Mediterranean coast, known as the Turkish Riviera, was the city of Antalya. However, the smaller resort town of Kas dazzled me with its relaxed vibe and turquoise waters.

Oludeniz was another beach resort town I'd never heard of before arriving in Turkey, but its beauty in person blew me away. It's also a world-renowned paragliding destination.

Finally, I reached Bodrum after six weeks in Turkey and eight weeks in the region. If I hadn't had so much work necessitating an internet connection at the time, I would have booked a sailing trip to the Greek islands.

Related: 13 Best Places to Visit in Turkey

Greece

Mykonos, Greece
Mykonos, Greece (photo: Dave Lee)

Since my first backpacking trip in '98, I've wanted to visit Greece, so it didn't matter how I got there.

Rhodes

I took a short ferry from Bodrum to Rhodes. The highlight of a one-day self-drive tour of the island with a few women from the hostel was a beer and swim on Tsampika Beach.

Santorini

To speed things up, I flew from Rhodes to Santorini (via Athens), taking hundreds of photos of the gorgeous views, whitewashed cliff-side churches, and windmills.

Ios

Next, it was on to Ios by ferry. I didn't know it was one of the Mediterranean's party capitals. Still, I managed to secure an excellent budget hotel room with a balcony overlooking the pool and town in Ios for the summer. I rented a car and spent an entire day driving around this little island, stopping at four beaches.

Paros

I stopped over on the island of Paros for a few nights, but it didn't do much for me, and I was starting to feel burnt out from all the travel.

Mykonos

I knew Santorini would be expensive, but it wasn't until I started looking at hotel prices the night before I arrived in Mykonos that it was just as bad (all the hostels were fully booked).

The cheapest accommodation I could find was $110 per night. Granted, it was the middle of July, but dang, that hurt. Thankfully, like Santorini, Mykonos lived up to the hype.

I didn't go out partying; I was content to wander the back streets, dine on delicious Greek cuisine, and photograph the windmills.

Athens

My last stop in Greece was Athens, where I made the requisite morning trek up the Acropolis in the blazing heat.

Berlin, Germany

Berlin Cathedral - Berliner Dom, with the Berlin TV tower in the background
Berlin Cathedral with the Berlin TV tower in the background (Credit: Wiki)

On a whim, I flew to Berlin to attend the Digital Nomad Conference, where I saw several friends, including Mark Manson, speak. It was a fun conference, and I'd certainly go back.

For me, conferences like these continue to be more about socializing than learning anything new. I have all year to learn from what's on the web, but my chance to hang out with friends and peers in person is rarer than I'd like to admit.

It also allowed me to hang out with friends based in Berlin at the time, including Audrey and Dan from Uncornered Market, Linda and Craig Martin of Indie Travel Podcast, Jeremy of travelFREAK, and Freddy Lansky.

Romania

Feeling burnt out from the fast-paced travel, I spent August in Romania, mainly in Bucharest. I booked a spot in a co-working space for the first time and focused on growing Travel Blog Success.

I also squeezed in a week of sightseeing in Transylvania, with stops in Brasov, Sighisoara (where Dracula was born), and Sibiu.

London, England

Wearing Pick Pocket Proof Pants and a shirt by Clothing Arts at Dismaland
Wearing Pick Pocket Proof Pants and a shirt by Clothing Arts @ Dismaland

As fall arrived in Eastern Europe, I began to go back to the United States, but not before visiting a friend in London. Together, we took a day trip to visit Dismaland, the six-week art installation by Banksy.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

My last trip of the year was to attend the 2015 TBEX conference in Fort Lauderdale, where I represented Travel Blog Success and met dozens of our members!

Annual Reviews from Prior Years

  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012 South America
  • 2012 Europe and Asia
  • 2011
  • 2010

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About Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 68 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.

Comments

  1. Victoria | Girl Tries Life says

    December 31, 2015 at 1:09 pm

    Great round up! What an exciting, if busy (!), year you've had. My year started off with the tail end of a three-month trip to Southeast Asia with the husband. Cambodia and Thailand were the newbies this year, but we spent the rest of the year doing more local trips like Vancouver and Canmore in Canada, and a quick trip to Edinburgh to visit my husband's family. That said, even with places you know well, there is always something new to discover.

    Best wishes for 2016.

    • Dave says

      January 14, 2016 at 5:29 pm

      Thanks Victoria. I imagine you had a wonderful time in Cambodia and Thailand. I have fond memories of both :)

  2. Kerri says

    December 31, 2015 at 8:07 pm

    Reading your year in review made me think about all the places I've been, and I can't believe all the places I've been this year: Vietnam, Thailand, Bali, Vegas, Cuba, Nassau, Miami, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, back to Bali (yes, twice in one year), Gili T, Bangkok. You've inspired me to write a year in review. Thanks, Happy New Year and happy/safe travels!

    • Dave says

      January 14, 2016 at 5:29 pm

      You've been busy too! I loved Gili T, I hope it hasn't changed since I was there in 2008 ;)

      • Kerri says

        January 14, 2016 at 8:05 pm

        This was my second time to Gili T in a year. The first time was better. I don't think I'd go back or recommend it to my friends, very overrun with tourist now. I prefer Bali.

  3. Yann Müller says

    January 11, 2016 at 5:28 pm

    I'm really jealous about all your trips :)
    Glad you made the way to Eastern Europe! You should definetly go to the Baltic States. People often have some prejudices but it's just so beautiful and stunning there!

    • Dave says

      January 14, 2016 at 5:30 pm

      I'd love to see the Baltic States. I had hoped to visit a few last year, but I ran out of energy, and Winter was coming so I fled for the US.

  4. Arefa Tonny says

    January 13, 2016 at 7:13 am

    Hi Dave,
    Great year for you. You are the lucky one who visit all these wonderful places. I wish, I'll visit Turkey and Germany in this year.

  5. Jeff Bell says

    January 13, 2016 at 9:53 am

    I have been interested in visiting eastern Turkey, Georgia and Armenia for a while. That is a very under visited area. Did you find it easy to travel there? How was the transportation links?

    Have a great 2016 of travel.

    • Dave says

      January 14, 2016 at 5:35 pm

      Hey Jeff. I had considered eastern Turkey too, but was impatient and didn't want to dedicate the time required (at least a week) to make my way as far as Cappadocia. I heard from a tourist in Gallipoli that the train rides in eastern Turkey are terrific (just be sure to bring your own food).

      I flew from Istanbul to Tbilisi (and back) which wasn't that expensive on Turkish Airlines. Getting around Georgia was easy. I signed up for a few tours and in eastern Georgia I followed in the footsteps of the Frugal Traveler by hiring the husband of a guest house owner to take me to some wineries (he spoke no English).

      I used a collectivo van to go from Tbilisi to Yerevan in Armenia which was straightforward. On the way back, I booked a tour through a hostel that stopped at some points of interest along the route.

      Overall, I found it easy to get around, though from what I found online, the border crossing from Georgia to eastern Turkey can be tricky.

  6. Claire Algarme says

    January 15, 2016 at 12:15 am

    What lovely places you have visited! Greece is still at the top of my must-visit list. In 2015, I visited Taiwan and found it vibrant and amazing. Taipei is a lovely metropolis and its outskirts have plenty of sights and activities to offer.

  7. Rob @ Nairobi Tours Amboseli says

    January 21, 2016 at 4:59 am

    The cascade in Amernia is simply gorgeous to look at. Its as if nature blends easily and beautifully with the built environment. Simply breath taking.

    Great travelogue 2015.

  8. Jeremy says

    January 25, 2016 at 11:20 am

    Hell of a year, Dave! It was great seeing you on two different continents over the past 12 months or so. Hope we make it three in 2016! ;)

    • Dave says

      January 25, 2016 at 3:16 pm

      Thanks Jeremy, looking forward to it and hope you're doing well :)

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

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