2025 – My Travel Year in Review

2025 – My Travel Year in Review

This is my 12th annual "Travel Year in Review" post — a tradition I’ve come to enjoy. Even though I didn’t travel as much as I would have liked, I still write this post as a personal record of the places I went, and the moments that stood out. It’s a ritual that grounds me and reminds me why I started travel blogging in the first place.

I managed to visit four countries, three of them for the first time. Even though I’ve visited 53 countries, much of the world is still on my bucket list.

We began the year by exploring the beautiful Cape South Coast, starting in Cape Town before heading along the coast to the spectacular Kogelberg Nature Reserve, a CapeNature reserve. From there, we continued on to the charming seaside village of Arniston, ending our trip with a stay at the luxurious Arabella Hotel, Golf and Spa resort.  We also experienced a Marine Big 5 tour for the first time.

Boats in Hermanus

My next trip took me back to one of my favourite safari lodges in one of South Africa’s best game reserves – Tau Game Lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve. It was my third visit to the lodge, which now feels like home in Madikwe, and the wildlife sightings were phenomenal as usual.

This was followed by a laid-back stay at Lemon Villa in Bela-Bela, where we chilled, watched shows and braaied in a scenic setting.

During the July holidays, I realised that it was about time I visited Eswatini (previously known as Swaziland), which was right on my doorstep. We spent a couple of days experiencing the main attractions this beautiful mountainous kingdom had to offer, and I left wondering why I hadn’t visited sooner.

Not too far from Eswatini, we had a relaxing stay at Cinnamon & Sage Country Cabins in Dullstroom, South Africa’s highest town. The crisp air, misty mornings, and quiet surroundings made it a good winter break.

By this stage, the bush addict in me was well and truly suffering from safari cravings, so a visit to Bontle Lodge in Welgevonden Game Reserve, Limpopo, was in order. The exclusive and intimate lodge was exactly what we needed and the most difficult part of our trip was leaving.

Soon thereafter, we were invited to Nkomazi Game Reserve in Mpumalanga. I was first invited to the lodge in 2017, but I couldn’t make it at the time due to prior commitments, so finally experiencing it years later was special.

In between trips, we explored more of our backyard, visiting places like Bothongo Rhino and Lion Reserve and WonderCave, the Johannesburg Zoo and the Rand Easter Show. We were invited for brunches and other meals as well as theatre shows. I had to decline several invitations for various reasons.

Workwise - I did freelance work for TimeOut South Africa, South Africa Tourism and other clients and I was featured on IOL and JoziStyle.  I also gave away a getaway for six people at Katekile Escapes in Dinokeng Game Reserve, to one lucky subscriber.

By the time December rolled around, I was more than ready to explore beyond our borders again. We headed to Vietnam and Indonesia, with a stopover in Qatar each way. It was an intense but incredibly rewarding trip, covering Ha Noi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Bali, and Doha. I’ll be sharing useful guides and tips to all of these destinations in the coming weeks.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Here’s to 2026 — may it be filled with meaningful journeys, happy moments, and plenty of travel.

You can also read my previous Year in Review posts.

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Sara Essop

Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 50 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.