How on earth are we now reaching the end of 2017? HOW?! I'm sure that I blinked and suddenly we had shot from May to December. 2017 has been a year of very extreme highs and very extreme lows for me but this blog is a happy place used for celebrating the beauty of travel, so I'll only focus on those nice elements!
Everyone has a "bucket list" of some description, even if you may not call it that. Some people want to own a Ferrari, others want to get their dream job, I on the other hand want to travel to as many corners of the world as physically possible.
This year, I've taken fewer trips but they have definitely been more extensive than in previous years. I was flicking through my Instagram photos recently thinking "wow, I've done some pretty cool things this year", so here's a big old round-up!
Morocco
The first adventure of the year took Callum and I to Morocco which was particularly exciting as it was my first time on the African continent (little did we know at this point that 2017 would feature two Africa adventures)! We were in Morocco for 5 days and every single day was filled with a different adventure; my favourites being:
- Camping under the stars in the Sahara Desert
- Riding into the Sahara Desert at sunset on camels
- Singing African songs around a bonfire in the Sahara Desert with new found friends
- Taking a boat ride under the Ozoud Waterfalls
- Exploring the gorgeous tiled palaces and architecture of Marrakech
- Getting lost in the sounds, smells and sights of the souks (and trying to resist buying ALL of the gorgeous plates)
- Taking lots of Instagram shots in the gorgeous Jardins Marjoelle (the previous home of Yves Saint Laurent)
- Driving through the winding roads of the Atlas Mountains enjoying the epic views
Isles of Scilly
Next up, two of my friends and I went to visit another friend who was living in the Isles of Scilly. While many won't have this trip on their "bucket list", it was the perfect trip to relax and spend time with some amazing people.
- Taking a road trip from the East to the West of the UK with my besties (with lots of singing obviously)
- Experience glorious sunshine and clear blue seas which I didn't think were possible in the UK!
- Spend some quality time with three incredible people
- For once, taking the time to relax and detox
- Eating ALL of the amazing food on the islands
Luxembourg
This was our spontaneous trip of the year. With cheap Ryanair flights and a whole bundle of Hilton hotel points at our disposal, we decided to have a quick Summer break to Luxembourg which exceeded all of my expectations!
- Managing to book flights and accommodation for a total of £20!
- Cycling through the vineyards of the Moselle Valley in the glorious sunshine
- Obviously also tasting the wines in the aforementioned vineyards...
- Wandering around the picturesque town of Vianden and exploring it's impressive castle
- Exploring Luxembourg City in the height of Summer and somehow avoiding all of the crowds (Luxembourg is a hidden gem)!
South Africa
2017 was the year that I became a Chartered Tax Advisor and no longer had to study whilst working full time. You know what this means? More spare time and more annual leave! I hadn't taken a holiday longer than a week for 4 years, so this was a real treat and of course, I picked my #1 bucket list destination!
- Loving every minute of 2 days on safari in Kruger National Park
- Managing to spot every animal possible (including a few rhinos and a leopard which I didn't think would be possible)!
- Road-tripping this stunning country with my #1 travel partner (and developing an unhealthy addiction to the podcast "My dad wrote a porno" during our long drives)!
- Exploring SO many gorgeous towns and cities along the Garden Route
- Wandering through a forest filled with rescued monkeys
- Eating some of the most incredible (and cheap) food
- Watching whales in awe while in Hermanus
- Facing my fears and zip-lining from mountain to mountain
- Falling in love with Cape Town
- Taking in the epic views from the top of table mountain
- Cramming so much adventure into a jam-packed 2 week itinerary
UK
Of course, this year hasn't only been filled with travels, here's some of my favourite things that I've got up to in the UK during the course of the year...
- Finally taking a trip to the Peak District whilst visiting some amazing extended family.
- Revel in the masterpiece that is the Lion King on the West End (and continue to sing "He lives in me" for months afterwards)
- Finally experience the West End performance of Aladdin and have it exceed all of my expectations my miles - the Genie in particular!
- Pleasing my sweet tooth at the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Afternoon tea at One Aldwych
- Helping a childhood American friend re-explore London
- Visiting Grace at uni in Portsmouth and having the MOST touristy fun-filled weekend possible!
- Having the most Instagram worthy afternoon tea at Sketch!
- Meet a whole bunch of new travel blogger friends in Leeds at the Ice Lolly "Blog at the Beach" event (and win a trip to Ibiza)!
- Taking a chocolate making class in London (and getting very messy)
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and all thoughts are my own.
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"What is there to do in Luxembourg City?" "Is it worth visiting?" "How long do we need in the City?" were all questions that rattled around my brain after spontaneously booking £20 flights to Luxembourg in the Summer.
During my research, I ended up getting pretty damn distracted (typical) by the possible day trips from the city. I fell in love with the idea of visiting 
A picturesque town with an impressive castle? Get me there immediately. As soon as our trip to Luxembourg was booked, Vianden was on my radar and I couldn't wait to explore!
It's no secret that I am scared of heights, but I had been told by many reliable sources that the views from the chairlift were unrivalled and I will do anything for some good scenery (it's all about that Instagram grid after all).
Sweaty palms and a fair amount of squealing later, we were off and it wasn't that bad after all! My hands were steadily gripped to the safety bar, so my photo taking abilities were somewhat hindered but I did it!
The views definitely live up to the hype from both the chairlift itself and the viewing deck at the top!
The chairlift actually takes you above the height of the castle and therefore you need to walk downhill slightly to reach the castle's entrance. Approximately 33% of Luxembourg's land is covered by beautiful woodland and this walk is no exception!
It's an easy downhill stroll, however it's probably a good idea to wear sensible shoes to conquer the dirt path! But as it's such a pretty walk, you won't mind taking your time in unsuitable shoes! Catching glimpses of the castle getting closer through the trees is also exciting!
Undoubtedly, the castle is the main reason that most people visit Vianden! You are free to explore the castle at your own pace, so there is no reason to wait for a guided tour etc.
When entering the castle, we didn't notice the audio tour headsets but they would have been helpful at some parts of the visit - predominantly the museum element where signs for items on display were in French.
The castle is absolutely gorgeous and definitely worth your time if you visit Luxembourg!
While the castle steals the limelight and is the reason most people visit Vianden, the rest of this little town is definitely worth your time too! Vianden is filled with picturesque little streets lined with gorgeous buildings and plenty of colourful flowers.
The houses in Luxembourg are unlike anywhere I have ever seen before. While many of the houses don't depict a particularly modern style, you can tell that this is a very rich country and most of the houses are maintained to perfection.
As with most picture perfect towns, there are lots of cute little eateries lining the streets. We opted for a crepes - obviously!
Our trip to Luxembourg was filled with sunny weather and long relaxing days, one of which took place in the Moselle Valley region of the country.
We were stuck for ideas for the last day of our trip (we had already decided to dedicate the other two days to Luxembourg City and Vianden), but when colleague of mine suggested a day in the Moselle Valley region - I quickly fell in love with the idea after a quick google image search!
Using the 
With the sun shining, the river looked absolutely gorgeous and I couldn't help but stop every few minutes to take a picture... or two... or three.
I remember thinking the river area of the Moselle was beautiful on our train ride through Germany last year to reach Burg Eltz, so to be able to stop and enjoy the views properly (i.e. not on a train) was great!
On the hunt for lunch, we wandered into the town centre which is set back from the river and of course, as with the rest of Luxembourg,the buildings were gorgeous!
The buildings throughout the entirety of Luxembourg were really stunning, a true mix of old and new styles and everything looked immaculate at all times. Luxembourg is a rich yet small country and this could be seen through the always prim and polished exteriors.
We made a slight error when planning our trip to Grevenmacher by visiting on a Monday. More careful research would have told us that Bernard Massard aren't open on a Monday for vineyard tours and wine tasting (which is free with the 
After returning the bikes to the campsite (side note: probably the nicest campsite I have ever seen), we went to the nearby butterfly garden before returning to the bus.
Butterflies have a significant meaning within my family, so I loved wandering around and snapping photos of the beautiful creatures.
