The time has finally come for the final post of the trip. We’re currently enjoying a lovely post-honeymoon holiday in sunny Cornwall with my inlaws (quite possibly the first time I’ve used that term!). We’ve had Easter (chocolate and toothbrushes on Tuesday), our birthdays (a beach day followed by presents and candles in a pavlova on Wednesday) and Christmas (more presents and a roast dinner on Thursday)!

It’s strange being back in England, beginning to fulfil cravings and appreciate things we’ve missed like sofas, bacon, tap water, English TV channels, using money without calculating conversions, decent cheese, playing music, not living out of a bag and PG Tips (though I’m determined not to become addicted again!). Of course it has been/will be wonderful to see our families but there are plenty of things I’m not looking forward to: routine, driving and traffic jams, work, the weekly shop and being contactable by phone.

Being able to browse back through the blog and see it summarising everything we’ve been lucky enough to experience this year is a really nice feeling and a big part of why I wrote it. But having so many people read along and follow our journey has been unexpected and I’ve appreciated all the lovely comments both on the blog and via email. 🙂 The plan now is that World Wandering Wonderings will mostly lie dormant until future adventures (with perhaps the exception of a ‘how we did it’ post in the coming weeks). Since we need to start earning some pennies again and possibly buy a house, the only trip planned for sure in the next year is my brother’s wedding in Singapore but there may be other smaller wanderings from time to time.

I can safely say that, although we were definitely ready for a few home comforts again, our wanderlust is far from cured; we’ll always be dreaming of the next destination. There’s such a lot of world to see. Here’s our hit list as it stands:

☆Mountain gorillas in Uganda
☆Northern lights in Iceland
☆Christmas in New York
☆Taj Mahal at dawn
☆African safari
☆Chilean fjords cruise
☆Nepalese Himalayas
☆Madagascar
☆Humpback whales and emperor penguins
☆Visit an Amazonian tribe

We found it interesting to work out a few trip statistics (because we’re geeks!) so I thought I’d share them with you.

Days: 300
Countries: 22
Border crossings: Land 18, Boat 1, Air 12
Flights: 20
Intercity/intercountry buses: 147
Boat journeys: 18
Night buses: 11
Night ferries: 1
Accidents: 0
Passport stamps/visas (each): 62
Kilograms carried (combined): 45kg
Currencies: 21
Insurance claims: 1
Accommodations: 117
Tents: 2
Parcels posted home: 5
Longest time taken for parcel delivery: 3 months from Japan
Books read: Dean 21, Steph 31
Candy Crush Saga levels completed: Dean 414, Steph 217
Blog posts: this is the 61st

Most Abundant Wildlife Experiences
1. Kinabatangan River – Borneo, Malaysia
2. Cahuita National Park – Costa Rica
3. Khao Yai National Park – Thailand

Most Memorable Boat Journeys
1. Rio Frio – Nicaragua to Costa Rica border crossing
2. Halong Bay – Vietnam
3. Rio Dulce – Guatemala

Best Big Cities
1. Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
2. Kyoto – Japan
3. Hanoi – Vietnam

Favourite Central American Ruins
1. Palenque – Mexico
2. Tikal – Guatemala
3. Tulum – Mexico

Most Exciting Adventurous Activities
1. Ziplining – Monteverde, Costa Rica
2. White water rafting – Baños, Ecuador
3. Snowboarding – Pucon, Chile

Most Frequently Heard Songs
1. Jammin’ – Bob Marley (and countless other songs by him)
2. Hey Jude – The Beatles
3. My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion

Most Memorable Animal Encounters
1. Thresher sharks – Malapascua Island, The Philippines
2. Orangutans – Sepilok and Kinabatangan, Borneo, Malaysia
3. Monarch butterflies – Angangueo, Mexico

Favourite Underwater Destinations
1. Diving off Roatan – Honduras
2. Snorkelling off Caye Caulker – Belize
3. Diving off Negros – Philippines
Honorary mention for Sipadan, Borneo (Dean only)

Most Expensive Countries
1. Singapore
2. Argentina
3. Japan

Best Historical Towns
1. Luang Prabang – Laos
2. Antigua – Guatemala
3. San Cristobal de las Casas – Mexico

Most Interesting Museums
1. Tokyo National Museum – Tokyo, Japan
2. Studio Ghibli Museum – Tokyo, Japan
3. Llullaillaco High Altitude Archaeology Museum – Salta, Argentina

Best Beaches
1. El Nido, Palawan – Philippines
2. West Bay, Roatan – Honduras
3. Cahuita and Puerto Viejo – Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast

Most Memorable Human Encounters
1. Lao Li’s homestay – Laos
2. Volunthai – Thailand
3. Inle Lake – Myanmar

Most Picturesque Landscapes
1. Palawan – Philippines
2. Chile
3. Costa Rica

Favourite Country Cuisine
1. Thailand
2. Japan
3. Mexico

Favourite Asian Temples
=1. Angkor Wat – Cambodia
=1. Bagan – Myanmar
=1. Temples of Tokyo and Kyoto – Japan

Best Value Countries
1. Laos
2. Nicaragua
3. Ecuador

Best Breakfast Traditions
1. Buffets including fresh tropical fruits and homemade cakes – Brazil
2. Hearty meals often including steak and doughy fritters – Panama
3. Noodle soup – South East Asia

Most Tempting Artisanal Handicrafts
1. Japan
2. Mexico
3. Laos

Most Awesome Natural Wonders
1. Iguaçu falls – Argentina/Brazil
2. Phong Nha caves – Vietnam
3. Atacama desert night sky – Chile

Favourite Coastal Destinations
1. Playa del Carmen – Mexico
2. Koh Tao – Thailand
3. Palawan – Philippines

Thanks for reading!