“To Face the Truth” My 2024 travel year review

My travel year started very well, took a nosedive towards the middle, then picked up again after changing a lot of plans, and doing the best you can with limitations. A few health crises and some major surgery later, the year turned out to be some of the best year in terms of travel.

I may not have had the long trips of last year, but visited one of my favourite countries no less than three times. This is because… where would you go if you are still a bit compromised, where there are excellent paved roads and good affordable healthcare – just in case?

Here is where I travelled  in my 2024 travel year review. I only added up costs for some of my trips this time, but all came in well under 1500 Euro per person, even including activities like scuba diving.

My travel style is moderate budget, self-organized, straying off into budget and luxury accommodations occasionally. I prefer family run private guesthouses and hotels over corporate businesses, and try to travel on public transport. I will continue to fly. I am pretty scared of flying to I will prefer direct flights, and if there is a decent rail or road alternative, I will always prefer this.  I am well aware of the environmental implications, but try to make amends in other ways.

Please feel free to ask about details and cost of any of the trips here.

January: Scuba Diving in Oman and a bit of winter sun

Every year I try to go on a short solo trip in January to get some sun in my face and chase the winter blues. The holidays can be quite a busy time for me, as our clinic stays open throughout the holidays and gets extremely busy, we have flu season, so come third week of January, I am ready for a little getaway.

So I count myself lucky – with a winter trip planned, booked and paid for for six months, all I had to do was pack my gear and get on an airplane.

All in all, I really loved spending time in Oman. It was safe, tidy, many people spoke English, hotels were nice and the sun was out. The dive shop I went with, MolaMola near Seeb Airport, was great and had really high safety standards. I spent the best part of three days under water, ate as much Southern Indian vegetarian food as I could, shopped in the souk.

After four days in Muscat, I went on a lovely road trip on Oman’s excellent roads for a glimpse of the countryside at Al Hamra Village, close enough to the Hajar Mountains but suitable for a regular car.

Oman outside the cities is completely different – very traditional but with a relatively high standard of living. I really enjoyed driving to Nizwa, Bahla and Al Hamra, seeing relatively few foreign tourists, eating in local cafes and just watching the world go by for a few days. I stayed in a lot of pretty nice hotels on that trip. My favourite was the Al Hamra Old House in Al Hamra, a restored old village residence next door to the palm grove. They may still need to refine things a bit, but it was authentic, friendly and definitely had an edge above the heritage accommodation I stayed in in Nizwa. The other hotel I liked as the Muscat Inn. It was one of the cheapest Muscat hotels and for that, super value for money, close to shopping, restaurants, and the Sultan Qaboos Mosque. Even walking to the beach is possible.

Would I visit Oman again, and who is it a good destination for?

There are many exciting destinations in Oman, such as several desert areas, the Musandam coast, the Dhofar Region and the majestic Hajjar Mountains, but with just a week’s leave, I felt Muscat and one other region were plenty to see. I would like to return soon, as Oman really is a wonderful country to travel solo in.

Oman is one of my favourite countries to visit – it is perhaps the most well-rounded foreigner-friendly place on the Arabian peninsula that has retained much of its Arabian traditions.

Its capital Muscat, though modern, has none of the international clean glitz of Dubai or Abu Dhabi, the Oman countryside is a delight to explore, from the long coastline, through desert and the Hajjar mountains.

Oman is very safe, driving is easy, prices reasonable. And people are very friendly, and often speak English.

Just bear in mind that all these lovely places are hard or impossible to reach on public transport, so a car is essential unless you travel very slowly.

Oman is also a good destination for scuba diving, maybe not extraordinary on wildlife outside whale shark season, but with healthy reefs and not too many dive boats, I really liked it. The diving safety standards on diving were really high, and the dive centre took care to let its guest dive as non intrusively as possible.

Oman Blog posts

In terms of blog posts, this was also a fairly prolific trip, starting with a general praise on how Oman is great for solo (female) travellers, a detailed post about scuba diving out of Muscat, a post on where to stay in Muscat on a budget, and one on a mini road trip from Muscat I managed to squeeze in.

February: A Bali Bailout

This is one I haven’t really mentioned yet for several reasons. Firstly this was a work trip; secondly, Bali is not exactly off the beaten path; and last not least, I spent less than 24 hours on the island. Also, sometimes it felt to me Bali has been “done”, it’s a bit of an influencer hotspot, and exactly the opposite of what I am interested in. So, it comes as no surprise that Bali has never really been on my radar as a destination I would love. Indonesia, yes, Bali… no, thank you. I almost felt a bit embarrassed travelling there and I wasn’t too excited when I boarded the long night flight in Amsterdam after working a full day and knowing I’d be there the next night basically would take a look, have lunch and return.

However, I did set foot on Bali and now I am hooked. I did a repatriation on a super tight schedule – out Friday afternoon after work, back Sunday afternoon, arrival back in Germany early Monday morning. Monday afternoon, I was home, pinching myself whether I had really just been to Bali.

I had a morning in Kuta, which is probably the worst place to land in when you are a softly spoken culture loving traveller in search of peace and quiet.

So I ate whatever Indonesian food I could find, visited a classy batik shop, had a massage. Then it was time to return.

I stayed in Tuban which for being literally next to the airport, was actually a nice area to stay in when you’re fresh off the plane. It is a bit of a walk to a beach, but restaurants, shops and spas are in easy walking distance. I stayed at Jineshwari Kuta Hotel, modern, green, clean, I highly recommend it.

I also flew Business Class on a proper long-haul flight for the first time, lie flat seats and all. This may be why I was less knackered that I expected to be, as I did not get a lot of sleep on that trip thanks to jetlag and being super vigilant, then returning to work the very next day after arrival. But I probably would not spend my hard-earned money on it – I am a nervous flyer and I’d rather go on an extra trip or upgrade my hotels than spending so much money on a single flight. 

I definitely liked the glimpse I caught of Bali, even though it was just Kuta and basically a batik shop, a massage salon and a cafe. So, I would love to go back, once I manage to take more than a week’s leave.

Would I visit Bali again?

Despite the rampant overtourism, I would love to visit Bali again, and have gone as far as ordering a guidebook. More than visiting Bali alone, I would love to visit Java, in particular Borobodur – so this is a trip you cannot do in the 7-10 days I usually have. I am still on the fence a bit, as now tropical season is starting, and everyone appears to be going to Bali, Vietnam and Thailand, so I will put this on the back burner for a bit.

 Georgia

Shortly after the surprise trip to Bali and now with a nice extra monetary bonus on my account, I flew to Kutaisi in Georgia. Kutaisi is an easy direct flight from Berlin on a budget airline. Kutaisi may well be the most off the beaten track destination one can reach in a single flight from Berlin, and for me, it was a great destination. Friendly, safe, inexpensive, superb rich Georgian culture.

The reason I flew to Kutaisi other than for convenience and cost, was to visit the Soviet spa town of Tskaltubo. I had read blog posts for a long time about this strange place, a living town yet full of abandoned and partially restored Soviet era sanatoria.

And the sanatoria did not disappoint. I stayed in a tiny private guesthouse 10 minutes walk from the central park with all the springs, called Nunu’s Guesthouse ( I highly recommend it). Since Tskaltubo is very spread out, this was actually a very convenient location – 1 minute walk from some abandones sanatoria, about ten minutes walk to the legendary Bathhouse No.6. I also took a few spa treatments at Bathhouse No. 6. The spa was very 1950’s throwback Soviet. The treatments were partially a bit vintage, too, from a “Charcot” Shower to bathing in tepid radioactive waters, but they had modern massages and mud wraps, too. It was very pleasant and quite cheap, but I don’t think they did anything good for my already crappy joints.

While there, I also tasted some of Imereti’s fine wine, visited the UNESCO-Heritage site of Gelati Monastery and spent some money on some newly fangled cosmetic facial in a nice spa in Kutaisisi. I crammed a lot in to these four days, but still felt it was quite relaxing, as travelling by public minibus or taxi was easy, and I was very happy at being able to access some already cordoned-off well preserved old sanatoria – before they may finally be restored.

Would I visit Georgia again, and who is it a good destination for?

Georgia is one of my favourite destinations, and I’d go back in a flash as long as there are direct flights and the situation in the country remains stable. Georgia has it all – a coastline, beautiful mountains, hiking, winter sports, heaps of culture, with some of the best food in this part of the world on top, all at a reasonable price.

Language might provide a small barrier, as few people outside the tourism industry speak English, but that’s improving!

Georgia blog posts

I have none from this trip yet, although I really would like to post my lovely abandoned sanatorium photos, paired with some gorgeous food images, somewhere.

March in the Outer Hebrides: a dream come true

Short on the heels of my solo Georgia trip, I took what we call our annual holiday, together with my husband. About twelve days in Scotland, taking a gamble on the weather by travelling early in the year. We just managed to find some guesthouse accommodation on Lewis and Harris, with decent availability on hotels on the way there.

Our home airport has a direct flight to Edinburgh, so we flew there, hired a car, drove across Scotland and took a ferry from Ullapool to Stornoway and back from Tarbert in Harris to Uig. We were quite lucky with the weather with some sunny but cold days, but a storm forecast had us leave a day early, which we then spent, mostly in the car, driving through Glencoe and getting caught up with storm damage on the mainland, resulting in a longer than expected drive…

Lewis and Harris in early spring were beautiful. Not many restaurants being open were a bit of a dampener, and not being very mobile wasn’t great, as these islands must be great explored on foot. Instead, I learned a lot about Harris Tweed and tried a couple Fish &.Chips shops in Stornoway tat thankfully were open.

Would I visit the outer Hebrides again, and who is it a good destination for?

Having lived in the UK, I like Scotland for its nature, and as soon as I can decently walk a few miles again, I would love to return. I’d love to visit some more islands, especially St. Kilda, which can only be visited in the warmer months. Also, visit more distilleries and try more whisky. Most Scottish distilleries have a really great product, and put on good tours. However, the UK is incredibly expensive now, especially between Easter and late autumn, and accommodation in popular Scottish destinations must be booked far in advance. Whereas if you travel in low season, many hotels and restaurants will still be closed, and weather can be very unpredictable.

Hebrides Trip blog posts

So far, just the one post, in which I compare different road routes to the Western Isles. But once I have more time again, I’d love to write a post on non-walking activities on Lewis and Harris, and, of course, a post on Harris Tweed.

“Now what am I gonna do now” became a short Japan trip

Almost immediately after our return from Scotland, mild disaster struck,, grounding me for the foreseeable months. In addition to that, I had to admit to myself that my mobility was decreasing at an alarming rate and I barely managed to drag myself to work some days.

Then, my mother required surgery, and was also immobilized for some time, so my volunteering trip to a Nepal Hospital had to be cancelled, and instead I commuted between home and my mother’s home to assist my mom. As soon as she was out of the woods, surgery-wise I booked a flight for the time I had remaining: Just a week. I am crazy wanting to travel “off the beaten track in Japan”, right?

Of course I could have gone somewhere in Europe, but I booked a flight to Japan. I spent a lovely week close to Kansai Airport, and it could not have been a better holiday. I visited Sakai, Sasayama and Kyoto, and fell in love with Kyoto all over again.

Most of my trip was indeed off the beaten track, even in Kyoto. I rented a bicycle, which is the best way to get around Kyoto. On my first day there, I revisited Ryoan-ji, then Ninna-ji, which were not terribly busy despite both being UNESCO World Heritage sites.

In fact, for every super crowded sight, there are ten which see few visitors. I did my best avoiding the super busy bus routes in Higashiyama, and even the Higashiyama temples I visited, including Ginkaku-ji, were not rammed with people and were a delight to visit.

Would I visit Japan again, and who should visit Japan?

Well… just keep reading. In general, I can recommend Japan to anyone interested in a Far East destination that has culture, nature, great food and is easy to visit. This was the first of three Japan trips this year. The minute I set foot in Kansai Airport Station, I felt strangely at ease and I loved every minute and looked for ways to revisit Japan again as soon as possible.

Blog post from my late spring Kansai Trip

Very prolific trip, this one! Basically, I didn’t go out much over the summer and spent a lot of time on my desk, feeling quite grounded and not very mobile. Starting with my short and sweet Kansai Itinerary, to the actual trip report, and some posts on Sakai, a destination that really deserves more attention, and Sakai knives.

Another beautiful destination that’ can easily see’s easy to reach yet off the beaten track is Sasayama in the Tamba Kiln District – particularly great if you love ceramics!

Then, I got stuck on Kyoto, and I really love Kyoto, although I am aware that by visiting so often, I contribute to its overcrowding problem. I don’t enjoy crowds, so I am looking for alternatives to its most visited sights and try to serve a niche by writing about visiting Kyoto with limited mobility and Cycling in Kyoto.

Last not least, I have a short post on what I consider the most useful preparations for a Japan trip, and I reviewed my flight on Finnair, although I should probably revise that soon, because my second trip with them was not good.

July: Hobbling along the Kumano Kodo

In a bout of craziness, I bought a flight to Kansai Airport again to have “one last trip in case I don’t survive my surgery”. Which if course, is BS, since the surgery, though major, is one of the most common and rewarding surgeries, and is pretty safe. I just needed an excuse to fly to Japan again.

To be honest, I did not pick the most travel-friendly season, for July was really very hot. it is also a season when many summer festivals take place. In these short ten days, I managed to visit the three great Kumano shrines, witness the Nachi no Ogi Matsuri at Kumano Nachi Taisha, and be in town when the major festivities of Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri took place.

I based myself in Shingu, which is a nice town with loads of accommodation – and one of the Kumano Sanzan right in town. I first stayed at a very peculiar but ultra comfy temple lodging with free-flowing alcohol, then at a lovely Guesthouse Sou, which was incredible value and very comfortable. I also loved my first ever capsule hotel stay, and have become a fan now!

Shingu also had the best bus connections, so I could visit Nachi no Ogi Matsuri one day, and hike on the Kumano Kodo the next.

I even managed to walk the shortest section that will qualify for the Kumano Kodo-Camino de Santiago dual pilgrimage certificate, a 8km-hop to Kumano Hongu Taisha – a hop indeed for most, an accomplishment for me.

Then, I returned to Kyoto and picked up my bicycle. I spent two days at the main festivities of the Gion Matsuri, which, despite the stifling heat, was one of my favourite festivals. So majestic, orderly, yet colourful and just so different from what we see in Europe.

I spent another day continuing my tour of Kyoto’s temples and shrines, picking the area around Saiho-ji this time.

I must admit, though, that on some afternoons, it was even too hot to cycle, and sunstroke is a real possibility here. I spent some time in museums and department stores, and the heat was, of course, a perfect excuse to visit as many kakigori and dessert cafes as possible! I was glad to have a lovely cool hotel room at the Prince Smart Inn downtown, which was easy to reach when I started to feel tired and exhausted.

Would I visit the Kumano region again, and who else should visit?

The Kii peninsula is a beautiful region with a rugged, coastline, forested hills and full of Shinto and Buddhist heritage – the Kumano Sanzan, Koyasan temples, and the Ise Grand Shrine. Interestingly, it is not visited that much by foreign tourists, save for Koyasan. You won’t find challenging mountaineering or sweeping vistas there, but Kumano Kodo especially has some well signposted walks of spiritual significance. Aside from that – there are many little visited gems like Wakayama or Shirahama. Kumano Kodo has very few accommodations along the way, so while it’s not that busy, you definitely need to secure accommodation in advance during the hiking season in spring and autumn.

Blog posts from my Kumano region summer trip

Also quite prolific, for as soon as I was able to sit for thirty minutes without much pain, I got writing again. I have a post on Stationmaster Tama in the works, and I have written extensively about visiting Kumano Kodo with limited mobility, and attending the Nachi no Ogi Matsuri and Gion Matsuri festivals. Addressing Kyoto overtourism, and still being on the fence of whether I am a part of the problem, even when avoiding the oversubscribed sights, I have written about exclusive access to the famous Saiho-ji “Moss Temple” and rounded up my favourite Kyoto Dessert shops and some idea how to best find vegetarian food in Japan. I also have some more general post on what I consider especially attractive in Japan for travellers, a breakdown of costs for my two-festivals trip. LASt not least, I reviewed my flight with Etihad Airlines.

September: A very expensive Baltic Sea holiday

I wasn’t sure whether to include this as this was a trip I was neither doing for pleasure nor enjoyed. It did lead me to a very beautiful region of Germany, so for completions sake, I am including it.

In Germany you are usually offered a few weeks stay in a rehab hospital after major treatment.  Since I had planned my surgery way, way in advance, I decided I might as well go somewhere beautiful, and gotr on the waiting list for a rehab clinic in Ahrenshoop on the Darss peninsula.

It was perhaps the most frustrating trip and one of the most frustrating times this year. While I loved being 200 metres from the beach, I became very frustrated after a week with the lack of treatment, my slow progress, the monotonous diet and poor quality of food. I tried my best to walk a lot, but my crutches would sink deep into the sand, and long beach walks were out. So I spent the days in my room studying, writing presentations and hobbling to the occasional treatment.

Would I visit the Darss again?

While it is very beautiful, with some of the most scenic beaches in Germany, I would only return on a day trip. The Darss is an example of really poorly managed tourism – pretty much everywhere in the picturesque villages there has been turned into holiday accommodation, there is nowhere to live for locals, prices are sky high – a vicious circle. A lot of staff at my rehab hospital commuted up to three hours a day to get to work.

And, from a purely tourist point of view, those prices were crazy. 200-300 Euro for a very basic room in shoulder season, 25-30 Euro for a main dish in a restaurant. You will need to factor in cost of a car and paying for parking everywhere, as public transport was very poor.

October: Recovery in Occitanie

In October, I gently ventured out again, first surviving three-hour car rides, until I felt ready for an Easyjet flight to Southern France. Well, I came down with a thud, quite literally, as budget flights and mobility issues didn’t work for me. While I arrived and returned safely cabin crew was quite rude, would not let me sit in an empty row, and were extremely rude at the security check in Geneva where we transferred, making me walk through the security check crutchless and really rushing me along.

There is definitely a different way to do that – as seen a few weeks later in Japan, where you walk through the metal detector with your mobility aid, then they sit you down and screen the mobility aid separately, all accompanied by some friendly people – and you get fast track passes to security automatically when using a mobility aid.

France was good in many other ways. I learned to move around in houses other than my own, and took many leisurely walks on crutches and ventured into the Aviation Museum in Toulouse. In short… starting to live a more or less normal life again. But France was good in many other ways. I learned to move around in houses other than my own, and took many leisurely walks on crutches and ventured into the Aviation Museum in Toulouse. In short… starting to live a more or less normal life again.

And last not least, with France having some wonderful food, we booked lunch at a Michelin-starred restaurant called Hedone. They very helpfully substituted the single meat dish on their menu, and although the restaurant itself was simple, I found the food superb.

Would I visit Occitanie again, and who is this destination for?

Occitanie is a part of France that flew completely under my radar, until I acquired family there. I try to visit one a year, and always find new places to visit.

This time, we ventured as far as Lascaux in the Perigord, which sees more visitors, but the area around Albi, Rodez and Toulouse is full of rolling hills, excellent food and some cultural treasures I had not known. It’s a suitable destinations for all who like France and can speak a bit of French, with no crowds (except during French summer holidays) and a very relaxed pace.

Occitanie blog posts

I have not written any posts about this trip, but I have many here from previous trips. I’d say my favourite trip from Cordes-sur-Ciel, which really should get its own post, were day trips to Rodez, and exploring organic vineyards around Gaillac and Cordes-sur-Ciel. I also have some posts on visiting Laguiole, buying an authentic Laguiole knife, and visiting Conques Abbey. Last not least, I have two posts on cruelty-free shopping – one on skincare, and one on aromatherapy, from French pharmacies.

November: Autumn leaves and crutches at dawn

November arrived and my plan to be walking unaided by October failed, so me and my crutches flew to Japan together. I had full trust that I would get on just fine in Japan, as Japan is really incredibly civilized, people are polite, infrastructure is excellent. I was slightly worried about sitting 13 hours in Economy and futon beds, but both proved to be no problem.

My first stop, Nagano, already pulled out all the stops in order to please, and greeted me with some picture-perfect autumn foliage

So I set off, into the hills of Nagano prefecture, crutches firmly clamped to my arms, explored Matsumoto including its incredible castle, wandered through the onsen town of Shibu Onsen, and visited Nagano’s graceful major Zenko-ji Temple, accompanied by some pretty decent early autumn foliage and very few crowds. I even ventured into Tokyo – had to make full use of that rail pass – to buy a new camera lens and say Hallo to Tokyo after a long absence.

Then I moved on to Kanazawa and, of course, Kyoto! I found some really lovely uncrowded places to view autumn leaves, and had more dessert and some very interesting Michelin-rated soba noodles but most time of this short stay was dedicated to autumn leaves.

Then I also want to share my biggest culinary revelation on that trip… from a tiny coffee shop called Alps in Matsumoto. Despite its modish third wave looks, it gave me the pleasure of miso caramel latte. Being a straightforward Italian Espresso drinker, I have never been into very fancy coffee drinks but this was really a totally new flavour experience. I was so smitten by it I hobble over to the artisanal miso factory in order to buy a pot of their miso, hoping to recreate this drink from heaven at home.

Would I return to Japan in autumn?

Absolutely, and I am going to do so in 2025, although we will definitely not hit peak colours unless we go to Hokkaido. We have no definite route yet, but I hear Kyushu calling my name. My husband has zero interest in Kyoto or Tokyo, preferring to see “bog standard towns and how people live” so both Kyushu and Hokkaido will have plenty.

I also was lucky enough with pretty much every accommodation I stayed in, but I loved my stay at Gallery Nozawa Inn in particular. This is an authentic Kyomachiya run by an older couple, with just two rooms – and the loveliest personable service. I also stayed at Guesthouse Soi which is a bit of a stalwart in the Kyoto guesthouse scene. It is very conveniently located near Kiyomizudera and run extremely professionally, with attention to all details – just like a guesthouse should be.

Japan Autumn travel blog posts

Since I only just returned and dove straight into work, I have not had the time for any new Japan posts, but I made lots of notes while travelling. In particular, I am going to share a guide on not crowded autumn leave sites in Kyoto while this blog is very small, and sleeping in a capsule hotel. Yes, thanks to a certain airline completely screwing up our return flights, I got plenty of experience on those, now.

About the title for my 2024 travel year review

To give my yearly review a bit of a theme, I chose song titles by the Pet Shop Boys, of whom I have been a decades long fan. I even went to one of their latest tours where I caught COVID, having dodged it for over two years even doing a COVID clinic – my own stupid fault but I’ve been a bit miffed by that.

Anyway. I chose ” To face the Truth” from their 1990 “Behaviour” album. This album is probably the first Pet Shop album I bought myself and not one my grandma smuggled back under the coffee and chocolates from a visit to Western Germany.

I wasn’t into it for a long time, preferring the upbeat disco beats and melancholic song lyrics but it’s grown on me since. I like the relaxed pace and somewhat doleful lyrics, which is pretty much how I felt a big part of the year, a bit sad but still content and functioning… and extremely glad to have the unrequited love periods put well and truly behind me.

And now, I feel like I ought to do a big travel fail post as well. It was more a question of failing to travel as planned, but enough cautionary tales and downright ridiculous mishaps, too.

Outlook 2025

In true winter blues avoidance fashion, I have my January winter sun trip booked already. I had plans to visit Yonaguni and Ishigaki on a very short week-long trip. However, time is not on my site, and I bailed out of Yonaguni, thinking that I bit off a bit too much than I can chew with the hammerhead shark diving. And after my personal Finnair disaster I really dread flying Finnair again, and maybe a non refundable connecting flight to Ishigaki is a not the smartest idea when Finnair does not have the best punctuality record,. I cannot change my flight (non refundable, cheapskate), so I might stay put and go for winter wonderland, as many branches of Komeda’s Coffee as I can find and and my regular Kyoto fix before taking my mom to Kyoto for cherry blossom season, which is going to be interesting because I expect it to be super crowded, and I don’t really do crowds.

Our “big” holiday later in the year will also take us to Japan, making this, God willing, three JApan trips this year again!

I hope to take a weekend trip to a new European country some time in between, sticking to my plan to visit a new country every year. Denmark is the one country bordering Germany I have never visited, so I think I will visit Copenhagen!

Also, I’d love one medium-haul trip. I would really love to visit Syria, let’s see how the situation pans out. And a diving trip… I had thought about Egypt, but after reading about the liveaboard accidents Egypt is out of the equation for now. And already I am at more trips than I can realistically take days off! Because I am still a bog standard employee, a busy German bee with a full time job and a side gig who just blogs for fun.

But I don’t mind if this year is full of surprises, like 2024 was – but I am pretty certain Japan will feature fairly heavily, and I have been taking Japanese lessons in order to prepare properly.