Scrolling through your most-loved travel magazine, opening your favorite travel Instagram account, and watching travel vlogs for hours in a row… Since we get that you want to go out there and TRAVEL, here’s our top 10! The best travel pictures 2021 we captured for you.
We will take you on a quick tour of our highlights of 2021, starting in Jakarta, ending somewhere on the other side of the world!
Best travel pictures 2021: #1
SKYE Bar & Restaurant, Jakarta. We visited this hotspot straight after our 5-day mandatory quarantine after arriving in Indonesia. Whether it was because we had just left the month-long lockdown in the Netherlands, or we just came out of quarantine: we LOVED it here. We visited SKYE Bar & Restaurant after diner, which meant it was already dark outside. The result was that the breathtaking skyline of Jakarta revealed itself, which was kind of, really, cool! Though the pictures taken here might not look as good, we still wanted to share this place with you. It was a magnificent moment standing at the poolside, overlooking the vibrant Indonesian capital. And hey, it might not be our best picture, so it leaves room for you to beat us when you go there! 😉
Best travel pictures 2021: #2
We must admit that we really like this picture, and that has (partly) to do with the uniqueness of the place. This picture is from Pandan Beach – Nusa Penida. When looking into Nusa Penida, Crystal Bay is frequently recommended. We enjoyed Crystal Bay, and we LOVED Pandan Beach. Guess what: Pandan Beach is right next to Crystal Bay! When you’re at Crystal Bay (and you face the ocean) you find stairs on the left side. These stairs look a bit sketchy but are still solid. After the first few stairs, a path follows. This path takes you around a rock in about 15-20 minutes until you reach Pandan Beach. Besides a cute stray dog, we stayed at this beach for an hour or 2, all by ourselves!
Best travel pictures 2021: #3
The Green Stamp is a platform for ethical wildlife projects. So even though this picture might not be the prettiest, it most definitely belongs on our platform! We visited Lovina during our stay on Bali. Lovina is known for snorkeling and diving activities, mainly because of the presence of dolphins. We arranged a tour the night before with a local. We could leave right before sunrise or 1 hour later. Usually, we love explorations before sunrise, though we choose differently this time. Our reason for this was because we were told most tours would leave right before sunrise, so it would be more packed with boats blocking our view. We still caught an incredible morning because we left around 8 AM, just less packed. When we arrived at the spot where the dolphins were, we jumped off the boat with our goggles on. The first moment, seeing a group of dolphins swimming below will stick with you forever! So when you’re looking for memories that stick with you for a lifetime: snorkeling with dolphins at Lovina is the right thing to do!
Sidenote: always keep your distance from dolphins and don’t intimidate them in any kind of way.
Best travel pictures 2021: #4
We loved it here. You will love it here. We booked a 4-day/3-night tour on Le Pirate Explorer, which took us along the most remote and diverse Komodo Islands. The Komodo Islands form a part of the Komodo National Park. The Park lays in between Sumbawa (to the west) and Flores (to the east). On Komodo Islands, you can find the largest lizard on earth: the Komodo Dragon. This specific picture is taken on a tiny, remote island where we witnessed an amazing sunset. The sand was amazingly white, the water crystal clear. You get the ‘picture’: you most definitely want to book a tour to Komodo Islands!
Best travel pictures 2021: #5
Known by few, desired by many. It only takes one glimpse at a photo to feel the burning desire to make your way to Pirate Island. Last year we decided to book a 2-night stay at Pirate Island. We went out to snorkel, play ping-pong, make our own fresh smoothies, and chilled in hammocks. If relaxing, and sun-overloaded getaways are your thing, make sure to place Pirate Island on top of your bucket list. And while being there, enjoy the tasty freshly cooked meals!
Best travel pictures 2021: #6
As wildlife advocates, we’re obliged to put this photo in our list with the best travel pictures 2021. This beautiful turtle was busy doing his morning routine right in front of Pirate Island. We, therefore, were lucky enough to get treated with a full show: he came up for air a few times, dove all the way down, ate a little, and rubbed his shell. The water was calm, which allowed us to stay close (not too close) to him for about 1.5 hours. Literally, each moment was unique!
Best travel pictures 2021: #7
We’re both Dutch and had never taken the time at De Veluwe during summer. After getting back from Indonesia in 2021, this is exactly where we went. As you can tell by the picture: it didn’t disappoint us! With fields filled with heather blossoms, it was a spectacular sight. We personally felt it was a little touristic, though we can understand why. When you’re staying in the Netherlands in the summer, it’s definitely worth a visit. We went to both Deelderwoud and Posbank. We liked Deelderwoud more because it was less crowded and had a more diverse landscape for a hike. Posbank offered various hikes with different distances. When going to De Veluwe with kids, Posbank might be the better choice.
Best travel pictures 2021: #8
As hike-lovers, we LOVE the mesmerizing alpine scenery in Switzerland. When in Switzerland, we are always on the scout for a hike through the mountains. In October 2021 we picked Saxer Lücke. As you can tell by the picture: you want to go here as well. Simple as that. We took the cable car from Frümsen to Staubern. At Staubern we started our hike. With a lovely lunch at Berggasthaus Bollenwees this hike was simply perfect!
Best travel pictures 2021: #9
From hiking in Switzerland to hiking in Albania. Albania should be on your bucket list if you appreciate untouched nature. Albania has beautiful lakes, big beaches, and snow-white mountain peaks. It won’t surprise you that we went for a hike in the mountain region. On an early morning in November 2021, we left the guesthouse to make our way to the Blue Eye. This hike takes you along different landscapes, such as rivers, mountains, and forests. The Blue Eye got his name for good reason. It’s really, really, blue! On our way back, we hiked via Cascada de Grunas. We didn’t know to hike past this waterfall, so it was a pleasant surprise seeing this!
Best travel pictures 2021: #10
The last few months of 2021 we stayed in Albania. Before leaving for the Netherlands for Christmas, we felt like visiting winter wonderland. A few locals in Albania advised us to head to Dardhë, which is what we did. As you can see, we most definitely entered winter wonderland. We wanted to do a (short) hike, but because at some places the snow came up to our knees, we decided to pause this effort. We really enjoyed this place, especially because it’s so unknown! We didn’t run into any other tourists, and it gave us a beautiful glimpse of how the local community lives there.
And that’s that! Our best travel pictures 2021! We hope you enjoyed reading through our experiences and loved the pictures as much as we do. Lastly, we’re super curious to hear which of the places you’ve added to your bucket list?
Have an unforgettable – travel – 2022!
Written by: Carmen Castricum
