Around the World in 16 Photos

You don’t need a passport to travel around the world. Enjoying all of the things that travel offers–new cultures, foods, and experiences–can happen close to home.

During this COVID era when we haven’t been able to take flight to a land far away we’ve found creative ways to appease our wanderlust. We’ve embarked on virtual tours, and relived past travel journeys as we’ve scrolled through our photo streams and even traveled vicariously around the World through the lens and stories of other travelers.

Photos and good storytelling inspire and engage our senses so we have curated this compelling photo essay from 16 fellow travelers who have memorable travel stories to share. In the short photo stories below these travelers relive this travel memory and they invite us to experience the moment with them.

Let your imagination roam as you traverse the world through photos and stories from India to Ukraine, the United States and beyond. Take a memorable trip around the world!

“The pink lake in Ukraine is inconvenient to reach and its kind of ugly from the shore. However if you walk a few hundred meters into the lake you will be met with barbie-pink colored water and that will just takes your breath away. This pink lake s my favorite discovery in 2020.”

–Alona Tiunina, Jet Set Together

“In 2018, I had a 10 day trip in the state of Rajasthan, India with my family. Usually I travel with my family twice a year but that year we could only manage to take one trip. It was a road trip starting from Delhi and ending at Jaipur with stops in Agra, Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur in between.

We covered some of the best travel destinations in India during our trip and the memories associated with each and every place are still alive in our memories. For me, the best memory of all was an hour that we spent in the middle of Thar Desert near Sam, Jaisalmer where we witnessed one of the best sunrises Ive ever experienced. I sat with my family on a charpai over a sand dune as we watched the golden sun rise over the horizon. This is an experience that I will never forget in my life.”

–Subhadeep Mondal, My Travel Frames

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“Two years ago, I visited Ömnögovi, Mongolia because my brother was completing his time there with the Peace Corp. It was the first time I felt so connected to nature. We drove endlessly through pasture, deserts and rocky terrain. Occasionally we stopped for the sheep to pass through.”

–Vivian Wang, Viv The Wanderer

“A solo holiday rafting the Zambezi River in Africa; unexpectedly facing 60km of the biggest white water in the world, crocodiles and hippos was terrifying, exhilarating, intimidating and intoxicating.

We cooked on wood fires and slept under the stars.

I learned there’s more to life than work-eat-sleep-repeat.

Now, I travel full time.”

–Jacqueline Lambert, World Wide Walkies

“In 2012, I met my husband on a train in Venice, Italy when I was traveling solo. For three weeks after we met, we were inseparable as we meandered through Florence, Rome, Positano and Capri. We married shortly after that trip and are still going strong 8 years later.”

–Christine Andraus, Partenza Travel

“Travel has a way of opening us up to finding those special places that stop us in our tracks. Those places that are so touching, so historical, so awesome that they demand reverence. Like when we found ochre hand prints while exploring the Spearfish Community Caves in the Black Hills of South Dakota.”

–David N. Brace, DavidNBrace.com

“One of my happiest travel moments was summiting Half Dome in California’s Yosemite National Park. I could try to explain why, but I think the photo does that for me.”

-Steve Silberberg, Fitpacking