20 Best Photos Of 2022. I am back again with my annual wrap-up of my best travels from the year. It was another incredible year of travel, especially the first half of the year. The second half of the year was spent mostly planning the Extraordinary Travel Festival. As always, there are not really 20 photos in this post, but who wants to read a post about the best 23 photos? Please take a gander and feel free to share any comments.
Thailand
For those who read my blog, you might have noted my keen passion for the Sak Yant Wai Kru Festival at Wat Bang Phra. (You can read more here.) This was a stunning sunset providing the perfect backdrop for the temple.
I had been to this same beach and lighthouse over 6 years ago, and it was the same brillant sunset I had recalled from years past. This is in Khao Lak, the skinny part of Thailand just north of Phuket.
Talk about total upside. I arrived to Khao Na Nailuang Dhamma Park in complete darkness with no expectation and was met by this perfect morning and sunrise. This is the beauty of Thailand, there is truly so much to see and do in this country.
Everyone loves the biggest, the brightest, well, here is Bangkok’s newest entry. At Royal Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, you can find the 69-metre-tall (230 ft) Buddha statue.
Fantastic Khao Sok National Park, hire a boat for the day to take in these stunning geological formations.
Another magical place in Thailand, Samet Nangshe. I had seen pics of this place before, but it took years for me to finally be able to visit.
Armenia
This is the Armenian Genocide Memorial located in Yerevan. It honors the death of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Turks in WWI. The 44 meter stele represents the birth of the Armenia nation.
A view of the Armenian Genocide Memorial built in 1967 during the Soviet Union days. I was able to fly my drone for several minutes before the police came by to have me stop.
This is the fascinating and dystopian Aragats Cosmic Ray Research Station located on Mt. Aragats. I visited twice in 2022 and loved exploring this area.
Gambia
This is a look at the Gambia River nearing sunset. If you take a look at the map, you will see Gambia is completely surrounded by Senegal on the north, west, and south. And Gambia is neatly divided in halves by the Gambia River.
Guinea
After a quick 14 hr drive from Guinea-Bissau to the Guinea Highlands and then a 2 hr drive and then a hike, I ended up at this waterfall in this remote part of the world.
Another experience with the private, incredibly high energy performance with these Griots, traditional praise singers and performers that trace their lineage to the 13th century in West Africa.
Guinea-Bissau
This is Bruce Beach in the Bissagos Islands, a group of 88 islands, some nearly untouched. I hung out here for the day at a small cafe.
Sierra Leone
I spent a night, on the inland island named Tiwai Island. This was my captain taking us on a cruise.
This is a tiny island of only a couple of hundred people. I spent the night at a guest house founded by a Greek ex-pat. I had the best foul for breakfast before my departure.
Liberia
This is a densely packed neighborhood in the capital of Monrovia. I met a local and had an impromptu tour of this fascinating neighborhood.
This is the abandoned Ducor Hotel sitting at the highest point in Monrovia. Its 1960 opening was an international event as world leaders came to celebrate in Liberia. The hotel was damaged and abandoned during Liberia’s lengthy civil war.
Cameroon
The crab man of Rhumsiki. I am not going to lie, this was a grind to get here. I took a flight from Doula to the far north of Maroua. Then took a brutal drive for hours to arrive at the hotel in darkness in Rhumsiki. The next morning, motor bikes were driven to meet the crab man. Why? This man could tell my fortune with his crab. Unique? Yes. Accurate? Who knows.
On the edge of Nigeria are the Koma people, a hill-dwelling people who traditional wear coverings of green leaves. I love this photo simply from the pure joy of their smiles.
One of the most distinct museums I have every visited, the Foumban Royal Museum. The exterior are two snakes with a large spider lording over them. I received a private tour and learned about the history of this kingdom.
Nigeria
I stopped by this traditional weaving area in Ilorin. Everything was man-powered and always interesting to take a step back in time.
A young boy in a candid shot at the weaving village.
This is Makoko, an informal settlement, in Lagos. Over a 1/3 of it is built on water on stilts. I spent some time visiting this area and cruising around in a small boat.
Cyprus
This is Varosha, in its heyday was a resort town on the Mediterranean for the jet set crowd before the Turks invaded Cyprus, laid waste to this town and divided the country. Today, you are able to walk the streets of this town laid to waste.
Cyprus had some amazing and incredible mosaics in pristine condition.
And if you want to see some of my best photos … take a look at these links.
And to see my year in reviews for previous years, you can take a look here.
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[…] GlobalGaz 20 Best Travel Photos of 2022 […]
Fantastic photos to wrap up 2022! Do you love sunsets? Have a great year ahead! Cheers!
A good sunset is always great to capture!
[…] 20 Best Photos of 2022 […]