Top 10 Travel Experiences and Most Read Travel Blogs in 2025
From watching the sunrise over Monument Valley to staying in the best hotel in the world, we share our top travel experiences and most read travel blogs of 2025.
I always enjoy looking back on my top travel experiences at the end of the year – when scrolling through my phone is at its most enjoyable! This year, I feel incredibly lucky to have visited some wonderful places with family and friends and to see the business continue to grow. After ten years of running it solo, it has been such a pleasure to work alongside Kaitlin over the past year, who also managed to stay in the best hotel in the world recently!
I also love taking a look back at the most read travel blogs, the posts you, our readers, enjoyed the most. While Utah was definitely one of my personal travel highlights this year, our New York and Boston travel guides were the most read, along with our bucket list posts in Ireland and around the world.
Thetravelexpert.ie continues to grow, with almost 3 million visitors this year, more than 1.3 million active users, and over 150,000 of you now following us on social media. I am also delighted to be chatting about travel on multiple national radio stations. A massive thank you to everyone who reads, comments on, and shares our posts. We really appreciate it – the business is growing because of you!
We had many top travel experiences in 2025, but managed to narrow it down to 10 favourites! I have also listed our most read travel blogs from 2025, just in case you missed them. I hope they will help you plan your next trip away, and that there are lots more exciting adventures in store for all of us in 2026.
1. Utah & Las Vegas
Utah had been on my bucket list for a long time, so when Aer Lingus announced the a direct flight to Las Vegas, just a two-hour drive from Utah, I booked flights straight away! We spent ten days exploring Utah followed by four nights in Las Vegas, and the whole trip from start to finish was superb. The kids loved it too and it was my favourite trip of the year.
Utah surpassed all of my expectations. We had an amazing adventure through some of the most dramatic landscapes I have ever seen. Our road trip took us through Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks where we hiked, biked, rode horses and drove ATVs through the heart of America’s southwest.
Hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park, staying in a Bubble Dome in Bryce Canyon and taking a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon were all special experiences in their own way. However, watching the sun rise over Monument Valley, while our Navajo guide performed the theme from The Last of the Mohicans on a flute, it is up there with one of my best travel experiences of all time – I still get goosebumps thinking about it! Sarah
You can read more about our epic adventure here:
2. The Maldives
The Maldives was certainly not part of our plan for this year but when a four-night invite to the brand new island Ananea Madivaru came into my inbox, I found it hard to refuse! I added on four nights in one of my favourite islands, Kuramathi Maldives, which was only 20 minutes away by speedboat, and we had an amazing twin-centre holiday in paradise.
It was a complete contrast to our family trip to Utah, but it was pure bliss! Kuramathi’s sandbank is still the best beach I have ever been on, and our two-bedroom beach villa in Ananea Madivaru was spectacular! We relaxed, recharged and reconnected – it was another fabulous family trip.
Top top it all off I got a great deal on business class flights on the outbound, and I managed to collect 32,000 Avios in the process! Watch out for lots of tips to bag business class upgrades using Avios in the new year. Sarah
3. Mexico
I was lucky enough to explore some of Mexico this year, and stay in some fabulous resorts along the Caribbean coast. I stayed in Playa del Carmen, a lively yet family-friendly resort, visited Tulum for its stunning beaches and jungle atmosphere, and enjoyed a stay at Secrets Akumal, the five-star, adults-only resort – voted the number one hotel in the world for 2025 by TripAdvisor!
I also experienced my second wonder of the world – the ancient Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá. And, one of the highlights of my trip was a fabulous day trip to Isla Mujeres, exploring ita amazing beaches. There’s so much to do in this part of Mexico so I cant wait to return to see more. Kaitlin
You can read more about Mexico’s tropical resorts here:
4. Gastein, Austria
A few days on the slopes remain my annual guilty pleasure, and this year was no exception. I flew to Munich and spent three nights in the beautiful spa town of Bad Hofgastein. While I loved the skiing, the resort also offers plenty for non-skiers, which we happily embraced. I visited the renowned thermal spas and tried sunrise mountain karting, a first for me and an experience I absolutely loved! Sarah
You can read more about Bad Gastein here:
5. Chicago
After years of wanting to visit, I finally made it to the Windy City, and it completely surprised me! I travelled there to attend the annual travel conference IPW travel conference and expected world-class architecture and an eclectic music scene, which the city certainly delivered.
What I didn’t expect was just how dynamic it was, with 28 miles of lakefront, sandy beaches, expansive open spaces, and a great food scene. It is a city I would love to return to and one I would highly recommend visiting during the summer months. Sarah
Check out the top things to do in Chicago here:
6. Going Solo in Nice
I had always wanted to take a solo trip, and 2025 was the year I finally ticked it off my bucket list. I spent just 48 hours exploring the French Riviera, and it proved to be the perfect destination and amount of time for my first solo adventure.
I squeezed in so much and even made it to Monte Carlo in Monaco, to tick off another country from my never ending list. I managed to visit Antibes, Villefranche, Menton and some gorgeous parts of Nice all by train, which was super easy to navigate. I would highly recommend Nice and the surrounding towns as a solo trip or even weekend away with friends, it was fabulous. Kaitlin
Check out the top things to do in Nice and nearby here:
7. Croatia, Montenegro & Bosnia and Herzegovina
I love a multi-city, multi-country adventure, and what better choice than a journey through part of the Balkans, Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. While I didn’t stay overnight in them all, Dubrovnik makes a fantastic base for exploring them on day trips.
I based myself in the lovely Hotel Croatia located in Cavtat which is the sweetest little town just 20 minutes from Dubrovnik and even closer to the airport. I truly enjoyed each stop on my trip, Cavtat, Dubrovnik, Mostar, Perast, and Kotor but Mostar truly surprised me the most. I loved wandering its old cobbled streets and exploring everything it had to offer, from the charming town centre with the famous Stari Most Bridge to the stunning Kravice waterfall – put it on your list! Kaitlin
Watching Kaitlin’s stories from Dubrovnik inspired me to book a return trip for the October mid term break with my family. We stayed in the Sun Gardens Hotel which is superb for a family stay and within easy reach of Dubrovnik. Wandering the City Walls without the usual crowds was pure heaven, and October proved to be an excellent time to visit. Sarah
8. Christmas markets cruise
I have wanted to visit Germany’s Christmas markets for many years so I jumped at the chance to visit four on one trip. I visited Cologne, Rudesheim, Bonn and Koblenz on a fabulous Riviera Travel river cruise along the Rhine. It was magical and a trip I would highly recommend. Sarah
You can see this and lots more river cruises in this post:
9. Turkey
One of my favourite sun holiday destinations and almost my second home, is Altinkum on the Turquoise Coast in Turkey. Spending ten days on the beach doing absolutely nothing, simply eating, drinking, and shopping, is pure bliss and great for the soul.
A sunset dinner in Mavisehir is always a highlight. Getting dressed up, soaking up the atmosphere, savouring local Turkish dishes, and then wandering through the night market afterwards creates a perfect evening.
This year, I ventured into Bodrum for a day trip to celebrate my birthday and loved every moment. I explored the old town, wandered around the upmarket Yalıkavak Marina, and spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach, soaking up the sun and scenery with a drink in hand. I always return from Turkey feeling refreshed and relaxed, and I cannot wait to visit again. Kaitlin
10. Norwegian Aqua Cruise
I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the brand new Norwegian Aqua cruise ship this year. Norwegian Cruises are known for mind-blowing attractions, (Norwegian Encore and Prima have race tracks on board), and Aqua was no exception. I was one of the first to ride the Slidecoaster – the world’s first hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide, and I loved it!
I’m looking forward to attending the launch of her sister ship, Norwegian Luna in 2026 – so watch out for my Instagram stories on that one! Sarah
Staycations in Ireland
As much as I love travelling abroad, a short staycation can work wonders! I enjoyed two memorable trips with my Mum and sister this year, to Mount Congreve Gardens in Waterford and the Lodge at Ashford Castle in Mayo.
I also stayed in two amazing beach houses, the stunning Cliff Beach House in Ardmore with my girl friends, where we enjoyed sea kayaking followed by an afternoon in Cliff House Hotel Spa, and a weekend in the Wild Atlantic Way Beach House in Doolin with my family. This was a little slice of heaven, we enjoyed cliff walks, sea swims, pub grub and lazy family evenings – it was just perfect. Sarah
Top 10 Most Read Travel Blogs in 2025
While the above were our favourite travel experiences from 2025, the following are our most read blog posts of the year. For anyone who hasn’t read them yet, hopefully they will give you some travel inspiration for 2026.
1. Irish Bucket List – Unique and luxury stays
I wrote this post on bucket list stays in Ireland many years ago and have managed to scratch a few off the list since, including stays at two fabulous beach houses this year. This post has a wide appeal to Irish readers looking for a luxury staycation as well as overseas visitors, and had 72,000 views this year.
2. Top things to do in New York
New York, New York – we never get tired of visiting the Big Apple, and 69,000 read our ultimate guide with 30 top things to do. Our guide on where to stay in New York was also very popular, with 42,000 views – this has a great mix of apartments and top hotels in New York.
3. The Best Family Resorts in Europe
From Sani resort in Greece to Sun Gardens in Croatia, this post on Europe’s luxury family resorts is always one of our most read, and we added even more properties this year. This post has over 59,000 views this year.
4. Top Things to do in Boston and Where to Stay
A new entry this year and one of our top travel blogs of 2025 is our travel guide to Boston. 50,000 of you read this and I received lots of messages from people who found it useful for planning their trip.
5. 25 Bucket list holidays around the world
From the Maldives to Machu Picchu, the Amalfi Coast to Antarctica, this post proved very popular for planning a bucket list trip – over 47,000 of you read it!
6. 40 Things to do in Ireland with kids
A new entry last year, this post on things to do in Ireland with kids has proved popular once again, with over 46,000 views.
7. Top things to do in Malaga and where to stay
This has always been a popular post, with many of you choosing Malaga for a city break, or visiting from the Costa del Sol. Our top things to do here also includes day trips to the Caminito del Rey, and has had 33,000 views this year.
8. The Best Family Campsites in Europe
Camping holidays are very popular with Irish holidaymakers and this post continues to remain in our top 10 every year! A big thanks to the great family bloggers, writers and travel agents who helped compile this post, it had 32,000 views this year.
9. Top 20 Baby Friendly Holidays in Europe
A new entry this year this this post on baby friendly hotels in Europe. Over 29,000 of you read this and I hope it helped many families plan their first trips abroad.
10. Family holidays to the Algarve – Top picks on where to stay.
The Algarve is one of our most popular destinations, so its no surprise this post features regularly in our top travel blogs. We have self catering recommendations and luxury hotels for families here and over 27,000 enjoyed reading it!
I hope our travel highlights and most read travel blogs from 2025 will give you inspiration for planning your 2026 holiday. Thanks again to you all for reading our posts and guides, we appreciate all your support. We are planning lots more great trips next year so I hope you will continue to follow along!
