The Best Places I Visited in 2023

What a year 2023 has been! I’ve been traveling full-time for almost the entirety of the year. I’ve had the most incredible adventures around Australia, and have loved getting to explore this magical destination. Every year, I write annual recap posts about my top travel experiences, my worst moments, and the best places I went.

There’s no criteria for a destination to make this list. It can be a city, country, or region; it can be somewhere I’ve visited previously, or a new destination. There’s no order to the list, just a collection of great destinations. You can read what places made the cut in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022! Here are the best places I visited in 2023.

The Top End, Northern Territory

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I never planned on visiting the NT during my year in Australia. But when I decided to go for a Lap, I ended up driving through the outback on my way to Katherine and Darwin (and then to WA). WOW. The NT is pure magic – there’s something very special here, and I’m so grateful I got to experience it. Every single day was amazing: hiking in scenic landscapes, swimming in beautiful waterfalls, experiencing the real outback Australia. If you haven’t been to the Top End yet, please start planning your trip.

The Blue Mountains, New South Wales

I first visited the Blue Mountains for a few days not long after landing in Sydney, without a car. I loved it so much, I went back about a week later after with my car! The landscapes here are unreal, and there are so many good hikes to do. It was the first place I visited in Australia that I loved – really, truly, loved. I hope to return again after I finish my Lap!

Great Keppel Island, Queensland

Paradise on earth. I spent five weeks living on Great Keppel Island and it remains the best experience of my time in Australia. This is such a special place – I want everyone I know to go! The beaches are incredible, the snorkeling is superb, there are great hikes to explore the island’s landscapes, and there’s unique wildlife all around. The people I worked with were amazing and it felt like we were one big family. The island isn’t on the classic backpacker trail, probably because there isn’t much budget accommodation available (there are no hostel dorms). But it shouldn’t be missed on an East Coast trip.

Thailand

This might be a bit of a cop out, putting an entire country in one entry. But I visited Thailand for the first time as I traveled from the UK to Australia via Asia, and I LOVED it. Amazing scenery, beaches, culture, food – plus super friendly people, and it was extremely affordable. What’s not to love?! I had the best time backpacking here, starting in Bangkok before visiting Ao Nang (Krabi), Khao Sok, Koh Phi Phi, and Phuket. It definitely wasn’t enough time, but it gave me a taste of Thai and Southeast Asia travel – and I loved it. Your money will go far here, and you can have a very comfortable life on a low travel budget. I cannot wait to return, for a much longer time!

Far North Queensland and the Atherton Tablelands

One of my favorite destinations from my travels around Australia was Far North Queensland, and specifically the Atherton Tablelands. I spent almost every day here hiking and swimming, seeing beaches and waterfalls and mountains, and I simply loved it. There is so much to see and do here, it can be overwhelming to know where to start! Don’t miss this part of Australia.

Blackdown Tableland National Park, Queensland

I saw a photo of the rock pools on Instagram, and that was all it took to convince me to plan a detour off the East Coast and book three nights in the campground here. This is a superb and unique destination in Queensland – it’s away from the coast, so a lot of the crowds miss it. Enjoy the amazing views, explore the rock pools, see Aboriginal rock art, and go for a dip! Don’t miss it.

The Waterfall Way, New South Wales

Another of my favorite unexpected detours was the Waterfall Way in New South Wales (near Coff’s Harbour). I drove away from the coast, inland from Bellingen to Wollomombi, and it blew me away. There are so many pretty waterfalls to see and good hikes to do. It’s not a very popular area, so you won’t have to fight the crowds to enjoy it. The view from Point Lookout in New England National Park took my breath away.

Karijini National Park, Western Australia

I feel like everyone who has been to Karijini has been touched by its magic. It’s a special destination, with so much to offer visitors. Hike along epic gorges before swimming in unique pools, waterfalls, or down a river gorge. Summit the second-highest peak in Western Australia for the best sunrise of your life. I ended up with a few extra days here, due to a road closure that meant I couldn’t leave the area the way I’d planned. It was the best delay. Don’t miss a trip here to experience the rugged beauty of Northwest WA!

Seoul, South Korea

Seoul was my first destination in Asia – and if my best friend hadn’t been living in South Korea, I’m not sure how long it’d take me to go! I had no expectations, but I had such a great time here. The food was UNREAL, there’s so much to see and do, it’s a great city for partying, and I stayed in a fantastic hostel and met a lot of other awesome backpackers. I also loved my daytrip to the DMZ!

Jeju, South Korea

Despite the fact that I got covid and had to quarantine here for seven days, I really loved getting to explore Jeju. Of course, part of that was because I was visiting my best friend, and I got to see his life. But the island really is special – the beaches and coastline are amazing, and there’s so much culture and history to learn about here. I wish I’d been able to do more hiking here!

Jervis Bay, New South Wales

Jervis Bay will always be special to me, as it was the first place I went when I left Sydney and hit the road on my Lap around Australia (although, I wasn’t planning on that at the time!). I was in awe at the spectacular white-sand beaches here, I loved seeing dolphins on my wildlife cruise, I cried watching the sunset – feeling so unbelievably happy and fulfilled. This is one spot you can’t miss on the southern NSW coast.

Cape Range National Park, Western Australia

Unfortunately, I’m always going to have negative memories of Cape Range, as that’s where I rolled my car and became doubly homeless. BUT Cape Range was amazing! It’s a truly unique destination, on the northwest tip of Australia near Exmouth. The water here was so clear – Turquoise Bay really is that blue in real life! I did a tour out to Ningaloo Reef and swam with a whale shark. I watched the sunset every night (which has to be a requirement when traveling on the West Coast). Despite the car crash, this is a fantastic destination – and if that’s not an endorsement to go, what is?!

Southwest Western Australia

The most recent section of my Lap took me from Perth to Adelaide – and the part of WA from Perth to Esperance is truly spectacular. I loved the beaches and coastal landscapes around Busselton, Cape Naturaliste, and Yallingup; I loved the forest drive to get to Walpole; I loved the coastline and hikes around Denmark and Albany; I loved the mountains of the Stirling Ranges; and I absolutely loved the beaches in Esperance and Cape Le Grand. Every day was a good day. If you haven’t been to southwest WA yet, it’s time to put it on your bucket list.

The Flinders Ranges, South Australia

As I planned my road trip, I took a gamble: I gave up time on the amazing coast of southwest WA, for a few days of hiking in the Flinders Ranges. As I stood at the summit of Devil’s Peak, my first hike in the area, I knew I’d made the right choice. I spent several days doing incredible hikes, gazing out over beautiful outback scenery that seemed unreal. I’m so glad I came here. I only wish I’d had more time!

York and Yorkshire

Of course, no list of best places would be complete without a nod to my beloved city of York, and my adopted home county of Yorkshire. York is the best city in the world, and it was heartbreaking to leave it. Yorkshire is the best. I soaked up as much as I could before I left. I played tour guide to friends and colleagues, I gazed at York Minster in that perfect golden hour glow, I visited all my favorite places. I hiked my favorite Swaleldale loop, took my best friend to Malham, and walked the Hole of Horcum as my last Yorkshire hike. It’s my home, and it means everything to me. I can’t wait to return.

So there you have it: all the best places I visited in 2023! Most of the year has been spent in Australia, so this post is naturally skewed towards those destinations – but I also visited other places that I truly enjoyed, too. I hope this post inspires some future travels, either in Australia or somewhere else around the world!

Over to you – what were the best places you visited in 2023?!