'Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.' Anthony Bourdain

2023 has been, travel-wise, a great year. In total I have visited 12 countries: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, the United States, Canada, Germany, Kenya, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates, Spain and France.

Here are some of the highlights of my year and some experiences that I could not recommend more.

1. Visiting the Masai Mara and the Masai Tribe

I had been wanting to visit Kenya and Tanzania for the longest time. It was a dream of mine and the reality was even better than I imagined.

I was lucky to see 4 out of the Big Five: lions, a leopard, elephants and African buffalos.

Here are some interesting facts about the Masai tribe:

• They are part of one of the more than 40 tribes in Kenya. The majority of Kenyans are Kikuyu, as they were my taxi drivers or my hotel's manager in Nairobi.

• They are poligamous. One man can have many wives. Nevertheless, if the woman belongs to another tribe or she's a foreigner they can only have one.

• One wife can have a dowry of 5 to 10 cows. Parents can also decide who you can marry.

• They are quite used to strangers and are friendly and kind.

• They are nomads and have small and dark houses that must be changed every 9 years.

2. Feeding the giraffes

It's quite complicated to explain what the texture of a tongue of a giraffe reminds me of. Definitely it's not... a "tonguely" tongue if that makes any sense.

I cried almost the entire time I was in the Giraffe Centre. It was one of the most emotional things I lived during that trip. Do not miss on this visit as it will be much more magical that you can anticipate.

3. Visiting New York City and Toronto

I must say New York City is not my favourite city. It smells funny, it's chaotic, crowded and loud. Nevertheless, it has become such a huge part of media and hence of our lives, above all of you're a millennial like me, that I do believe it is a must. Everyone should visit NYC at least once in a lifetime.

Toronto had been in my mind for the last few years too. I feel it is a city where I could move to. It reminded me of the days when I lived in Brisbane, Australia. The cities are not so similar but the vibe was quite similar.

4. The Niagara falls and the Iguazu falls.

2023 was supposed to be "The falls year". My initial plan was to visit Niagara Falls, the Iguazu Falls and the Victoria Falls. Nevertheless, due to health reasons, I could not do the trip in Zambia and Zimbabwe, this is a goal for future me.

I would highly recommend to visit Niagara falls before as I did it the other way around. The Niagara falls are stunning, do not get me wrong, but the Iguazu Falls will take your breath away.

5. Buenos Aires.

Just that. Buenos Aires. Wonderful. I will be back. I fell in love with the city. The last time I fell this hard was with Melbourne. Complete different cities, though.

6. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Just: