Our Editors' Most Memorable Travel Experiences of 2024

19.12.2024 - 16:33 / cntraveler.com / Bora Bora / Megan Spurrell / Kayla Brock

When planning a trip, the first things to sort out are typically how you'll get there and where you'll stay. Once those foundational elements are locked down, you can get into the nitty-gritty of how you'll spend your days—and it's these activities that often become the core memories of a trip. Maybe there's a food market you're dying to roam through, or a concert the visit is planned around. Perhaps this trip is your chance to try a new sport, like surfing, or push your adrenaline further by skydiving. While looking back at our year in travel, we decided to poll our editors on their most memorable travel experiences of 2024, in hopes it'll inspire some of your future itineraries.

Paragliding Oludeniz

I always said I’d never go skydiving, but I would try paragliding. It might sound odd, but to me, it made sense. I’d been pushing it off for years—always with the chance, but never following through. After all, I'm a little terrified of heights. But this summer, during a vacation in Europe, I decided to push myself. And where better to do it than Ölüdeniz, Turkey, one of the top places for paragliding? Standing at the edge of the cliff, my heart was racing. My guide told me the key part was the run at takeoff. So, I took a breath, closed my eyes, and ran. Next thing I knew, I felt nothing under my feet and saw the most stunning crystal-blue water. It was so peaceful, so calming, and honestly one of the best experiences I’ve ever forced myself to do. —Kayla Brock, associate social media manager

On a trip to French Polynesia that was hands down among my favorite—I watched pro surfers in Tahiti, slept on Marlon Brando’s private atoll, ate boundless amounts on tuna sashimi—I keep thinking back to an afternoon I spent snorkeling over massive manta rays in Bora Bora. This island gets teased about being Bora Boring (don’t shoot the messenger!) because it’s totally stunning, but most people stick to their chaise lounge or plunge pool with a cocktail in hand. I’m not the type, so I spent a Sunday on a little boat tour that took me snorkeling in marine life hotspots (nice and easy to arrange through the Four Seasons Bora Bora). I dove between eagle rays, glided silently above majestic manta rays. It started raining and I barely noticed as I was watching the show unfold below the surface. —Megan Spurrell, associate articles director

Opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024

I’ll never forget cheering from the banks of the Seine in a plastic rain poncho, my dress soaked and loafers sloshing. The rain didn’t let up once during the four-hour Opening Ceremony, but as we watched boatloads of beaming athletes float past us one by one waving their national flags, my smile could not have been wider. By the time the