30 of My Best Pictures of 2016

Its that time of the year to relive the memories of the year that is bidding goodbye and to welcome the new one with a bang.

2016 – What a year its been! It has been a year where some of my long term dreams and aspirations came true and some new ones were born.  2016 has been special to me for many reasons.

• I started my travel blog Hopping Miles in 2016. Though this thought was born sometime in 2015, I took it seriously in 2016 – thus Hopping Miles was born to inspire myself and others to go out and see the world like there is no tomorrow.
• I traveled to Europe for the first time in 2016 – Croatia deserves a special mention here. It was in 2012 when I saw a picture of Plitvice Lakes National Park and Croatia went on top of my excel sheet where I list out the places I’d like to see at least once in my lifetime. In an attempt to save some bucks on the flight to Croatia, we planned to land in Italy and then travel to Croatia. But ended up exploring a lot of Italy too!
• Had some of the experiences that will last a lifetime and beyond. Self drive road trip in Europe, boat ride inside the Blue Grotto in Italy, reliving Game of Thrones in Dubrovnik, walking on rumbling wooden paths in between the waterfalls in Plitvice Lakes National Park, remembering Disney’s fairy tale stories at Lake Bled in Slovenia, staring at limestone white washed houses with beautiful flowers tumbling out of the roof in Alberobello, setting foot in the world’s smallest country – Vatican City – without even a stamp in the passport, a train journey that took us to heaven and back in Bernina Express, Switzerland and much more such lovely experiences.
• Back here in India, though we could not travel our heart’s content due to certain family concerns, we squeezed out time for Wayanad, Kabini, Mysore and a short trip to Gandikota and Belum Caves in Andhra Pradesh and numerous road trips within Karnataka.

Have tried picking 30 photos, which I think were my best ones in 2016 from a hard disk flooded with hundreds of GB of pictures.

So, lets get the party started!!

Scenes from India

A short drive away from Bengaluru, Avalabetta was a respite from crowds!

The famous Frog head view point of Avalabetta

Kabini teeming with wealthy Flora and Fauna

Dawn dawns upon!

I always love to capture flowers – Lotus @ Red Earth Kabini!

Beauty is in the simplicity!

Wayanad – A land of hilly tea estates and misty mornings

A morning scene in Wayanad

Nature’s way of mystery @ Belum Caves, Andra Pradesh

Light plays!

The Grand Canyon of India – Gandikota, Andra Pradesh

Staring the vistas!

Scenes from Abroad

Vast sea hugging the rugged cliffs lined with orange tiled houses of Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik’s Cityscape

King’s Landing of The Game of Thrones was shot in Dubrovnik

King’s Landing

Limestone houses with conical roofs made of stacked stones in Alberobello, Italy

An entire town of white washed houses!

Display of world’s best Ferraris in birth town of Ferrari – Maranello, Italy

Vintage Beauties!

A UNESCO Heritage site which is a train Ride!

Scenes from Bernina Express, Switzerland

Lovely town of St. Moritz, Switzerland

Clouds inching to burst over a pretty town in Switzerland

Can’t even start to describe this scene!

Up on the bridge, into the tunnel, between the mountains, into the woods goes my train, O such a beauty!

This city needs no introduction – Venice it is!

Gondola ride!

Castles in Disney movies were inspired from this – Bled Castle,Slovenia

Slovenia’s pride!

Pebble beach in Marina Grande – Capri, Italy.

Playful!

Leaning from over centuries – Piazza del Duomo, Pisa

Standing tall yet lean!

Crashed into a wedding in Medjugorje – Bosnia and Herzegovina

Simple and elegant!

One of the best stretches to drive in the world – Amalfi Coast, Italy

Roads snaking through choppy mountains and deep blue sea!

Blue Grotto, an experience to be savoured forever!

Just look at that color! Pure Magic!

Always a pleasure to drive in Slovenia!

Road from Ljubljana to Bled in Slovenia

Truly a nature’s wonder – Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Yes! I walked on that path 🙂

Voted as Europe’s best destination of 2016 – Zadar, Croatia

Sparkling Waters of Zadar’s seascape

The wild beauty of old town of Kotor in Montenegro.

The zig-zag path takes up to the castle high up on the mountain!

Road that never ends – Somewhere in south of Italy

One tunnel lead us to another and another which was beyond another!

UNESCO Heritage site of Magnificent Royal Palace of Caserta, Italy

Loved these glass chairs! Truly Royal!

A city or a country? The Vatican!

Huge arena of Vatican City!

After seeing European Summer which was happy and green, the real taste of summer was experienced in Qatar!

Qatar’s Skyline!

Best is for the last! Romance brewing in history @ Colosseum, Rome❣

Awwww!

Been to these places? Would love your feedback ! 🙂

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