15 Most popular Instagram TRAVEL photos of 2015

If you like reading our articles here on Backpack ME, chances are you’d enjoy our Instagram feed. This is where we share snippets from our trips in real time. Focusing on stunning landscapes, exotic meals, people we see and silly observations we make on the go.

 

These are Backpack ME’s

most popular Instagram photos from 2015:

 
 

15. Happy Eid!

This is the photo we used to wish our Muslim friends and followers around the world a Happy Eid. Little we knew back then, that we’d still spend a month in Istanbul this year!

 

 

14. 7 Kgs of Summer Fruits for $7

One of my favorite things about our stay in Santiago de Chile, were my visits to the local wholesale market, La Vega. This place is incredible! And even more so during Summer, when you can buy Kgs of incredibly fresh local produce, for amazingly competitive prices.

 

 

13.  Taipei at night, as seen from Taipei 101

They say you can’t go to Taipei and not visit the top of Taipei 101. Well, when we visited the weather didn’t allow us to enjoy much of a view. But that changed when it became dark and Taipei’s city lights started to come on…

 

 

12. Golden Hour at The Monastery in Petra

This is The Monastery in Petra, Jordan. After The Treasury, popularized by the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, this is the most well-known structure in this archeological park. Yet not everybody reaches it, as it involves a pretty long and steep walk. Personally, I found it extremely worth it. Not only because we reached at a time when the building looked golden and majestic (this photo is #nofilter), but also because we met a local nearby. His name was Abdullah and he invited us for sugary tea. He professed his love for the Bedouin lifestyle and this place, his corner of the planet. “This is the best place in the world”, he said. And, in that moment, it was hard to disagree with him!

 

 

11. Roaming the streets of Taipei

Sunday afternoon in Taipei: we arrived to Taiwan during the weekend and, even though we’d heard that the city is pretty busy and traffic is crazy, it sure didn’t look like it on a Sunday. Yet at night things changed. People started coming out, eateries opened up and the buzz that I enjoyed so much in Taipei was definitely there!

 

 

10. Reflections of The Andes

This was our very first Instagram photo of 2015. Taken from a hotel window, during golden hour (at around 9PM!) in Santiago de Chile. We had just flown in from Northern Europe and I remember thinking what a privilege it was to be in the Southern Hemisphere, where everything was so warm and bright!

 

 

9. At the beach in Cascais

If there is one thing that Portuguese people have a confessed love for (apart from food) that is the beach! This is July at the beach in the Portuguese city of Cascais. Warm sun, cold water, but a lot of fun!

 

 

8. The Movie-like town of Jiufen, TAIWAN

You might have heard of the movie Spirited Away by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. If you haven’t, I urge you to watch it now, as it is breathtakingly beautiful! While in Taiwan, we visited the town of Jiufen, Miyazaki’s inspiration for some of the visuals of his movie.

If you’ve seen the movie, notice the creature sitting on top of this temple’s roof. Who does it remind you of? :)

 

 

7. Sunny day in Lisbon

Summer time in Lisbon rocks. The skies are blue, the air is clear… even people seem to be in a better mood! Colored by the typical terracotta roofs, this is a view of Lisbon’s hills on a bright summer day!

 

 

6. An Indian Thali in Lisbon

Thalis seem to be well beloved on our Instagram feed – last year, our most popular photos also included one of these delicious Indian platters.

This time, we shared a beautiful Indian meal from Lisbon. Looking for a great thali in the Portuguese Capital? Zaafran will do the trick!

 

 

5. A summer night in Santiago de Chile

Fellow blogger and friend Nomadic Chica (pictured here) took us trekking one day in Santiago. She has a secret spot, one where no other people are usually found. And that’s exactly where we went! We climbed, we snacked, we rested… and waited for the night lights of Santiago to guide our way back home!

If you can keep a secret, this spot is Cerro Manqueuito. Right next to the popular Cerro Manqueue.

 

 

4. Snow-capped volcano in Chile

It’s funny how, traveling in Chile, you get so used to the sight of a volcano. There are so many in the country! Yet Osorno, the mighty snow-capped volcano you see in this photo, does stand out. It is popularly seen from Puerto Varas, across Lake Llanquihue, dominating the scenery. We were driving between Frutillar and Puerto Varas when a (rare) clear day allowed us a view of mighty Osorno from the road. It was almost as if placed there on purpose, to complete a perfect picture with this rustic cottage.

 

 

3. The Hanging Glacier

It’s because of landscapes such as this one, with the Ventisquero Colgante, that Ashray got inspired to write an article declaring that Chile is the Most Beautiful Country in the World. Indeed, you do not see a hanging glacier everyday! And you do not certainly get to kayak so close to such natural wonders that often either.

 

 

2. A view at “The End of the World”

After almost 2 months road-tripping in Patagonia (Chile + Argentina) we reached our final spot: Punta Arenas. This is where we clicked this photo. We stood there relaxing and soaking up the sun, just like the local birds. And imagining the wonders that exist on the other side of these waters… in Antarctica!

 

 

1. One of the most beautiful cities in the world: LISBON!

Lisbon always gets a lot of love among our Instagram followers. And we’re happy about that, because it is well deserved. This photo of Bica’s Lift coming up a slope in downtown Lisbon was our most liked photo this year. Colorful, charming and down-to-earth, I think it managed to capture the essence of the traditional side of Lisboa.

 

Do you have a favorite pic?

Follow us on Instagram and travel with us daily!

 

Right now, Instagramming from India.

Next stops: Portugal & Finland.