While we look toward another big year of trips and stories, the writers and editors at CNN Travel take one last look at their favorite assignments from 2024:
Lilit Marcus (Hong Kong) got to visit one of Asia's most mysterious destinations. "Bhutan is one of the most incredible places I've ever had the opportunity to visit, in large part due to the hospitality of Bhutanese people. It was an honor to have the chance to highlight some of their voices."
Julia Buckley (Venice, Italy) enjoyed her day out with Monica Poli, the volunteer protecting tourists from pickpockets in Venice. "Living in Italy, I've noticed the rising petty crime rates – and it was good to watch Monica and her fellow volunteers alert tourists from something that might have ruined their vacation."
Forrest Brown (Atlanta) selected American food: The 20 greatest dishes as his favorite assignment. "I liked doing the research on this one. All the dishes — including the many contenders that didn't make the final, painful cut — had fascinating histories. Plus, I started eating poke bowls because of this."
Tamara Hardingham-Gill (London) loves writing for our Living the Dream series. "This story about a gay man and his female best friend, who had a short-lived marriage and ended up moving to the same town in Italy, along with their husbands, is one of my favorites as it's a great example of the power of friendship and chosen family."
Karla Cripps (Bangkok) dug into one of Thailand's most famous desserts this year — mango sticky rice. "I have lived in Bangkok for more than 20 years and eaten countless servings of this incredibly popular dish. But hearing from some of the city's oldest mango sticky rice purveyors made me appreciate it even more, if that's possible."
Maureen O'Hare (London) rode the Caledonian Sleeper train from busy London to the wilds of Scotland. "It was a magical experience to be rocked to sleep by the train carriage and to wake up in the full majesty of the Scottish Highlands." Come along for a video of her ride.
Francesca Street (London) likes writing love stories for Chance Encounters, but this year, she especially enjoyed a friendship-based story: "I loved speaking with the four friends who posed for a photo on vacation in 1972 and recently recreated it over 50 years later. It was moving and inspiring to hear them chat about their enduring friendship — not to mention, their recreated picture is amazing!"
Marnie Hunter (Atlanta) rode down I-75 to Macon, Georgia, for our inaugural America's Best Towns to Visit project. "This town is packed with stately Antebellum homes and musical history — Little Richard, Otis Redding and the Allman Brothers all spent time here. And Ocmulgee Mounds, a prehistoric Native American site, is likely to become Georgia's first National Park."
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