2015 in review – 25 best Instagram photos from around the world

I hope we all agree, 2015 was not bad at all! Thank you for another great year! I haven't been blogging as much. But my Instagram account @ivanhenares is alive and kicking. In April, Ivan About Town turned ten! I can't believe I've been blogging for a decade now.

This year, my international travel included trips to Malaysia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah, Abu Dhabi & Fujairah), Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Bhutan, Hong Kong, Italy, the Vatican City, France, Monaco, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Brunei, Kenya, Seychelles, India, and repeat trips to Dubai, Sharjah, Thailand and Hong Kong later in the year.

It's so difficult to pick the best memories from Instagram photos from around the world. I picked 25 of my favorites. And here they are! I made a separate entry for the 25 best photos from the Philippines.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building, in front of Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was built between 1894 to 1897 to house several government departments of British Malaya. It now houses the Ministry of Information, Communications & Culture.

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jan 13, 2015 at 1:51am PST

Al Zubarah Fort, a historic military fortress in Qatar, was built in 1938. It's part of the Al Zubarah Archaeological Site, a World Heritage Site. The walled coastal town of Al Zubarah flourished as a pearling and trading center in the Arabian Gulf.

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jan 16, 2015 at 1:50am PST

View of the West Bay business district from the Doha Corniche, a waterfront promenade along Doha Bay

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jan 16, 2015 at 9:48pm PST

You haven't been to Dubai if you don't try the Dubai Desert Safari. Dune bashing is like going on a wild roller coaster ride without tracks!

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jan 20, 2015 at 7:02pm PST

Gate of Al Jahili Fort in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Built in 1890 by Sheikh Zayed I, his grandson, UAE founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may have been born here in 1918.

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jan 21, 2015 at 6:43pm PST

Sunrise at Angkor Wat! Good morning from Siem Reap, Cambodia! We woke up really early to see this fantastic view. I hope I don't doze off at the conference later.

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Feb 4, 2015 at 5:24pm PST

Saigon Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is a popular destination for visitors. Yes, sending postcards and letters to family and friends still happens even with the Internet. And I noticed it has a radiant layer of fresh paint!

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Feb 8, 2015 at 11:21pm PST

With young monks at Chimi Lhakhang, also called the Temple of the Divine Madman, in Lobesa, Punakha, Bhutan

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Mar 14, 2015 at 6:52am PDT

Butter lamps made from yak butter burn at a small shrine near the Taktshang Monastery in Paro, Bhutan. Butter lamps are a conspicuous feature of Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries throughout the Himalayas.

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Mar 16, 2015 at 9:29am PDT

Arch of Constantine, a triumphal arch in Rome, Italy, situated between the Colosseum and Palatine Hill, was erected to commemorate the victory of Constantine I over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312AD

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jul 14, 2015 at 6:31am PDT

In Tuscany, Italy, sunflowers reach peak bloom in the middle of July. Visitors travel to Italy for scenic drives and bike rides through the Tuscan countryside to view the endless sunflower fields.

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jul 17, 2015 at 12:36am PDT

View of the French Riviera town of Saint-Tropez from Chapelle Sainte-Anne

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jul 18, 2015 at 9:12pm PDT

St. Leodegar im Hof (Church of St. Leodegar) with its tall steeples is a landmark of Lucerne, Switzerland. Lucerne is a picturesque city by the lake.

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jul 20, 2015 at 8:48am PDT

The Grossmünster towers over guild houses in the Altstadt (Old Town) of Zurich, Switzerland

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jul 20, 2015 at 3:12pm PDT

The Historic Centre of Graz, Austria is a World Heritage Site. Hallo aus Graz!

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jul 23, 2015 at 7:14am PDT

Glavni trg is the main square of Maribor, Slovenia. In the square are Maribor Town Hall and the Plague Memorial (Kužno znamenje), a monument erected by pious burghers in gratitude for the end of a 1680 plague. Dober dan iz Maribora!

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jul 23, 2015 at 2:33pm PDT

The Gornji Grad (Upper Town) of Zagreb, Croatia. Banski dvori, along with the Baroque mansion beside it, is the seat of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. Since 1734, the Croatian Parliament has taken up the east side of St. Mark's Square.

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jul 24, 2015 at 5:24am PDT

Venice, Italy never fails to impress me. It was a fantastic two weeks in Europe. Thanks Dad!

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Jul 25, 2015 at 4:21am PDT

Masjid Omar 'Ali Saifuddien in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Sep 23, 2015 at 3:14am PDT

Pelicans and flamingos at the Lake Nakuru National Park in #Kenya. Lake Nakuru is part of the Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley, a World Heritage Site.

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Oct 1, 2015 at 1:20am PDT

There are nine subspecies of giraffes scattered around Africa. We saw several herds of Rothschild's giraffes at the Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya. In Maasai Mara, the Masai giraffe is more common.

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Oct 1, 2015 at 4:17am PDT

Amboseli National Park in Kajiado, #Kenya has an Observation Hill that offers a fantastic 360° view of the park. It also has a great view of Mount Kilimanjaro. But it was covered by clouds when we were up the hill.

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Oct 2, 2015 at 8:30pm PDT

Seychelles was fantastic! Merzi #Seychelles! Orevwar! #VisitSeychelles

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Oct 24, 2015 at 2:37pm PDT

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (former Victoria Terminus Station) is a World Heritage Site and historic railway station in #Mumbai, #Maharashtra, #India. It looks fantastic even with the haze. It's an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture #IncredibleIndia

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Oct 25, 2015 at 6:25am PDT

Cloudy day in Hong Kong today. Just had my fix of Tim Ho Wan's Baked Buns with BBQ Pork!

A photo posted by Ivan Henares (@ivanhenares) on Dec 4, 2015 at 10:46pm PST

Continue to the 25 best Instagram photos from around the Philippines.