Around the sun we set off again! As 2025 comes to a close, we're taking a look back at the year and some of the most popular stories we published. Here are 10 of your favorite articles.
Register to Our free newsletter is here for more travel inspiration. You also get our travel e-book – we’re offering it for free!
Every year, Christina and I dissect Mr. & Mrs. Romance to see which of our stories have the most views and clicks, the most shares and comments.
It's so fun to see what you, our wonderful readers, have enjoyed the most over the past 12 months.
We're delighted to see how popular a lot of our travel content is this year – especially our Basic guidewhich did take longer to create than most other stories.
It's great to see some of our wine specialties making the top ten. We value our relationships with the wineries we work with, so it means a lot that the stories we create are relevant.
As always, thank you so much for your support and interest over the past year. You're the reason we do all this, so if you'd like us to write more (or less), let us know.
You can leave a comment here or on social media (we’re @mrandmrsromance on almost everything), or you can send us a private message there.
In the meantime, get into your top ten for 2026!
Cheers – Jim and Christina xx.
Top 10 in 2025
Parma Italian Food Tour
Every town in Italy seems to be vying to be the most food-focused region of the country, but Parma is truly in a league of its own.
Not only does the region produce its famous Parma ham, it's also the home of Parmesan cheese—perhaps the most ubiquitous (and imitated) cheese in the world.
We go behind the scenes on a food tour to learn how these two iconic Italian staples are made and what sets them apart from other deli offerings.
Essential Guide to Luang Prabang, Laos
Our trip to Laos this year was a real trip highlight. This was our first trip to Laos and we really fell in love with the culture, food, people and scenery.
While we loved everything we visited in Laos, Luang Prabang really stood out and this seems to resonate with you too.
you can Find the rest of the stories we wrote about our time in Laos here.
What is Blanc de Blancs?
We all know that Champagne – whether it’s actually the best sparkling wine or just has the best marketing – is the pinnacle of sparkling wine. But did you know that most Champagne is actually a blend of three different grapes?
If you've ever seen “Blanc de Blancs” on a bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine elsewhere, you may have wondered what it is and how it differs from regular sparkling wine.
We look at three different Blanc de Blancs wines and dig into what makes this wine different – if not better.
7 must-see attractions on the Death Railway
Without a doubt this was our most poignant travel experience to date, traveling on the Death Railway in western Thailand and attending the Anzac Day dawn service at Hell Crater was very special.
The Death Railway was built in 1942 and '43 by Allied forces and laborers from conquered Asia as part of Imperial Japan's war effort during World War II, and once led from Bangkok to the west coast of what was then Burma.
This story follows the rest of the route and picks out some of the most important surviving points to see. I'm glad it made the top ten because the history behind the railroad is so important.
Be sure to check out the accompanying video!
Our essential guide to Perth, Western Australia
Christina and I love making These basic guidelines — They are some of our earliest stories about MMR.
However, this basic guide is a little different: it comes from a trip that five of my mates and I took to Perth to watch the first Test of the Ashes.
But it still has lots of great suggestions for things to do, places to eat and drink, and covers Perth's three main areas: the city, Fremantle and the Swan Valley wine region.
Where to stay in Orange, New South Wales – Oriana Motel
Orange is one of my and Christina’s favorite parts of New South Wales. The food and wine are always on point and the locals are without exception very friendly.
This hotel review is a perfect example. Espen Harbitz, Oriana's owner, is brilliant, and his vision of creating a home with vintage charm that's both chic and comfortable has been fully realized here.
What's more, the food and wine in the hotel's Peacock Room bistro are not to be missed.
Our essential guide to Budapest, Hungary
We have wanted to go to Budapest for a long time. Finally, late last year, we made it to the Hungarian capital and this is what we found when we got there.
Without giving away too much of the story, I can tell you that Budapest far exceeded our expectations, which were already pretty high.
Could this be our new favorite European city? I wouldn't rule it out!
Keep the flame alive – we delve deeper into Scarborough wines
When you think of Hunter Valley wines (especially Chardonnay), you should also think of “Scarborough.”
The winemaking family, now in its second generation, has just launched its new ultra-premium range, Keepers of the Flame.
We spoke to Sally Scarborough, the daughter of Ian 'Scarbie' Scarborough and his wife Merralea, about her role in the family business, what it's like to be part of such an iconic brand, and how tradition and innovation work side by side as things evolve.
Get deep into the spirit of Sydney's Inner West Brewery Trail
Sydney's inner west is a very interesting part of the city. Once rather rundown, it is now a thriving entertainment and hospitality centre.
The Inner West Ale Trail has been around for a while, taking beer lovers on a tour of the many craft breweries that have set up shop here. But eventually, the winery finally got its day in the sun.
The Inner West Distillery Trail winds through the region's suburbs, showcasing some of the country's best gin, rum and whiskey makers.
Where to stay on the NSW South Coast – Cupitt's Estate, Ulladulla
We have been fans of Cubitt wines for a long time so were delighted to be invited to visit the winery and stay in their new accommodation.
The villa built by the Cupitt family overlooks the fields of the beautiful South Coast winery and brewery and is beautifully appointed and very close to the cellar door.
We also had the opportunity to taste wine in barrels in the underground wine cellar!
bonus: Our latest issue of Hint magazine!
I couldn't resist the chance to sneak in one last bit – the latest issue of our Tips magazine and gift guide is out now! You can grab a free digital copy here , and we publish a number of stories from the magazine here .
My personal favorite this year is We wrote this story to make Christmas unforgettable. I hope you'll find it as helpful in the reading process as we were in the cathartic process of making it.
Thanks again and wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
