When you accomplish half of your travel bucket list in 3 years, It's time for a re-fill. A little over 3 years ago after a life changing 3 day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon I wrote a blog outlining 10 bucket list travel destinations that I would like to experience in my lifetime. At the time my travel experience was somewhat limited in comparison to what it is now. At the time I thought the list was quite ambitious, but as my travel knowledge grew and the possibilities of future trips began to reveal themselves I begin to realize that there were far more places I was interested in going than there were places I had already been. The more experiences you have under your belt the more you start to understand what is most appealing to your own self. For me I put a priority on natural beauty and unique experiences that cant be experienced anywhere else but that place. With that being said the #1 thing I've learned is that it's not where you go, it's what you do when you get there. With this new list I will attempt to explain my reasons why I find the different locations appealing.
#18 Bora Bora
Bora Bora is considered by many as the most beautiful island in the world. That alone makes it a worth while bucket list item. It looks like it has lush mountain scenery like Hawaii and water as clear as the Caribbean. With that being said, I don't know what else it has to offer. What can you do here that you can't do in Mexico, the Bahamas, or Hawaii? maybe someday I will find out, but until I find out some other unique trait about it, its going to remain last on my list.
#17 Oregon Adventure
Things to do in Oregon -
1. Columbia River Gorge
2. Snake River Rafting
3. Crater Lake National Park
4. one of the most scenic coastlines in the continental US
#16 Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are a chain of islands not far from the UK. I Have not known about this place long enough to research specifics but the scenery looks incredible.
#15 Machu Picchu
A journey to Peru and the Andes to witness the scenery of this past Incan civilization would be a truly unique adventure both visually and culturally.
#14 New Zealand
No list would be complete without including Middle Earth....The Milford Sound and glow worm caves would be awesome to see. With that being said I think the fame of the Lord of the Rings has made New Zealand a little bit overrated, especially considering how far away it is from the US. The country is also very spread out which means you would need a month to explore it properly. Both Iceland and Norway offer better scenery and are much easier to get to and for that reason, New Zealand is not so high on my list....
#13 Son Doong exploration
The largest cave in the world wasn't even explored until 2009. If they re-wrote the 8 natural wonders of the world...Son Doong would be on the list.The cave is so large that is has a rain forest growing inside of it. Of all the things on my list this one is probably the least likely I will be able to do. It requires a serious amount of conditioning and im not getting any younger....but its on the list anyway in case of a mid-life crisis.
#12 Grand Canyon 7 Day
The 3 day trip we did on the lower Grand Canyon was spectacular. I wouldnt expect anything less on the upper end, but the rapids are supposed to be even bigger.
#11 Yosemite, Sequoia and Death Valley National Parks
Of what I consider the "Big 5" US National Parks (Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion & Glacier) Yosemite is the only one I haven't experienced and I cannot count how many people have told me that they liked Yosemite the best....along the way you can also go to Death Valley National Park & Sequoia National Park on the same trip
#10 Canyon Lands, Arches, and Monument Valley
Moab is considered the "Adventure Capital of the West" and its easy to see why. This surrounding area is a heaven for outdoors enthusiasts.
Things to do
1. Raft Cataract Canyon
2. Hot air balloon over Canyon Lands
3. Arches National Park
4. Moab Canyoneering
5. Cliff Rapelling
6. Jeep offroading
7. dead Horse State park
8. Goblin Valley
9. Monument Valley
10. Page, Arizona
11. Yant Fant
#9 Patagonia
Spreading across Argentina and Chile, Patagonia offers epic views, glaciers and world class hiking. I haven't researched the specifics of this trip quite yet, but it looks to certainly be bucket list worthy.
#8 Hawaii Adventure - Kauai & Big Island
There are several islands that make up Hawaii with Maui and Oahu being the most popular tourist destinations, but it didnt take me long to decide which islands I would rather travel. Between the Hawaii'n islands of Kauai and the Big Island there is enough adventure and exploration opportunities to justify making a trip. Kauai is considered by many as the most scenic of the Hawaiian islands. It is where Jurassic Park was filmed and is home to the Napali Coast: the most beautiful shore line in the world. The Big Island of Hawaii offers great snorkeling and is home to the most active volcano in the world.
Things to do Kauai & Big Island
1. Napali Coast Tour
2. Waimea Canyon
3. Tunnels Beach
4. Night Manta Ray Snorkeling
5. Lava Boat Tour
6. Lava Chasing
7. Volcanos National Park
#7 Galapagos Cruise
No place in the world like the Galapagos. Traveling from island to island on a yacht and exploring the unique wildlife on all the islands has long been on my list of things to do. Swimming with sea lions, seeing massive land tortoises and snorkeling with marine Iguanas are just a few of the things that you cant do anywhere else.
#6 Norway
Considered by many as the most beautiful country in the world, the Fjords of Norway should be on everyone's list. Norway is a very large country that may take more than one trip to thoroughly explore. Norway is also home to some of the most epic hikes in the world.
Things to do in Norway
1. Cruise or Kayak the Gerainger Fjord
2. Visit the Lofoten Islands
3. Hike the Troltunga
4. Hike Kerag
5. Hike Pulpit Rock
6. Several other fjords
#5 The Wave
Located here in the US, "The Wave" is the most protected hike in the world. It is located somewhere along the border of Utah and Arizona. Only 20 people per day are allowed to hike, so there is a lottery system in place. It is very low odds to get selected, but anytime im in the area, im going to try.
#4 Arctic Cruise
Tracking polar bears, whales and walrus in Spitsbergen to go along with amazing scenery would be a trip of a lifetime. There are very many different cruise options for this but the trips are very expensive. It would be a nature experience unlike any other.
#3 South Africa
no bucket list is complete without a trip to experience the wildlife of Africa. You could fill an entire bucket list with only trips exploring the continent of Africa, but for my first trip I will focus solely on South Africa
Things to do in South Africa
1. Great White Shark Cage Diving
2. Kruger National Park
3. Big 5 Safari
4. Cape Town
5. Table Mountain National Park
6. Ukatula Lion Park
#2 Iceland
The land of fire & ice is a landscape photographers dream world. Nowhere else on earth packs in as much diverse landscapes in a small area. Iceland's size is comparable to the state of Virginia and can be traveled in a week. It has a road called the "ring road" that goes completely around the country making it the greatest road trip on earth. Its a destination that is only a 6 hour flight from New York making it the most convenient place in Europe to get to. Anybody that has New Zealand on the top of their list probably is not aware of what all Iceland has to offer and how much closer it is in comparison.
Things to do in Iceland
1. Drive the ring road
2. Go inside a volcano
3. Snorkel between two continents at Silfra
4. visit the highlands of Landmannaluger
5. Glacier Climbing in Skaftafell
6. The Blue Lagoon
7. Visit Jokusarlon Glacier lagoon
8. Explore the westman Islands
9. Snafelsness Peninsula
10. East Fjords - West Fjords
#1 Antarctica Expedition
The most wild place on earth where you can see mountain size ice bergs and walk among penguin colonies can only be found in Antarctica. It is the pinnacle of all adventure travel. Nothing else is more extreme and extravagant than an expedition to the white planet. The expense is almost as extreme as the experience, but sometimes you get what you pay for.
