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Making lists is what I do. I love to make lists. Mostly for the satisfaction of crossing things off, but still a list is a good thing. It helps you plan, gives you something to work towards…a goal. So I’m amazed that up until now I hadn’t really come up with a travel bucket list. There were definitely a few things that I’ve always wanted to do or see. Some of them I’ve managed to do already, but there’s still a big wide world out there that I feel like I have to see.
I spent the best part of a week thinking of all the places I’d like to see in the world. Some of them are cities, or countries, others are specific sites to visit. When I couldn’t think of any more I got out the world map – or the digital version, because does anyone have an atlas anymore?! Now I want an atlas, ooh or a globe. That would be a cool living room decoration. Getting off topic here so back to my travel bucket list.
But without further ado, here are some of the places I have added to my travel bucket list to give you some ideas for your own:
- Do a safari in Africa – I love giraffes so I would be the happiest person to see them close up.
- The Pyramids of Egypt – I don’t know if this one needs a reason why. Big history buff over here, so ancient Egyptian history has fascinated me since I was a kid.
- Visit all 50 States – Currently I’m at 10 so I still have a ways to go.
Niagara Falls– I’ve been here, but I remember the first time I saw it and couldn’t believe the size of Niagara falls. The town is pretty tacky but the falls are a must see. You have to do the Canadian side though! We have the best view.
- Bran Castle, Romania – Dracula is one of my favourite books so I would love to see the Transylvanian castle that inspired it.
- Trans-Siberian rail journey – Maybe not the whole thing, but it would be great to do at least part of this rail trip.
- The Great Barrier Reef – I’ve only been to Sydney so didn’t get a chance to see the barrier reef. Given my experience snorkeling this one could be a challenge for me, but it’s on the list now.
- Cage diving with the Great White sharks – this looks badass. If I go to South Africa I’d have to do this. Again, just like the barrier reef I’m concerned about my fear of water. Weirdly enough though I’m OK with the sharks! Possibly the most intense of all my travel bucket list ideas though.
- Taj Mahal, India – It would be amazing to see the Taj Mahal, but I would also like to spend time in India. Such a big country, with great culture (and food).
- See the giant cacti in Arizona – I hear good things about Arizona, but I have to see some of those giant cacti in real life. It’s amazing how big they are.
Great Wall of China– living in China for 2 years I did visit the Great Wall from Beijing. It really is magnificent up close and to see how far it goes in each direction. There are many parts of the wall though, so my next stop will be one of the more remote areas (away from the big tour groups)
- Pompeii – I went to Rome a couple years ago, but with limited time I never made it to Pompeii. It looks like a fascinating place, and I’m big into history so this would be an interesting place to check out.
Antarctica – First of all, penguins! Actually that is all. No, but seriously it’s not easy or cheap to get there but there are companies out there that do cruises. You can see all the glaciers and see one of the remotest places on earth. That alone would be cool. - Disneyworld – last year I went to Disneyland for the first time, but going to Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida would be next level Disney awesomeness.
Want to visit California theme parks? Read all about Disneyland and Universal here
- Venice, Italy – gondola rides and Italian food, need I say more. I’d be pretty happy to follow the canals of Venice and enjoy a gondola ride.
- Machu Picchu – Hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu would be incredible. Any photos I’ve seen of it look jaw droppingly beautiful. Plus who wouldn’t want an Alpaca selfie?!
Stonehenge– although the proximity to the highway is not something widely mentioned, Stonehenge is still such an eerie, mind blowing place to visit. Who knew rocks would be so exciting and thought provoking? I went when I was a kid, and again a few years ago. It’s worth a visit for sure.
- See the gorillas in Uganda/Rwanda – To see gorillas in the wild would be a dream come true. I’ve heard that Uganda is a great place to go. It seems a little cheaper than Rwanda which has been the main place up until now that people flock to for this adventure.
- Blue Lagoon, Iceland – Although a major tourist trap in recent years, I think it still has to be seen and would love to visit. Iceland is not getting any cheaper so I may have to move this one higher up the list.
- Northern Lights – I could kill 2 birds with one stone when in Iceland, or I could travel up into Northern Canada, maybe the Yukon. Every now and again I hear that you can see the Northern Lights from Vancouver but I’ve never seen them here. I briefly saw them from a plane once but I would really like to see them fully.
- New Orleans – I’ve never been to any of the Southern U.S. states but New Orleans I feel has to be a major stop when I do.
- Petra, Jordan – Anything historic is usually a must do for me, but seeing photos of Petra in Jordan has always made me want to visit. Although not your typical tourist destination I might have to make the effort to head into the Middle East at some point.
- New York at Christmas time – I’ve been to New York 3 times now, twice in the summer and once in January. Such a great city, but my ultimate goal is to have the Kevin McCallister experience and stay at The Plaza hotel. Or at least visit it during Christmas, which is the more budget friendly plan. Outdoor skating, snow and the biggest Christmas tree…yes please!
- Madagascar – not just because of the movie, but lemurs are adorable. And if we’ve learned anything from my list so far it’s that I’m a sucker for a cute animal. So many unique animals there, and some beautiful beaches.
- Anne Frank’s house, Amsterdam – I read Anne Frank’s diary at school, and was always inspired by how brave and strong this girl was. Especially for someone who was about the age I was when I read it. A trip to Amsterdam wouldn’t be complete without going here.
- Auschwitz, Poland – continuing the theme, I’d like to visit Auschwitz. Not because it’s going to be a fun filled day out, but because I think everyone should go so people never forget what happened.
Meet elephants in Thailand– Another bucket list item fulfilled but one I think should be on your list if you love animals as much as I do. Getting to spend the day taking care of elephants at an ethical sanctuary in Chiang Mai was a dream come true.
Read all about how to visit an ethical elephant sanctuary in Thailand
- Athens and Santorini – I’ve never been to Greece but have always wanted to go. So much history, and beautiful islands. Athens would be my starting point to check out the Acropolis and the Parthenon, but I’d also love to walk the winding hills of the blue and white decorated island of Santorini.
- See the sea turtles in Costa Rica – it’s been a while since I had an animal place on my list, so here we go again, this time Costa Rica. Between sea turtles and the sloth sanctuary I recently found out about this place looks amazing.
- Angkor Wat, Cambodia – going to have to set the alarm clock to get there early enough for sunrise, but it looks worth it.
Colosseum, Rome– Rome has some major historical sites but seeing the Colosseum took my breath away.
- Ha Long Bay, Vietnam – the islands around Ha Long bay look incredible. I took a boat down the Lijiang river in China which I would imagine is similar but not as good as Ha Long would be.
- Route 66 – We’ve long talked about a U.S. roadtrip and Route 66 would certainly be the most iconic route to take. Plus that would definitely put a dent in my plan to visit all the states!
- John O’Groats and Dunnet Head, Scotland – I’ve been to the southernmost point in the U.K. (the Lizard Point), and Land’s End, one end of the longest route through the UK mainland. So it’s only right to go to the other end to see John O’Groats, and Dunnet Head which is the Northern most point of the mainland United Kingdom. While we’re at it I might as well ferry over to the Shetland Islands.
- Uluru – The journey to Ayers rock is a task in itself, and I’ve heard mixed reviews on whether it’s worth it. But for me, I think I would want to make go there.
- Norwegian Fjords – The spectacular scenery around the fjords is something that I have to see. Plus I might get to see whales!
- Grand Canyon – I’ve been to Las Vegas so it’s not that far to get to the Grand Canyon, next time I go I’m definitely going to head out here.
- See flamingos in the wild – they’re such beautiful birds. Heading out to some of the Caribbean islands to see them in the wild is a must.
Sistine chapel– Everyone should see this masterpiece. Yes, you’ll be herded along with a bunch of other people. No you probably won’t have time to get many really good photos. But being able to see it in real life is something to behold. I did this a few years ago when in Rome.
- Climb Mount Kilimanjaro – this is probably going to be one of the more challenging things on my list, but I would like to do it one day.
- Mount Everest – while we’re on about mountains, I’d like to put Everest on my list. No, I’m not planning on climbing it, but heading to the base camp and staring up at the biggest mountain on the planet? Yep, that’d be pretty amazing.
Well that wasn’t such a big travel bucket list was it? When I showed this to my boyfriend the other day, he almost laughed at how long this was. He told me I’d better get cracking if I want to see everything here. I know it’s not a small list, but it gives me a cool goal to work towards. Maybe I’ll cross everything off, maybe I won’t. But I’ll have fun trying!
What places do you have on your travel bucket list? I might need to add to mine, so always open to ideas. Although a few of these I’ve already seen, I wanted to leave them on the list. I think they are great things to see and I encourage anyone else to visit them also.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog post, leave a comment or share using the social media links below. What travel bucket list items have you crossed off? And which ones are you looking to do next?
