Travel Inspiration: Your Ultimate Global Bucket List

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Right now it feels like we’ll never travel again. The end is unfortunately not in sight. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be dreaming about future trips, gap years, backpacking trips and vacations around the world. In fact, now might be as good a time as any to really work on that travel bucket list you’ve wanted to make for a while. And I’m here to help you out so you don’t have to think too hard. Travel inspiration by the boat load, listed by region so you can drool over some of the best places on the planet you really don’t want to miss.

Africa

I have been working towards an Africa trip for some time. But where to start. Africa is huge and has such varied cultures and experiences. From the Northern countries to South Africa there is a ridiculous amount of amazingness in between. I’m not going to lie, a big part of your Africa travel inspiration is going to be animal focused. And why not? Some of the coolest animals on the planet are here. People pay big bucks to see these incredible creatures in the wild. And thank goodness for more responsible and sustainable tourism. Still, do your research and make sensible decisions when traveling to Africa to make sure your experience is the best one it can be.

1. Release your inner Indiana Jones at The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
2. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
3. Cross the Sahara Desert on a camel, Morocco
4. Hike Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
5. See penguins at Boulders Beach, South Africa
6. Visit Chefchaouene, the Blue City, Morocco
7. See gorillas in the wild, Rwanda/Uganda/Democratic Republic of Congo
8. Have an eerie visit to Kolmanskop ghost town, Namibia
9. Hike Table Mountain, South Africa
10. Go on an African Safari to see the Big 5, Kenya
11. Visit the childhood home of Queen’s Freddie Mercury, Zanzibar
12. See lemurs in Madagascar
13. Take a tour through the medinas of Marrakech or Fez to buy souvenirs, Morocco
14. Stay at the incredible Giraffe Manor, Kenya
15. Hold your breath and cage dive with Great White sharks, South Africa

Asia

My personal experience with Asia has been fantastic. I love visiting Asia as it’s so different from anywhere else. The largest continent holds some of my favorite foods and the places I have been most in awe of. Please make sure to expand your trip beyond only South East Asia, but that’s a good start. I spent two years living in China teaching English and that was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Asia will take you to the edge of your comfort zone and beyond, but push through and let the little things go and you will do just fine. I’ll let you in on a secret, I think it’s my favorite region I’ve traveled to so far and the source of a lot of my travel inspiration.

16. Walk part of the Great Wall of China
17. Get up stupid early to see Angkor Wat at sunrise, Cambodia
18. Take an overnight cruise on Halong Bay, Vietnam
19. Go dragon spotting on Komodo Island, Indonesia
20. See the Terracotta Warrior army, Xian, China
21. Get mobbed by bunnies on Rabbit Island, Japan
22. Stay in an underwater room in a top notch hotel, The Maldives
23. Hike around the rice fields of Sapa, Vietnam
24. Layer up and visit Harbin for the ice festival, China
25. Go to the top of the Petronas Towers, Malaysia
26. Drink a Singapore Sling at The Raffles Hotel, Singapore
27. Another early start to visit the Taj Mahal, India
28. Walk around taking pictures of Cherry Blossoms, Japan
29. Cycle around the countryside from Yangshuo, China
30. Swim with whale sharks, Philippines
31. Go Kart around the streets of Tokyo, Mario style, Japan
32. Stand in line for your picture at Heaven’s Gate, Indonesia
33. See Orang-utans in Borneo
34. Find a Thai island to relax on for a few days, Thailand
35. Attend Bagan Balloon Festival, Myanmar

Europe

My home continent. I grew up in the United Kingdom and lived there into my twenties. I feel at home in Europe. It’s different without being too different. Comfortable without being too comfortable. Each country has its own unique culture and style but there’s a familiar undertone in a lot of places you might go. This is the one continent where you might be able to knock off the highest number of countries in one trip. Heck, you’d be able to visit multiple countries in a day no problem. But don’t let the country counting take over your travel inspiration. Slow down, appreciate the history and take advantage of the cafe culture of a lot of European countries where you can sit and watch the world go by.

36. Marvel at the Colosseum, Rome Italy
37. Spend Christmas with Santa Claus in Lapland, Finland
38. Try not get to get “sucked” in at the eerie Transylvanian Bran Castle (Dracula’s castle), Romania
39. Search for Nessie at the infamous Loch Ness, Scotland
40. Get your perfect Instagram pose with the tulip fields in Lisse, Netherlands
41. Have a pint of the black stuff at Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse, Ireland
42. Stroll across the historic Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic
43. Respectfully visit Auschwitz concentration camp, Poland
44. Relax and be calm in the Fjords of Norway
45. Visit Moscow’s Red Square
46. Stand in awe of the giant stones of Stonehenge, England
47. Have pint or seven at Munich’s annual Oktoberfest, Germany
48. Climb the Eiffel Tower for amazing views of Paris, France
49. Step back in time to Chernobyl, Ukraine
50. Run through fields in the Swiss Alps Julie Andrews style, Switzerland
51. Rent a car and drive the Golden Circle, Iceland
52. Navigate the roads to get to Positano on the Amalfi coast, Italy
53. Get your Game of Thrones on in Dubrovnik, Croatia
54. Don your red dress for a trip to Santorini, Greece
55. Visit the historic city of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Middle East

Hot, dry heat. Deserts. Conservative countries. That’s often most people’s idea of the Middle East. But the region of the world with some of the most ancient cities and religions is also a fascinating one that shouldn’t be missed. There’s more to the Middle East than camel trekking and high buildings (although they are not to be missed). Immerse yourself in the cultures, the food and the beauty of buildings that will give you unbelievable travel inspiration. And for goodness sake don’t forget to cover up – both as a sign of respect in a lot of places, and to protect yourself from the often oppressive sun.

56. Bathe in the thermal waters of Pamukkale, Turkey
57. Visit the famous archaeological site of Petra, Jordan
58. Enjoy sky high views from the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, UAE
59. Visit one of the oldest cities of the world, Damascus, Syria
60. See the balloons floating among the rock formations of Cappadocia, Turkey
61. Stare into the “door to hell”, Derweze, Turkmenistan
62. Visit the otherworldly looking Socotra Islands, Yemen
63. Explore the holy capital of Jerusalem, Israel
64. Float in the Dead Sea, Jordan/Israel
65. See the incredible mosaic like buildings of Iran

North America and the Caribbean

I have for the sake of ease combined North America and the Caribbean for the purpose of this travel inspiration bucket list. North America is my adopted home. I have now lived in Canada for 10 years. Coming from Europe where I can probably visit 4 countries in a day easily, it’s unfathomable to think that I can drive for over 2 days non-stop and still not get from one side of Canada to the other. It makes domestic trips and vacations to the United States a lot more appealing, and easier. There’s a plethora of truly stunning National Parks here and the landscapes of North America and the Caribbean are so diverse that you might never need to visit another continent and still run out of time to see everything you want to here.

66. Stare into the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
67. Continue your world wonders theme at Niagara Falls, Canada
68. Visit the incredible Chichen Itza, Mexico
69. Scout out beautiful old cars in Havana, Cuba
70. Strain your neck looking up at the incredible Rocky mountains and visit the town of Banff, Canada
71. Drive Route 66 through the United States of America
72. Ride horses on a beach and in the water in Jamaica
73. Get lost for hours in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, Canada
74. Go snorkeling with the stingrays in Grand Cayman
75. Drive the Road to Hana, Maui, USA
76. Meet some swimming pigs at Pig Beach, Bahamas
77. See Las Coloradas (the pink lakes), Mexico
78. Get up close with polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba in Canada
79. Party like it’s 1999 at Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago
80. Gawp at the sheer size of the trees in Redwood National Park, USA
81. Experience Day of the Dead, Mexico
82. Go on the goldrush trail to Barkerville, BC in Canada
83. Fly over the big blue hole in Belize
84. Get your camera ready for Antelope Canyon, USA
85. Stay in an isolated cabin/hotel like this one in Whitehorse and witness the Northern Lights, Canada

South America and Central America

Funnily enough I haven’t made it to South or Central America yet. Which actually makes this travel inspiration bucket list the real deal because it’s my list. Places I have wanted to visit and will hopefully get to soon. South America is not the most obvious choice of travel destination when you grow up in Europe, but now I’m Team North America it makes getting to South and Central America a much more feasible option. Much like my Africa list, this one started to get a little animal-experience heavy until I reminded myself I needed to branch out. But since the continent is home to one of the world’s most incredible ecosystems, it’s hard not to think about South and Central America and conjure up a few cute looking animals.

86. Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru
87. Incredible wildlife spotting on the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
88. Marvel at the giant heads of Easter Island, Chile
89. Help sea turtles in Costa Rica
90. Take a trip to the Amazon Rainforest, Brazil
91. Visit the salt flats in Bolivia
92. See the impressive Iguazu Falls, Argentina
93. Hike up to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
94. Stand in both hemisphere’s at the “middle of the world”, Ecuador
95. Visit the beautiful Cartagena, Colombia

Oceania and Antarctica

Antarctica is a travel inspiration unto itself, and has been incredibly high on my list for a while, but it only made sense to group in Oceania and Australia here too. I was lucky enough to visit the land down under a few years ago and it only made me realize that country is more vast than I could ever have imagined and that I need to go back. But why stop there? There are so many beautiful unspoiled island nations in the Southern Hemisphere that make me think packing carry on only could actually be done. Since I’d be happy to sit by these pristine beaches and swim in the crystal clear waters for weeks on end I wouldn’t need much with me. It might take a while to get there from the North, but it’s worth the effort I promise.

96. Gaze out over the Blue Mountains, Australia
97. Visit the Shire at Hobbiton, New Zealand
98. Mail a postcard at the underwater Post Office, Vanuatu
99. Get a quokka selfie at Rottnest Island, Australia
100. Go snorkeling/diving in the beautiful waters of Samoa
101. Kayak around the ice of Antarctica
102. Enjoy a glass of wine or two on Waiheke Island, New Zealand
103. Straddle the International Date Line in Fiji
104. Brave the black flies to see Uluru in Australia
105. See penguins up close in Antarctica

Travel inspiration bucket list

Dream big and travel often. For me that’s the key to being happy. I am never happy unless I’m planning a trip. And if I’ve already decided where to visit you can be sure I’ll soon be zooming out on that map to find somewhere else close by that I can fit in at the same time. I love making lists and I love traveling, so a bucket list is my perfect rainy day activity. Create your own today and make your travel inspiration a reality.

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