Bucket-list destinations for the adventurous
A bucket list is a pretty personal selection of must-see or must-do experiences. When it comes to travel, there are plenty of well-recognised big ticket destinations that are popular on people’s lists – the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Grand Canyon and Pyramids of Giza to name a few that are worth a visit. However, there are many other paths less travelled for additional and similarly inspiring attractions also worth considering.
Visit the Galapagos Islands – The Galápagos Islands are probably the most famous wildlife-watching destination in the world. And no wonder – it’s almost impossible to exaggerate the sheer spectacle of the place that provided inspiration for Charles Darwin’s ground-breaking theory of natural selection.
Visit the Amazon – The Amazon is a 7,000km river with thousands of tributaries. It is a 6.9 million square km basin, draining rivers and streams in eight countries (Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname), as well as French Guiana. Its forest is the largest on the planet and its biome – the forest combined with the savannah, floodplains and rivers – is a region of immense diversity, sheltering more than 30,000 plant species, 1,800 fish, 1,300 bird species, 311 mammal types and 165 types of amphibian.
See the Northern Lights – The Northern Lights are one of nature’s great displays: a mysterious, multicoloured show in which the night sky is suddenly lit up with a wondrous glow that twists and swirls like a heavenly lava lamp. Elusive and ethereal, it is one of the great, timeless thrills of travel, a beautiful, shifting dance of nocturnal rainbows that many viewers find a humbling and spiritually uplifting experience.
Witness the Serengeti's great migration – When United Nations delegates met in Stockholm in 1972 to choose the first World Heritage Sites it was the Serengeti that came top of the list. Today it is one of the most famous national parks on Earth, renowned for its magnificent lions but best known for its great migration.
Explore the temples of Angkor – The masterpiece of Angkor Wat is Cambodia’s most beloved and best preserved temple. The 500-acre site is one of the largest religious monuments in the world and represents the architectural pinnacle of the Khmer Empire. Originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, it has remained a place of worship since its founding in the 12th century.
See the sun rise over Bagan – Located in central Burma, Bagan is one of the world’s greatest archeological sites, a sight to rival Machu Picchu or Angkor Wat but, for the time being at least, without the visitors. The setting is sublime – a verdant 6700 hectare plain, part-covered in stands of palm and tamarind caught in a bend of the lazy-flowing Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) river and framed by the hazy silver-grey of distant mountains.