Where should you travel based on your bucket list?

Have an itch you feel like you need to scratch? With many bucket list items, it’s not a case of what but how. And although you may know the things you want to achieve, see or do in your lifetime, you may not know the best place to go to do them. In this article, we help you work out where you should travel based on your bucket list. 

Looking to tick that final elusive continent off your list? Well, it’s time to cruise to Antarctica. This seventh continent, and the least explored by humans, is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Journey there on a cruise and visit Port Lockroy, which is home to the most remote post office in the world and a colony of penguins. As you sail through the frozen water and towering icebergs, you’ll thank your lucky stars you decided to take a trip there. 

Victor’s Travels told us what his motivation for visiting Antarctica was, “After my first 6 months of backpacking in 2009, I wanted to go and travel again but this time trying to accomplish the craziest thing I could think of. Hitchhiking to the moon didn’t seem feasible at the time so I decided to travel from North Pole (a little town in Alaska) to Antarctica for charity. It was an amazing journey and I’m very happy I made it.

“It was absolutely magical stepping foot on Antarctica. The remoteness of it can be felt by just being there. The serenity, lack of people and traffic, overwhelming natural beauty and the thousands of penguins and other animals make it feel like you’re on another planet.” 

Of the seven ancient wonders of the world, the only one left standing is the Great Pyramid of Giza. Built around 2500 BC, this monolithic tomb is well known all around the world, although not everyone can claim they’ve seen it in real life. When you visit, you’ll be greeted by an incredibly overwhelming sight and for many, it’s hard to get your head around actually seeing the pyramids in real life. We couldn’t recommend putting yourself in that position enough. 

For many people, seeing a famous painting in real life is a top bucket list item. And, arguably, the Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in the world. To see it, pilgrimage to its home in the Louvre, Paris on a Seine River cruise. This fantastical gallery is an art piece in and of itself but walk into its depths to see the Mona Lisa. There is something quite overwhelming about seeing an image you’ve seen a million times before for the first time in real life and we guarantee you’ll get that feeling here.

Kasia Writes told us what made her want to visit the Louvre, “I learned about the Louvre long before I ever went there. Not only is it one of the most visited museums in the world with priceless collections; but it’s also a stunning building. As a former residence of French kings, the Louvre is an architectural masterpiece inside and out. I knew I had to see it the first time I went to Paris for all those reasons. It remains one of my favourite places. I have been twice so far and I feel like there is still so much more to see.” 

Kasia then explained what it felt like to see the Mona Lisa for the first time, “I still remember the first time I saw the Mona Lisa. It felt thrilling to be this close to the most famous painting in the world. There she was, roped off behind glass, smiling slyly at those looking at her. At first glance, it’s just an ordinary painting of a woman. After looking closely at the details, it’s easy to see Leonardo’s talent as a painter. Understanding the significance of the painting made me even more curious about it, but I feel like I left with more questions than answers.”

Underneath the tropical waves of Hawaii lies a whole new world. The beautiful reefs are a fantastic environment for sea creatures and you’ll be able to see everything from green sea turtles and coral reef fish to sharks. This makes it a fantastic place to swim with them, as there are many well-practised diving schools on the island that are happy to help you with either cage diving or free diving. 

Sarah from Exploring Kiwis has swum with sharks in Hawaii, she told us: “We both have a great deal of respect for sharks and love spending time with them in their natural habitat. The experience was a little spooky! We’ve been diving with sharks before and were always told not to float around on the surface in case we were mistaken for a seal. Intentionally snorkelling at the surface took a little getting used to but as soon as we were in properly, we knew we’d made the right choice. What an experience!” 

Scott from Quirky Travel Guy told us what inspired him to go cage diving in Oahu, “I’ve always wanted to see sharks in their natural habitat and Hawaii seemed to offer the perfect opportunity. The waters around Oahu were warm and clear and the excursion felt safe so I was excited about the adventure. 

“When I jumped into the water, I immediately spotted a lone shark calmly swimming past several feet away, seemingly oblivious to my presence. Its casual demeanour was reassuring rather than scary. Knowing it was the relatively tame Galápagos shark put my mind at ease, so I was able to relax and enjoy the experience. Being in the ocean with sharks was a huge bucket list goal achieved!” 

If you have all eyes on the future and can’t wait to see how the world may advance, we recommend travelling to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is an autonomous territory, which means it’s both a city and a country. It’s an incredibly densely populated area and thus its skyline is built up of towering skyscrapers. Split down the middle by Kowloon Bay, visiting this impressive destination feels like stepping straight into a sci-fi movie. 

Annemarie from Travel on the Brain told us about her time in Hong Kong, “Hong Kong is truly a wonderful and marvellously compact country. You’ll land on an island created just for an airport and will be greeted by a high mountain covered in lush tropical vegetation before being whisked off into the concrete jungle. Within just an hour, you can chill out by the sandy beach at Stanley or head up to Victoria Peak to see the neon lights dance every evening to a light and music show. 

“Hong Kong wasn’t initially on my radar as a great travel destination, I just happened to have an overlay on my way to far off New Zealand. Instead of doing the entire trip in one go and since extending my layover didn’t incur any extra fees, I decided to make it a short weekend trip. That was the best decision ever because the city was all the more surprising and I was super sad to leave so early.”  

Although science and technology may not yet allow you to visit galaxies far, far away, there are many places on Earth that look as though they don’t belong. We suggest, for anyone looking to explore an alien landscape, that a cruise to Iceland is the holiday for you. With black sand beaches, towering volcanoes and erupting geysers, Iceland feels a million miles away from anywhere else on this planet, and it really is one of a kind.

Although some of the world’s most beautiful creatures are elusive, they are not impossible to see in the wild. Tigers, for example, are best seen in Ranthambore Park, India. Here, the usually high number of Bengal tigers are kept safe under watchful protection and roam free around some of the most outstanding scenery in the world. As well as tigers, you’ll be able to see myriad other animals, although it’s the big cats that most people come here to see.

We chatted with Sarah from Not Another Travel Blog, she told us why she and her partner wanted to visit Ranthambore Park: “We wanted to visit as a way of seeing a different side to India. Starting in Mumbai, and with an itinerary that encompassed almost entirely cities, we were keen to explore other things Rajasthan had to offer. We’d had so many other incredible wildlife experiences on our travels that when we read about Ranthambore and discovered the opportunity to see tigers it felt like a no-brainer. To say the cities in India are overwhelming is an understatement so it was a welcome relief to get out into the countryside and spend time in a more rural setting.”

Sarah then told us about her experience, “It actually took us a while to see the tigers - as with any safari, there are no guarantees. On a tight budget, we’d allowed ourselves two game drives but decided to stretch to a third after not managing to spot one of the park’s sometimes elusive big cats. When our guide spun the jeep around and started edging towards a rocky outcrop, we were all pretty confused. But when we finally spotted two tigers lazing in the afternoon heat, we were blown away! Despite the other jeeps around us, everyone was pretty much spellbound - open-mouthed, just watching the tigers go about their business. Our guides had to drag us away from the spot when it was time to leave as I think we could all have sat and watched them all afternoon.”

If you’re looking to eat food in its hometown, we argue that eating a pizza in Naples is the best thing to do. When the Queen Consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, visited Naples in 1889 a Neapolitan pizzamaker named Raffaele Esposito created the Pizza Margherita as a welcome gift. Still today you can get a pizza made to that original recipe all around the city. Most people deem L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele as the official home of pizza, though. So we suggest this as your first stop.

Lori from Travlinmad told us what inspired her visit to Naples, “I had always wanted to visit Naples, Italy because my grandparents were from outside the city and emigrated to the US around 1900. Seeing my ancestral home was such a special and moving experience for me.

“There’s really nothing like Neapolitan pizza and my favourite is Margherita pie. But, as I tell everyone, eating pizza in Naples may ruin pizza for you forever! The beauty of pizza there is its simplicity - the tomato marinara, a few pieces of fresh buffalo mozzarella and some whole fresh basil leaves all showcase the main ingredient, which is the dough. It’s what pizza in Naples is all about!”

If you want to climb a mountain, but aren’t a massive fan of hiking, journeying to Oaska in Japan is a must for you. Due to the Japanese definition of a mountain, there are many summits that can be conquered in minutes. We recommend Mount Tenpo, located in the port beside the unmissable Ferris wheel, this mountain is a mere 15-foot climb. 

If you feel wanderlust in your veins and long to follow in the footsteps of great explorers like Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, then we suggest you visit Petra. Not only has Indiana Jones himself visited Petra in search of the Holy Grail, but the site brings in thousands of visitors every year who are looking to explore this hidden city. Hike the Siq Gorge and explore these ancient ruins, we guarantee by the end of the day you’ll feel like a bona fide explorer.

As well as being one of the world’s most popular cruise destinations, thanks to its beautiful scenery, Norway is also an incredibly popular place to see the northern lights. The large, unpolluted night sky here often allows itself to be a canvas for the most exceptional light show in the world. As the sun goes down over your cruise ship, you’ll be able to see the sky filled with billions of stars and, if you’re lucky, the large coloured sweeps of the aurora borealis. The best months to see the lights are between September and April.

Jurga from Full Suitcase told us, “Seeing the northern lights has been on my bucket list for a long time. There is just something about them that captures your imagination. The first time I saw the northern lights weren’t actually all that special at all. There was just a faint greenish line in the sky that looked greener in the pictures than in reality. 

“But when you see a really strong aurora display, it simply takes your breath away. I was lucky enough to see a fantastic aurora several times. One of the most memorable occasions was during my recent trip to Tromsø, Norway. The green lady danced in the sky for several hours, painting it in all shades of green and purple. It’s something that is difficult to explain in words, you just have to experience it. Magical!” 

Bowdy Wanders added, “The northern lights has always been on my bucket list, ever since I became a travel blogger. A meet and greet with aurora borealis is absolutely something that I would want to do in this lifetime because I know there’s something about night rainbows that is mighty spectacular. The experience of the chase, the conquer and the charm of the northern lights makes you feel alive on so many levels.”

Bowdy continued, “With sub-zero weather, pitch-black landscapes and inner fiery anticipation, the first time I saw the northern lights in Norway was a surreal moment in time. The northern lights dazzled and danced way better than I imagined they would and the fleeting seconds captured in photographs were more than enough to bring a smile to my face for a lifetime.”