The Ardent Traveler is feisty about her craving to see the world before she turns old and grey. She’s painstakingly created a (growing) list of destinations to visit, myriad cultures and adventures to experience and landscapes to behold.
EXPLORE
- Milford Sound, New Zealand √
- The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
- Taj Mahal, India √
- Petra, Jordan,
- Colosseum, Italy
- Table Mountain, South Africa √
- Kilmanjaro, Tanzania
- Uluru, Australia
- Dead Sea, Israel-Jordan-Palestine
- Grand Canyon, USA
- Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
- Amazon Jungle, Brazil
- Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Peru
- Iguazu Falls, Brazil
- Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
- Kruger National Park, South Africa √
- Daintree Forest, Australia
- Swaziland √
- Angkor Wat, Cambodia √
- Alcatraz Prison, San Francisco, USA
- New York, USA √
- London city √
- Masai Mara, Kenya
- Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
- Ancient temples of Borobodur, Indonesia
- Terracotta warriors of Xian, China
- Bhutan
- The Acropolis & the Parthenon, Athens, Greece √
- Matterhorn, Switzerland
- The Pinnacles, Australia
- Uluru (Ayer’s Rock), Northern Territory, Australia
- Stonehenge, Salisbury, United Kingdom
- Paris, France
- Hong Kong √
- Egypt and the great pyramids
- Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia
- Wadi Rum, Jordan
- Lake Titicaca, Peru
- Kakadu National Park, Australia
- Rome and the Vatican, Italy
- Atacama Desert and El Tatio geysers, Chile
- Yosemite National Park, California, USA
- Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand √
- Mayan ruins of Tikal, Guatemala
- Angel Falls, Venezuela
- Salar de Uyuni salt flats, Bolivia
- Moai statues on Easter Island, Chile
- Terraced rice paddies of Bali, Ubud, Indonesia √
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Timbuktu, Mali
- Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, Palawan, Philippines √
- Lhasa, Tibet
- Sri Lanka √
- St Petersburg & Moscow, Russia
- Tasmania, Australia
- Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
- Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
- Torres Del Paine National Park, Chile
- Cedars of Lebanon, Bcharre, Lebanon
- Mount Ararat, Agri, Turkey
- Lake Baikal, Russia
- Kazakhstan
- Mongolia
- Guilin – Yang Shuo Hills, China √
- Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia √
- New Guinea, Indonesia/Papua New Guinea
- Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, Australia
- Cape Point, Eastern Cape, South Africa √
- Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
EXPERIENCE
- Climb the Great Wall of China √
- Hike to the base camp of Mount Everest
- Ride a horse in Nepal
- Climb up Table Mountain, South Africa √
- Bask on a secluded island in Maldives √
- Swim with bottlenose dolphins anywhere in the world
- Visit a real castle – Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany √
- Camp out in the great outbacks of Australia
- Skydive in New Zealand √
- Soak in Budapest thermal baths √
- Float in the Dead Sea, Israel
- See the BIG 5s while on a safari in Africa √
- Dive in Sipadan, Malaysia √
- Zorbing in Rotorua, New Zealand √
- Hike the Lord of the Rings trails in New Zealand (Tangariro NP) √
- Cage dive with great white sharks, South Africa (Not me, but Terence!) √
- Climb Mount Kinabalu √
- Climb Mount Tahan, Malaysia √
- Explore Mulu Caves, Sarawak, Malaysia √
- Witness the migration of wildebeest in the Serengeti, Tanzania
- Climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
- Go on a tiger safari in India √
- Cruise down the Kerala on a boat house
- Sailing in Auckland, New Zealand √
- Hike up Mount Pinatubo, Philippines √
- Visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, South Africa √
- Go up to the World Trade Center in New York, USA √
- Visit ground zero, New York, USA
- Live in the Brooklyn ghettos, New York, USA √
- Whale watching in Kaikoura, New Zealand √
- Watch a geisha in action, Japan
- Ride an elephant in India √
- Shop till I drop in Chatuchak Market in Bangkok, Thailand √
- Explore a secluded island in Greece (Sifnos) √
- See wild orang utans and proboscis monkeys in East Malaysia √
- Witness the Northern Lights, Lappi, Finland or Norway
- Camp in Yellowstone National Park / Alaska and witness grizzly bears from afar
- Visit the concentration camp of Tuol Sleng, Phnom Penh, Cambodia √
- Tour Dachau concentration camp in Germany √
- White water rafting in North Johnstone River, Australia or Zambezi River, Zambia or Nepal
- Hike to the Hole in the Wall, Eastern Cape, South Africa / bordering Swaziland √
- Sea-kayaking with orcas, Canada
- Climb Mount Cook, New Zealand
- Motorbike around Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia √
- Jaguar-spotting in the Pantanal, Brazil
- Be in the presence of Emperor Penguins, Antartica
- Come face-to-face with mountain gorillas, Rwanda/Uganda
- Thread on a glacier, Patagonia, South America
- Disneyland, Anaheim, California, USA
- Trek into El Chalten, Argentina into Glaciers National Park to behold the great Mount Fitzroy
- Hike to the Pinnacles in Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia
- See live puffins in Farne Islands, Northumberland, England
- Hike up to Stromboli, Aeolion Islands, Italy to witness a live volcano (maybe stay the night)
- Traverse through the Sahara Desert
JOURNEY
- Take the Transiberian Railway across China & Russia
- Backpack around South America
- Road trip down Route 66, California, USA
- Great Ocean Road, Melbourne, Australia √
- InterRailing around Europe
- Karakoram Highway, Pakistan
- Hiking on the John Muir Trail, High Sierra, USA
SAVOUR
- Savour all kinds of cheeses in France/Italy/Switzerland
- Street food at Shilin night market in Taiwan
- Eat lots of Southern style food, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Peking Duck in China
- German bratwurst, Germany √
- Escargot in France
- Dog meat on a skewer in Thailand √
- Pastries from a patisserie in France / Belgium
- Free meal at a Gudwara (Punjabi temple) in India √
- Simple meal cooked by a Swazi in Swaziland (country tucked in the middle of South Africa) √
- Deep fried Zucchini flowers in Tuscany, Italy
- Authentic sushi in Japan
- Monkey stew cooked by indigenous folks in Malaysia √
- Still wriggling octopus in Japan
- Famous street food in Penang, Malaysia √
- BBQ in Australia Ribs in New Zealand √
- Kimchi, Bibimbap, and everything else in Korea
- Moussaka in Greece √
- Pastel de Natas (Portuguese egg tart) in Portugal
- Dim Sum in Hong Kong, China √
- Nasi Lemak (Malaysia) √
- Haggis in Scotland √
- Enjoy a First-class meal on board
- Afternoon tea at Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa √
- Fried bugs in Thailand √
- Frog legs anywhere in Asia √
6 Comments
Absolutely love the bucket list! Gives me plenty of ideas for my own holiday planning. Thanks Deb
It’s a growing list! So keep checking in:)
That is the LONGEST bucket list I have ever read! Wow. You really have so much to live for! Thanks for the inspiration Debs. Gonna rewrite my own now.
There’s is so much to see in just ONE lifetime. Might as well pack it in! 😉
have seen your dream bucket and happy that you like Tajmahal.
Do let me know incase you visit…..
Wow, you have a great list here.
I’ll take some of it and put it also on my list.
Thank you for sharing!
Hope to see you around!