100+ Epic Travel Bucket List Ideas To Inspire!
Travel inspiration can come in any form. A book. A conversation. A beautiful scene. A song. A movie. A dream. 100 ultimate journey quotes. What follows ↓ is a list of some of the experiences, travelling bucket list ideas if you will, that have completely captured my attention and got me saying, “Wow! I’d LOVE to do that.” at one point or another.
I have been fortunate to experience a number of these incredible moments through my travels. Only serving to increase the wanderlust and my want need to explore.
It is by no means complete.
It will never be.
It is constantly being updated, modified, contemplated and revitalised. It is constantly growing and evolving with time. Much like me.
It is by no means static. If something doesn’t appeal to me anymore, it simply gets removed.
It is not a must do, oh-my-life-will-be-incomplete-until-everything-is ticked-off.
I despise doing things just to tick off a list. Don’t get trapped by a list.
I love traveling without a plan, going with the flow of life and being open to serendipitous moments and all the magic waiting to happen.
So Yes. It is not a plan. It is a flexible guiding post of some of the things I would like to achieve and experience and what I feel would enrich my life significantly ⇒ adding some depth, soul, beauty and much-loved adventure.
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- Start a conversation: 200+ questions on traveling to ask
Two Questions:
1. Why have I published My Epic Quest Bucket List?
I hope that by including my wanderlist, you would be encouraged to create a travelers bucket list of your own. Or at the very least, you would be provided with some inspiration and vacation ideas for your next travel, perhaps?
2. Why should you have a travel bucket list an EPIC Quest List?
The list is just the beginning. The start of something special in your life, where you have set an intention and made a conscious written commitment to pursue a number of activities that would enhance your life impressively.
I am not a big fan of the term bucket list.
I much prefer a life list, a dream list, a wanderlist. Call it what you will.
A bucket list implies that you’ll get to it someday in the future. Perhaps when you’re retired? When you clear all your debts? When something magically happens in your life to give you the time and resources to finally chase your dreams.
Nothing is guaranteed and you need to start living. Now.
>> Read next: How many countries have you been to?
Here’s why you should STOP counting
MY ULTIMATE TRAVEL INSPIRATION
EPIC QUEST BUCKET LIST
✈ ✈ ✈
✈ PROFESSIONAL GOALS
| Experience “I feel like I’m doing exactly what I was meant to be doing at this moment” √ |
| Own a giraffe √ |
| Quit the conventional life, go on a mini-retirement and travel the world √ Summer 2012 |
| Found a charity in support of something I care about deeply |
| Open my own art gallery |
| Build a successful blog to make major positive impact |
| Develop a location independent lifestyle/business |
| Write a book. Get published. |
| Be a source of inspiration for those who want to break out of the 9 to 5 and live an extraordinary life |
| Be interviewed for Radio √ Voice of the Cape and CII International June 2011 |
| Be interviewed for TV √ Wrangler True Wanderer 2016 |
| Teach/tutor a class √ Honours University of Pretoria 2005 |
| Do something adventurous to build awareness for a good cause and raise money for charity √ June 2011 Kilimanjaro climb –> $10 000 raised for mothers and infants of Sub-saharan Africa |
✈ PLACES TO TRAVEL AND LANDMARKS TO SEE
I have this insatiable desire (read: need) to explore, discover unexplored territory, chase adventures.
The simplest notion of following my heart and pursuing that which makes me most alive.
I could save you a whole lot of reading time and sum this up in three words:
THE-WHOLE-WORLD(!)
But where’s the fun in that? So continue reading ↓ 😉
| Mount Everest – Hike in Nepal or Tibet √ April ’18 |
| Meditate at Angkor Wat and Bayon Temple, Siem Reap Cambodia |
| Explore Easter Island, Chile |
| Pyramids of Meroë, Sudan |
| Plitvice Lakes in Croatia √ June 2013 |
| Jokulsarlon glacier Lagoon Iceland |
| Hike Preachers Rock Preikestolen, Kjeragsbolten and Trolltunga Norway √ August 2014 |
| Iguazú / Iguaçu Falls National Park – Argentina/Brazil √ June 2012 |
| Discover untouched territory in Costa Rica |
| Hike the complete Inca trail and witness the incredible mysteries of Machu Picchu- Peru |
| Ngorogoro Crater- Tanzania √ June 2011 |
| Forbidden City, Tiananmen square, Temple of Heaven – Beijing, China |
| Petra Jordan |
| Galapagos Islands – Ecuador |
| Climb Table Mountain – Cape Town, South Africa √ January 2002 2011 |
| Alhambra Palace and Granada, Andalucia Spain |
| Witness the magic of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) |
| Adventure through Sri Lanka |
| Taj Mahal, India |
| Explore the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River NP Philippines |
| Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya Istanbul √ July ’10 July ’13 Dec ’13 |
| Victoria Falls – Zambia/Zimbabwe |
| Unreal landscape of Cappadoccia √ July 2010 |
| The Tower Bridge √ London, England June 2006 |
| Kiyomizu-dera Kyoto Japan |
| Cliffs of Moher Clare Ireland √ June 2006 |
| Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, The Wave – Arizona, USA |
| Absorb the history of the Colosseum, sistine chapel, Vatican city √ Rome June 2006 May 2013 |
| Black Forest Germany |
| El Yunque National Forest |
| Mud volcanoes Azerbaijan |
| See the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower √ Paris June 2006 |
| Vacation on the Greek islands √ July 2010 |
| Drink green tea in Japan |
| Explore Havana, Cuba |
| Party all night Mykonos √ July 2010 |
| Banff National Park – Alberta, Canada |
| Laucala Island and the cube swimming pool – Fiji |
| Experience the culture of Amsterdam √ June 2009 November 2014 |
| Explore the streets, floating islands, dim sum and skyline of Hong Kong |
| Incredible scenery of Lofoten islands, Norway |
| Feel the mysteries of high Bhutan and the cliff-side Taktshang Lhakhang temple |
| Savour a rainforest experience √ Walk to Mandara June 2011 |
| Great pyramids of Giza Egypt √ January 2018 |
| Tara river canyon in the Durmitor National Park – Montenegro |
| Art and atmosphere of Barcelona √ Spain June 2009 December 2014 |
| See the view from the top of Corcovado Mountain Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil √ June 2012 |
| Mount Roraima and Angel Falls, Venezuela |
| Be in awe at the gorgeous Alps from the ground and the air √ |
| Bagan and Shwedagon Pagoda Yangon, Myanmar |
| Walk along the Old Wall of Dubrovnik √ June 2013 |
| Halong Bay Hoi An Vietnam |
| Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square, and The Kremlin, Moscow Russia √ May 2014 |
| Skaftafeli National Park + ice caves Iceland |
| Drive the Amalfi coast, Italy √ September 2017 |
| Redwood country to be dwarfed and amazed by the giant redwood trees (tallest living thing on our planet) |
| Dive The Great Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef Belize |
| Walk the length of Copacabana and Ipanema √ June 2012 |
| White Desert Farafra Egypt |
| Wander the islands of Bora Bora and French Polynesia |
| Door to Hell Turkmenistan |
| Acropolis & Parthenon √ Athens, Greece August 2010 |
| New York City – New York, USA |
| Walk along the Berlin Wall and Brandenburg gate Berlin √ June 2013 and √ July 2014 |
| Experience the wild beauty of Iran firsthand |
| Hike Mount Hua (华山 Hua Shan) Shaanxi and Huanglong Scenic Valley Sichuan China |
| Explore The Azores Islands, Portugal |
| Atacama Desert Chile |
| Experience the White nights Saint Petersburg √ May 2014 |
| Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava tubes, South Korea |
| Jeita Grotto Lebanon |
| Ancient city of Ephesus Selcuk √ Turkey August 2010 |
| Sightsee Chiang Mai, Erawan National Park and islands Thailand |
| 1000 islands and chocolate hills, Bohol Philippines |
| Drive along the incredible landscape of Montenegro √ July 2013 |
| Disney land √ Paris June 2006 √ October 2014 |
| Stone Forest Yunnan China |
| Discover Lisboa, Lisbon and Belem, Portugal by tram √ December 2013 |
| Milford Sound and other beautiful landscapes of New Zealand |
| La Tres Frontera where Brasil, Argentina and Paraguay meet √ June 2012 |
| Socotra Island Aden Yemen |
| Basilica of Sagrada Familia Barcelona √ June 2009 |
| Charm of Edinburgh √ July 2014 |
| Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco |
| Golden Temple Amritsar India |
| Explore Scandinavia √ August 2014 |
| Vancouver BC, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake Canada |
| Sights and sounds of Borneo Malaysia |
| Wander a-round Lake Bled, Slovenia √ June 2012 |
| Kawasan Falls – Cebu, Philippines |
| Drive the Garden Route South Africa √ Dec 2000 |
| Sydney Opera House, Australia |
| Karokoram Highway, Hunza valley Indus valley – Pakistan |
| Teotihuacan San Juan Teotihuacan Mexico |
| Discover Mongolia |
| Masurian Lake District Poland √ |
| Luang Prabang, Laos |
| Lalibela and Simien Mountains National Park , Ethiopia |
| Thác Ban Gioc Cao Bang waterfalls on the border between Vietnam and China |
| Explore Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta – Botswana |
| See where the Indian and Atlantic ocean meet √ Cape January 2002 |
| Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Ancient civilization of Tiwanaku and Lake Titicaca |
| Walk along the great avenue of the Baobabs Madagascar |
| Don’t die in Antarctica |
✈ ADVENTURES TO HAVE AND THINGS TO DO
| Travel the world solo for an extended period √ currently |
| Visit all 7 continents |
| Arrive at the airport and jump on the 1st available flight with only my backpack and see where I end up √ |
| Climb EPIC Mt. Kilimanjaro and watch the sun rise √ June 2011 |
| Spend a night in the Amazon jungle √ June 2012 |
| Swim with dolphins √ Zanzibar June 2011 |
| Surf Kalalau Beach Island of Kauai in Hawaii |
| Hike the Haʻiku Stairs also known as the Stairway to Heaven or Haʻiku Ladder – Oʻahu, Hawaii |
| Trek to Everest base camp |
| Volunteer abroad |
| Play with the giraffes of Giraffe Manor – Nairobi Kenya |
| Get a meaningful tattoo √ September 2014 |
| Microlight over the vast Victoria Falls followed by a swim in Devils pool and Angel’s armchair |
| Take flight in a Hot-air balloon √ Cappadocia Turkey July 2010 |
| Take crazy fun photographs at Salar de Uyuni – Uyuni, Bolivia |
| Star gaze √ Horombo June 2011 Sarajevo June 2013 |
| Walk with Gorillas in the mist Uganda/Rwanda |
| Go on a safari in the Serengeti and take photos of the wildlife √ June 2011 |
| Island hop around the Caribbean Islands |
| Hike the seven great lakes of Kashmir |
| Take a photo at the equator, with one foot in each hemisphere |
| Climb a volcano √ Taipei March 2001 Santorini July 2010 |
| Hike the beautiful Italian Riviera √ June 2013 Cinque Terre |
| Dive with whale sharks in Mexico, Maldives or the Philippines |
| Sleep under the stars on the beach and see the sun rise √ Montenegro July 2013 |
| Visit the great panda bears Chengdu China |
| Watch Jellyfish float in Jellyfish Lake on Eli Malk island in the Republic of Palau. |
| Experience the magical underwater world √ Snorkel Mnemba Atoll Zanzibar June 2011 |
| Float in the dead sea |
| Walk through and above the clouds √ Kilimanjaro June 2011 Norway August 2014 |
| Walk the great wall of China |
| See the most spectacular sunset √ Santorini July 2010 |
| Kiss passionately in the rain |
| Hike to The Lost City Ciudad Perdida – Colombia |
| Hitch Hike √ Goreme July 2010 |
| Explore the Mendenhall Ice Caves Juneau Alaska |
| Help turtles hatch and make it to the ocean √ Sri Lanka April ’18 |
| Help build a house for charity |
| Bungee jump the world’s highest |
| Crash a wedding √ Albania June 2013 |
| Dive the Great Barrier Reef |
| Have a real snow experience |
| Savour the most delicious pizza and gelato of Italy √ June 2006 and √ June May 2013 |
| Quad Bike as a way to discover undiscovered territory √ Naxos Greece July 2010 |
| Trek to the South Pole |
| Experience the exhilaration of a live world cup soccer/cricket match √ FIFA world cup Soccer City June 2010 |
| Browse through ancient manuscripts Timbuktu and Great mosque of Djenne, Mali |
| Sleep in a tent in an incredible location √ Serengeti June 2011 Norway Aug 2014 |
| Savour authentic Belgiun waffles and chocolates √ November 2013 |
| Learn to rock climb in Railay Beach, Krabi Thailand |
| Go shark/crocodile cage diving |
| Punt along the Cam river in Cambridge √ October 2013 and √ July 2014 |
| Soak up the good energy on the island of Bali √ August 2015 |
| Experience the thunder of the legendary wildebeest annual migration √ June 2011 |
| Swim with stingrays in the Cayman Islands |
| Carve my name into a tree √ Suncity Johannesburg June 2005 |
| Drive a luxury sports car |
| Sky dive alongside the Dubai skyline |
| See the midnight sun √ |
| Experience the most spectacular sunrise √ Horombo Kilimanjaro June 2011 |
| Participate in a food fight |
| Watch the migration of the golden rays |
| Climb the mighty dunes of Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert |
| Ride a camel through the desert √ |
| Enjoy the thrill of the twists and turns of Fish River Canyon (the world’s second-biggest gorge) Namibia |
| Feel the magic of a Glacier √ Top of Kilimanjaro June 2011 |
| Go paragliding √ Cape Town Feb ’16 |
| Go white water rafting in Costa Rica/Colorado |
| Explore the beauty of Bosnia and Herzegovina √ June 2013 |
| Skinny dip in the ocean √ Maldives April 2018 |
| Take a step into North Korea |
| Backpack through the Baltics √ June 2014 |
| Play with Komodo Dragons in Komodo Indonesia |
| Explore Torres del Paine National Park on foot, Chile |
| Wander through Patagonia (including Perito Moreno Glacier) Argentina/Chile |
| Experience zero gravity–> outer space |
✈ GENERAL: LEARNING AND LIFE-EXPERIMENTS
| Start a website/blog √ www.araioflight.com |
| Live abroad in another part of the world √ Paris Fall 2014 |
| Unplug for one week √ |
| Learn to fly a plane |
| Cut down my belongings to the bare minimum |
| Work online from anywhere in the world |
| Be 100% honest.. Always |
| Learn to swim √ December 2013 |
| Learn how to surf |
| Live on a tropical island |
| Complete 100 push-ups 25 pull-ups |
| Run a half marathon √ Cape Town Two Oceans Marathon 2013 |
| Run a full marathon |
| Go on a silent retreat — at least one week |
| Appear in a movie |
| Feed animals whenever I can √ |
| Volunteer my time and resources for the greater good |
| Live on raw food only for at least 30 days |
| Stop watching TV for an extended period of time √ |
| Become fairly fluent in a third language |
| Appear in a photoshoot √ ROL Campaign Warsaw, Poland May ’14. H&D Campaign Paris Oct ’14. BareMinimum Campaign Aug ’14. |
| Meditate at least 10 mins every day √ |
| Be a responsible traveler |
| Become fairly competent in yoga |
| Spend on experiences, not things √ |
| Make a Difference |
| Evolve, learn and grow by travelling around the world √ |
Over to you guys.
Do you have an Epic Quest, wanderlist/life/bucket list?
I would love to hear some of the highlights in the comments below. If you have an entire list, add the link too!
If you found some travel inspiration/ideas above, I would greatly appreciate it if you’d share this list socially using the options below.
Here’s to always doing epic things from our Heart and leaving our mark on everything we do,
✈ Raihaan (araioflight)
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own a giraffe! <3 <3 <3
Hahaa. You welcome to have a ride at anytime 😉
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Based in Lebanon, I cover travel and personal finance topics for millennials. I’m committed to a life of adventure and have lived in four countries before turning 30. A
Sounds awesome! Welcome x
Rai
Bohol is one of the underated tourist spots in the Philippines. As a Korean who loves visiting the Philippines, Bohol os one of my favorite places to visit and spend a few days in.
Sounds good!