My Global Bucket List

Since we can’t travel and plan much during these times, I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon of listing my dream destinations. There are plenty of vacations I’ve planned in my mind. For the most part, I would seriously go anywhere, but here are the top things I’ve done research on and want to make an intentional effort to see one day.

Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia

Bonus: There are also flamingos here! Photo credit: @sol_n_g

Honestly, I hadn’t even heard of this place until I watched a vlog of Kara and Nate having the time of their lives there. I’m a beach girl and never thought of Bolivia as a must see destination because it’s landlocked. However, the salt flats just look too amazing to not experience. During certain times of the year, a light glaze of water gives the landscape a spectacular glass or mirror like image. Where else could you see something like this? Also, the area is gigantic. You can drive for hours and still not see it all. Bolivia also includes many other attractions to make the trip even more worth while, like the Witch’s Market, the train graveyard, an abandoned ski lodge, and dinosaur footprints!

How could you not want your own picture like this?! Photo credit: @krystinesc

The Ultimate Thailand Experience

One of the many temples of Thailand.

The idea of Thailand started as my husband’s bucket list destination. When trying to decide where exactly in Thailand we would go (read: where was cheapest to fly to), I discovered how many amazing things the country has to offer! Here’s the ultimate plan: fly to Bangkok because it’s the least expensive from where we live, spend a couple of days there and then head down to Phuket. Then, over to Krabi. If I’m dreaming big, we’d find time to get up to Chang Mai and explore the inland part of the country.

Elephant sanctuaries are more humane than riding. They sound way more fun, too! Photo credit: Wootthisak Nirongboot

Elephant sanctuaries, temples, ruins, beaches, long boats, Thai food, night markets, floating markets, ladyboy cabaret, tuk tuks…the list just grows every time I start researching! To do it right, I feel like I’d need at least two or three weeks to see it all. Plus, for a 22+ hour journey to get there, we’re not coming back in just a couple days! With all these attractions, we may not come back at all!

Cruise to ALL the Caribbean Islands

Our pin map

Okay, maybe not every single island! The Bahamas alone have about 700 islands, so that’s near impossible. But to hit every country, territory or nation along the Caribbean chain is doable and sounds like an exciting challenge. One of my favorite things when flying to this region is looking out the plane window and seeing all the other nearby islands sprouted throughout the spectacularly blue-green water. I’ve looked at island hopping tours, especially for the Bahamas since there are so many places to choose from. We’ve got a pin map of the Caribbean and I’d love to get it as full as possible. A few more cruises should hit a big chunk, but I’d like to spend more than just a port day at some places, like Cuba, Jamaica and Curaçao.

Amazing Caribbean aerial view. Photo credit: Linda Larson with FineArtAmerica

Eastern African Safari and Zanzibar

Beautiful Tanzania

Who doesn’t want to see the Big Five outside of a zoo in their natural environment? Elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo, and rhinos, oh my! Besides these animals, you have hippos, birds, zebras, cheetahs, giraffes, wildebeests, warthogs, gorillas, and many more that call Africa home. It can’t be guaranteed to see every animal, but I know any combination of this wildlife would be so cool to see up close. I’ve read a lot about safari experiences and I really want to be able to do this one day. I’m mixed on shelling all out for a luxury experience, or roughing it in tents to cut costs and get more of an authentic feel. A two to three night safari would be ideal. Side note—who has seen Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s Africa music video? If you haven’t, go find it on YouTube!

Stone Town, Zanzibar. Photo credit: IntrepidTravel

Like our Thailand dream, if we’re traveling this far, we might as well plan for an extended stay and see more of the area. Stone Town, Zanzibar looks really pretty and has a lot of history. I love a good beach, so combining several days of inland wilderness with some gorgeous coastline is ideal for me. Stone Town looks like a great place to explore and experience new things. I’d love to learn more about the local culture.

All Over Australia

Melbourne coastline

I have always want to go to Australia! Initially, there was no real reason other than “just because.” Or maybe it’s that plane tickets are wildly expensive from where I live, so it’s almost a “challenge accepted” scenario. Too much Netflix binging on Bondi Rescue, Instant Hotel, and (embarrassingly) Back With the Ex recently reignited the spark. Ive done some research and can’t decide between Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. You’ve guess my M.O. by now—for as expensive as it is to get there, I might as well make the most of it and hit all three. This also would allow me to experience more of Australia instead of just one city representing the entire country, as I’ve heard the vibes can be quite different. I’d love to snorkel or do some underwater activity in the Great Barrier Reef, hit Bondi Beach just for the novelty, and apparently Melbourne boasts the world’s best coffee—that alone may be worth the $1200 journey!

Kangaroos in the snow! Photo credit: Bernadette Camus

I think some people don’t realize that Australia has more to offer than beautiful beaches and coastline. You can go skiing there—just like in Hawaii! Before this trip could become a reality, I need to do some more exploration around what I really want to see and do. I couldn’t go all that way and miss out on the best things due to lack of preparation.

The Ultimate Beatles Holiday in Liverpool

The Fab Four in Liverpool

My father is obsessed with the Beatles. I would love to go to England with him to visit all the famous spots related to the Fab Four. Tour packages exist taking you to Stawberry Field, Eleanor Rigby’s grave, the Beatles’ childhood homes, the Cavern Club, the Beatles Story Museum, and more, all while staying in the Hard Days Night hotel. Although this dream is more for my father’s enjoyment, I would thoroughly enjoy it also. Plus, I’ve never been to the UK, so why not?

There you have it. Since we can’t quit our day jobs, this list will likely take a decent amount of time to conquer. Plus, who knows what international travel is going to look like for a while. In the meantime, I’m perfectly happy dreaming about these amazing adventures and creating possible itineraries. We’ve written down our great travel destinations and placed them in this jar. It’d be so fun to be able to randomly draw a destination out of the jar and have that be where we go next. Maybe we’ll be brave enough for that one day!

Our jar of bucket list destinations.

Which trip should be our first? Have you done any of these yourself? Tell me all about it in the comments!