The Ultimate Adventurer’s Travel Wish List

Happy New Year, Darlings!

The year 2015 is here. That means we are halfway done with the 2010s, I will have lived a quarter of a century, and it is once again time to comprise a list of places I want to go, and things I want to see. Here is my Ultimate Adventurer’s Travel Wish List for the year 2015. I’m only going to be able to do one of these this year, but that can’t stop me from hoping, wishing, and dreaming.

1) Grand Canyon

These are the things I’m looking the most forward to, whenever I head over there. I’m also nearly wetting my pants at the idea of trekking around on a mule. But I won’t be going in April-October, unless I want to join the throng of the millions of people crowding the place.

The Rim to Rim to Rim hike
The South Kaibab Trail
Kayaking just about anywhere along the Colorado River

Kayak or raft, take a mule, or hike it. Seriously, this Natural Wonder is as good as it gets, no matter how it’s done.

2) Norway

Norway gets me so excited just thinking about it, especially western Norway, or Fjord Norway.

Jotunheimen (“Home of the Giants” in Norwegian) National Park, full of hiking trails and picturesque views
Fjord Norway is home to the largest amount of glaciated valleys filled with salt water. Hells yeah.

3) Belize

This was a close call between Costa Rica. Having already been to Costa Rica, I would say it is for sure an adventure worth embarking on. However, the Mayan Ruins of Belize and and the Blue Hole made Belize make the cut.

Mayan ruins
The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife and Jaguar Preserve, home to howler monkeys, toucans, and of course jaguars
The Blue Hole, the famous circular submarine sinkhole is close to reefs and you can even scuba dive in it
Zip lining through the ultra biodiverse rainforest

4) Iceland

The Northern lights, Þingvellir National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Hiking and ice climbing on the Sólheimajökull Glacier
Snæfellsnes Peninsula for lava, craters, glaciers, and waterfalls
The hot geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon Spa.
The fairies, the elves, and everything else.

5) Kenya/Tanzania

The Serengeti of Africa is said to be perhaps the most amazing things to ever experience. If you go during the Great Migration, you may see so many animals moving that the land itself seems to be shifting before your very eyes.

Mt. Kilimanjaro: Kilimanjaro hiking tour helps to view the Serengeti from the top
Visit the Masai Mara National Reserve in Southwest Kenya, hop on a safari and tour one of the most biodiverse and incredible Reserve’s in Africa
The Great Migration: thousands upon thousands of wildebeest migrate, and are joined by zebras and gazelle
Lions, elephants, and giraffes

6) Machu Picchu

The sacred site amidst the Andes is said to be one of the most breathtaking views in the world. But is it an adventure spot? Of course! This is the adventure I’m embarking on this year, so I’ll be able to see just how stunning it is.

Take the Inca Trail: you’ll be trekking up the mountains, and into a cloud forest
The Inca Trail also leads to the mountain pass called Abra Warmihuañusc, or Dead Woman’s Pass

7) Galápagos Islands

Swim with sea lions
Chill with Galapagos tortoises, the largest tortoises in the world,
Explore the land that shaped Darwin’s theory would be one incredible journey

8) Scottish Highlands

I can check this one off my list, but I’m keeping it on here as it is so worth going.

The Isle of Skye is drop dead gorgeous, especially Trotternish and the famous Old Man of Storr
The Aonach Eagach Ridge in Glen Coe is also a stunning view
Cozy bed and breakfasts, sheep, and lots of tea

9) Churchill, Manitoba

Churchill, Manitoba offers excursions out to view the local wild polar bear population. It’s supposed to be one of, if not the best way to view polar bears in their natural environment.

Polar bears
Polar bears eating
Polar bears frolicking
Polar bears sleeping
Polar bears playing

10) Alaska

Chris McCandless and Jack London would both tell you that Alaska is prime for adventuring. Here are a few reasons why:

Kodiak Island: the Island is largely taken up by the Kodiak Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to approximately 3,500 Kodiak brown bears.
Kayaking along the coast
Northern Lights
Endless summer

11) Borneo

The tropical trails, and the comfy cottages/hotels make this seem like e a more relaxing adventure, but the little country is still on my list.

Kinabatangan River: go on amazing boat rides, and spot orangutans swinging from the trees
Tabin Wildlife Reserve, where you can easily spot the endangered Sumatran Rhino and the Borneo Pygmy Elephant

12) Australia

Snorkel and dive in Great Barrier Reef
Climb up Uluru
View the Twelve Apostles off of the Great Ocean Road
Surf at Mermaid Beach
Explore Macquarie Island, which is home to penguins and elephant seals
Visit the beaches of Whitsunday Islands National Park.
Bonus: The Tasmanian Overland Trek, a 50-mile hike and World Heritage Area

13) Great Bear Rainforest

The first time I heard about the mystical Great Bear Rainforest in Canada was in an article for Nat Geo, and I was instantly hooked. Here’s why:

The elusive and spiritually important Spirit Bear, a white (not albino) black bear
It’s the worlds largest intact temperate rainforest
It’s home to wolves, orcas, humpback whales, and grizzly bears

14) Ranthambore National Park, India

Really, anywhere in India would be a trip remembering (or so I’ve heard). But for the adventurer and explorer, Ranthambore is where it is at.

Bengal tigers: This park is one of the best places to see wild bengal tigers in their natural habitat
You can also see hyena, boar, and sambar

15) New Zealand

Just watch “Lord of the Rings” and “Flight of the Concords” for the full list of reasons.

10,000 miles of coastline
Rain forests
Hot springs
Mountains
Hobbit Holes

16) Zion

The Navajo Sandstone colors: Pink, brown, yellow, red, cream, orange.
The Virgin River and winds have cut the sandstone, carving canyons and gorges worth exploring

17) Uganda

Many Westerns tend to think of Africa as either the desert or the Serengeti. But Uganda proves the continent is home to green, lush forests which are home to the world’s largest primates.

The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to half the world’s mountain gorilla population
Kibale Forest National Park, where you can track wild chimpanzees

18) Adirondack Mountains

It is the largest park in the lower 48
Beautiful mountains, sunsets, hiking trails
Opportunities to: whitewater raft, canoe, and kayak
It’s a lot closer to home than the rest of the list

19) Hawaii

Whale watching in western Maui from January-March
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: drive along Kilauea, one of the worlds most active volcano,
Hike on the Na Pali Coast
Swim with manta rays on the big island at night time. I’ve heard that this experience alone is reason enough to come here.
Waves, the paddle boarding, and the waterfalls

20) Mt. Everest

I’ll need to climb a few more mountains for this dream to be a more likely reality, but this little adventure has been on my list for a long while.