Time To Think About Your Travel Bucket List

I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.

Susan Sontag

If anyone else says to me; “2020 can’t get any worse!” I’m going to punch them! That said, for those of you that have followed my ramblings on here, you’ll know I’m the eternal optimist and I have very itchy feet when it comes to travel! So, as a Christmas and New Year special for the next few weeks I’m going to give you a small insight into my travel bucket list for 2021, and beyond!

Participate in the Rio Carnival

The Rio Carnival is simply the biggest, most ostentatious, loudest, brightest carnival on the planet! The event is rooted in both European pagan traditions and Catholicism. It was originally a food festival, when people would take their last opportunity to gorge before the beginning of Lent, traditionally a time of abstinence and fasting in the Catholic Church. But the unique feel of the Carnival comes from the culture clash between the Portuguese colonisers and the indigenous people. The settlers bought over the tradition of Entrudo (Carnival) from Europe, where it met with the local population’s passion for music and dance.

Now it’s all about Samba. Rio has some of the best Samba schools in the world, the schools ultimately compete for the chance to participate in the Champions Parade which takes place on the last night. So, get yourself some Samba lessons and dance on over to Rio to strut your stuff!

Swim with turtles of the Galapagos Islands

Several years ago, a good friend decided she needed to radically change her life so, she left her very good job in the city, sold her house and started a Scuba Diving School in Cyprus – up to that point she’d only ever snorkelled off the coast of Italy! Of course I have taken full advantage of the situation, I passed my PADI open water course here in London then jetted over to see her, oh wow, what an amazing experience, the wild life was extraordinary, damselfish, rays, flying gurnards, lobster, squid, cuttlefish, sea cucumbers, sponges, prawns, nudibranchs, octopus and much, much more. Turtles however eluded me and it’s something I’d love to see. Apparently the Galapagos is one of the places on the planet you’re most likely to see them in addition you get to see one of the most untouched paradises on earth, what’s not to love about that!

Visit a nudist beach

Well, why not, you’re honestly telling me you’ve never done it in Second Life!!?! Okay I know it’s not the same however, there’s something beautifully liberating about laying in the sun in the buff, it’s not a sexual thing, it’s about having the confidence and pride in your own body. There’s loads to choose from around the globe, the famous one in the US is Haulover Beach in Miami however, there are loads in Portugal, my favourite is a little beach on the Algarve called The Cavallo Preto (Black Horse) Beach, a small and secluded beach which is surprising because it’s situated in between Vale do Lobo and Quarteira.

Go on an African safari

This for me is a bucket revisit however, it’s like saying you don’t like fish, there’s loads of varieties and each of them have distinct joys! I went on one in South Africa however, I’d love to go on safari in Tanzania. Places such as Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park have to be on your bucket list and actually, whilst you’re there why not take a stroll up Mount Kilimanjaro, you could even do it for your favourite charitable cause!

See the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)

I’ve been to Denmark and even a little further north to Oslo and despite keeping my eyes on the sky I’ve never managed to glimpse the Aurora Borealis. The city of Yellowknife in the North West Territories in Northern Canada is known as the “Aurora Capital of North America,” thanks to its prime location and excellent viewing conditions. On the shores of Great Slave Lake, travellers have a 95% chance of spotting the lights. You can also watch the northern lights from a cosy teepee at Aurora Village, an Aboriginal-owned experience that also offers custom-made, heated outdoor seats that swivel 360 degrees to catch every angle of the aurora borealis. How cool is that!

Go sailing on Halong Bay in northern Vietnam

Known for its crystal-clear waters, the memory of sailing on Halong bay is an experience that brings a smile to the face of everyone that’s ever done it. I will confess, Lonely Planet put it better than me when they wrote; “Designated a World Heritage Site in 1994, Halong Bay's scatter of islands, dotted with wind and wave-eroded grottoes, is a vision of ethereal beauty and, unsurprisingly, northern Vietnam's number one-tourism hub.” If you’ve never seen it, do a quick search on Google images, you’ll wish you were there already!

Walk the Camino de Santiago

Now I know the Camino de Santiago is a religious pilgrimage based on the travels of St James with lots of shrines and catholic churches however, a friend of mine who is the most agnostic person I know did it with a group of friends a few years ago, she describes it as one of the most wonderful, spiritual things she’s ever done and is planning to do it again, I’m hoping to go with her! Not for the faint hearted though, it takes between thirty and thirty-five days to complete and that’s if you manage between 14 and 16 miles a day!

I suppose this post is a bit of a self-indulgence, I suppose I’m thinking, I hope people read this and start thinking of their own travel bucket list! More on my list next week!

What’s on this week?