My Dream Travel Bucket List

To be clear, everywhere is my dream travel bucket list.

The entire world would make my list because there are very few places I wouldn’t want to go (and those few are just due to safety concerns). But the following places are at the top of my travel bucket list. These are the places I have never been to and if I had the time and the money, I’d be booking a flight to these places first. I’ve listed these places by continent, with no definite ranking because it’s just too hard to choose. And because I’m really terrible at making decisions, I even included some honourable mentions.

Here we go! My dream travel bucket list:

North & Central America:

Cuba

I love seeing photos of Cuba with the old timey cars and architecture. It seems like such a gorgeous place to visit. Cuba and Mexico are usually the first places Canadians visit for resort vacations. But because I’m not a typical resort vacation person, I didn’t make it to Mexico for the first time until last year. And I still have yet to scratch Cuba off my travel bucket list. I would love to spend some time on the beach and exploring Havana.

Jamaica

I missed a family vacation to Jamaica while I was away at university. I also missed one to Hawaii. So Jamaica has always been a cool place that I want to visit. My family came back with great photos and stories, making me want to go even more!

Mexico City, Mexico

One of my favourite travel bloggers recently spent time in Mexico City and her itinerary sounds like the perfect little weekend getaway. In my travel dreams, I see Colin and I moving to Mexico for a period of time. We’d probably pick something farther north and by the water, but Mexico City sounds like a great place to visit. Beautiful buildings, good food, nice parks and the Frida Kahlo house!

Honourable mentions

Other places in the area that I’d love to visit but aren’t quite at the top of my travel bucket list include Costa Rica, where Colin and I almost planned a trip to a few years ago. There’s also a number of US cities I haven’t been to that I would love to see, ideally on a big US road trip! Cities include Las Vegas, New Orleans, Chicago, Nashville, Washington DC (under a better government), a trip to the Grand Canyon and a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway.

South America & Antarctica:

Antarctica

Okay, this is by far the #1 spot on my travel bucket list. I would love to visit Antarctica so much. It’s the last continent I have to see and just seems so gorgeous, remote and untouched. Some of my favourite travel bloggers recently visited Antarctica and their pictures are stunning. The only things holding me back from visiting Antarctica? The insane cost and the notoriously rough waters to get there.

Medellin, Colombia

Medellin, Colombia is a new addition to my travel bucket list. I heard about it on a podcast, started reading some blogs and was soon in love with it. It’s a super cute city in Colombia, has a great cost of living and, best of all, is called the City of Eternal Spring because of its amazing weather. I’m someone who doesn’t do great in extreme heat or cold, so eternal spring sounds like paradise to me. I’m also plotting for us to move to Medellin one day in the future!

Galapagos Islands

Who doesn’t have the Galapagos on their travel bucket list? Pure paradise!

Honourable mentions

I would also love to discover Patagonia (it’s supposed to be beautiful), see Bolivia’s salt flats and tackle the wild and wonderful country of Brazil. I haven’t seen enough of South America so would love to spend more time on that continent in general.

Africa:

Egypt

I think Egypt is another country that is a staple on a travel bucket list. Of course, I want to see those pyramids!

Gorilla trekking in Central Africa

When I was about eight years old, I was obsessed with gorillas. Part of the reason was because I was born in the year of the monkey according to the Chinese zodiac calendar. So I was convinced that I wanted to be an animal researcher, like Diane Fossey or Jane Goodall, and study gorillas in Africa. While I definitely don’t think I’m cut out to be an animal researcher (or whatever the actual title of that job is), I would still like to honour my inner eight year old’s dream of seeing gorillas in the wild one day.

Morocco

Morocco in Northern Africa is also pretty high up there on my bucket list. This country with all of its markets, landscapes, sand, sea and beautiful towns has totally captured my heart. Best of all, it’s a short flight from Europe. So hopefully, the next time we’re in Europe for a little while, we can pop over to Morocco. Another travel blogger favourite of mine recently shared her two week itinerary for Morocco and it looks so magical!

Honourable mentions

Other places in Africa that almost made it onto the travel bucket list? Kenya, Madagascar and the Seychelles.

Asia:

India

India has long been on my travel bucket list. It’s a country that seems so rich with culture, natural wonders, food and memorable sites. But it also seems very intimidating. I get stressed when people are trying to talk in the same room where a TV is on full volume – how am I going to handle the noises in some of India’s biggest cities? I also don’t love the idea of crowded trains, holes for toilets, and being sold to on every corner. But despite my fears and hesitations, I know all of the magic of India will make up for any discomfort. Being uncomfortable and in a new element is a part of traveling. And I think it is at its most extreme in India. One day, I look forward to taking India on.

Petra, Jordan

Petra is another place that you see a photo of and immediately add it to your travel bucket list. This archaeological site in Jordan just looks so grand and impressive. I would love to see it in person and explore other awesome sites in Jordan.

Bali, Indonesia

Bali just sounds like the most romantic and lush tropical getaway. It’s the ideal honeymoon spot! I would love to have a real vacation in Bali and go all out with pampering and luxurious hotels. It probably wouldn’t be the most affordable or adventurous trip, but sometimes that’s okay!

Honourable mentions

I would have Thailand and Cambodia on my travel bucket list for Asia, but since we’re planning to go there in the new year, I’ve moved them down to honourable mentions. Other honourable mentions are Malaysia (where my mom grew up) and Laos and Myanmar (lesser traveled spots in SE Asia).

Europe:

Slovenia

Slovenia is a new addition to my bucket list. To be honest, I didn’t know a thing about the country until a new travel podcast I started listening to, Extra Pack of Peanuts, couldn’t stop gushing about it. And then I did a little research and decided that I needed to get myself to Slovenia ASAP. Just google Ljubljana or Lake Bled and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

Greece

Ever since I watched The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and saw Lena living her best life on a Greek island, I’ve wanted to visit Greece. I want to see all of the old ruins in Athens. And then I want to hit up the islands and see the white domes and stunning coastline.

Honourable mentions

I’ve done quite a bit of traveling in Europe, and because I’m reserving my travel bucket list for places I haven’t been yet, I only have Greece and Slovenia on it. But there are tons of other little parts of Europe I haven’t seen that I would love to: the fjords of Norway, the Alps, Scotland, Prague, Austria, the Aix region in France and the Tuscany region of Italy.

Oceania:

New Zealand

New Zealand is another huge travel bucket list place for me. And I almost got to cross it off the list this year but my awesome flight deal fell through. So while I’m still a little angry at Air New Zealand, I’m not holding a grudge against the entire country. I can’t wait to make it to NZ one day and hopefully have enough time to drive across both islands and see as much as possible.

Honourable mention

The Cook Islands are my honourable mention for the Oceania part of my travel bucket list. I don’t know a ton about them but friends of mine have visited and their photos look awesome!

Colin’s Travel Bucket List:

I thought it would be fun to ask my partner in life and most travels, Colin, what topped his bucket list. Colin hasn’t traveled as much as I have been lucky enough to, but he definitely wants to. It was interesting to hear what places he can’t wait to see. Plus, we’ve got some good overlap, so that helps with future trip planning!

Here’s Colin’s list:

• Europe: Germany, Iceland, Greece, Russia (one day), various Scandinavian countries
• Asia: India, Japan, the Middle East (one day), North Korea (if things continue on their current path)
• America/Oceania: Australia, Brazil
• Africa: Brazil, Kenya (“Throw Kenya on there!”)

 

What do you think of my picks?
And, more importantly, what’s topping your dream travel bucket list?