100 things to experience before you die

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia. Photo: Luca Galuzzi, from Alien Landscapes Photo Essay

PUTTING TOGETHER A bucket list of 100 things to experience before you die is tough – there are just so many cool things out there to see and do and experience. I had to leave a few things out, but in general I tried to include things ranging from the obvious to the obscure, and the sublime to the ridiculous. And they all gotta be done!

Dragon Blood tree, Socotra. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

1. Visit Socotra island off the coast of Yemen, which is an international biosphere reserve, and has been called the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean. Home to dragon blood, frankincense and myrrh, and both Thomas the Apostle and Sinbad the Sailor are said to have visited.

2. Try WWOOF-ing in Australia. This isn’t about communing with dogs, but trading your labor for board and lodging as a Willing Worker On an Organic Farm.

3. Go to Iceland: glaciers, volcanoes, whale watching and the Northern Lights. ‘Nuff said.

The magical landscape of Iceland. Photo: Paul Sullivan

4. Visit Syria and travel into the desert to experience Palmyra, one of the lesser known ruins of the world.

5. See the world’s tiny nations and micro-nations. Once you’ve got the biggies under your belt, it’s time to check the dots on the map. Some are legit countries, some less so… which makes them all the more compelling.

6. Drive the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan, one of the highest roads in the world, or hit another of the spectacular roads in the world.

Stelvio Pass in Italy. Photo: Damian Morys Foto

7. Go skinny dipping at least once in your life. Whether it’s alone in the hotel pool at night, with a bunch of mates off a Greek beach, in hot springs or a cold lake, that liberating feeling of letting it all hang free is incredible. But remember, guys, cold water won’t do you any favors!

8. Get your hips moving at Rio Carnaval, or swing over to an alternative carnaval destination in the region. By far and away the wildest, not to mention trippiest, looks like Boi Bumba in the Amazon.

9. Travel to outer space, the ultimate item on every traveler’s bucket list. And here’s the thing: a handful of space tourists have already been, though you need around $20 million + to do so. Here’s hoping prices come down a little soon, and someone works out a good carbon offset scheme.

We heart penguins. Photo: WisconsinKow

10. Go penguin watching in Chile, or at other prime spots in the Southern Hemisphere.

11. Lose yourself in Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the world’s largest salt flat. Alternatively, scope out some of the other most alien landscapes on Earth.

12. Head to Angel Falls in Venezuela, the highest waterfall in the world. Then, ignoring the advice of TLC, do go chasing waterfalls – the more spectacular the better. (And don’t even try to pretend you don’t know which song I’m talking about!)

Vic Falls from above. Photo: Jean-Louis Vandevivere

13. Trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. It may be a bucket list cliche but is certainly no walk in the park, and must rate as one of the most iconic walks in the world.

14. Crash the night in the Jumbo Jet Hostel in Sweden, or stay a while in another of the world’s most whacked out hotels – such as one totally built from ice, or one which is entirely underwater. I once stayed in Luke Skywalker’s house in Matmata, Tunisia, which was pretty cool.

15. Explore the stunning landscapes and Buddhist monasteries of Ladakh.

Surfin’. Photo: Mikebaird

16. Learn to surf in Byron Bay and then, assuming you manage to leave, surf one of the best spots in the world. Putting on rubber masks of dead American presidents and robbing banks is optional.

17. Swim with dolphins and humpback whales off the coast of Madagascar whilst helping marine scientists with data collection. I’ve swum with dolphins in Marsa Alam – and believe me, those playful beasties rock.

18. Track down some Coast Redwoods in California, the tallest trees in the world. Over 100 metres tall, with trunks up to 8 metres in diameter, some of these bad boys have been around since before the time of Jesus. Check out some photos of giant redwoods.

Logan Pass on Bike for MS route. Photo: Donal Fraser

19. Bike the US for MS, from Yorktown to San Francisco, and help raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis research. If you really have time on your hands, take to the roads and cycle another of the long distance bike routes in the USA.

20. Get a job at a research station in Antarctica. It may be the coldest place on Earth, but at least there aren’t any polar bears.

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