100 things to experience before you die

Naked Sadhu. Photo: Martin Prihoda , from Kumbh Mela Photo Essay

81. Attend the Kumbh Mela in India, a massive Hindu festival where pilgrims bathe in the waters of the Ganges. Thousands of leery holy men and women engage in religious discussions and various off-the-wall devotional activities.

82. Witness the Serengeti to Masai Mara wildebeest migration from a hot air balloon. If you love balloons but are scared of heights (or wild animals), visit a hot air balloon festival instead.

Dragon wall, Borneo. Photo: Jorge Santiago

83. Cycle through Cuba for a closer look at a contradictory nation. You might even pick up some Spanish along the way.

84. Explore the rainforests and mangrove swamps of Borneo, home to Bornean Orangutans, Asian Elephants and Bornean Clouded Leopards.

85. Get naked in Cap d’Agde in France, the “world capital of nudism”, where nudity is legal in town as well as on the beach. If this is too much exposure, then work your way up to it by visiting another of the best nudist beaches in the world.

Glacier National Park. Photo: fddi1

86. Learn to free dive and push your boundaries by seeing how far you can go on a single breath!

87. Explore the incredible untouched wilderness of Glacier National Park in Montana, and enjoy fantastic hiking, camping, fly fishing and cross-country skiing.

88. Feel the burn in Death Valley – the lowest, driest, hottest place in North America – and then cool off by visiting some of the less fierce natural wonders of the USA.

Dead Sea chillax. Photo: Adam Baker

89. Learn to cook traditional Chinese dumplings in Beijing, which is a lot harder than it sounds. Your first few will probably come out deformed, but hopefully they’ll taste OK!

90. Float around the Dead Sea in Jordan, where you really can sit up and read a newspaper. Covering yourself in “therapeutic” black mud is compulsory. Sticking your head underwater most definitely isn’t. And, best not to shave beforehand, ya know?

91. Visit Bali, a Hindu island in a predominantly Muslim country, and escape the tourists by heading inland.

Mmm, beer! Pic: joestump

92. Get off the beaten path in Columbia and discover deserted surf breaks, rainforest, desert and savannah that you never knew existed.

93. Drink litre steins of beer and eat pork knuckles at Oktoberfest, the largest party in the world. Booze and music and roller coasters and leather shorts… what’s not to like about that?

94. Trek into the Annapurna Sanctuary in Nepal, an 8-10 day trek between Pokhara and the base camp of Annapurna I. With more time, you could do one of the other top treks of Nepal.

95. Cross country ski the trails of Yellowstone, keeping your eyes open for bison, elk, coyotes… and hot springs. Alternatively, for a different way of moving horizontally over snow, try snowshoeing.

Tree house in Laos. Photo: Christian Haugen

96. Zipline your way down to a tree house at Finca Bellavista, a sustainable development in the Costa Rican rainforest where people live in tree houses and stilt houses connected by footpaths and ziplines! If there’s no space there, check out one of the other cool tree houses around the world.

97. Live in La Paz, the highest administrative capital city in the world, and study Aymara, an indigenous language that may have been the secret language of the Incas.

98. Wrap your teeth around some rooster testicles in Taiwan, and follow up with some other ball-munching destinations around the world.

Sail into the sunset. Photo: crlbvi

99. Travel overland from South Africa to the Middle East, and take your time exploring this fascinating part of the world.

100. Buy a boat, learn to sail, and sail off into the sunset! It’s not so difficult or expensive as you might think. But if you really can’t afford it, learn a skill such as rigging a sailboat and you’ll be able to find work – and perhaps a ride – wherever you go.

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Which of these 100 is your favorite? And what would go on your bucket list to end all bucket lists? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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