The 10 Day You Challenge continues!
We are on challenge seven, which brings us to sharing “seven wants.” Since this topic is very broad and could go in a number of directions, I decided to create a sub-topic and make it “seven travel-related wants.” As you guys know, traveling is a passion of mine and, if given the opportunity and the means to so, something I hope to do a lot of throughout my lifetime. Here are seven travel-related activities I am dying to do at some point in my life!
I’d love to hear about some of your travel-related “wants” in the comments section of this post!
Seven (Travel-Related) Wants
- Scuba Dive All Over the World
I love scuba diving! Exploring life under the sea and scuba diving all over the world is a big “want” of mine. It’s hard to imagine anything topping our experience of scuba diving with sea lions in the Galapagos (an experience that is in the top five best days of my life!), but some scuba diving destinations that have caught my eye include The Great Barrier Reef (obviously), Isla Mujeres or Richelieu Rock (to hopefully see whale sharks), Kauai, Palau and the Maldives.
- See Whales in the Wild
Another BIG want! One of my dreams is to see whales in the wild. I cannot even imagine what would go through my mind if I saw orcas or humpback whales in their natural habitat. Just the thought of it gives me chills!
- Go On An African Safari
It seems like a lot of my travel desires center around seeing incredible animals in their natural environment and an African safari is a travel-related “want” that is at the very top of my list. The thought of seeing lions, elephants and giraffes in the wild absolutely blows my mind.
- Go On A Romantic Island Vacation with Ryan
Our trip to Oahu, Hawaii is something Ryan and I still talk about regularly as one of our best vacations to date. I would love to explore another gorgeous island destination with Ryan. I’m not picky at all about where we go, I’d just love to fill our days with sunshine, scuba diving, seafood, relaxation and adventure. Some island destinations that have caught my eye: The Maldives (if you want to drool, check out The Only & Only Resorts), Tahiti and Fiji. And if we could stay in a hut over the ocean, I wouldn’t complain oooone bit!
- Go On A Ski Trip with Friends
This is something my friends and I have been talking about for years and I’m determined to make it happen one day! I think skiing with a group is ideal for me since I’ll want to ski but not ski all day every day. A winter wonderland vacation with friends where we can ski, snowmobile and relax in a big house together sounds amazing to me! My friends and I are also dying to do a tour of Europe together which I think would be incredible.
- Explore National Parks
I’m not picky at all about which national parks I see in what countries, but I want to see a bunch! Banff National Park in Canada (pictured above) looks absolutely breathtaking. Denali National Park, Bardia National Park, Kakadu National Park, Table Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Park and many more are on my list! As exciting as cities may be, it’s the outdoors that truly call to me and the more and more research I do about national parks all over the world, the more and more I find myself dying to visit and explore a bunch throughout my life.
- Go On A Bike Tour Vacation
I’ve heard wonderful things about bicycle tour vacations and though I have no idea where I’d want to do one, I know it’s something that really intrigues me. It seems like such a neat way to explore a new location in an active and adventurous way!
Now it’s your turn…
Question of the Afternoon
- What are some of your top travel-related “wants?”
I’ve listed a bunch of mine above, but it was really hard to limit my travel desires to seven bullet points. I am also dying to go on a road trip across the United States, explore many different countries (Greece, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland to name a few), hike all over the world, go white water rafting and more!
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I live 45 minutes from Banff and it is definitely worth the trip! Spectacular views, good food, and chances are you’ll see some pretty cool wildlife!
It looks incredible!
I grew up just an hour or so away from Banff and now that I’ve moved further away realize how spoiled I was to have such a beautiful country right in my back yard. It doesn’t matter where you are in this part of the province – it’s beautiful. If you ever come up here I’d recommend taking the time to go to Jasper, Lake Louise, the Columbia ice field, as well as Banff (although it’s a lot more “touristy”.) Summer or Winter, the Rocky’s are beautiful.
I’ve been living in Uganda for 9 months studying chimpanzees. I went on safari at Queen Elizabeth NP, here in Uganda, and it was amazing! Loads of elephants, water buffalo, antelope and hippos (including tubby baby hippos). They have lions too. And of course, Uganda is amazing for nonhuman primate sightings (colobus, redtails, vervets, gorillas, chimps…).
Also, I’ve been following your blog for several years but I never comment. I look forward to your posts every day! I read them before I go out to find chimps in the jungle. :p
Oops. Sorry to you and Stephanie for piggy-backing on your comments. The internet here is really terrible and I didn’t realize where I was posting my comment.
I would love to visit all of the National Parks–that has been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember! And seeing orcas in the wild is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen–on the ferry from Victoria back to Seattle a pod of orcas passed us 🙂
You have named off a few of places I would love to see!
When I lived in France I loved the convenience and being able to see the country by train. Therefore my travel wants include traveling through Europe by train, travel on the Chunnel, and travel across the US by train.
A return trip to New York, Vancouver and also Orlando!!! I’d love a dessert island vacation and also some sort of healthy retreat like one of Jason Vale’s juice ones!
I’d love to go on a healthy retreat of some sort, too!
I would love to travel to Greece, Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand, and lots of South America too. Just travel the world and get to see and experience as much as possible.
I also really want to stay in a hut out on the water!!
Did you see this hotel? It’s only $10,000 per night and you get champagne delivered via a drone. How fun is that?!?! http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2014/05/champagne-delivered-to-your-hotel-room-by-drone
I live in Calgary, not too far from Banff. I have to say, even though I’m there a couple times a year it never gets old. That photo you have is of Moraine Lake. There’s a really great hike the goes along one side of the lake. It’s flat with lots of trees so it’s great on hot days. If you ever go I guarantee you’d have an amazing time!
I was lucky enough to go on an African safari when I went on a volunteer trip to Kenya when I was seventeen and it was such an amazing experience! You never realize how big an elephant is until you see one up close (well up close ish). Really imposing creatures! I’ve considering saving up for a trip like these: http://www.africanimpact.com/conservation-volunteering
My family is really into cruising, and after our last Disney cruise in February, my sister and I decided that we need to go on vacations at LEAST every other year to celebrate our “Unbirthdays” (It WAS a Disney trip that this idea was hatched on. LOL). Right now, we’re thinking a cruise around Europe or Hawaii should be our first destination.
We’re planning on going on the Disney cruise in November! How did you like it?
Loved it. It was our second Disney, and they’re wonderful. The first day at sea, my mom, sister, aunt, and I got the day pass to the Rain Forest Spa. It was around $20-$25, and you got unlimited trips to the steam room, saunas, and rain showers. This was on the Disney Wonder. It was awesome!
I’m sure you could check Alaska AND whales off your list at the same time. I left a comment about Alaska last week…. I had a boat excursion in Resurrection Bay (from Seward) and we had adult and BABY ORCAS swimming up to and under the boat! It was incredible. Several people told us they saw baluga whales in the water on the drive back from Seward to Anchorage. This was around Labor Day. My parents did an Alaskan cruise last summer (July maybe?) and did a whale excursion and saw breaching humpbacks! I’m pretty sure you’re guaranteed to see them in Alaska if you look in the right place.
Kudos to you with scuba diving… that’s a serious fear of mine. But I absolutely love the list of wants!
PS: I’ll go skiing with you! 😉
I’m actually trying to plan an Italy trip & am struggling with getting around and seeing a lot I’m
a short time. Will you be renting a car or taking a train or flying mostly? I would love some advice.
These are all on my want list, but I’m going whale watching in Gloucester this August, SO EXCITED!
I hope you’re going to blog about it!! I’d love to read about your experience!
Oh definitely, it’ll be a once in a lifetime experience!
I have a never ending list of travel “wants”, but one very high up on the list is to rent a houseboat in the Caribbean with a group of friends and sail around on our own private cruise for a week!
I’ve actually done quite a few of these! My goal in life is to travel as much as possible. I’ve had a travel wish list for years and have been able to cross off some big ones. Is still love to see Australia, Greece, and Ireland. And of course is go back to Hawaii in a heartbeat with my husband!
Honestly right now I just want a vacation!! haha but seriously…all of the ones you listed sound amazing!
I would love to go to Ireland someday. My grandma kissed the Blarney Stone, so we shall see if I work up the courage to do it too. 🙂
I just want to be able to travel more! I love exploring and wish it was easier done than said!
My husband and I love to travel, but we keep returning to our favorite places. We have snorkeled in the Keys, but would LOVE to scuba Belize or Australia! We LOVE skiing out west – so add us to your friend ski trip! HA!!! And I have never heard of an idea of bicycle tour, but it sounds fantastic. We live in Michigan, and the state has been converting old railroads into bike paths. We’ve talked about a northern michigan tour along the lakeshores and to the bridge – we might have to make this one of our closer to home vacations! Great tip!
I think the US has some of the most amazing places to visit. I really want to see the North West part of the country and do the Red Woods forest. (I would LOVE to drive THRU a tree!!!!) And I’ve heard the Ozarks in Arkansas is beautiful!
I need to work for the travel channel, I think! 🙂
I highly recommend Isla Mujeres ! My boyfriend and I have been there twice. It is the cutest little island. Unfortunately we never got to swim with the whale sharks since we have gone in winter but we have gone snorkeling and it was very nice.
I love to travel. I’m going to Cabo next week with my husband for our first time there. I think my top international destinations would be either the islands of Greece or maybe Thailand. But honestly, all travel is good travel in my book.
What a fun list! One of my travel-related wants is actually going to be fulfilled next week when my husband & I travel to Italy together. He has been a few times and is always helping to plan our friends’ Europe trips. It is finally my turn to go with him and I could not be more excited! We will be hitting Venice, Rome, Positano, Pompeii, Capri, Tuscany and Florence in just 10 days. Mostly excited for the wine & gelato dailing 😉
I hope you have the best time!!
Thank you!
I was fortunate enough to go on a safari back in February. My husband and I went to Kenya and it was absolutely incredible. Watching animals in their natural habitat and getting to interact with the people of Kenya were two things I will never forget.
Also, Bora Bora and Moorea (Tahiti) are probably the most beautiful places I have ever been. That is where my husband and I went on our honeymoon. The over water bungalow experience is high recommended. 🙂
Next on our list is Isla Holbox, Mexico to swim with Whale Sharks! You should check out Holbox Island – it is close to Isla Mujeres but a little more secluded.
I will definitely check it out! Sounds incredible!
These all look absolutely amazing! I’d go on them all if I had the means as well haha
also, have you seen Blackfish? your topic of seeing whales in the wild made me think of that. I think that would be absolutely breathtaking to see!!! especially after learning about all of the mistreatment of these majestic animals.
I recently saw whales on a boat tour in Kauai and it was such an amazing experience! I love traveling to tropical places and would love to go to Fiji or the Bahamas!
Hi- I’ve never commented before but I had to chime in to say that Kakadu National Park is AWESOME!! I went to visit my sister in Australia for 3 weeks when she was studying abroad and we did a guided camping tour through Kakadu and it was easily the highlight for all of us. So many natural swimming pools and waterfalls to swim under with a guide who knew the local wildlife and history. Plus the Great Barrier Reef is a short flight away!
I’m doing my first bike tour this summer in Southern France. I”m nervous but excited! I just moved to Europe a couple months ago so it makes these kinds of things so much easier.
Thanks for commenting! And a camping tour sounds awesome!
My best vacation was a hiking trip in Thailand with GAP Adventures. Was the best holiday ever!
You have touched on so many trips I want to do. Plus I can think of so many more. Now I feel that travel bug coming back, thanks!
I want to visit all seven continents. I been to North American, Australia, and Europe so far. I’m going to Asia at the end of September and I’m so very excited.
If you go to the Great Barrier Reef, I highly recommend going to the Whitsundays. I stayed at Hamilton Island over Easter and we went on a daytrip to Whitehaven Beach. It is probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. Queenstown, New Zealand and the surrounding area was also amazing.
I would love to go to Italy someday. I’ve been to France, Germany, Ireland and Bermuda, but I’d love to explore Rome and eat pasta and gelato. Yummmm.
I’d love to go to France and Italy!
I would definitely love to do a romantic island getaway with the husband too! Our honeymoon was totally one of my favorite vacations–so I hope to go again with him soon!
I went on an African Safari with my dad in 06′ (in Tanzania, and he climbed Mt.Kilimanjaro afterwards–I had to head back to the states, sadly!). It was an incredible trip!! We actually saw lions mating <—super interesting, and a lion jumped onto our jeep (while I was sticking my body out the top taking photos), so that was crazy scary, but also a really cool story. hah 😉
Scuba diving def tops my list too! Would love to try it!
My Mom lived in Palau for several years – the rock islands are unbelievable and there are really no better snorkeling/diving places in the world! If you ever go make sure you go for at least 10 days so you have time to adjust to the time change and explore some of the other islands as well as do a trip to jellyfish lake and a kayak trip to long lake. You can also take overnight camping tours to stay out on the rock islands. I highly recommend Sam’s Tours for the snorkeling/diving/island trips.
I would love to see the castles in Scotland, spend time on islands in Greece enjoying the culture and food. I also want to visit every single state in the US! I’ve been to 26 so far, but plenty left to see! My husband LOVES Yellowstone (he’s a tad ahead of me on the US tour) so I guess that’s a must see, it looks beautiful & the hiking would be outstanding.
Our next trip though, I think it needs to be a beach getaway like the one you & Ryan enjoyed so much! We’ve both been under tons of stress, and my hubby just graduated seminary. Laying beachside for a week sounds simply amazing 🙂
I have seen whales in the wild and it is INCREDIBLE. There is honestly nothing like it. If you go to Telegraph Cove, on north Vancouver Island in Canada, the have AMAZING whale watching tours 🙂
I also love to travel. Living in Utah, I am within driving distance of many National Parks, and grew up hiking all over (my dad is huge into road trips, national parks, and hiking). If you ever get the opportunity to hike Angel’s Landing at Zion’s National Park, I highly recommend it. I have also taken 2 separate road trips to Banff, and it is definitely one of the top 5 prettiest places I have ever been – so worth it.
An African safari, the Amazon, Greece, and Australia are high on my list right now! Road-tripping through the US is the major big one that is maybe more doable.
I want to explore the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. Plus I want to do a biking tour through the vineyards of France!
Love your list! There are so many places I’d love to go: South Africa, Thailand, Greece, Portugal, Australia, Japan…I could go on. My husband and I went to Moorea and Bora Bora for our Honeymoon. Absolutely gorgeous and incredibly romantic. I highly recommend the Four Seasons in Bora Bora. We stayed in an over-water bungalow and never wanted to leave! Seriously the most amazing vacation ever. We haven’t stopped talking about it and are dying to go back! Hopefully one day 🙂
I love the idea of a tropical island getaway! Yosemite is amazing – I’d love to see other national parks as well!
We honeymooned at Lake Tahoe in northern CA, but only for 5 days – I would LOVE to go back, and really hike and explore the area more, and go in the wintertime so we could snowboard at Heavenly and stay up in Truckee, CA – our dog’s namesake 🙂
I want to go to at least one country in all of the continents, and especially go to Australia!
I’m moving to Kodiak Island, Alaska next week. We’re taking 37 days to travel in our camper, stopping in Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, Jasper, and Liard Hot Springs along the way. I hope to see humpback whales during our 3 years there!
Great list! I would love to do all of those, too. However, I did see whales in the San Juan Islands several summers ago. I have always wanted to see them and when I did…I cried! It remains one of my most favorite memories, they’re so amazing!
Go look up plitvice nationa park in Croatia. You would love it
Thanks for the tip!! I have a friend going to Croatia this summer and I can’t wait to hear all about it!
I met a lady who had nothing but great things to say about a bike tour in Italy! It’s not on my bucket list. Especially since she told me that her daughter in law had TONS of gluten free food while on it.
We just got back from an Alaskan cruise where one of my dreams (seeing a WHALE in the WILD) came true! So it may have been just a tail, but still …. 🙂 with ya on that one!!
I’d love to snowboard the Swiss Alps and backpack through Europe!
I live in the central coast of California, about six months ago, the whales had a big feeding frenzie around the bay. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. They were jumping and there were just so many of them. I hope you are able to see the whales one day.
I LOVE Banff!!! I always make sure to get there once a year. I took my niece there for New Years when she was 11 and she said ” This is exactly how I picture the North Pole (Santa)”. Awesome skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. Get there if you have the chance…you won’t be disappointed. That picture is Moraine Lake up by Lake Louise…both beautiful!
islands are the best! i recommend greece for a romantic getaway 🙂
You should add Belize to your list of scuba destinations! I went there with my family a few years ago, and my dad and brother both loved the diving. It’s home to the second largest barrier reef in the world.
I’ve traveled quite a bit and still have many more places on my bucket list! I’m living in Malaysia right now, so I’m trying to see as many Southeast Asian countries as possible. So far I’ve hit Indonesia and Thailand, and I’m actually leaving for a trip to Myanmar tomorrow. There’s nothing more exciting than traveling the world!
I’d love to visit Italy — my Italian roots! — and Greece. We’re going to Japan next year, so that’s exciting!
Those look like some great travel ideas! I would love to see so many places – India, Thailand, Bali, Canada, San Fran, South America… The list is endless! I would love to do a yoga retreat somewhere special like Bali!