If you don’t already have a list of goals, dream and life experience to have before you leave the planet, start one now! How amazing would it be to cross these 5 off your list? Oh, and get going on these right away- there’s truly no better time! Whether you’re a backpacker, someone searching for adventure holidays for singles, a two-week tourist – bucket lists are great fun, so get cracking!
Release a Floating Lantern at the Yi Peng Festival in Thailand
In mid-November, northern Thailand celebrates Yi Peng (or the “Festival of Lights”) in a spiritual tradition, near Chiang Mai. Everyone in the crowd lights rice-paper lanterns that act like little hot air balloons as they soar upward, creating a magnificent constellation in the sky. Watch your lantern float away with the others in a symbol of peace and joy until it’s tinier than a speck in the black sky overhead. There’s no feeling like the electricity in the air after everyone’s lanterns have lit up the sky, and the fireworks and celebration continue all night.
Throw Tomatoes at La Tomatina in Spain
Ever wonder where you might find the world’s largest tomato fight? On the last Wednesday in August, the town of Buñol (30 km from Valencia ) erupts into the hugest tomato-hurling battle on Earth. The week before the epic event, parades, celebrations and fireworks liven up the town that more than doubles in population- and on the big day, 20,000 people set the streets awash in crushed tomato guts, seeds and pulp to celebrate nothing more than good old messy fun!
Go Zip-lining or bungee jumping at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe/Zambia
A pure adventurer’s dream, you can simultaneously cross off one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World while experiencing the pure exhilaration of flight at Victoria Falls, the world’s largest waterfall. The mile-long curtain of water is beyond breathtaking from any angle, but imagine seeing it while zipping through the lush green gorge at 100 km/hr suspended in the air above the Zambezi River. Adrenaline. Flight. Sheer, unparalleled natural beauty. This is the stuff that dreams (and buckets lists) are made of.
Volunteer in Cloud Forest Restoration in Ecuador
Visiting the exquisitely diverse rainforests living about the clouds is memorable in itself, but take it one step further by volunteering to help restore these endangered areas. Immerse in some of the world’s richest bio-diversity while learning through action and bonding with locals and other volunteers from the world over. Becoming a part of the effort to save some of the world’s most fragile and beautiful ecosystems is an experience you will never forget.
Soak in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland
Roadtrippingng around Iceland in a Cozy Campers van is a dream. Now, imagine bathing in a powder-blue pool, healing your skin in mineral waters while gazing out at the jet-black lavascape that is Iceland’s rugged terrain. The Blue Lagoon is probably the most supernatural-looking body of water on Earth, and it actually bridges two continents- Europe and North America. Once you’ve finished soaking in the geo-thermal waters, go experience the rest that Iceland has to offer- there’s enough here to fill a page of a bucket list.
