our travel wish list
As December 25 is fast approaching and kids have made their Christmas wish lists for Santa, we’ve been writing up a list of our own.
Our own wish list but one might liken this list to a bucket list which is something we’ve never had! Things like sky-diving and bungee jumping and white water rafting have been done by one wise monkey already and to be honest, the other has no interest or even an adrenaline drop in her body. But because our list only contains travel stuff, it might be more appropriate to call it a ‘travel wish list’!
Should a genie ever come out, here is what we have, for NOW, on our travel wish list (or “official travel bucket list”) that can run alongside our unofficial bucket list and our retrospective bucket list.
These are not listed in any particular order or priority:
1) Walk the Camino de Santiago
2) Visit Carcassonne & Mont St Michel
3) See the Egyptian Pyramids and Sphinx
4) Go on an African safari and see the big FIVE
5) Visit the Disney theme parks around the round: LA, Orlando, Paris, Japan, Hong Kong
6) See the House of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island
7) Photograph penguins in Antarctica
8) See Iguazu Falls, Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls
9) Witness the Northern Lights
10) Have a white Christmas
11) Experience 24 hours of sunlight
12) Float on the Dead Sea
13) Welcome a new year with celebrating NYE in NYC
14) Chase a solar and a lunar eclipse somewhere
15) Get to at least base camp of Mt Everest
16) Hot-air ballooning at the Albuquerque Ballon Fiesta
17) Road trip across America
18) Attend the Naadam Festival in Mongolia
19) Visit Christmas markets around Europe
20) Go in search of bears in Canada or Alaska
21) See gorillas in the jungle
22) Go husky-sledding in Scandinavia
23) See polar bears in the North Pole
24) Visit Russia (at least Moscow & St Petersburg)
25) Hike/trek in the Patagonia
26) Volunteer overseas
27) Visit Santa’s village in Lapland
28) Attend:
a) a FIFA World Cup
b) an Olympics
c) a Wimbledon match
d) a Premier League game in England
e) one game of each of these in the USA: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL
f) an Ashes game in England
29) Ice-skate in an open-air rink on a wintery evening overseas
30) Self-drive around Iceland
This list is by no means exhaustive and will be forever evolving! Now, we will need to think of what we want on our non-travel bucket list.
Here’s to hoping that we wake up one day & a genie materialises while we’re polishing that lamp! Maybe on Christmas day?
wise monkeys abroad 
November 30, 2014 at 1:32 am
[…] now also have an “official travel bucket list” and a “retrospective bucket list,” which is “the list of things that […]
August 25, 2014 at 5:59 pm
They are all good ideas…I wanna do the Camino de Santiago as weel..who knows, maybe we’ll meet there 😉
August 26, 2014 at 2:03 am
We are walking the Camino in about 10 days…. so is it on your cards that soon any chance??
August 26, 2014 at 2:10 am
Wow so soon! Unfortunately I have to delay that trip but in two weeks I’m leaving for Ethiopia 🙂
August 26, 2014 at 2:13 am
That’s awesome – have a fabulous time! We have heard amazing things about Ethiopia 🙂 Maybe you can send us a postcard from there?? 😉
August 26, 2014 at 2:27 am
I’d love to even if I’m going volunteering so I don’t know if I’ll have time to search for postcards..write me a mail with your address (you’ll find my address on my blog) and I’ll try to send it one 🙂
August 18, 2014 at 6:28 pm
Thanks for visiting and following Flying Goannas. I’m looking forward to following your travels too.
August 19, 2014 at 1:51 am
Thanks Flying Goannas 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 9:42 am
1, 7 and 9 are near the top of my bucket list too! And I’d love to be able to do all of the items on your list in my lifetime. Although I’m not good with cold too — I shivered quite a bit during a “warm” snowless winter in Europe. 😀 I’ve heard the Christmas markets in Germany are awesome, but there’s also a cheerful Wintermarkt in Amsterdam that lasts till early January, plus you can do #29 in the open-air ice rink that they put up beside the Rijksmuseum every winter. (http://smalltowngirlsmidnighttrains.com/2014/06/05/amsterdam/)
July 23, 2014 at 1:48 pm
Thanks so much for stopping by our blog 🙂 We are not good with the cold either. Being Aussies, our coldest might be 2 degrees Celsius … So not entirely sure how we would go with the Europe winter BUT we want to experience it all once at least 😉
May 31, 2014 at 7:13 pm
19) Visit Christmas markets around Europe
This one you should definitely do in Germany and Austria (I dont know about other mid European countries). There christmas markets are wonderful. For example I know the markets in Scandinavia and they certainly lack something, as the problem is due to many restrictions of selling food in public, sreving alcohol in public and and and
9) Witness the Northern Lights
Very easily done, just go during January to northern Scandinavia for week and you will surely have at least one night with the Northern Lights 🙂
May 31, 2014 at 7:36 pm
Thanks for the tips 🙂 We are not very good in cold weather (especially after our experience around Wutaishan and subzero temperatures) BUT we know we have to brave it for the Northern Lights which is one of our “MUST-SEES” in life 🙂
June 1, 2014 at 7:19 pm
Indeed you will have to prepare yourself for the temperatures. This winter was pretty warm in this area as temperatures never went lower than -20 degree celsius… I believe the coldest measured in Finland was about -51degree celsius, Good luck!
June 1, 2014 at 8:04 pm
Yikes…. minus 20 is SO low. In Sydney, we don’t ever get even close to zero…. so we will definitely be COLD!!! Brrrrrr………
Think we need LOTS of luck 🙂
May 1, 2014 at 8:20 am
awesome list! let’s see…i’ve done: #1, first half of #2, second one of #8, went to one of #19, #20, and #26! as you know, so far i only have the camino up on my blog but hopefully soon i will get the rest up! looking forward to seeing you achieve your list!
May 1, 2014 at 9:06 pm
Thanks Kendra for visiting and for following our blog 🙂
Look forward to seeing your posts of the things you have done from our list 🙂
Happy Friday tomorrow!
February 20, 2014 at 12:20 pm
I have done the 7th (http://talkingexperience.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/8445/) on this list but it was so far away that couldn’t spot the penguines 🙂 I heard about you from http://turquoisecompass.com when she was in Sydney….are u guys from Sydney? we shud catch up sometime 🙂
Regards,
Kavita
http://talkingexperience.wordpress.com
February 20, 2014 at 1:51 pm
Hi Kavita, Yes we are from Sydney!! It will be good to meet up!
Thanks for following our blog 🙂
Will go check out your blog now!
Hope you are enjoying the lovely weather today after yesterday 😉
Cheers,
Le
February 20, 2014 at 2:41 pm
Sure true Le….it was raining cats and dogs at times yest…but its such a lovely afternoon today …I wish I cud just go and sit at the beach 🙂
Keep in touch!
Chers,
Kavita
January 6, 2014 at 1:26 am
Such a great list! The only thing I’ve done was spend New Year’s Eve in NYC, but that’s cheating since I live here and spent it on my couch, reading travel guides.
HOWEVER.
I will be visiting Mount Everest base camp in June!
January 6, 2014 at 7:07 am
Wow – base camp 🙂 We look forward to reading all about it when you go!
December 30, 2013 at 9:09 am
Christmas markets in the Italian Alps – ah, simply beautiful! and a white Christmas – again in Italy via Austria from England – yes, it did take a while to get from A to B but we know the ropes and will be happy to provide info if of interest. And Wimbledon of course! Twice, and both times exceedingly wonderful. FIFA matches: yes Sir, including the World Cup final in Japan in 2002 – I was more into the country than football though, so for sports I’ll have to get hubby’s pointers.
Good luck with your plans, love them!
All the best,
ofglassandbooks
December 30, 2013 at 9:13 am
Thanks so much for stopping by and for following us! Sounds like you have our list covered 🙂 There is simply so much to do in this world, isn’t there? Happy New Year!!
December 30, 2013 at 9:15 am
And to you! Ha ha, no, your list sounds like a dream and we certainly haven’t got it covered! Look forward to your stories as you tick the boxes in 2014!
All the best,
OG&B
December 30, 2013 at 3:06 am
Great list! I’ve done some of these and have the others on my list! I forgot to include the gorilla trek in Uganda on mine, though. Thanks for the reminder!
December 30, 2013 at 3:05 am
Great list! I’ve done some of these! And the others, I have on my list as well! I forgot to include gorilla trek in Uganda on my list! Thanks for the reminder!
December 30, 2013 at 8:28 am
Thanks for stopping by! Here’s to hoping we get them all crossed off our list 🙂
December 26, 2013 at 7:55 am
I did 10 and 19 of the list. I love the whole list and wish that I had done more of the activities already! Love the idea of a travel to-do list! It’s really original and makes you work for something you really want! Merry Christmas! xx
December 26, 2013 at 8:29 am
Thank you so much for stopping by and for commenting 🙂 It is certainly our goal and therefore keeps us motivated! Merry Christmas to you too 🙂
December 22, 2013 at 1:53 am
The African ones should be at the top of your list! Safari and volunteering abroad are two of the most amazing things I have ever done! Will you be doing a few of the South America ones next year at the same time as Rio?
December 22, 2013 at 6:13 am
We have plans to visit Europe after our 2 weeks in Brazil…. So South America places will have to wait a little longer!
December 21, 2013 at 12:09 pm
I really hope this doesn’t sound horribly boastful, but I’m very fortunate to have done perhaps a dozen of the things on your list. But living in Ontario, and with Rich coming from Britain, I’m lucky to have had more than my fair share of travel opportunities in the last ten years.
And of course, there are probably hundreds of things on my own ‘travel wish list’ that you’ve done. Starting with, ‘Visit the southern hemisphere!’
In any case, you have an open invitation for a guided tour of Niagara Falls (which is about 90 minutes from where I’m sitting right now), when you finally make it here to Ontario!
December 21, 2013 at 12:47 pm
Not boastful at all – you are extremely fortunate 🙂 Our list is actually never-ending but we thought we would put a limit of our absolute MUST-DOs (for now anyway). We had more must-dos in the past but with time have crossed them off the list already so they haven’t been captured here.
Canada is VERY high on our list but because the country is so big we just don’t want to go there for a short period of time. We want to go for a substantial amount of time and make the most of it. We will get there one day and we will take you up on the offer to go to Niagara Falls 🙂
Happy Holidays to you!
December 21, 2013 at 2:58 pm
And to you… I look forward to meeting in Niagara Falls one day!!!
December 19, 2013 at 4:57 pm
My Christmas list only has one thing: convince you guys to take me on all the trips on your travel list, too. 😀 Those look like amazing experiences, I hope you get to do it all!
December 19, 2013 at 7:10 pm
🙂 You made us laugh with your comment!
Well, hopefully Santa makes our wish comes true then we will make sure to come by and whisk you away with us too! Thanks for stopping by!
December 19, 2013 at 4:50 pm
Nice list! You may have given me a couple of ideas to add to my bucket list!
December 19, 2013 at 7:09 pm
Thank you for commenting. It gets a bit like that, doesn’t it? We keep getting ideas from reading about other people’s trips and bucket lists 🙂 The lists in our heads are never-ending!
December 19, 2013 at 7:17 am
I checked off number 12 and 24 of my own bucket list this year! St Petersburg was a real special experience as we came just in the middle of the White Nights period — prior to our trip I had absolutely no idea that such a phenomenon exists in Russia. It´s not the Northern Lights, but still it´s pretty magical. Love your list! New inspiration:)
December 19, 2013 at 7:30 am
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing!! We are hoping to get to Russia some time soon, it’s been on our list for ages but keeps getting bumped for somewhere else! But when we do go it probably will not in the season to view anything exciting in the sky. We haven’t heard of the white night period so will have to look it up – might be another to add to the list 🙂
December 19, 2013 at 4:17 am
What a great list. The last Item was something I did a couple of years ago, and most definitely recommended. I’ve also been dog-sledding in Finnish Lapland and to the Christmas markets in Berlin and Edinburgh, and seen the midnight sun in Northern Norway.
I’d love to take on some of the challenges you’ve set yourselves: trekking in Patagonia is something that particularly appeals to me. I love big scenery and the idea of remoteness.
December 19, 2013 at 6:44 am
Thank you for sharing what you have done! Some of our list will require us to be physically & mentally prepared – so before we undertake them – training would be required & as you put it: a “challenge” 🙂
December 19, 2013 at 2:06 am
Nice list. I have done #4 (right at my doorstep), #10, #14, and #28 b. I would also love to visit the falls (Iguazu, Victoria and Niagra) and the base camp of Mt Everest (I still don’t have the willpower to attempt an ascent).
December 19, 2013 at 6:41 am
Thank you so much for sharing!! Get so excited hearing what others have done & would like to do too 🙂
December 18, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Hi guys. What a brilliant list! So let’s see where we are. I’ve done a few things there but well before I actually started blogging…
I’ve done #3-the Pyramids. I went to Egypt 3 times! #4 – In South Africa. Really cool. #5-Disneyland in Paris of course, since I live in Berlin, and Disneyland in LA. That was cool! #10 – I live in Germany soooo! #12 – See #3! #17 – not across the whole of America but the West Coast of Nevada, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. That was our first time to America and soooo cool. #19 – See #10! #24 – I spent 8 hours at the airport on my way to Vietnam. Does that count? I regret not going into the city though but I was being cheap when they asked me to pay €50 for the visa. Just for a few hours. I couldn’t do it but now I wish that I had…! #26 – that was how I initially found myself in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, a few years after the Wall came down… #28 – Well, when the FIFA World Cup came to Germany. I applied to be a volunteer. Got it and found myself hosting at the Olympia Stadium for all the games. It was gorgeous actually being at the stadium during the final match. We all shook hands as volunteers and sat anywhere we could. I found myself with the Italians…. who won the game!
I can’t believe that I’ve already done a third of your list. What I would like to do sometime in the future is #7, #9, #22, #23, #27 in connection with Scandanavia, Antartica and the North Pole, #15 – Mount Everest.
December 18, 2013 at 6:31 pm
Awesome – thanks for commenting! You have done heaps from our list! The more we look at other blogs – the more we keep wanting to add 🙂
December 18, 2013 at 7:35 am
This is a great list!! We have just got back from husky dog sledging in Lapland which was AMAZING!! And last year we drove some of the way around Iceland – http://globalmousetravels.com/2013/08/iceland-with-children/ which we loved. But there is loads on your list which I am taking back to mine!!! Top of which is “See the House of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island” – I SO want to do this!!
December 18, 2013 at 8:40 am
Ahhhh – thanks for sharing! Will check out what you did that is on our list. Lapland and Iceland looks soooo magical especially at this time of year.
Certainly will need to add to ours based on yours – Heheh 🙂
So much to see in this world!!
December 18, 2013 at 12:22 am
A neat albeit long list! Hope you guys manage to cross them all 🙂 Loved your collection of Christmas baubles from your travels. You will definitely need a new & much bigger tree soon!
December 18, 2013 at 5:49 am
Thank you so much for visiting our blog & for your kind comment.
This list has been ‘short-listed’ but we’re sure it will grow as we hope our tree does too – hehe!
December 17, 2013 at 8:36 am
I went to Tanzania and saw the big 5 and then hopped on a boat to Zanzibar to scuba dive with sea turtles and clown fish! It was perfect…
December 17, 2013 at 9:43 am
Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂 and for following! Lucky you to have seen the big 5!!
We were meant to go on an African safari in Sept/Oct but changed our plans… One day we will get there 🙂
December 17, 2013 at 12:15 pm
I am certain you will!!! 😀
December 17, 2013 at 2:08 am
I’ve done a few on this list, but the thing I have found about lists is the more I tick off, the longer it gets! The more I do, the more things I discover I want to do! That is why I will just carry on travelling, experiencing and living as much of this life as I can! There will always be new experiences to be had!
December 17, 2013 at 6:02 am
Yes, that is sooooo true! We have put off making a list because we could never make a list exhaustive enough! But this time, we thought if we were ever to be granted 30 travel wishes – then these are what we have narrowed it down to. But in all honesty, the list technically is never ending…. Everything we want to do and see would go on & on!
Thanks so much so your comment 🙂
December 17, 2013 at 12:59 am
PS I’ll be doing #10 and #29 in Chicago and a week so I’ll be sure to post pics. Are you on Instagram?
December 17, 2013 at 5:59 am
Yes we are…. But not really active! If you can share with us on twitter?!!
December 17, 2013 at 2:27 pm
I’ll be sure to keep posting on Twitter :).
December 17, 2013 at 12:57 am
What a great list and brilliant idea! This made my morning. Thanks.
December 17, 2013 at 5:57 am
Thank you so much 🙂
December 16, 2013 at 10:26 pm
Did a few on there, but not always with online content to link to… Here’s what I have:
Carcasonne: http://ourworldheritage.be/france.htm#carcas
If you ever get there: take in Albi & Aigues Mortes as well!
Maarten photographed a lot of pinguins while on Antarctica: http://ourworldheritage.be/travelpics.htm in our travel pics a few, or in his Antarctica blogs (more to follow): http://ourworldheritagebe.wordpress.com/category/antarctica/ .
Some things in Russia for you guys to wonder about: http://ourworldheritage.be/russia.htm .
I was thinking on making a list ourselves, similar to this, as well last week. We’ve been gathering a lot of info since we started travel blogging, and it’s hard to set goals at the moment 🙂
And seeing your list – there’s a lot on there that we did already, but we should start covering our pre-blog area as well sometime soon 😉
December 17, 2013 at 5:55 am
Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 – it was hard to do the list because we’ve obviously done lots of places already that we wanted so this is probably more of the “what’s left?”
We will definitely check out your links!!
December 16, 2013 at 7:05 pm
Cool lists! I’ve only done very few of these things so far, but I hope you guys get to do it all some day! I’ve seen the pyramids and the Sphinx, had a white Christmas, been to the Olympic Games (but it was in my own country so I don’t know if it counts) and visited Eurodisney in Paris. Sadly I haven’t posted much about this stuff yet, but if you like you can check out my post about my white christmas in Bansko, Bulgaria (although Athens is on the northern hemisphere it is quite unlikely to catch a white christmas here too). http://travelicius.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/christmas-in-bansko-bulgaria/
December 16, 2013 at 7:25 pm
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing and for commenting! Will definitely check it out 🙂