EPIC QUEST

100+ Epic Travel Bucket List Ideas To Inspire!

Travel inspiration can come in any form. A book. A conversation. A beautiful scene. A song. A movie. A dream. 100 ultimate journey quotes. What follows ↓ is a list of some of the experiences, travelling bucket list ideas if you will, that have completely captured my attention and got me saying, “Wow! I’d LOVE to do that.” at one point or another.

I have been fortunate to experience a number of these incredible moments through my travels. Only serving to increase the wanderlust and my want need to explore.

It is by no means complete.

It will never be.

It is constantly being updated, modified, contemplated and revitalised. It is constantly growing and evolving with time. Much like me.

It is by no means static. If something doesn’t appeal to me anymore, it simply gets removed.

It is not a must do, oh-my-life-will-be-incomplete-until-everything-is ticked-off.

I despise doing things just to tick off a list. Don’t get trapped by a list.

I love traveling without a plan, going with the flow of life and being open to serendipitous moments and all the magic waiting to happen.

So Yes. It is not a plan. It is a flexible guiding post of some of the things I would like to achieve and experience and what I feel would enrich my life significantly ⇒ adding some depth, soul, beauty and much-loved adventure.

>> Related reading:

Two Questions:

1. Why have I published My Epic Quest Bucket List?
I hope that by including my wanderlist, you would be encouraged to create a travelers bucket list of your own. Or at the very least, you would be provided with some inspiration and vacation ideas for your next travel, perhaps?

2. Why should you have a travel bucket list an EPIC Quest List?
The list is just the beginning. The start of something special in your life, where you have set an intention and made a conscious written commitment to pursue a number of activities that would enhance your life impressively.

I am not a big fan of the term bucket list.

I much prefer a life list, a dream list, a wanderlist. Call it what you will.

A bucket list implies that you’ll get to it someday in the future. Perhaps when you’re retired? When you clear all your debts? When something magically happens in your life to give you the time and resources to finally chase your dreams.

Nothing is guaranteed and you need to start living. Now.

>> Read next: How many countries have you been to?
Here’s why you should STOP counting

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MY ULTIMATE TRAVEL INSPIRATION
EPIC QUEST BUCKET LIST

✈ ✈ ✈

✈ PROFESSIONAL GOALS

Experience “I feel like I’m doing exactly what I was meant to be doing at this moment” √
Own a giraffe
Quit the conventional life, go on a mini-retirement and travel the world √ Summer 2012
Found a charity in support of something I care about deeply
Open my own art gallery
Build a successful blog to make major positive impact
Develop a location independent lifestyle/business
Write a book. Get published.
Be a source of inspiration for those who want to break out of the 9 to 5 and live an extraordinary life
Be interviewed for Radio √ Voice of the Cape and CII International June 2011
Be interviewed for TV √ Wrangler True Wanderer 2016
Teach/tutor a class √ Honours University of Pretoria 2005
Do something adventurous to build awareness for a good cause and raise money for charity √
June 2011 Kilimanjaro climb –>
$10 000 raised for mothers and infants of Sub-saharan Africa


✈ PLACES TO TRAVEL AND LANDMARKS TO SEE

I have this insatiable desire (read: need) to explore, discover unexplored territory, chase adventures.

The simplest notion of following my heart and pursuing that which makes me most alive.

I could save you a whole lot of reading time and sum this up in three words:

THE-WHOLE-WORLD(!)

But where’s the fun in that? So continue reading😉

Mount EverestHike in Nepal or Tibet April ’18
Meditate at Angkor Wat and Bayon Temple, Siem Reap Cambodia
Explore Easter Island, Chile
Pyramids of Meroë, Sudan
Plitvice Lakes in Croatia √ June 2013
Jokulsarlon glacier Lagoon Iceland
Hike Preachers Rock Preikestolen, Kjeragsbolten and Trolltunga Norway √ August 2014
Iguazú / Iguaçu Falls National Park – Argentina/Brazil √ June 2012
Discover untouched territory in Costa Rica
Hike the complete Inca trail and witness the incredible mysteries of Machu Picchu- Peru
Ngorogoro Crater- Tanzania √ June 2011
Forbidden City, Tiananmen square, Temple of Heaven – Beijing, China
Petra Jordan
Galapagos Islands – Ecuador
Climb Table Mountain – Cape Town, South Africa √ January 2002 2011
Alhambra Palace and Granada, Andalucia Spain
Witness the magic of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
Adventure through Sri Lanka
Taj Mahal, India
Explore the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River NP Philippines
Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya Istanbul √ July ’10 July ’13 Dec ’13
Victoria Falls – Zambia/Zimbabwe
Unreal landscape of Cappadoccia √ July 2010
The Tower Bridge √ London, England June 2006
Kiyomizu-dera Kyoto Japan
Cliffs of Moher Clare Ireland √ June 2006
Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, The Wave – Arizona, USA
Absorb the history of the Colosseum, sistine chapel, Vatican city √ Rome June 2006 May 2013
Black Forest Germany
El Yunque National Forest
Mud volcanoes Azerbaijan
See the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower √ Paris June 2006
Vacation on the Greek islands √ July 2010
Drink green tea in Japan
Explore Havana, Cuba
Party all night Mykonos √ July 2010
Banff National Park – Alberta, Canada
Laucala Island and the cube swimming pool – Fiji
Experience the culture of Amsterdam √ June 2009 November 2014
Explore the streets, floating islands, dim sum and skyline of Hong Kong
Incredible scenery of Lofoten islands, Norway
Feel the mysteries of high Bhutan and the cliff-side Taktshang Lhakhang temple
Savour a rainforest experience √ Walk to Mandara June 2011
Great pyramids of Giza Egypt January 2018
Tara river canyon in the Durmitor National Park – Montenegro
Art and atmosphere of Barcelona √ Spain June 2009 December 2014
See the view from the top of Corcovado Mountain Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil √ June 2012
Mount Roraima and Angel Falls, Venezuela
Be in awe at the gorgeous Alps from the ground and the air √
Bagan and Shwedagon Pagoda Yangon, Myanmar
Walk along the Old Wall of Dubrovnik √ June 2013
Halong Bay Hoi An Vietnam
Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square, and The Kremlin, Moscow Russia √ May 2014
Skaftafeli National Park + ice caves Iceland
Drive the Amalfi coast, Italy √ September 2017
Redwood country to be dwarfed and amazed by the giant redwood trees (tallest living thing on our planet)
Dive The Great Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef Belize
Walk the length of Copacabana and Ipanema √ June 2012
White Desert Farafra Egypt
Wander the islands of Bora Bora and French Polynesia
Door to Hell Turkmenistan
Acropolis & Parthenon √ Athens, Greece August 2010
New York City – New York, USA
Walk along the Berlin Wall and Brandenburg gate Berlin √ June 2013 and √ July 2014
Experience the wild beauty of Iran firsthand
Hike Mount Hua (华山 Hua Shan) Shaanxi and Huanglong Scenic Valley Sichuan China
Explore The Azores Islands, Portugal
Atacama Desert Chile
Experience the White nights Saint Petersburg √ May 2014
Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava tubes, South Korea
Jeita Grotto Lebanon
Ancient city of Ephesus Selcuk √ Turkey August 2010
Sightsee Chiang Mai, Erawan National Park and islands Thailand
1000 islands and chocolate hills, Bohol Philippines
Drive along the incredible landscape of Montenegro √ July 2013
Disney land √ Paris June 2006 √ October 2014
Stone Forest Yunnan China
Discover Lisboa, Lisbon and Belem, Portugal by tram √ December 2013
Milford Sound and other beautiful landscapes of New Zealand
La Tres Frontera where Brasil, Argentina and Paraguay meet √ June 2012
Socotra Island Aden Yemen
Basilica of Sagrada Familia Barcelona √ June 2009
Charm of Edinburgh √ July 2014
Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco
Golden Temple Amritsar India
Explore Scandinavia √ August 2014
Vancouver BC, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake Canada
Sights and sounds of Borneo Malaysia
Wander a-round Lake Bled, Slovenia √ June 2012
Kawasan Falls – Cebu, Philippines
Drive the Garden Route South Africa √ Dec 2000
Sydney Opera House, Australia
Karokoram Highway, Hunza valley Indus valley – Pakistan
Teotihuacan San Juan Teotihuacan Mexico
Discover Mongolia
Masurian Lake District Poland √
Luang Prabang, Laos
Lalibela and Simien Mountains National Park , Ethiopia
Thác Ban Gioc Cao Bang waterfalls on the border between Vietnam and China
Explore Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta – Botswana
See where the Indian and Atlantic ocean meet √ Cape January 2002
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – Abu Dhabi, UAE
Ancient civilization of Tiwanaku and Lake Titicaca
Walk along the great avenue of the Baobabs Madagascar
Don’t die in Antarctica


✈ ADVENTURES TO HAVE AND THINGS TO DO

Travel the world solo for an extended period √ currently
Visit all 7 continents
Arrive at the airport and jump on the 1st available flight with only my backpack and see where I end up √
Climb EPIC Mt. Kilimanjaro and watch the sun rise √ June 2011
Spend a night in the Amazon jungle √ June 2012
Swim with dolphins √ Zanzibar June 2011
Surf Kalalau Beach Island of Kauai in Hawaii
Hike the Haʻiku Stairs also known as the Stairway to Heaven or Haʻiku Ladder – Oʻahu, Hawaii
Trek to Everest base camp
Volunteer abroad
Play with the giraffes of Giraffe Manor – Nairobi Kenya
Get a meaningful tattoo √ September 2014
Microlight over the vast Victoria Falls followed by a swim in Devils pool and Angel’s armchair
Take flight in a Hot-air balloon √ Cappadocia Turkey July 2010
Take crazy fun photographs at Salar de Uyuni – Uyuni, Bolivia
Star gaze √ Horombo June 2011 Sarajevo June 2013
Walk with Gorillas in the mist Uganda/Rwanda
Go on a safari in the Serengeti and take photos of the wildlife √ June 2011
Island hop around the Caribbean Islands
Hike the seven great lakes of Kashmir
Take a photo at the equator, with one foot in each hemisphere
Climb a volcano √ Taipei March 2001 Santorini July 2010
Hike the beautiful Italian Riviera √ June 2013 Cinque Terre
Dive with whale sharks in Mexico, Maldives or the Philippines
Sleep under the stars on the beach and see the sun rise √ Montenegro July 2013
Visit the great panda bears Chengdu China
Watch Jellyfish float in Jellyfish Lake on Eli Malk island in the Republic of Palau.
Experience the magical underwater world √ Snorkel Mnemba Atoll Zanzibar June 2011
Float in the dead sea
Walk through and above the clouds √ Kilimanjaro June 2011 Norway August 2014
Walk the great wall of China
See the most spectacular sunset √ Santorini July 2010
Kiss passionately in the rain
Hike to The Lost City Ciudad Perdida – Colombia
Hitch Hike √ Goreme July 2010
Explore the Mendenhall Ice Caves Juneau Alaska
Help turtles hatch and make it to the ocean √ Sri Lanka April ’18
Help build a house for charity
Bungee jump the world’s highest
Crash a wedding √ Albania June 2013
Dive the Great Barrier Reef
Have a real snow experience
Savour the most delicious pizza and gelato of Italy √ June 2006 and √ June May 2013
Quad Bike as a way to discover undiscovered territory √ Naxos Greece July 2010
Trek to the South Pole
Experience the exhilaration of a live world cup soccer/cricket match √ FIFA world cup Soccer City June 2010
Browse through ancient manuscripts Timbuktu and Great mosque of Djenne, Mali
Sleep in a tent in an incredible location √ Serengeti June 2011 Norway Aug 2014
Savour authentic Belgiun waffles and chocolates √ November 2013
Learn to rock climb in Railay Beach, Krabi Thailand
Go shark/crocodile cage diving
Punt along the Cam river in Cambridge √ October 2013 and √ July 2014
Soak up the good energy on the island of Bali √ August 2015
Experience the thunder of the legendary wildebeest annual migration √ June 2011
Swim with stingrays in the Cayman Islands
Carve my name into a tree √ Suncity Johannesburg June 2005
Drive a luxury sports car
Sky dive alongside the Dubai skyline
See the midnight sun √
Experience the most spectacular sunrise √ Horombo Kilimanjaro June 2011
Participate in a food fight
Watch the migration of the golden rays
Climb the mighty dunes of Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert
Ride a camel through the desert √
Enjoy the thrill of the twists and turns of Fish River Canyon (the world’s second-biggest gorge) Namibia
Feel the magic of a Glacier √ Top of Kilimanjaro June 2011
Go paragliding √ Cape Town Feb ’16
Go white water rafting in Costa Rica/Colorado
Explore the beauty of Bosnia and Herzegovina √ June 2013
Skinny dip in the ocean √ Maldives April 2018
Take a step into North Korea
Backpack through the Baltics √ June 2014
Play with Komodo Dragons in Komodo Indonesia
Explore Torres del Paine National Park on foot, Chile
Wander through Patagonia (including Perito Moreno Glacier) Argentina/Chile
 Experience zero gravity–> outer space


✈ GENERAL: LEARNING AND LIFE-EXPERIMENTS

Start a website/blog √  www.araioflight.com
Live abroad in another part of the world √ Paris Fall 2014
Unplug for one week √
Learn to fly a plane
Cut down my belongings to the bare minimum
Work online from anywhere in the world
Be 100% honest.. Always
Learn to swim √ December 2013
Learn how to surf
Live on a tropical island
Complete 100 push-ups 25 pull-ups
Run a half marathon √ Cape Town Two Oceans Marathon 2013
Run a full marathon
Go on a silent retreat — at least one week
Appear in a movie
Feed animals whenever I can √
Volunteer my time and resources for the greater good
Live on raw food only for at least 30 days
Stop watching TV for an extended period of time √
Become fairly fluent in a third language
Appear in a photoshoot √
ROL Campaign Warsaw, Poland May ’14. H&D Campaign Paris Oct ’14. BareMinimum Campaign Aug ’14.
Meditate at least 10 mins every day √
Be a responsible traveler
Become fairly competent in yoga
Spend on experiences, not things √
Make a Difference
Evolve, learn and grow by travelling around the world √

Over to you guys.
Do you have an Epic Quest, wanderlist/life/bucket list?

I would love to hear some of the highlights in the comments below. If you have an entire list, add the link too!

If you found some travel inspiration/ideas above, I would greatly appreciate it if you’d share this list socially using the options below.

Here’s to always doing epic things from our Heart and leaving our mark on everything we do,

✈ Raihaan (araioflight)

Read more about me here. For more travel inspiration, be sure to subscribe to receive updates in the box that follows..

For even more travel inspiration on a regular basis,
let’s connect on instagram, twitter and facebook.

21 Responses

  1. Eline says:

    own a giraffe! <3 <3 <3

  2. Karno says:

    Hey hey hey, take a gaendr at what’ you’ve done

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  4. Amir says:

    Based in Lebanon, I cover travel and personal finance topics for millennials. I’m committed to a life of adventure and have lived in four countries before turning 30. A

  5. バカラおすすめサイト says:

    Bohol is one of the underated tourist spots in the Philippines. As a Korean who loves visiting the Philippines, Bohol os one of my favorite places to visit and spend a few days in.

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