Kaieteur Falls, Guyana
A recent booking to travel to my 50th country [see you in December, Denmark!] prompted me to reflect upon and write about my 50 all-time travel experiences. Some selections were no-brainers: of course unrivaled experiences like going on an African safari and visiting the Taj Mahal would make the list. But others were not as clear-cut and narrowing this list down to my favorite 50 proved to be a much more difficult task than I initially envisioned.
So how did I decide? Well, I thought about the experiences that have stayed with us over the years: the ones that we deem as transformative, impressionable, unforgettable, unique, breathtaking, surprising, hysterical, and even at times, challenging and/or uncomfortable.
Sintra, Portugal
I chose not to include destinations and experiences that while have been undoubtedly enjoyable, have become over time more commonplace in our lives, as opposed to distinctive and isolated encounters. Two that instantly come to mind include visiting New York City and eating our way through Chicago. Not because we go to these cities every day of course, but more so because we’ve been to both many times and no longer perceive them as life-changing or extraordinary.
West Lake: Hangzhou, China
Of course it’s worth saying that experiences are truly subjective–there will undoubtedly be many entries on this list that readers question and downright disagree with. And that’s absolutely fine! T and I didn’t agree on some of my selections–but hey, this is my list, not his.
There are clear trends throughout the list–apparently T and I really are obsessed with eating and drinking around the world. Who knew?
Prague
There are also notable omissions–trips to places like Belgium, Austria, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Tulum, and various Caribbean islands failed to make the list. Not because I/we didn’t love our time and experiences there, but because quite frankly, we have been fortunate enough to travel the world extensively and this list is derived from the best of the best, according to me, that is, and it was simply impossible to include them all.
Sun Valley, Idaho
So here is the beginning [or bottom, depending on how you look at it] of my all-time top 50 travel experiences: #41-50.
“So much of who we are is where we have been”
-William Langewiesche
#50: Shining Brightly Along the Quays of Singapore
The thriving waterfront scenes of both Boat Quay and Clark Quay offer a plethora of restaurants and bars to choose from. My friend Amy and I loved strolling the picturesque waterfront followed by sipping on Singapore Slings and delicious Malaysian fare while surrounded by beautiful views. We took a leisurely river taxi, which travels between both quays, Marina Bay, and past the iconic Merlion statue, which is regarded by many as the mascot of Singapore.
To read more about our time in sparkling Singapore, click here.
#49: Sea Kayaking in Vancouver
Here’s the thing: I like kayaking as much as the next person–I enjoy it when I do it, but by no means am I an avid kayaker. So why did kayaking in Vancouver make my list while other equally amazing experiences didn’t? A combination of several things: it was the first time we had ever kayaked in the sea, we were surrounded by spectacular views, and the tail-end of our three-hour guided tour timed beautifully with the sun setting upon the bay. Our kayaking excursion vacillated between gliding peacefully along the placid English Bay without a care in the world, and navigating and taking on aggressively strong currents. Sixteen years have passed since our trip to Vancouver, and this remains as my forever favorite kayaking adventure.
Click here to read more about our wonderful trip to stunning Vancouver.
#48: Beer Lovers Are Born in Prague
It’s no secret that Prague is a stunningly picturesque city that really makes you feel like you’ve been transported into a postcard. And yes, its beauty is why so many, including us, instantly fall head over heals for it. But for us, what we will forever think of and remember about our time in Prague is its beer. That’s right. Prague is where T and I fell in love with beer.
Of course, after many years of drinking beer at frat houses, dive bars, and sporting events, we have never been strangers to beer. I mean, let’s be serious. However Prague was the first place where we learned to actually appreciate beer and wanted to learn more about it. Of course since this trip we’ve continued to “learn” about beer many times over around the world including beer havens like Ireland, Belgium and Germany. So thank you, Prague, for contributing to and perpetuating our love for alcohol and liquid calories. Clearly we needed more of that in our lives.
To read more about our love affair with Prague and its beer, read here.
#47: Idaho Surprise
Is Idaho any more beautiful or impressive than comparable states like Colorado, Washington or Oregon [ahh, Oregon was SO close to making my top 50 list!]? Probably not. So why did Idaho make my list while the other three didn’t? Two reasons: circumstance and the element of surprise. We spent a week in Idaho strictly based on the fact that I drunkenly bid on a trip at a friend’s JDRF gala. After you spend thousands of dollars on a destination you never had any intention of ever going to, you can either regret your decision or make the best of it and go all in. We of course chose the latter. And boy were we so pleasantly surprised.
Idaho is absolutely gorgeous. And Sun Valley is charming and downright delightful. We took advantage of the great outdoors and spent the week hiking, white water rafting, fly fishing, biking, and running surrounded by jaw-dropping scenery.
Our time in Idaho is proof that sometimes the best experiences are the ones that we never knew we needed.
To read more about our Idaho surprise, click here.
#46: Lantau Island, Hong Kong
My very own gateway to Asia, Hong Kong serves as the landing point for my first time stepping foot onto the world’s largest continent. The bustling metropolis is a feast for the senses: an imposing skyline accentuated by an endless sea of illuminating lights, pungent smells emanating from lively food stalls and stands that dot the city streets, and bright and illustrative signs along with flashy and vivid storefronts waiting for you around nearly every corner.
My favorite locale and reprieve from the metropolis’ hustle and bustle is Lantau Island, the largest and greenest of its islands. Nicknamed The Lungs of Hong Kong, Lantau has mountainous terrain, stretches of sandy coastline and the area’s largest park.
Perhaps the greatest draw here is the Po Lin Monastery, which houses the Big Buddha (Tiantau), known to be the largest, seated, outdoor bronze Buddha in the world.
It was well worth climbing the 270+ steps for an up-close and personal encounter with Mr. Buddha himself. We were rewarded with spectacular panoramic views of the island and its lush green hills.
To read more about our time in Hong Kong, read here.
#45: Kaieteur Falls: Deep In the Amazon Rainforest
Kaieteur Falls is easily one of the most magnificent natural sites we’ve visited in our extensive travels, and I’m going to venture to say that you’ve probably never heard of it [unless you’ve read my previous blog post, that is]. Situated on the Potaro River in Kaieteur National Park, the cascading falls are deeply rooted within Guyana’s region of the Amazon Rainforest.
The world’s largest single drop waterfall measured by the volume of water flowing over it, Kaieteur stands nearly five times taller than its ever-popular counterpart Niagara Falls and doubling the height of the highly lauded Victoria Falls. Its unparalleled stunning natural beauty enveloped by the almighty Amazon Rainforest promises to left a lasting impression on our traveling hearts.
To read more about our Kaieteur Falls adventure, click here.
#44: Stepping Into the Storybook of Sintra
We fell in love with Portugal. It has a food, wine, and port scene that will make your tastebuds swoon, and it’s chock-full of history, art, and music. Lisbon and Porto are both lovely destinations, but perhaps my favorite day of our trip was visiting Sintra. The resplendent castles and imposing palaces are straight out of a storybook, complete with opulence, enchantment and fairy tale-like magic.
A Sintra blog post is coming soon!
Click here to read a related post about our time in Lisbon.
#43: Hiking a Volcano in Guatemala
Hiking Pacaya Volcano, one of only three of the Guatemala’s thirty-seven volcanoes that is active, was exhilarating, exciting, and exhausting. The 40 mph winds (or at least my friend Amy and I think that was the case–or at the very least, sounds really dramatic) were the biggest challenge–we were barely able to stand up, let alone climb a vertical incline! A challenging pursuit, but easily one of my favorite and most memorable moments of our time in Guatemala. And isn’t this usually the case? Often the hardest things are the ones that leave the most lasting impressions.
To read more about our trip to Guatemala, click here.
#42: West Lake: Hangzhou, China
My sole selection from mainland China is not what you might think it is. Nope, it’s not the Great Wall. In fact it’s most likely somewhere that most readers haven’t ever heard of.
The West Lake, located in Hangzhou, is the epitome of classical beauty in China. It is absolutely magnificent. Pagoda-topped hills tower over tree-lined waters as boats drift slowly across the lake.
Meticulously manicured and perfectly situated walkways, parks and gardens surround the banks of the lake, rounding at an astounding postcard-worthy scene.
Stay tuned for a future blog post on the West Lake & Hangzhou!
#41: Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Located at the southwestern edge of the Burren in Country Clare, the Cliffs of Moher stretch five miles along the Atlantic Ocean and its highest point towers 702 feet above sea level. The views are absolutely striking and it’s clear why the Cliffs are the most visited attraction in all of Ireland.
Although it was very windy that morning, we were fortunate to visit on a such gorgeous sunny day (actually, we did not have a drop of rain the entire trip! Maybe leprechauns really do exist?!). Without question, exploring the Cliffs of Moher was the highlight of our Ireland trip.
To read more about our green-with-envy time in idyllic Ireland, click here.
So there you have it: ten of my top 50 all-time travel experiences. Stay tuned for next week, where I’ll share my subsequent post, featuring my favorite travel experiences #31-40!
Happy Traveling, All!
Recent Reads: Toronto & Niagara-on-the-Lake, Shanghai, Fez
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