I love traveling and going to places; Though this year we’ve been slow on our travel (save for our big budget Greece trip), we still want to do a lot more places and visit them. Even if there is no impending travel, researching and collecting information about places is some kind of a hobby I’ve developed. I keep adding place to my to-go list. Presented here is the list of places I want to see in next 10 years.
The Americas
I want to do the great national park drive (a drive coined by me :P) in the United States. Basically I’d like to start at Yellowstone National Park. Then drive down to Bryce Canyon, following to Zion national park and Arches National Park, and then heading down to Grand Canyon national park. From there on, I want to head to Lower & Upper Antelope Canyon in Arizona, followed by The Waves in Arizona. I’d like to then drive to Monument Valley and then end the trip through Death Valley National Park. I want to do this the classic roadie style. Minimal luggage, a month long holiday and nothing but nature and us.
I’d like to visit Alaska at some point. And if I am headed there, might as well cover Vancouver and Rocky Mountain ranges in Canada as well. I’d like to visit Arcadia national park in Maine in fall before the snowfall starts. I think it would be splendid! If not there, perhaps head down south to the islands of Turks and Cacois and enjoy some sun and the beach.
Mexico is high on my list, swine flu or otherwise. A visit to Cozumel is a must on my cards. Baja California for pure snorkeling. And of course the Copper Canyon, grand canyon’s mexican cousin.
I’d like to travel southwards towards the jungles of Costa rica and see the wonderful volcanoes as well. Then probably jump to Belize for some really nice waters. A visit to Big Blue is high on my list!
Crossing the continent, who doesnt want to visit the Amazon? I’d be a waste if I didnt visit Rio and El Salvador in Brasil. But I’d really love to visit Peru way more the Brazil. A visit to the spiritual Machu Pichu is a must for me!! I dream of that place often. I want to do the 4 day hike down there. Relaxing in Bolivian villages is something I look forward too, especially visiting the salt desert out there.
And if you don’t experience the magic of Galapagos Islands then I’ll have missed seeing the darwin evolution. Unmissable! Going even more southwards, Pantagonia would be very high on my list; ah those glaciers and ice. Heck, if I am there, might as well do Antartica as well for the kicks of it!!
Europe
I’d like to finish up Greece by visiting Corfu, Rhodes and Crete islands. Might as well jump into Turkey and spend time there in Istanbul or by rhodes. Perhaps do even Egypt by the side. I’d love to do Italy and spend time visiting florence, venice, rome, the 12 temples, and naples. Then I’d cross over to french Riviera into Nice, spend time in French villages, and top it with a visit to romantic Paris. Or party in Madrid probably.
Austria is very high on my list of places; those mountains beckon me. So do those tropical jungle and volcanoes in Portugal! Prague defines romanticism to me so its a must do!
But if there is one place I wanna go right now, its the fjords in Norway, to the land of the midnight sun. Imagine watching the sun very near to north pole. I think it would be really exciting!
Asia
I’d cut loose myself in India. Incredible India. It is. I could spend a lifetime in India if I had to travel. From the northern Kashmir to Leh/Ladkah, to Spiti Lahaul Valley, to Darjeeling, Nainital to Sikkim greenery, to the vast expanse of Arunachal Pradesh’s mountains. Or a trip to Mansarovar, or even Siachen Glacier for that matter. Spend time discovering myself in Shillong.
Or I could get all colored up in Rajasthan, or forests in Gir, or explore the Konkan belt well into beautiful rugged Karnataka. Keep traveling southwards to the backwaters of Kerala, or Ooty in Tamilnadu, or its temples. Perhaps go back to east towards Konark, and come back to Central India. India will itself take a life time. Sigh.
Going through Cambodia is a dream of mine; visit the biggest temple down there; or monastries and temples in Bhutan. Travel all the way to Malaysia. Do the borneo adventure, and explore sabah and sawak parks. Or go to Tioman Island and be one with nature.
If and ever Iran and Afghanistan become safer places to go, I’d like to visit their mountainous landscapes.
Somehow China doesnt excite me. Would love to visit the parks in Japan, but probably wouldn’t stand the cities.
I’d like to retire in Tibet; I could go crazy in Tibet just by being there. Perhaps I’d find myself after all these years there.
Australia
I’d love to be in the great barrier reef and spend time there. Cities don’t excite me much from the country; the gold coast is a definite on my list as well.
That’s it. Did I say I want to do this in 10 years? Sorry I meant in the next 50 years. And if I had to do it all, I’d need pot loads of money and be a millionaire. Come to think of it, If I had pot loads of money and was a millionaire, I’d do it in 5 years. Sigh.
For now, I’ll keep dreaming.
P.S: this post is not complete yet !!! MIssed out whole of Africa and parts of Southern America where in there are some magnificent waterfalls. Will update this post then…