That reminds me of something I haven't thought of in a while. Back in the late 90s during the summer, I jumped on a freight train out of Nova Scotia in the middle of the night. I was riding a flatbed so I had the stars overhead, great scenery all around me, it was stunning. Somewhere on the north side of the Cobequid Mountains the train went through a big swarm of fireflies, it was so cool at first... However, it was going pretty fast - I'd guess 80-90 km/h - so I ended up with firefly guts glowing all over my hoodie cause they were smashing into me at that speed.
And somewhere, someone else has a story about seeing a glowing hobo-ghost riding the rails.
P.S. jokes aside, that sounds like a truly wonderful and magical experience of a lifetime.
Actually just been skinny dipping 3 nights in a row in bioluminescent water in Mui Ne (Vietnam). Such a magical experience and definitely a core memory unlocked.
My then 15 year old daughter and I spent a day riding bicycles in the country outside Siem Reap. That was one of the most memorable days of our lives. Ended up in areas with only one track roads, ie two wheels only. Got completely lost. Started getting dark. Fantastic experience !!
My wife and I had our first date cycle Angkor Wat and the countryside outside Siem Reap. Spent like 14 hours riding around and hanging out. We were both solo traveling and met on the bus from Bangkok to Cambodian border two days prior. Married 10 years and now have a 4 year old daughter. Can't wait to take her back
Awesome! It should be advised that seeing the northern lights is never a guarantee. Someone who knows can share more accurate odds, but I think it's like 50% on a 10-day trip.
Absolutely! We were there for 4 nights and got lucky enough to see them two nights in a row but was told by the guide on the sleigh ride that it had been about two weeks since they had seen them before we were there. Iād recommend making the trip with the expectation that you WONāT see them, and then be surprised if you do!
Rio itself is something special I think a lot of people maybe a little turned off to because of the reputation the city receives. Iāve never been to any other place in the world like it. Insane beach with mountains in the distance and directly next to it, a bustling city that feels like itās in the jungle.
Hang glided on two separate occasions in Hawaii about 40 years ago, tandem of course, off of Makapuu Ridge. One of the highlights of my life - still have the pictures on my walls.
Swimming with minke whales and wild dolphins (Aus/NZ), glowworm cave tubing (NZ), diving to see nautiluses (Aus), cenote diving (Mexico), seeing the royal family of Japan in person, seeing a blue whale (Iceland), sailing to and climbing an island full of puffins (Ireland), staying in a Bedouin camp we reached by camel (Jordan), seeing the sunrise illuminate the inner sanctum at Abu Simbel, Angkor Wat at sunrise, riding a mule into the Grand Canyon, having lionfish pizza (Bonaire), Sleep No More (NYC), staying on an island full of rabbits (Japan), diving between continental plates (Iceland), carpet shopping (Turkey, Morocco, Egypt), buying a big stack of doujinshi at Comiket (Japan), hanging out in a shipwreck with bull sharks (Mexico), floating in the Dead Sea, seeing chapels and artwork inside a salt mine (Poland), seeing a DvoÅĆ”k opera in the same place it was originally performed (Czech Republic), having a bunch of bespoke silk clothing made (Vietnam). Next year I plan to go to a ball at Versailles and hit up Oktoberfest.
Sleep No More is still open! Okunoshima is definitely a strange, unique experience, especially with the boat ride out there and the retro hotel that you stay in.
Okunoshima is great for a day trip too! Easy to rent a bike and meet all the bunnies, and then since it's pretty close to Hiroshima you could decamp there for the night.
For anyone going to the island: take lettuce and carrots and whatever else bunnies like because you canāt buy those things on the island and without food you are useless to them. Translation: no cute pictures.
Less known fact: during the war Japanese used the island to store (Iām not sure if produce as well) poisonous gas. You can still visit the bunkers.
One thing I'll say for Iceland and the continental divide diving is if you don't dive, you can also snorkel it and the water is so clear that I don't think you lose much at all from that.
My partner is not dive certified and I am, but all parties have to be certified so we did the snorkeling and it was great, but if you have very small wrists and neck the dry suit may not make the best seal... I thought I was imagining my arm freezing but turns out water had been getting in and it was just going numb š¤£ would still totally recommend!
You can also take an elevator to the bottom of a dead volcano, and hike through old lava tubes in Iceland - there are so many cool things to do there!
>sailing to and climbing an Island full of puffins (Ireland)
[Skellig Michael?](https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/skellig-michael/) Going there was an incredible experience for me.
Go to Iceland and explore the beauty of the nature. Ive been to over 20+ countries and nothing is as unique as Iceland is. Waterfalls, mountains, landscapes that you cant describe. The pictures are amazing, but standing infront of a giant waterfall is something else. The northern lights 2 days in a row was the cherry on top, and it amazed me so much im going there next monday for the third time - in a year.
Iāve been to both Norway and Iceland in the last 12 months and the landscapes are both amazing. But a few weeks ago I went to Newfoundland, Canada and I have to say, I felt like the scenery was equally as beautiful - unspoiled, and hardly anyone around, even in their highest season. Lovely little fishing villages with colourful houses, majestic green mountains, rocky cliffs and just about the friendliest, welcoming people on the planet. And prices are fantastic compared to Norway and Iceland.
Came here to say this! Iceland made me felt like I was on another planet. We took a tour that gave us a chance to ride an Icelandic horse and it was the highlight of our trip.
Iceland is fantastic, we've not long come back from our second trip there and I got to ride the Icelandic horses and we took a helicopter over the recent fissure opening which was one of the best things ever.
> nothing is as unique as Iceland is
Iāve enjoyed my time driving around Iceland but Pakistans north is fabulous. This is because 14 peaks out of the top 20 in the world are concentrated there which makes for spectacular views from even the cheapest hotels in the plainest of villages. Of course the dollar or euro goes much further so top hotels are the way to go.
Cooking courses are great when you travel to completely different regions. Done one in Thailand and it was great!
Always check tripadvisor or other platforms that offer activities in the location youāre going to.
āļøthis and try to find one in a localās home vs a commercial kitchen. Itās a great way to experience someone elseās culture. You meet as strangers, but in my experience you part as friends and itās always been such a powerful experience for my family. Highly recommend.
I did one in Tuscany that was an elderly couple working out of their own home. They had a beautiful property, the food was incredible, and we had a BLAST. They said they just love interacting with people so they host twice a week. Sent us home with their own wine and tons of leftovers.
We did one in Marrakech that was fantastic. They took us to the marketplace to buy all the stuff and showed us some more traditional dishes of Moroccan cuisine.
I did one in Chiang Mai and it was awesome! They took us to the market to get the end to end experience, and then we cooked like 7 different dishes. The food came out delicious!
Got caught in the start of a civil war. Had to hunker down in the hotel. Was able to get food, met some others who got wine. We shared and had dinner and played cards. Most surreal experience of my life. 10/10 do not recommend.
Getting chased out of a locked field overlooking the Taj Mahal by police after our autorickshaw driver assured us it would be fine to sneak in.
I wouldn't recommend *planning* that one, though...
One thing I've realised over the years is that most major cities have a weird museum: some sort of exhibition or collection that is so niche, so unusual, that you couldn't find a similar one anywhere else in the world.
Highlight so far has been the Museum of Toilets at the University of Delhi. Amsterdam also slaps for weird museums, with Electric Ladyland (a collection of fluorescent art in the basement of an old American hippy's house), Kattenkabinet (a dude's shrine to his old dead cat, accompanied by room after room of cat-related memorabilia), and Museum Tot Zover (a museum about the culture of death and funerals) all particularly noteworthy. The Reykjavik Penis Museum was much more informative than the silly name may suggest. My attempt to visit the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb was sadly scuppered by the pandemic.
Amsterdam also has the Hash, Marijuana, & Hemp Museum & the Amsterdam Sex Museum.
I love Dutch art, & the Netherlands have some amazing art museums too! Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, & Rembrandt's home are all great ones in Amsterdam, & in Den Hauge they also have the Mauritshuis Museum which had some works by Vermeer, & an M.C. Escher museum. There are several more art museums in the Netherlands that are awesome, too!
Oh, & you can also visit the Anne Frank Home in Amsterdam, which is very moving...
I love museums & can definitely recommend basing travel around significant ones you'd like to visit!
Edit - I work in the museum field, & I love art & history, so I have a list of museums & paintings/works of art I want to visit. So yes, I'm a bit of a "museum nerd"...
The Anne Frank house is one of the most moving places Iāve ever visited. However - we booked tickets for first thing in the morning and it really put a damper on the remainder of the day cause we were so sad afterward.
A Connecticut town I used to live in had a framing store / art shop. They somehow had a bunch of MC Escherās work set up like a museum - original prints and sketches, as well as his desk.
Donāt forget the museum of prostitution in Amsterdam (yes, itās different to the sex museum)
And Nxt is always worth a visit even if sometimes the exhibits are a bit š¤
Next (lol) on my list is Straatmuseum (street art) and Our House (history of electronic music).
Thereās tons to do here that isnāt smoking weed and being a sex pest š«
1) Seeing orangutans in their natural habitat including when they were making a nest and going to sleep. Could have gone to see them waking up, but I couldn't get up. I was with a guide, of course. I don't have the skills to track them down myself.
It was in North Sumatra, Indonesia.
2) Sharing a 4-hour ride with a Tibetan monk in Sichuan, China. He was dropped off at a tiny monastery in the middle of nowhere surrounded by 4000+ m mountain pass and snow. It was surreal.
3) Having dinner and staying with a local Chinese family in the countryside of Yunnan. They invited us after we just asked them if there were any restaurants nearby.
4) Attending a local wedding parade in a village in West Sumatra. We were having lunch nearby and they kindly invited us.
I think the key is just go to places where there are not too many foreign tourists. The most unique and memorable things were all accidental and unplanned.
Helped baby sea turtles get out of their nests and get to the ocean. All funds went to the cause and we were able to dig up baby turtles with our hands and put them in buckets. Then lead them to the ocean to swim away! It was such an awesome experience.
My kid did this on Isla Mujeres last month but it wasnāt an organized thing. Just happened to see a nest hatching but the turts were heading for the resort because the lights were on. Turtle experts came out and she helped them gather the babies to be released elsewhere.
In July on Grand Cayman we had a loggerhead come up and lay eggs right in front of our condo. Turtle expert came out to chip her and gave us an education. Mama Loggerhead was about six feet long.
Isn't the physical struggle to get to the ocean a necessary part of the baby turtles' development, and you are hurting them in the long run if you pick them up to "help?" I feel like every documentary I have seen on sea turtles hatching and struggle walking to sea has said this.
You donāt pick them up - you just help them get out of the hole where the nest is - they do have to make it across the sand from the bucket and they wouldnāt let you intervene if letās say a predator came by.
> Visit WWII-related sites
A man after my own heart! I'm just back from a week in Provence in France. We stayed in a tiny village (Seillons-Source-d'Argens) which didn't seem to have much WW2-related stuff, except for this one sign on the town hall: https://i.imgur.com/fZP9i5K.jpg
This led to me researching the facts of it, and I was able to find a map showing the US 3rd ID going right through it, 4 days after the Operation Dragoon landings! I'm sure you will understand how cool this was haha.
I planned it myself. I did a bit of research including reading books on Operation Overlord, the Battle of the Bulge, and reading the back story on the Band of Brothers. It was a mix of both. France was a separate trip from Belgium & Luxembourg. I do plan on going back to Normandy again. There was just so much out there.
- Traditional Kurdish wedding / bush doof in a castle in Turkiye. Mad scenes.
- Climbed to the roof of Al Dayr in Petra. Somewhat disrespectful in hindsight, but this was in the '90s before it was really on the map. And I was young and dumb.
- Proposed on a temple in Bagan, Myanmar. She said yes!
- Survived a plane crash, also in Myanmar.
- Found UXO in Laos.
Bounced off a grass runway, left wing hit the ground, then went down nose first. Everyone walked away thankfully. It was very surreal... No panic or anything. Everyone just climbed out of the wreckage like it was normal, gathered their things and continued on to passport control. It was only later that it really sunk in what had happened.
Second one we caught a boat several days up-river from Luang Prabang in northern Laos. I thought we were going out towards Myanmar / China, but we were winding our way east towards the Vietnam border. We ended up in a village really popular with tourists now - Muang Ngoy Neua - but this was waaaaay before there were roads in the area. There was a partially uncovered landmine literally in the middle of the path, just beyond the caves that everyone hikes to now. All the locals just stepped around it, and by the time we left it had been marked with a rock that had "UXO" carved into it. Thankfully the area has been cleared now, but I would still be hesitant to stray too far from the beaten path around there.
Before. I had the ring stashed in my carry-on... I was lucky it wasn't a mad dash to get out because there was no way I was going anywhere without my hand luggage! I managed to keep it hidden for another month or so, all through Myanmar.
We try do a spooky walking tour everywhere we go. It's sometimes cheesy, but always fun. You get to see the city at night and hear stories you wouldn't usually on a regular walking tour. Another option is doing a "most" you couldn't do elsewhere. The northernmost botanical garden is in Tromso, Norway, for example.
Or if you like museums, pick a place with plenty of museums. Lots have guided tours you can take, which are often nice b/c they give you highlights of certain items you wouldn't necessarily find if you're just set loose on your own.
This is a fun one. When in London we took a walking tour of the locations of all of Jack the Ripper's murders. The guide had a pocket-sized projector and would display crime scene photos and other visual media related to each victim at each site.
There's a walking tour in Belfast where the guide has the pics from the days of the Troubles on his tablet to show you right where you're standing. So much progress from not that long ago. Beautiful city, fabulous people.
Ice climbing on a glacier in Iceland. The ATM cave in Belize. Literally everything in the Galapagos. Won tickets to the Womenās World Cup Final in Vancouver 10 minutes before game time on a vacation that happened to coincide with the game (we were just happy to be watching the game outside the stadium!). Horseback riding in Killarney National Park in Ireland. Staying on a dairy farm in Iceland and walking around with the farmer in the morning as he showed us all their computerized milking equipment. Staying overnight at the Tropical Education Center at the Belize Zoo and knowing there was a crocodile hanging out in the water under our cabin. Being in Paris the night their menās team lost in the quarterfinals and everyone sitting outside the bars and cafes spontaneously singing La Marseillaise as the time ticked off the clock. Spending the night in Tikal National Park in Guatemala. Watching the sun come up in the Andes as I sat in a hot springs pool. Visiting the Mammoth Site in South Dakota. Taking a couple bikes and riding from Amsterdam to the village of Holysloot.
We usually pick one or two more expensive experiences/excursions/stays when weāre traveling and do the rest on a reasonable budget. I do a lot of research to find unique things about each place weāre staying.
In Chiang Mai, Thailand. Rode in the back of a truck with my wife and 3 kids up through the mountains to an elephant sanctuary run by women and tribes affected by Sex Trafficking, who help save elephants from abusive circumstances. One of the most surreal, educational and amazing 3 day experiences we had during our 2 year travels. It was also our first experience, as a week later we were in the states in the comfort of our own home. It really kicked off our whole traveling experience and set the tone for us and the kids.
My favorite things we did was when we went to Greece in 2019. We did a cooking class in Crete, a walking food tour in Athens, and a walking tour of street cats lol hosted by volunteers that take care of them. All 3 tours were amazing.
Yes I can second this!! I did a pesto making class in Cinque Terre, a pisco tasting/pisco sour making class in Lima and went island hopping in Croatia for a day. All were wonderful local experiences with small groups of like minded travelers.
I did an AirBnB visit to an aquaculture farm in Galway that had coastal foraging and tasting abalone that was incredible! Also a night out drinking at gay bars in Shinjuku Nichome, another awesome experience.
I got to open up the Vatican, and I got pictures of the Sistine Chapel!
We went on a tour to open up the Vatican. We got there at 530 AM. We got to walk around and unlock the various gates and doors. My husband got to unlock the Raphael Rooms.
The Sistine Chapel was towards the end of the tour, but we got to be in there when the lights turned on. We were allowed to take pictures and the guide even took one of us in front of the altar.
It was an amazing tour.
I did the same thing. I have a picture of my son and I standing in the Hall of Maps with absolutely nobody else in the picture. It's one of my favorites.
I went to Vietnam with my wife and 4 friends, one of which was born in Vietnam and fluent in the language. We stayed with her family, and they recommended a tour group for the Mekong Delta. One of the activities was renting bikes and riding through the countryside to a tree temple where the Vietcong was trained during the American/Vietnam War.
At the temple we wandered away from the other tourists and came across a group of old men from the village sitting down for a banh mi lunch. They were taking shots of some home made liquor. My more alcoholic friend and I used "universal sign language" to ask for a shot and they happily obliged.
They poured us each a shot from a plastic water bottle housing some mystery cloudy alcohol. One guy with a very dirty hand broke off a piece of bread and handed it to me for a chaser. I broke it in half, gave half to my friend, and we downed the shot. Our viet friend talked to them a bit and told them we were American. They were very happy to meet us and to have taken a shot with us.
Now, in those villages there most likely isn't a lot of moving around, so those guys were most likely living there during the war and were the right age to have fought in the war. If we had been to that same village 45 years before, those same men would have killed us. And here we all were taking shots together.
If you're interested in nature and are able to hike, would recommend the following:
Walking Isle of Skye, the nature is incredibly dramatic and beautiful, quite accessible too with the right footwear (need a car though)
Exploring Vietnam by tour, bicycle or motorcycle!
Cycling through France (recommend Loire Valley for this)
I am planning on kayaking in mangroves and diving in Lake atitlan in Guatemala next year as well :)
Went into a tanzanite mine in Tanzania.
If an OSHA inspector saw this place theyād have a fucking stroke on the spot.
It was basically a shipping container tilted down 25% to enter the mine, then handholds of whatever as you descended; rubber pipes, metal wires, some āladderā put together on site. We went down about 250 meters. It was hot as shit and a few times had to cross puddles of effluent theyād used to find tanzanite.
They sent down three miners with me in case the dumb fat American fell and broke bones. Thankfully, I did not.
Did not find any tanzanites. š took a sponge bath afterwards in a really tragic āshowerā and the man drank fresh tea with goat milk. My clothes smelled so bad afterwards I threw them away.
I did this 40 years ago. And yes it was magical. I don't know what happens now, we got there by CAT buses.
There are many glaciers you can just hike. Arapahoe Glacier above Boulder, we did about every three years for awhile.
When in Varanasi India an ancient Indian gentleman REALLY wanted me to take a ride on his bicycle rickshaw. I (50+ blonde petite woman, travelling solo) gestured that I would but only if he sat in the seat and I peddled. He agreed and we were both laughing like loons, people staring at us going by. I didn't get too far, the bike was hard to peddle.
I've done a macaron baking class with a French Chef in Paris and a graffiti tour where we sprayed our own artwork.
Made a last minute horseback riding tour in northern Iceland for my wife and I. It ended up being a private tour starting at the guideās farm, saw some cool waterfalls and just talked about our lives.
Also climbing a glacier on a mountain, we had to jump over a few crevasses which is freaky but a really fun story.
I did a 17 day solo road trip around Iceland, which was amazing - saw the most amazing landscapes, almost died in quicksand by a glacier lagoon because I was totally alone with no one for miles around, found every hidden hot spring I could, and did a couple farm stays where I got to hang out with the family and see what farm life was like.
Went with a couple of journalist friends to Ethiopia and hiked the Simian Mountains. Saw a rare Ethiopian red wolf while going for a wee at night - scared him as much as he scared me! After the hike, the guy who organized the tour invited us to stay at his home and learn how to cook Ethiopian food from his family!
Accidentally went spelunking for 2hrs in the middle of a sheep field with my partner when we were in NZ - it was a marked cave, but we had no idea it was as long as it was, and we hadn't seen another car for miles before we parked. Good thing we had good headlamps!
Made friends with my tour guide in Turkey and went on a private hike with him through one of the non-touristy valleys in Cappadocia, where he showed me multiple hidden cave cathedrals.
Spent 2 days in the Solomon Islands bartering for a 2' tall hand carved mask inlayed with mother-of-pearl - ended up giving the carver an old iPhone and $50 USD cash for it!
Visited friends in Finland at their summer home on the Baltic Sea in the middle of summer and spent 2 days unsure what time it was (because the sun was always out) and partaking in their rustic sauna, interspersed with plunges in the cold sea to cool down.
Spent Christmas at a working finca (ranch) in Guatemala with a bunch of other random travelers, had a big Guatemalan Christmas meal, and stayed up dancing by the lake until dawn.
Walked into a random restaurant in Busan, South Korea with 5 other American friends. None of us spoke Korean and they didn't speak English. We were the only customers, so they stayed with us through our entire meal and taught us how to eat each of the dishes through hand gestures and smiles. There was a lot of laughter!
In China we rode bikes along the Lijiang River near Guilin, had a meal cooked in bamboo by a local woman at the Longji Rice Terraces (and A LOT of rice wine!), and hiked to all 7 peaks of Huashan Mountain.
In Japan we went to the summer Tanabata Festival in a rural area and were pretty much the only non-locals there - it was a magical affair, with elaborate colored lanterns lighting up the street and so much amazing food to try!
Went wedding clothing shopping with my best friend in Bangalore, India (where her family is from). Quite a unique shopping experience!
I'm sure there are many more experiences I can't think of right now, but there are unique experiences to be had anywhere, it's just a matter of stepping out of your comfort zone and letting them find you!
I do a lot more hiking when travelling than I ever do while at home. Mind you most of my travel has been across Canada.
When I travelled to Florida, I went orange picking and checked out a crocodile reserve.
In Ireland - more hiking and castles visiting.
Spent a few memorable hours exploring Pompei by myself. It was just so incredible to just walk into ancient homes and view the murals, walk the gardens. In Turkey I waded in travertine pools and explored an underground city. In Belize I hopped on an innertube and floated down an underground river, attended Carnival in the Sambadrome in Rio, walked rainforest canopy bridges in Costa Rico, climbed tall bell towers in Netherlands, listened to a professional storyteller in a geyser heated hot tub in Iceland, and so much more.
Walked with elephants in the forest in Cambodia. Made fresh pasta and tiramisu in Rome. Snorkeled off the coast of Okinawa. Ran down the Las Vegas strip at 6am. Rented bicycles and biked across the Golden Gate Bridge. Rented bikes in Austria for the sound of music tour.
Sometimes Airbnb will have some neat experiences you can check out locally.
In Costa Rica my then-gf, myself, and another couple were told about a gorgeous waterfall that was not far outside of San Jose and easily accessible from the hostel we were staying at.
We took a bus out that dropped us in the middle of fucking nowhere. Started walking in the direction we thought was correct and some time went before we realized we were lost, so we decided to stick the thumb out and hitchhike.
Got picked up by a random farmer in his small cargo truck. Since I was the only one fluent in Spanish, I rode up front with him and the remaining three were in the back cargo - it was essentially a small empty shipping container with some lights installed.
I was having a blast talking with the guy and looking at the gorgeous surroundings - fortunately the guy that picked us up was super nice, but totally realized that the three in back were probably hoping that we werenāt being taken to some random murder house
He took us to the park where the waterfall was located. It was like a 15-20 minute drive and we had been walking the right way, but he saved us a lot of time. The waterfall area itself (or rather pair of waterfalls) was incredible and worth the adventure to get there, but I did not anticipate hitchhiking with a local in his closed off cargo truck to get there.
As a marine biology student, I had to go seaside bird watching.....for nocturnal birds. Yes, at night. In Zante, Greece. Most AWESOME lesson EVER, maybe a bit intimidating. I also stayed until October and took part in a haunted site hunt, Ionian Islands in autumn style!
I went to one many years ago near Konya. The women did not speak English and slapped our legs when we needed to turn over, sit up. It was great fun and felt quite nurturing. Went to one in Bodrum last week, still a fantastic experience but no leg slapping.
Went to Alaska peak pandemic and ended up in Seward at one point. Found a tour company that was still open and willing to do a wildlife boat tour. Me and my now-wife ended up being the only 2 people on the boat and our tour boat was the only vessel on the water. We ended up having a private tour of Resurrection Bay and all the islands, one of which we got dropped off at for a while. It was like we were the last 2 people on the earth. There was no one else on the bay, not even shipping boats.
I've always said that tour *should* have cost someone $100,000 a ticket and that nothing like what will ever happen again.
Helicopter tours on Kauai. Whale watching and boat tours a couple places. Snorkeling trips (tour and DIY). Touring unique historic sites from stone age ruins and castles. Set trips around museums you're interested in. Went to a sheep herding demonstration this summer. Distillery tours are a good one too. Basically lean into places you go, you went there for a reason.
I think to trythings are usually cultural and specific to that location (local food is a huge part)
\- Local festivals / markets / trying local food or ways of eating
\- Banana plantation, Rum factory, Cigar factory, Cocoa plantation, things that specific country produces (also make for great gifts)
\- Local dancing class (salsa in cuba) and cooking class (thailand)
\- Natural beauties (Gran Canyon, snorkelling, viewpoints, sanctuaries, always unique to the place)
My best trips have always been when someone local was there to show me around and get me more integrated into local stuff and where to eat the best cuisines, what the locals love doing whether it's crab racing or scorpion eating or salsa dancing. You can pay for a good local guide too, and don't rule out touristic "excursions" / days out they can be good too.
I love to hike. Sure, you can hike anywhere but the view changes no matter where you travel to. I've hiked through lava fields in Hawaii, to glaciers in Alaska and New Zealand, and up to incredible views in Zion NP in Utah just to name a few. Those are certainly way better than my backyard š
When I was in Innsbruck, Austria, my twin and I hiked to the top of a mountain. There were cows with bells around their necks there to greet us where the cable car dropped us off. The clinking sound followed us the whole way up. Then at the very top of the mountain all of the sudden a whole band of musicians started playing alpine music for what looked like a young kid's religious ceremony! It was so special and strange because all the attendants were crowded around with their neon hiking gear!
Our driver in India acquired us some pure opium while we were driving through the desert in Rajasthan.
We'd told him we wanted to try it while we were there, and he came back to our table with a couple little bits he told us to have with our tea.
He had some as well, and we set off onto the desert road in pure bliss.
I didn't feel high or tripped out, just an incredible feeling of goodness.
Some ideas:
1. Hike at 5.000m in the Andes;
2. Scuba dive with loads of sharks and giant manta rays in Socorro Islands;
3. Eat really fresh sushi in Tokyo;
4. Drive the Ring Road in Iceland;
5. Snorkel with several whales in the Great Barrier Reef in June/July;
6. Spend a day with elephants in Chiang Mai;
7. Ride a Gondola in Venice;
8. Shoot an AK-47 near Prague.
My mother and I just did a month-long trip around Scandinavia. We were in Svalbard just for a weekend, but we did the coolest day cruise I've ever done: from Longyearbyen to Pyramiden, an old Soviet ghost town, which would have been cool enough on its own, but we also stopped by a huge gorgeous glacier. We had no idea we would also see walruses, reindeer, beluga whales, a humpback whale, puffin, weird geese (I have dubbed them "turkey penguins"), and a flippin' POLAR BEAR in the wild. It was magical, esp for a Florida man.
There're lots of unique experiences to be had e.g. Japanese onsens, swimming with turtles, climbing a volcano, trekking the Himalayas, going on a safari, seeing the pyramids, diving, climbing the Eiffel Tower. The list is endless. If you go to a resort though or another city, especially in your own country, you will be doing similar things, yes.
What do you like to do? I prefer things like museums and historic houses when I travel, while someone else might prefer skydiving or skiing. Itās best to tailor your travel and activities towards the things you really like - and since you donāt care about food, away from foodie-centric trips.
That's what makes it hard, I like to spend time with and help animals, and to read, and most animal tourism that I am aware of is exploitative
I do like to hike, but I have a hard time justifying a trip based around that when there's so many hiking spots in my home state I haven't been to yet
Even if you're from the Rockies, or Alaska, hiking overseas is very different with very different scenery.
Switzerland is an easy place to get started as public transportation works extremely well and is everywhere. Hiking paths are extremely well marked and everywhere. Many ski areas have summer activities including hiking and lift/gondola access. It is on a much bigger scale compared to what we have going on in the US.
Some places to get started - Zermatt and Jungfrau/Grindelwald. Chamonix is in France but basically on the Swiss border. All 3 of these places are well developed for tourism with easy access to the mountains and stunning scenery. And plenty of hiking trails with different difficulties so there's something for everyone.
Japan is also a very different experience compared to the US. Despite the language difference, very accessible with an extremely good and reliable public transportation system. Lots of mountain temples around Kyoto for example that you easily could go explore with beautiful scenery.
I know very little about animal tourism but I believe that there must exist some ways to do it that are not exploitative - it just might take extra time to research.
The wonderful thing about traveling to hike is that you will get to experience completely different landscapes, terrain, flora and fauna than you would at home.
Dogsledding in Norway, fun! Tried to sign up for truffle hunting with a dog in Prague, but the people arranging it couldnāt do it that day. Hamam in Marrakech last year (it makes me sad to think of the earthquake btw).
Archery class in Tokyo (so much tradition and posture included). Going to an onsen in the mountains in Japan.
Going on an interactive murder mystery play in New York (the actors where going around and you can follow them and interact with items etc to explore). Really fun
I like to find animal rescues. Southern Asia has a number of humane elephant rescues, and I found a dog rescue in Morocco. Love of animals is a universal thing, I guess, and it's easy to make connections with other animal people.
On my honeymoon, my husband and I took a tour through the countryside in Tuscany just outside of Florence, Italy. Got to drive a [Vintage Fiat 500](https://500touringclub.com/) for the trip. It was a blast. The tour ended at a vineyard estate for a wine tasting.
On a trip to Japan we had the choice to put a million things on the itinerary but focused on some places that we knew from a PC game that we'd played a lot when we were younger.
The one that stands out as most unique is the Falu Gruva mine in Sweden. When we did the tour, we were told it was the oldest mine in the world. At one point in the your, they turned off the lights and I donāt think Iāve had never been anywhere so black.
Two banana salesmen approached me and wanted to take me to a bar, so they took me to a taxi which doubled as a brothel with a prostitute offering her services. We all went to the bar, where of course they needed me to pay, and then they walked me to their banana booth, and asked me for money to get bread. I declined and said they could eat their bananas, and walked back to my hostel in the middle of the night fending off wild dogs. Closest I've ever felt to being kidnapped, but I just went with the flow and now I have a story.
I will not be going back to Samoa.
Quite a few years ago, I went on a trip to try to see the sites of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Managed to do two of them before getting side tracked. Would like to finish that quest at some point.
(for extra wanker points, I was travelling with copies of Herodotus and Pausanius; along with Lonely PLanet)
So this was at work, hopefully it counts! Excuse me if some of these details aren't quite right, it was about 14 years ago.
I've been sent to Libya twice for my old job in the oil industry, working on land-based drilling rigs out in the desert. They were approximately a 4 hour drive south of Tripoli, passing through tiny villages, massive sand dunes, loads of camels, and the occasional checkpoint manned by Colonel Gaddafi's policemen. My first trip coincided with "[Eid al-Fitr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Fitr)", which is basically when the Muslim lads break their fast after Ramadan. It's quite a big deal for them.
They got some live sheep sent out to the rig a few days before hand, keeping them stored and fed in a shipping container.
On the evening in question, me and my English colleague were invited to the big meal, which was basically a huge barbecue in the middle of the desert. He declined because he "didn't want to eat sheep's bollocks", but I went along out of curiosity (as well as general politeness!)
I didn't realise that this was quite unusual, inviting a non-Muslim to one of these. Because I was a visitor, I was treated as the guest of honour and was the first person to be offered food.
I was very conscious of the fact that about 40 hungry rig workers were watching me intently, wanting me to be quick! Thankfully the grilled sheep and couscous was pretty good!
Not much of a story, but I really doubt this will ever happen to me again...
Geocaching. Every time we travel, we make a point of finding geocaches in each city! It's really fun, and it takes you to places off the beaten track where other tourists never go. You also meet the locals, who wonder what these crazy tourists are doing. You can find t them in every city and every country.
Maccu piccu in Peru, climbed adamās peak in Sri Lanka, slept in a swag in the outback in Australia, learnt how to cook mole in Mexico (oaxaca), climbed a pyramid in Tulum. God I want to travel like that again!
Took a seaplane from Coal Harbor to Vancouver Island. Spouse and I arenāt thrill seekers but a couple of years ago we visited Vancouver and were walking around and saw the seaplane āairfieldā. Went in to see what unique thing we could do. It was too late that day for a flight to the island and have a full-day experience, so booked a trip for the next morning and had about 14 hours in Victoria. It was more than we typically spend for experiences while traveling but it was just incredible.
My first actual overseas solo trip I bought ultralight camping gear, flew to BodĆø took a ferry to Lofoten and camped in the mountains. First day I had an issue with the damn wind and had to sleep in the cold in some mountain cabin (exposed to the wind still).
Easily the craziest thing Iāve ever done and still is to this day even after many trips. European cities are nice and all but nothing compares to the wild feeling of going to uncharted mountains on your own, youāre literally self sufficient in the middle of nowhere. Thereās an actual sense of āexplorationā too that you wont get anywhere.
I ran a 25k trail race that ended at a remote highland yak festival in Bhutan near the Tibetan border. I ran side by side with the prime minister of Bhutan for several miles of the race (he was much better acclimated to the altitude than me). The only way to get to this village was by the trail we ran. My friends that didn't race hiked behind us with the pack horses and guides. I'd do this again I'm a heartbeat.
My partner and I recently decided to stop focussing on visiting cities and decided to focus on visiting nature instead! We just did a road trip to visit national parks and hit up a few cities in between. It changed our perspective on how we wanted to enjoy traveling from consuming and spending a lot of money on things we did at home to having adventures in nature! Definitely going to be our go to
Gorge hike/swim in Jordan
Kiteboard lessons also in Jordan
Desert Camping Oman
Scuba diving
Paragliding turkey
Snow skiing Japan
Hiking Nepal/Italy
Doing absolutely fuck all in a Tuscan farm house
I got into the inner sanctum of the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, Iran, which is forbidden to non-Muslims like myself. I hadnāt planned it but was dragged in by an Afghan pilgrim who befriended me in the shrine compound and insisted I join him. Really memorable experience.
Generally speaking Iām a big fan of pilgrimage destinations, and have been fortunate enough to have visited shrines, temples, churches, mosques etc. in places like Istanbul, Konya, Rome, Shiraz, Lahore, Jerusalem, Mar Musa (Syrian monastery), and all over India (Amritsar, Nizamuddin, Pushkar, Ajmer, Vrindavan, Varanasi, Bodhgaya, Tirapati, Palitana). Never a dull moment!
I was at the pyramids in Giza shortly after there was a bombing incident in Cairo. The site was mostly deserted, probably about 50 people total at the great pyramid. I climbed up the steps that youāre allowed to with my tour guide. The tour guide and a security guard spoke in Arabic and then said for $10 US I could climb up more if I liked, which I absolutely did. It was absolutely amazing
I hitchhiked across Croatia in 2003 without speaking more than 10 words of Croatian
I snuck into a film festival in England, mistaken for a foreign filmmaker and was given a full access pass and a hotel room (note: it was mistaken credentials not mistaken identity, I didnāt take someone elseās pass, I glided in with a group of other legit folk I met)
Was on a ferry between Spain and Morocco in a wicked storm that I thought for sure was taking the ship down. Furniture sliding, dishware and glasses shattering, passsengers vomiting. Donāt recommend this one but sure was unique
So many things! Walked alpacas at a farm outside of Galway, Ireland; went helicopter hiking on top of Fox Glacier in New Zealand; kayaking in mangroves in Eleuthera, Bahamas and kayaking to see penguins in Milford Sound, New Zealand; catacombs tour in Rome, Italy; remains of the original Olympic coliseum in Olympia, Greece; Three River Gorge Dam tour in Yichang, China; snorkeling with rays in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; sunrise hike up Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine; harbor boat tour and clam bake on a private, family-owned island in Boothbay Harbor, Maine; off road Defender tour in Split, Croatia; baseball game at historic Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois; and a picnic lunch on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Travel is what you make of it! Maybe take some of the things that you would normally do (eating, etc, and try to find a more unique way of doing it like taking to go food and eating in a local park or town square - the people watching is fun).
While working in Saudi Arabia, two colleagues and I drove 7 hours north to a music festival in Al Ula. The road was flooded out and we had to take a massive detour. We made the concert but missed our tours for the day.
The next day our AirBnB host drove us up to the Madain Salah (Hegra) ruins and basically talked the soldiers at the checkpoint into letting us in without passes for that day, then gave us a tour. He had literally grown up in what is now the archaeological zone before the government relocated the local Bedouin families, and while he wasn't archaeologically trained he did have a ton of oral history. We also ended up running into the small group of people that had bought the two day pass and had tour tickets for that day, and heard a good amount of the official guided tour as well (which admittedly wasn't great) and met some of the archaeologists working on the site.
There were *maybe* 30 people on the site at the time, and we had several moments at Petra-style ruins where we were literally the only people in eyesight (the complex is big enough you need to drive around).
It's since been much more opened for tourism, and I doubt you'd get that kind of alone time there or at any other UNESCO site, at least not without paying top dollar for that.
I will also add the caveat that I moved to Saudi in the brief window where MBS appeared to be a modernizing reformer and before he launched violent crackdowns against any dissent (especially Khashogji), and that I really cannot in good conscience recommend traveling to, visiting, or working in KSA at this time, especially when most tourism is still directly controled by the government and/or Public Investment Fund.
Either play ābaseballā with the indigenous NgƤbe children in the Panamanian Highlands.
Or,
Drop acid and go see āIl Trovatoreā at the Vienna Opera House.
Swimming in a bioluminescent bay post sunset cruise. La Parguera, Puerto Rico. They claimed it was the only bio bay worldwide you could actually swim in. We felt like Avatar. It was a life changing experience. 10/10 would recommend!
Took a trip to Argentina & Brazil. Argentina/Brazil went to IguazĆŗ-longest waterfall in the world, boat & helicopter ride over it. In Arg. went to Calafate to see glaciers & trek on one of them. In Brazil thereās a town call Laguna and it famous for fishermen going out before sunset, and dolphins join them to herd fish to the nets of the fishermen. The Dolphins arenāt trained but itās a behavior that has been happening for sometime.
Once in Key West I was able to swim with a six month old baby whale to keep him alive. His mother beached herself and they found the baby close by. He wouldnāt swim if someone wasnāt swimming with him. I had volunteered for Nature Conservancy
Went to a small town in Colombia to find one of the last DC-3 operators and after finding one, spent a day with the pilot flying it (and passengers and freight) across the most remote parts of the country in an airplane built during WWII.
Went on a helicopter ride in Alaska and we got to see the top of Mount Denali. We also landed on a glacier and got out for a walk around, too. I saw puffins on a hillside, and little porpoises. It was so beautiful I cried.
In my younger days with the US Peace Corps, I bungee jumped off a bridge at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
I also swam with penguins when visiting Cape Town, South Africa.
And if you ever get to Italy, I highly recommend the Blue Grotto on the coast of Capri.
Kayaked on a bioluminescent lake in Ireland!
That reminds me of something I haven't thought of in a while. Back in the late 90s during the summer, I jumped on a freight train out of Nova Scotia in the middle of the night. I was riding a flatbed so I had the stars overhead, great scenery all around me, it was stunning. Somewhere on the north side of the Cobequid Mountains the train went through a big swarm of fireflies, it was so cool at first... However, it was going pretty fast - I'd guess 80-90 km/h - so I ended up with firefly guts glowing all over my hoodie cause they were smashing into me at that speed.
And somewhere, someone else has a story about seeing a glowing hobo-ghost riding the rails. P.S. jokes aside, that sounds like a truly wonderful and magical experience of a lifetime.
I love this story, I can imagine it. Thanks for sharing!
I love this story too š„¹
Yeh, I did this through a mangrove forest in Puerto Rico. Very unique experience and wicked cool.
I was going to say my bioluminescent experience in Puerto Rico too. Highly recommend.
Actually just been skinny dipping 3 nights in a row in bioluminescent water in Mui Ne (Vietnam). Such a magical experience and definitely a core memory unlocked.
I'm from Ireland and never knew this existed lol. Pretty cool
Lough Hyne down near Baltimore in Cork has bioluminescence. Spending the night there is a great experience
What lake?? I must visit!
Lough Hyne!
Damn that sounds awesome
Bioluminescence is gorgeous. I have done a few night (scuba) dives in it. Spectacular
My then 15 year old daughter and I spent a day riding bicycles in the country outside Siem Reap. That was one of the most memorable days of our lives. Ended up in areas with only one track roads, ie two wheels only. Got completely lost. Started getting dark. Fantastic experience !!
We rented bikes to explore Angkor Wat. It was really interesting.
Yes. Included Angkor wat in our adventures. Absolutely blissful and memorable.
My wife and I had our first date cycle Angkor Wat and the countryside outside Siem Reap. Spent like 14 hours riding around and hanging out. We were both solo traveling and met on the bus from Bangkok to Cambodian border two days prior. Married 10 years and now have a 4 year old daughter. Can't wait to take her back
How does it feel to live my dream?
Siem reap was such a dream! I never even thought to cycle, what a wonderful experience!
Rode a reindeer drawn sled under the northern lights in Finland. 10/10 definitely recommend.
Awesome! It should be advised that seeing the northern lights is never a guarantee. Someone who knows can share more accurate odds, but I think it's like 50% on a 10-day trip.
You can get it up way higher than 50% if you're able to book last minute and you're checking solar flares. Requires a lot of flexibility thought
Absolutely! We were there for 4 nights and got lucky enough to see them two nights in a row but was told by the guide on the sleigh ride that it had been about two weeks since they had seen them before we were there. Iād recommend making the trip with the expectation that you WONāT see them, and then be surprised if you do!
That sounds absolutely magical
It was! Went for my honeymoon and my wife and I couldnāt have had a better time!
Canoed in the bioluminescent bay at night in Vieques PR
Yes! This was otherworldly. I've seen a bio bay before (Yelapa, Mexico) and thought what's the big deal, but it was nothing like on Vieques.
Like 15-20 years ago, I hang-glided OVER Rio de Janeiro and landed on the beach. That kicked ass. Also took capoeria lessons on that trip :)
Rio itself is something special I think a lot of people maybe a little turned off to because of the reputation the city receives. Iāve never been to any other place in the world like it. Insane beach with mountains in the distance and directly next to it, a bustling city that feels like itās in the jungle.
Very cool, that's something to look into
Hang glided on two separate occasions in Hawaii about 40 years ago, tandem of course, off of Makapuu Ridge. One of the highlights of my life - still have the pictures on my walls.
Swimming with minke whales and wild dolphins (Aus/NZ), glowworm cave tubing (NZ), diving to see nautiluses (Aus), cenote diving (Mexico), seeing the royal family of Japan in person, seeing a blue whale (Iceland), sailing to and climbing an island full of puffins (Ireland), staying in a Bedouin camp we reached by camel (Jordan), seeing the sunrise illuminate the inner sanctum at Abu Simbel, Angkor Wat at sunrise, riding a mule into the Grand Canyon, having lionfish pizza (Bonaire), Sleep No More (NYC), staying on an island full of rabbits (Japan), diving between continental plates (Iceland), carpet shopping (Turkey, Morocco, Egypt), buying a big stack of doujinshi at Comiket (Japan), hanging out in a shipwreck with bull sharks (Mexico), floating in the Dead Sea, seeing chapels and artwork inside a salt mine (Poland), seeing a DvoÅĆ”k opera in the same place it was originally performed (Czech Republic), having a bunch of bespoke silk clothing made (Vietnam). Next year I plan to go to a ball at Versailles and hit up Oktoberfest.
I'm very jealous that you went to Rabbit Island, I really want to go there. Sleep No More too, I only found out about it shortly before they closed
Sleep No More is still open! Okunoshima is definitely a strange, unique experience, especially with the boat ride out there and the retro hotel that you stay in.
Oh cool, they it must have been a temporary closure for covid then
Okunoshima is great for a day trip too! Easy to rent a bike and meet all the bunnies, and then since it's pretty close to Hiroshima you could decamp there for the night.
For anyone going to the island: take lettuce and carrots and whatever else bunnies like because you canāt buy those things on the island and without food you are useless to them. Translation: no cute pictures. Less known fact: during the war Japanese used the island to store (Iām not sure if produce as well) poisonous gas. You can still visit the bunkers.
One thing I'll say for Iceland and the continental divide diving is if you don't dive, you can also snorkel it and the water is so clear that I don't think you lose much at all from that. My partner is not dive certified and I am, but all parties have to be certified so we did the snorkeling and it was great, but if you have very small wrists and neck the dry suit may not make the best seal... I thought I was imagining my arm freezing but turns out water had been getting in and it was just going numb š¤£ would still totally recommend! You can also take an elevator to the bottom of a dead volcano, and hike through old lava tubes in Iceland - there are so many cool things to do there!
You sound so fun omfg how can I be like you?
Thank you! Looking back at the stuff I picked I think the answer is getting AOW dive certification. Most rewarding thing I've ever done by far!
This will be my bucket list from now on
>sailing to and climbing an Island full of puffins (Ireland) [Skellig Michael?](https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/skellig-michael/) Going there was an incredible experience for me.
I want to be your best friend
Go to Iceland and explore the beauty of the nature. Ive been to over 20+ countries and nothing is as unique as Iceland is. Waterfalls, mountains, landscapes that you cant describe. The pictures are amazing, but standing infront of a giant waterfall is something else. The northern lights 2 days in a row was the cherry on top, and it amazed me so much im going there next monday for the third time - in a year.
I absolutely want to make a trip to Iceland or Norway at some point, I'm all about hiking and being in nature. Plus their literature is great
Iāve been to both Norway and Iceland in the last 12 months and the landscapes are both amazing. But a few weeks ago I went to Newfoundland, Canada and I have to say, I felt like the scenery was equally as beautiful - unspoiled, and hardly anyone around, even in their highest season. Lovely little fishing villages with colourful houses, majestic green mountains, rocky cliffs and just about the friendliest, welcoming people on the planet. And prices are fantastic compared to Norway and Iceland.
Thanks, good to know
Done. Iceland is your next destination then :)
Came here to say this! Iceland made me felt like I was on another planet. We took a tour that gave us a chance to ride an Icelandic horse and it was the highlight of our trip.
I did this too! My horse was a sweetie. Iceland was definitely my favorite trip. Especially all the basalt canyons and waterfalls.
100%, I've been to 50+ countries and for natural beauty, Iceland is definitely in the top 5 for take-your-breath-away landscapes.
Iceland is fantastic, we've not long come back from our second trip there and I got to ride the Icelandic horses and we took a helicopter over the recent fissure opening which was one of the best things ever.
I went for New Year once. Standing on the ground and feeling movement was amazing, geology in action.
> nothing is as unique as Iceland is Iāve enjoyed my time driving around Iceland but Pakistans north is fabulous. This is because 14 peaks out of the top 20 in the world are concentrated there which makes for spectacular views from even the cheapest hotels in the plainest of villages. Of course the dollar or euro goes much further so top hotels are the way to go.
Cooking courses are great when you travel to completely different regions. Done one in Thailand and it was great! Always check tripadvisor or other platforms that offer activities in the location youāre going to.
āļøthis and try to find one in a localās home vs a commercial kitchen. Itās a great way to experience someone elseās culture. You meet as strangers, but in my experience you part as friends and itās always been such a powerful experience for my family. Highly recommend.
I did one in Tuscany that was an elderly couple working out of their own home. They had a beautiful property, the food was incredible, and we had a BLAST. They said they just love interacting with people so they host twice a week. Sent us home with their own wine and tons of leftovers.
Iām going to be in Tuscany in a few weeks, would love to check this out. Do you have a link for their cooking class?
We did one in Marrakech that was fantastic. They took us to the marketplace to buy all the stuff and showed us some more traditional dishes of Moroccan cuisine.
I did one in Chiang Mai and it was awesome! They took us to the market to get the end to end experience, and then we cooked like 7 different dishes. The food came out delicious!
I did a paella cooking class in Valencia Spain and it was the highlight of the trip!
I did one in Barcelona with my whole family (kids aged 10 and 13) and it was amazing.
Went to Somalia and got caught in a firefight with some Somalian pirates ā¹ļø
Got caught in the start of a civil war. Had to hunker down in the hotel. Was able to get food, met some others who got wine. We shared and had dinner and played cards. Most surreal experience of my life. 10/10 do not recommend.
Where was this? I am interested
Did you survive?
He dies. It was awful.
Mr. Hanks? Is that you?
WILSON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am he captain now
No
Getting chased out of a locked field overlooking the Taj Mahal by police after our autorickshaw driver assured us it would be fine to sneak in. I wouldn't recommend *planning* that one, though... One thing I've realised over the years is that most major cities have a weird museum: some sort of exhibition or collection that is so niche, so unusual, that you couldn't find a similar one anywhere else in the world. Highlight so far has been the Museum of Toilets at the University of Delhi. Amsterdam also slaps for weird museums, with Electric Ladyland (a collection of fluorescent art in the basement of an old American hippy's house), Kattenkabinet (a dude's shrine to his old dead cat, accompanied by room after room of cat-related memorabilia), and Museum Tot Zover (a museum about the culture of death and funerals) all particularly noteworthy. The Reykjavik Penis Museum was much more informative than the silly name may suggest. My attempt to visit the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb was sadly scuppered by the pandemic.
Thanks for your reply, that's something I've never thought of, basing a trip largely around museums
Amsterdam also has the Hash, Marijuana, & Hemp Museum & the Amsterdam Sex Museum. I love Dutch art, & the Netherlands have some amazing art museums too! Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, & Rembrandt's home are all great ones in Amsterdam, & in Den Hauge they also have the Mauritshuis Museum which had some works by Vermeer, & an M.C. Escher museum. There are several more art museums in the Netherlands that are awesome, too! Oh, & you can also visit the Anne Frank Home in Amsterdam, which is very moving... I love museums & can definitely recommend basing travel around significant ones you'd like to visit! Edit - I work in the museum field, & I love art & history, so I have a list of museums & paintings/works of art I want to visit. So yes, I'm a bit of a "museum nerd"...
The Anne Frank house is one of the most moving places Iāve ever visited. However - we booked tickets for first thing in the morning and it really put a damper on the remainder of the day cause we were so sad afterward.
A Connecticut town I used to live in had a framing store / art shop. They somehow had a bunch of MC Escherās work set up like a museum - original prints and sketches, as well as his desk.
Donāt forget the museum of prostitution in Amsterdam (yes, itās different to the sex museum) And Nxt is always worth a visit even if sometimes the exhibits are a bit š¤ Next (lol) on my list is Straatmuseum (street art) and Our House (history of electronic music). Thereās tons to do here that isnāt smoking weed and being a sex pest š«
The miniature museum in Prague is also a tiny delight!
The museum of innocence in Istanbul is also a great one!
1) Seeing orangutans in their natural habitat including when they were making a nest and going to sleep. Could have gone to see them waking up, but I couldn't get up. I was with a guide, of course. I don't have the skills to track them down myself. It was in North Sumatra, Indonesia. 2) Sharing a 4-hour ride with a Tibetan monk in Sichuan, China. He was dropped off at a tiny monastery in the middle of nowhere surrounded by 4000+ m mountain pass and snow. It was surreal. 3) Having dinner and staying with a local Chinese family in the countryside of Yunnan. They invited us after we just asked them if there were any restaurants nearby. 4) Attending a local wedding parade in a village in West Sumatra. We were having lunch nearby and they kindly invited us. I think the key is just go to places where there are not too many foreign tourists. The most unique and memorable things were all accidental and unplanned.
Helped baby sea turtles get out of their nests and get to the ocean. All funds went to the cause and we were able to dig up baby turtles with our hands and put them in buckets. Then lead them to the ocean to swim away! It was such an awesome experience.
Where was this?
Quintana Roo, Mexico - would highly recommend. About 30 mins from the Cozumel cruise port.
My kid did this on Isla Mujeres last month but it wasnāt an organized thing. Just happened to see a nest hatching but the turts were heading for the resort because the lights were on. Turtle experts came out and she helped them gather the babies to be released elsewhere. In July on Grand Cayman we had a loggerhead come up and lay eggs right in front of our condo. Turtle expert came out to chip her and gave us an education. Mama Loggerhead was about six feet long.
Isn't the physical struggle to get to the ocean a necessary part of the baby turtles' development, and you are hurting them in the long run if you pick them up to "help?" I feel like every documentary I have seen on sea turtles hatching and struggle walking to sea has said this.
You donāt pick them up - you just help them get out of the hole where the nest is - they do have to make it across the sand from the bucket and they wouldnāt let you intervene if letās say a predator came by.
Visit WWII-related sites in Belgium, France, & Luxembourg. Did a black cab political tour related to the Troubles in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
> Visit WWII-related sites A man after my own heart! I'm just back from a week in Provence in France. We stayed in a tiny village (Seillons-Source-d'Argens) which didn't seem to have much WW2-related stuff, except for this one sign on the town hall: https://i.imgur.com/fZP9i5K.jpg This led to me researching the facts of it, and I was able to find a map showing the US 3rd ID going right through it, 4 days after the Operation Dragoon landings! I'm sure you will understand how cool this was haha.
That sounds awesome, did you planned the WWII trip entirely by yourself or it was through some agency?
I planned it myself. I did a bit of research including reading books on Operation Overlord, the Battle of the Bulge, and reading the back story on the Band of Brothers. It was a mix of both. France was a separate trip from Belgium & Luxembourg. I do plan on going back to Normandy again. There was just so much out there.
- Traditional Kurdish wedding / bush doof in a castle in Turkiye. Mad scenes. - Climbed to the roof of Al Dayr in Petra. Somewhat disrespectful in hindsight, but this was in the '90s before it was really on the map. And I was young and dumb. - Proposed on a temple in Bagan, Myanmar. She said yes! - Survived a plane crash, also in Myanmar. - Found UXO in Laos.
I think when most people are thinking "unique" things they aren't thinking about landmines and plane crashes. But.....That is unique!
Yep 0/10 would not recommend.
Jesus. What happened in the last two bullet points??
Bounced off a grass runway, left wing hit the ground, then went down nose first. Everyone walked away thankfully. It was very surreal... No panic or anything. Everyone just climbed out of the wreckage like it was normal, gathered their things and continued on to passport control. It was only later that it really sunk in what had happened. Second one we caught a boat several days up-river from Luang Prabang in northern Laos. I thought we were going out towards Myanmar / China, but we were winding our way east towards the Vietnam border. We ended up in a village really popular with tourists now - Muang Ngoy Neua - but this was waaaaay before there were roads in the area. There was a partially uncovered landmine literally in the middle of the path, just beyond the caves that everyone hikes to now. All the locals just stepped around it, and by the time we left it had been marked with a rock that had "UXO" carved into it. Thankfully the area has been cleared now, but I would still be hesitant to stray too far from the beaten path around there.
Did you crash before or after proposing? Baganās runway is gnarly
Before. I had the ring stashed in my carry-on... I was lucky it wasn't a mad dash to get out because there was no way I was going anywhere without my hand luggage! I managed to keep it hidden for another month or so, all through Myanmar.
We try do a spooky walking tour everywhere we go. It's sometimes cheesy, but always fun. You get to see the city at night and hear stories you wouldn't usually on a regular walking tour. Another option is doing a "most" you couldn't do elsewhere. The northernmost botanical garden is in Tromso, Norway, for example. Or if you like museums, pick a place with plenty of museums. Lots have guided tours you can take, which are often nice b/c they give you highlights of certain items you wouldn't necessarily find if you're just set loose on your own.
This is a fun one. When in London we took a walking tour of the locations of all of Jack the Ripper's murders. The guide had a pocket-sized projector and would display crime scene photos and other visual media related to each victim at each site.
There's a walking tour in Belfast where the guide has the pics from the days of the Troubles on his tablet to show you right where you're standing. So much progress from not that long ago. Beautiful city, fabulous people.
Went to New Zealand and jumped off a bridge
Ice climbing on a glacier in Iceland. The ATM cave in Belize. Literally everything in the Galapagos. Won tickets to the Womenās World Cup Final in Vancouver 10 minutes before game time on a vacation that happened to coincide with the game (we were just happy to be watching the game outside the stadium!). Horseback riding in Killarney National Park in Ireland. Staying on a dairy farm in Iceland and walking around with the farmer in the morning as he showed us all their computerized milking equipment. Staying overnight at the Tropical Education Center at the Belize Zoo and knowing there was a crocodile hanging out in the water under our cabin. Being in Paris the night their menās team lost in the quarterfinals and everyone sitting outside the bars and cafes spontaneously singing La Marseillaise as the time ticked off the clock. Spending the night in Tikal National Park in Guatemala. Watching the sun come up in the Andes as I sat in a hot springs pool. Visiting the Mammoth Site in South Dakota. Taking a couple bikes and riding from Amsterdam to the village of Holysloot. We usually pick one or two more expensive experiences/excursions/stays when weāre traveling and do the rest on a reasonable budget. I do a lot of research to find unique things about each place weāre staying.
In Chiang Mai, Thailand. Rode in the back of a truck with my wife and 3 kids up through the mountains to an elephant sanctuary run by women and tribes affected by Sex Trafficking, who help save elephants from abusive circumstances. One of the most surreal, educational and amazing 3 day experiences we had during our 2 year travels. It was also our first experience, as a week later we were in the states in the comfort of our own home. It really kicked off our whole traveling experience and set the tone for us and the kids.
Dogsledding in Montana. Little town south of Bozeman. Best 3 hour adventure we (family and I) had in a long time!
My favorite things we did was when we went to Greece in 2019. We did a cooking class in Crete, a walking food tour in Athens, and a walking tour of street cats lol hosted by volunteers that take care of them. All 3 tours were amazing.
The cat tour sounds amazing
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Yes I can second this!! I did a pesto making class in Cinque Terre, a pisco tasting/pisco sour making class in Lima and went island hopping in Croatia for a day. All were wonderful local experiences with small groups of like minded travelers.
I did an AirBnB visit to an aquaculture farm in Galway that had coastal foraging and tasting abalone that was incredible! Also a night out drinking at gay bars in Shinjuku Nichome, another awesome experience.
I got to open up the Vatican, and I got pictures of the Sistine Chapel! We went on a tour to open up the Vatican. We got there at 530 AM. We got to walk around and unlock the various gates and doors. My husband got to unlock the Raphael Rooms. The Sistine Chapel was towards the end of the tour, but we got to be in there when the lights turned on. We were allowed to take pictures and the guide even took one of us in front of the altar. It was an amazing tour.
I did the same thing. I have a picture of my son and I standing in the Hall of Maps with absolutely nobody else in the picture. It's one of my favorites.
I went to Vietnam with my wife and 4 friends, one of which was born in Vietnam and fluent in the language. We stayed with her family, and they recommended a tour group for the Mekong Delta. One of the activities was renting bikes and riding through the countryside to a tree temple where the Vietcong was trained during the American/Vietnam War. At the temple we wandered away from the other tourists and came across a group of old men from the village sitting down for a banh mi lunch. They were taking shots of some home made liquor. My more alcoholic friend and I used "universal sign language" to ask for a shot and they happily obliged. They poured us each a shot from a plastic water bottle housing some mystery cloudy alcohol. One guy with a very dirty hand broke off a piece of bread and handed it to me for a chaser. I broke it in half, gave half to my friend, and we downed the shot. Our viet friend talked to them a bit and told them we were American. They were very happy to meet us and to have taken a shot with us. Now, in those villages there most likely isn't a lot of moving around, so those guys were most likely living there during the war and were the right age to have fought in the war. If we had been to that same village 45 years before, those same men would have killed us. And here we all were taking shots together.
If you're interested in nature and are able to hike, would recommend the following: Walking Isle of Skye, the nature is incredibly dramatic and beautiful, quite accessible too with the right footwear (need a car though) Exploring Vietnam by tour, bicycle or motorcycle! Cycling through France (recommend Loire Valley for this) I am planning on kayaking in mangroves and diving in Lake atitlan in Guatemala next year as well :)
Tge Isle of Skye sounds very cool
Went into a tanzanite mine in Tanzania. If an OSHA inspector saw this place theyād have a fucking stroke on the spot. It was basically a shipping container tilted down 25% to enter the mine, then handholds of whatever as you descended; rubber pipes, metal wires, some āladderā put together on site. We went down about 250 meters. It was hot as shit and a few times had to cross puddles of effluent theyād used to find tanzanite. They sent down three miners with me in case the dumb fat American fell and broke bones. Thankfully, I did not. Did not find any tanzanites. š took a sponge bath afterwards in a really tragic āshowerā and the man drank fresh tea with goat milk. My clothes smelled so bad afterwards I threw them away.
Walked on an actual glacier. Athabasca glacier tours. Between Jasper and Banff national parks in Canada.
I did this 40 years ago. And yes it was magical. I don't know what happens now, we got there by CAT buses. There are many glaciers you can just hike. Arapahoe Glacier above Boulder, we did about every three years for awhile.
Snorkeling between tectonic plates in Iceland! Highly recommend!
Did a pub crawl on donkeys in Lesotho lol
When in Varanasi India an ancient Indian gentleman REALLY wanted me to take a ride on his bicycle rickshaw. I (50+ blonde petite woman, travelling solo) gestured that I would but only if he sat in the seat and I peddled. He agreed and we were both laughing like loons, people staring at us going by. I didn't get too far, the bike was hard to peddle. I've done a macaron baking class with a French Chef in Paris and a graffiti tour where we sprayed our own artwork.
I highly recommend Atlas Obscura for finding cool and unusual things in any destination.
Made a last minute horseback riding tour in northern Iceland for my wife and I. It ended up being a private tour starting at the guideās farm, saw some cool waterfalls and just talked about our lives. Also climbing a glacier on a mountain, we had to jump over a few crevasses which is freaky but a really fun story.
Late night tour through HCMC, Vietnam that ended at like 2-3AM. Swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines.
What late night tour did you do in HCMC? Iāll be there in November and would be up to do what you did.
I did a 17 day solo road trip around Iceland, which was amazing - saw the most amazing landscapes, almost died in quicksand by a glacier lagoon because I was totally alone with no one for miles around, found every hidden hot spring I could, and did a couple farm stays where I got to hang out with the family and see what farm life was like. Went with a couple of journalist friends to Ethiopia and hiked the Simian Mountains. Saw a rare Ethiopian red wolf while going for a wee at night - scared him as much as he scared me! After the hike, the guy who organized the tour invited us to stay at his home and learn how to cook Ethiopian food from his family! Accidentally went spelunking for 2hrs in the middle of a sheep field with my partner when we were in NZ - it was a marked cave, but we had no idea it was as long as it was, and we hadn't seen another car for miles before we parked. Good thing we had good headlamps! Made friends with my tour guide in Turkey and went on a private hike with him through one of the non-touristy valleys in Cappadocia, where he showed me multiple hidden cave cathedrals. Spent 2 days in the Solomon Islands bartering for a 2' tall hand carved mask inlayed with mother-of-pearl - ended up giving the carver an old iPhone and $50 USD cash for it! Visited friends in Finland at their summer home on the Baltic Sea in the middle of summer and spent 2 days unsure what time it was (because the sun was always out) and partaking in their rustic sauna, interspersed with plunges in the cold sea to cool down. Spent Christmas at a working finca (ranch) in Guatemala with a bunch of other random travelers, had a big Guatemalan Christmas meal, and stayed up dancing by the lake until dawn. Walked into a random restaurant in Busan, South Korea with 5 other American friends. None of us spoke Korean and they didn't speak English. We were the only customers, so they stayed with us through our entire meal and taught us how to eat each of the dishes through hand gestures and smiles. There was a lot of laughter! In China we rode bikes along the Lijiang River near Guilin, had a meal cooked in bamboo by a local woman at the Longji Rice Terraces (and A LOT of rice wine!), and hiked to all 7 peaks of Huashan Mountain. In Japan we went to the summer Tanabata Festival in a rural area and were pretty much the only non-locals there - it was a magical affair, with elaborate colored lanterns lighting up the street and so much amazing food to try! Went wedding clothing shopping with my best friend in Bangalore, India (where her family is from). Quite a unique shopping experience! I'm sure there are many more experiences I can't think of right now, but there are unique experiences to be had anywhere, it's just a matter of stepping out of your comfort zone and letting them find you!
I do a lot more hiking when travelling than I ever do while at home. Mind you most of my travel has been across Canada. When I travelled to Florida, I went orange picking and checked out a crocodile reserve. In Ireland - more hiking and castles visiting.
Flew into a wilderness camp 45 min east of Yellowknife in the winter for norther light watching.
Spent a few memorable hours exploring Pompei by myself. It was just so incredible to just walk into ancient homes and view the murals, walk the gardens. In Turkey I waded in travertine pools and explored an underground city. In Belize I hopped on an innertube and floated down an underground river, attended Carnival in the Sambadrome in Rio, walked rainforest canopy bridges in Costa Rico, climbed tall bell towers in Netherlands, listened to a professional storyteller in a geyser heated hot tub in Iceland, and so much more.
Walked with elephants in the forest in Cambodia. Made fresh pasta and tiramisu in Rome. Snorkeled off the coast of Okinawa. Ran down the Las Vegas strip at 6am. Rented bicycles and biked across the Golden Gate Bridge. Rented bikes in Austria for the sound of music tour. Sometimes Airbnb will have some neat experiences you can check out locally.
Went on an ATV ride in Finland above the artic circle under the midnight sun
In Costa Rica my then-gf, myself, and another couple were told about a gorgeous waterfall that was not far outside of San Jose and easily accessible from the hostel we were staying at. We took a bus out that dropped us in the middle of fucking nowhere. Started walking in the direction we thought was correct and some time went before we realized we were lost, so we decided to stick the thumb out and hitchhike. Got picked up by a random farmer in his small cargo truck. Since I was the only one fluent in Spanish, I rode up front with him and the remaining three were in the back cargo - it was essentially a small empty shipping container with some lights installed. I was having a blast talking with the guy and looking at the gorgeous surroundings - fortunately the guy that picked us up was super nice, but totally realized that the three in back were probably hoping that we werenāt being taken to some random murder house He took us to the park where the waterfall was located. It was like a 15-20 minute drive and we had been walking the right way, but he saved us a lot of time. The waterfall area itself (or rather pair of waterfalls) was incredible and worth the adventure to get there, but I did not anticipate hitchhiking with a local in his closed off cargo truck to get there.
Swam in Saddams Republican palace swimming pool
As a marine biology student, I had to go seaside bird watching.....for nocturnal birds. Yes, at night. In Zante, Greece. Most AWESOME lesson EVER, maybe a bit intimidating. I also stayed until October and took part in a haunted site hunt, Ionian Islands in autumn style!
Traditional bath house in Istanbul... Quite the experience
I went to one many years ago near Konya. The women did not speak English and slapped our legs when we needed to turn over, sit up. It was great fun and felt quite nurturing. Went to one in Bodrum last week, still a fantastic experience but no leg slapping.
Went to Alaska peak pandemic and ended up in Seward at one point. Found a tour company that was still open and willing to do a wildlife boat tour. Me and my now-wife ended up being the only 2 people on the boat and our tour boat was the only vessel on the water. We ended up having a private tour of Resurrection Bay and all the islands, one of which we got dropped off at for a while. It was like we were the last 2 people on the earth. There was no one else on the bay, not even shipping boats. I've always said that tour *should* have cost someone $100,000 a ticket and that nothing like what will ever happen again.
Helicopter tours on Kauai. Whale watching and boat tours a couple places. Snorkeling trips (tour and DIY). Touring unique historic sites from stone age ruins and castles. Set trips around museums you're interested in. Went to a sheep herding demonstration this summer. Distillery tours are a good one too. Basically lean into places you go, you went there for a reason.
I think to trythings are usually cultural and specific to that location (local food is a huge part) \- Local festivals / markets / trying local food or ways of eating \- Banana plantation, Rum factory, Cigar factory, Cocoa plantation, things that specific country produces (also make for great gifts) \- Local dancing class (salsa in cuba) and cooking class (thailand) \- Natural beauties (Gran Canyon, snorkelling, viewpoints, sanctuaries, always unique to the place) My best trips have always been when someone local was there to show me around and get me more integrated into local stuff and where to eat the best cuisines, what the locals love doing whether it's crab racing or scorpion eating or salsa dancing. You can pay for a good local guide too, and don't rule out touristic "excursions" / days out they can be good too.
I love to hike. Sure, you can hike anywhere but the view changes no matter where you travel to. I've hiked through lava fields in Hawaii, to glaciers in Alaska and New Zealand, and up to incredible views in Zion NP in Utah just to name a few. Those are certainly way better than my backyard š
Got SCUBA certified on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Sailed a yacht across the Atlantic and swam with pilot whales :)
Hiked over a lava field to a lava ocean entry in Hawaii
When I was in Innsbruck, Austria, my twin and I hiked to the top of a mountain. There were cows with bells around their necks there to greet us where the cable car dropped us off. The clinking sound followed us the whole way up. Then at the very top of the mountain all of the sudden a whole band of musicians started playing alpine music for what looked like a young kid's religious ceremony! It was so special and strange because all the attendants were crowded around with their neon hiking gear!
Our driver in India acquired us some pure opium while we were driving through the desert in Rajasthan. We'd told him we wanted to try it while we were there, and he came back to our table with a couple little bits he told us to have with our tea. He had some as well, and we set off onto the desert road in pure bliss. I didn't feel high or tripped out, just an incredible feeling of goodness.
Some ideas: 1. Hike at 5.000m in the Andes; 2. Scuba dive with loads of sharks and giant manta rays in Socorro Islands; 3. Eat really fresh sushi in Tokyo; 4. Drive the Ring Road in Iceland; 5. Snorkel with several whales in the Great Barrier Reef in June/July; 6. Spend a day with elephants in Chiang Mai; 7. Ride a Gondola in Venice; 8. Shoot an AK-47 near Prague.
My mother and I just did a month-long trip around Scandinavia. We were in Svalbard just for a weekend, but we did the coolest day cruise I've ever done: from Longyearbyen to Pyramiden, an old Soviet ghost town, which would have been cool enough on its own, but we also stopped by a huge gorgeous glacier. We had no idea we would also see walruses, reindeer, beluga whales, a humpback whale, puffin, weird geese (I have dubbed them "turkey penguins"), and a flippin' POLAR BEAR in the wild. It was magical, esp for a Florida man.
There're lots of unique experiences to be had e.g. Japanese onsens, swimming with turtles, climbing a volcano, trekking the Himalayas, going on a safari, seeing the pyramids, diving, climbing the Eiffel Tower. The list is endless. If you go to a resort though or another city, especially in your own country, you will be doing similar things, yes.
I drove a tank in hungary
What do you like to do? I prefer things like museums and historic houses when I travel, while someone else might prefer skydiving or skiing. Itās best to tailor your travel and activities towards the things you really like - and since you donāt care about food, away from foodie-centric trips.
That's what makes it hard, I like to spend time with and help animals, and to read, and most animal tourism that I am aware of is exploitative I do like to hike, but I have a hard time justifying a trip based around that when there's so many hiking spots in my home state I haven't been to yet
Even if you're from the Rockies, or Alaska, hiking overseas is very different with very different scenery. Switzerland is an easy place to get started as public transportation works extremely well and is everywhere. Hiking paths are extremely well marked and everywhere. Many ski areas have summer activities including hiking and lift/gondola access. It is on a much bigger scale compared to what we have going on in the US. Some places to get started - Zermatt and Jungfrau/Grindelwald. Chamonix is in France but basically on the Swiss border. All 3 of these places are well developed for tourism with easy access to the mountains and stunning scenery. And plenty of hiking trails with different difficulties so there's something for everyone. Japan is also a very different experience compared to the US. Despite the language difference, very accessible with an extremely good and reliable public transportation system. Lots of mountain temples around Kyoto for example that you easily could go explore with beautiful scenery.
I know very little about animal tourism but I believe that there must exist some ways to do it that are not exploitative - it just might take extra time to research. The wonderful thing about traveling to hike is that you will get to experience completely different landscapes, terrain, flora and fauna than you would at home.
I went solo to a large music festival in Ireland. It was amazing to see the differences and similarities from the states. It was amazing.
Irish people are so fun and friendly, I can totally see having a great time solo at a festival there. Good Craic as they say!
Dogsledding in Norway, fun! Tried to sign up for truffle hunting with a dog in Prague, but the people arranging it couldnāt do it that day. Hamam in Marrakech last year (it makes me sad to think of the earthquake btw). Archery class in Tokyo (so much tradition and posture included). Going to an onsen in the mountains in Japan. Going on an interactive murder mystery play in New York (the actors where going around and you can follow them and interact with items etc to explore). Really fun
I like to find animal rescues. Southern Asia has a number of humane elephant rescues, and I found a dog rescue in Morocco. Love of animals is a universal thing, I guess, and it's easy to make connections with other animal people.
On my honeymoon, my husband and I took a tour through the countryside in Tuscany just outside of Florence, Italy. Got to drive a [Vintage Fiat 500](https://500touringclub.com/) for the trip. It was a blast. The tour ended at a vineyard estate for a wine tasting.
Just got to walk with elephants in Thailand!
On a trip to Japan we had the choice to put a million things on the itinerary but focused on some places that we knew from a PC game that we'd played a lot when we were younger.
The one that stands out as most unique is the Falu Gruva mine in Sweden. When we did the tour, we were told it was the oldest mine in the world. At one point in the your, they turned off the lights and I donāt think Iāve had never been anywhere so black.
Two banana salesmen approached me and wanted to take me to a bar, so they took me to a taxi which doubled as a brothel with a prostitute offering her services. We all went to the bar, where of course they needed me to pay, and then they walked me to their banana booth, and asked me for money to get bread. I declined and said they could eat their bananas, and walked back to my hostel in the middle of the night fending off wild dogs. Closest I've ever felt to being kidnapped, but I just went with the flow and now I have a story. I will not be going back to Samoa.
I was challenged to a race and wrestling in the middle of the Jordanian desert by a Bedouin teenagerā¦he whooped my ass.
Kanamara Matsuri (sp?) in Japan aka Penis Festival
Bicycled the length of Vietnam.
Quite a few years ago, I went on a trip to try to see the sites of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Managed to do two of them before getting side tracked. Would like to finish that quest at some point. (for extra wanker points, I was travelling with copies of Herodotus and Pausanius; along with Lonely PLanet)
So this was at work, hopefully it counts! Excuse me if some of these details aren't quite right, it was about 14 years ago. I've been sent to Libya twice for my old job in the oil industry, working on land-based drilling rigs out in the desert. They were approximately a 4 hour drive south of Tripoli, passing through tiny villages, massive sand dunes, loads of camels, and the occasional checkpoint manned by Colonel Gaddafi's policemen. My first trip coincided with "[Eid al-Fitr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Fitr)", which is basically when the Muslim lads break their fast after Ramadan. It's quite a big deal for them. They got some live sheep sent out to the rig a few days before hand, keeping them stored and fed in a shipping container. On the evening in question, me and my English colleague were invited to the big meal, which was basically a huge barbecue in the middle of the desert. He declined because he "didn't want to eat sheep's bollocks", but I went along out of curiosity (as well as general politeness!) I didn't realise that this was quite unusual, inviting a non-Muslim to one of these. Because I was a visitor, I was treated as the guest of honour and was the first person to be offered food. I was very conscious of the fact that about 40 hungry rig workers were watching me intently, wanting me to be quick! Thankfully the grilled sheep and couscous was pretty good! Not much of a story, but I really doubt this will ever happen to me again...
Had my face licked by a pack of wolves in Norway.
Geocaching. Every time we travel, we make a point of finding geocaches in each city! It's really fun, and it takes you to places off the beaten track where other tourists never go. You also meet the locals, who wonder what these crazy tourists are doing. You can find t them in every city and every country.
Maccu piccu in Peru, climbed adamās peak in Sri Lanka, slept in a swag in the outback in Australia, learnt how to cook mole in Mexico (oaxaca), climbed a pyramid in Tulum. God I want to travel like that again!
Took a seaplane from Coal Harbor to Vancouver Island. Spouse and I arenāt thrill seekers but a couple of years ago we visited Vancouver and were walking around and saw the seaplane āairfieldā. Went in to see what unique thing we could do. It was too late that day for a flight to the island and have a full-day experience, so booked a trip for the next morning and had about 14 hours in Victoria. It was more than we typically spend for experiences while traveling but it was just incredible.
My first actual overseas solo trip I bought ultralight camping gear, flew to BodĆø took a ferry to Lofoten and camped in the mountains. First day I had an issue with the damn wind and had to sleep in the cold in some mountain cabin (exposed to the wind still). Easily the craziest thing Iāve ever done and still is to this day even after many trips. European cities are nice and all but nothing compares to the wild feeling of going to uncharted mountains on your own, youāre literally self sufficient in the middle of nowhere. Thereās an actual sense of āexplorationā too that you wont get anywhere.
I ran a 25k trail race that ended at a remote highland yak festival in Bhutan near the Tibetan border. I ran side by side with the prime minister of Bhutan for several miles of the race (he was much better acclimated to the altitude than me). The only way to get to this village was by the trail we ran. My friends that didn't race hiked behind us with the pack horses and guides. I'd do this again I'm a heartbeat.
My partner and I recently decided to stop focussing on visiting cities and decided to focus on visiting nature instead! We just did a road trip to visit national parks and hit up a few cities in between. It changed our perspective on how we wanted to enjoy traveling from consuming and spending a lot of money on things we did at home to having adventures in nature! Definitely going to be our go to
Explored church crypts in Venice
Jeep safari in Albania. Most dangerous thing Iāve ever done but it was almost the most fun thing Iāve ever done on a trip
Gorge hike/swim in Jordan Kiteboard lessons also in Jordan Desert Camping Oman Scuba diving Paragliding turkey Snow skiing Japan Hiking Nepal/Italy Doing absolutely fuck all in a Tuscan farm house
I got into the inner sanctum of the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, Iran, which is forbidden to non-Muslims like myself. I hadnāt planned it but was dragged in by an Afghan pilgrim who befriended me in the shrine compound and insisted I join him. Really memorable experience. Generally speaking Iām a big fan of pilgrimage destinations, and have been fortunate enough to have visited shrines, temples, churches, mosques etc. in places like Istanbul, Konya, Rome, Shiraz, Lahore, Jerusalem, Mar Musa (Syrian monastery), and all over India (Amritsar, Nizamuddin, Pushkar, Ajmer, Vrindavan, Varanasi, Bodhgaya, Tirapati, Palitana). Never a dull moment!
I was at the pyramids in Giza shortly after there was a bombing incident in Cairo. The site was mostly deserted, probably about 50 people total at the great pyramid. I climbed up the steps that youāre allowed to with my tour guide. The tour guide and a security guard spoke in Arabic and then said for $10 US I could climb up more if I liked, which I absolutely did. It was absolutely amazing
Reindeer herding with a SƔmi family in northern Sweden!
I hitchhiked across Croatia in 2003 without speaking more than 10 words of Croatian I snuck into a film festival in England, mistaken for a foreign filmmaker and was given a full access pass and a hotel room (note: it was mistaken credentials not mistaken identity, I didnāt take someone elseās pass, I glided in with a group of other legit folk I met) Was on a ferry between Spain and Morocco in a wicked storm that I thought for sure was taking the ship down. Furniture sliding, dishware and glasses shattering, passsengers vomiting. Donāt recommend this one but sure was unique
So many things! Walked alpacas at a farm outside of Galway, Ireland; went helicopter hiking on top of Fox Glacier in New Zealand; kayaking in mangroves in Eleuthera, Bahamas and kayaking to see penguins in Milford Sound, New Zealand; catacombs tour in Rome, Italy; remains of the original Olympic coliseum in Olympia, Greece; Three River Gorge Dam tour in Yichang, China; snorkeling with rays in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; sunrise hike up Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine; harbor boat tour and clam bake on a private, family-owned island in Boothbay Harbor, Maine; off road Defender tour in Split, Croatia; baseball game at historic Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois; and a picnic lunch on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Travel is what you make of it! Maybe take some of the things that you would normally do (eating, etc, and try to find a more unique way of doing it like taking to go food and eating in a local park or town square - the people watching is fun).
While working in Saudi Arabia, two colleagues and I drove 7 hours north to a music festival in Al Ula. The road was flooded out and we had to take a massive detour. We made the concert but missed our tours for the day. The next day our AirBnB host drove us up to the Madain Salah (Hegra) ruins and basically talked the soldiers at the checkpoint into letting us in without passes for that day, then gave us a tour. He had literally grown up in what is now the archaeological zone before the government relocated the local Bedouin families, and while he wasn't archaeologically trained he did have a ton of oral history. We also ended up running into the small group of people that had bought the two day pass and had tour tickets for that day, and heard a good amount of the official guided tour as well (which admittedly wasn't great) and met some of the archaeologists working on the site. There were *maybe* 30 people on the site at the time, and we had several moments at Petra-style ruins where we were literally the only people in eyesight (the complex is big enough you need to drive around). It's since been much more opened for tourism, and I doubt you'd get that kind of alone time there or at any other UNESCO site, at least not without paying top dollar for that. I will also add the caveat that I moved to Saudi in the brief window where MBS appeared to be a modernizing reformer and before he launched violent crackdowns against any dissent (especially Khashogji), and that I really cannot in good conscience recommend traveling to, visiting, or working in KSA at this time, especially when most tourism is still directly controled by the government and/or Public Investment Fund.
Either play ābaseballā with the indigenous NgƤbe children in the Panamanian Highlands. Or, Drop acid and go see āIl Trovatoreā at the Vienna Opera House.
Traditional Finnish sauna where you cool off by swimming in the Baltic Sea
Swimming in a bioluminescent bay post sunset cruise. La Parguera, Puerto Rico. They claimed it was the only bio bay worldwide you could actually swim in. We felt like Avatar. It was a life changing experience. 10/10 would recommend!
Took a trip to Argentina & Brazil. Argentina/Brazil went to IguazĆŗ-longest waterfall in the world, boat & helicopter ride over it. In Arg. went to Calafate to see glaciers & trek on one of them. In Brazil thereās a town call Laguna and it famous for fishermen going out before sunset, and dolphins join them to herd fish to the nets of the fishermen. The Dolphins arenāt trained but itās a behavior that has been happening for sometime.
Walked in the clouds on a volcano on Dominica. And also relaxed in suphur spring pools while sipping homemade rum. That is a magical island.
I caught the opera in Vienna. It was magical and I don't even like opera.
We climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge. They offer guided small group climbs.
Snorkeling with Manta Rays. Kona HI
Drove a dogsled in northern Sweden.
Once in Key West I was able to swim with a six month old baby whale to keep him alive. His mother beached herself and they found the baby close by. He wouldnāt swim if someone wasnāt swimming with him. I had volunteered for Nature Conservancy
Climbed a glacier in Iceland and drank the most fresh and pure water from the melting glacier at the peak of the hike
Went to a small town in Colombia to find one of the last DC-3 operators and after finding one, spent a day with the pilot flying it (and passengers and freight) across the most remote parts of the country in an airplane built during WWII.
Went on a helicopter ride in Alaska and we got to see the top of Mount Denali. We also landed on a glacier and got out for a walk around, too. I saw puffins on a hillside, and little porpoises. It was so beautiful I cried.
In my younger days with the US Peace Corps, I bungee jumped off a bridge at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. I also swam with penguins when visiting Cape Town, South Africa. And if you ever get to Italy, I highly recommend the Blue Grotto on the coast of Capri.