Amazing Bucket List Destinations – Part Two

The Lonely Planet has just published its Top Destinations to visit in 2019! I am getting a serious case of wanderlust just looking through the lists!!

Happily, a couple of the destinations recommended by Lonely Planet as the Best Value Places To Visit in 2019 also feature either right here in this post, or in Part One of my Amazing Bucket List Destinations series!

But, there are a few other amazing bucket list destinations that I reckon should make the cut on your bucket list!!

I’m slowly working my way through my own never-ending list of bucket list destinations and after reaching out to some of the amazing travel bloggers who have contributed to this series, my list has only gotten longer!!

Shared by some awesome travel bloggers (who definitely know what they are talking about just as much as Lonely Planet does), here is Part Two of Amazing Bucket List Destinations as voted by Travel Bloggers!!

P.S. If you haven’t done so already, make sure you catch up on Part One of the series too!

And, please check out some of these beautiful travel blogs once you’re done with this post  I promise it will be worth your while!

PS – This post may contain affiliate links: That means that if you purchase through my link, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Of course, I only recommend products/services that I have used and believe are great! Please read my disclosure for more info.

 

Death Valley, CA

Submission by Charli from The Break of Dawns

The world is full of National Parks but Death Valley takes the cake for me as a top bucket list destination. Based on the state line in southern California and Nevada, the 3.2 million acres have some of the most incredibly unique landscapes that holds so much geological and human history.

One of the most distinct areas of Death Valley is the Artist’s Palette. This colourful mountain range is the result of a 5 million-year-old geological process when repeated volcanic eruptions deposited ash and minerals onto the landscape.

Over time, heat and water chemically altered those minerals, turning them into a rainbow mountain.

Titus Canyon Road is one of my favorite parts of Death Valley.

This 27 mile gravel pathway takes over 3 hours to drive and is rated North America’s most beautiful backcountry road. The narrows that stretch for 1.5 miles through limestone walls 500 feet high give the canyon a beautiful shape only wide enough to fit a car.

The road was built in the early 1920s as a route to Leadfield, a town where over 300 investors came to strike it rich.

Not even a year after establishment it shut down, leaving behind an eery ghost town that sits on the mountainside halfway down the gravel road.

Badwater Basin holds a great deal of significance to Death Valley.

10,000 to 12,000 years ago, this area was covered in a lake 100 miles long and 600 feet deep. During that time, the environment transformed into a desert, evaporating all of the water to expose its floor at 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America.

The only evidence of a lake being here are the minerals, salt, and borax that were left behind and dried into the most stunning patterns that span the valley, a place that maintains the record for the hottest temperature on earth.

The mining ghost town of Rhyolite, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, and Sidewinder Canyon are other amazing places to see in Death Valley and Zabriskie Point and Dante’s View fall on various top 10 lists for best places in the world to witness a sunrise or sunset.

Death Valley is also an International Dark Sky Park and I was fortunate enough to catch the purple and green Milky Way up here, behind a trillion other little stars.

Death Valley should be on every traveler’s bucket list!

You can follow Charli’s travels on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest

 

Mongolia

Submission by Charlie from Where Charlie Wanders

I became obsessed with Mongolia ever since I watched the BBC programme ‘Human Planet’. It looked so vast. So unique and so beautiful! I made it my mission to travel there. Luckily, it lived up to everything I had imagined.

I fell in love with the country the moment we left the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, and drove out into the countryside.

The views were never ending.

Even though we drove for hours each day, I never got tired of the landscape. It varied depending on which part we were travelling through from the green steppe, to the extremes of the Gobi desert.

One of the best things about spending time in this country, was the complete lack of wifi. I totally unwound, relaxed and enjoyed every moment of being there.

We spent days driving across the plains in specially adapted jeeps, stopping throughout the day to see the sights. From temples, to meeting families, lunches in small towns, climbing sand dunes, bathing in hot springs to horse riding.

We stopped at Ger camps each night and all had dinner together. This was mainly mutton, but yak and goat were also on the menu at some points. The Ger camps were all equipped with showers. When we got to colder parts of the country they had Ger stoves inside.

It was so cosy snuggling up in a Ger tent each evening.

However, the highlight of the trip was staying with a local family.

We spent one day and night with them, learning about how they lived. In the evening they cooked one of their sheep for us for dinner, which we all sat and ate in their Ger tent. Drinking local airag (a cheese, fizzy alcoholic drink made from mares milk, not as disgusting as it sounds!), homemade vodka, singing songs and meeting the pet goat.

That night we slept in tents under the stars.

It was such a magical experience and one I will remember as a bucket list moment for ever.

If you are thinking of travelling to Mongolia, definitely look at doing a tour or getting a local guide. We spent 2 weeks driving around, and only saw roads on two of those days. The rest of the time was driving cross country! With no signal or wifi, or even maps, I would have no idea how to have got myself around!

For me Mongolia was my ultimate bucket list destination and somehow it was even more special than I had imagined.

You can follow Charlie’s travels on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest

 

Corfu, Greece

Submission by Jess from Coffee and Corfu

I’d never been to Greece until two and a half years ago. For as long as I can remember I always wanted to visit… Mainly due to its awesome history, but also to see beautiful crystal blue water and white sandy beaches that stretch out for miles!

It turns out two and a half years later, I’m still here!

I live in Corfu, a Greek Island in the Ionian Sea. I’m originally from the UK and I really feel like I can give an excellent insider view of Corfu (Official name: Kérkyra/Κέρκυρα).

 

Here’s what I would do if I was a tourist for the day:

If you like exploring old towns and cities, Corfu Town is exactly the place to be. It has narrow winding streets, not too dissimilar to an Old Italian village. This is due to the fact many of the buildings were built and designed by Venetian engineers.

There are plenty of beautiful shops selling hand crafted jewellery, wooden objects, soaps and (Kumquat) liqueurs.

It’s absolutely magical.

Make sure you leave space in your luggage for a few souvenirs!

If wandering and shopping has taken its toll, many locals visit Liston Square for a Freddo Cappuccino or Freddo Espresso (cold coffee). The locals consume these frequently  at any time of the day! It’s a great place to people watch and watch the locals play cricket on a Sunday.

Wandering and shopping isn’t for everyone however so from Liston Square it’s a short walk to the Old Fortress.

For a small price you can walk around the grounds, read about the local history (there is a LOT). Or, if history isn’t your thing, you can climb the path to the top of the fortress for absolutely breath-taking views of the entire town from above.

Corfu is also home to some of the best beaches in Greece and it is one of best destinations in Greece for disabled access.

I’d like to say a BIG thank you to Joannda for this opportunity.

I’m fortunate to call this place home and would love to hear your thoughts on my ideal day out in Corfu!

You can follow Jess’ travels on Twitter and Instagram

Slovenia

Submission by Jo from Edits Of Jo

Slovenia is a hugely picturesque country located in Central Europe and is perhaps best known for its mountains, ski resorts, and crystal-clear lakes.

In many ways, it’s one of the hidden gems of Europe. Slovenia is often overlooked in favour of its neighbouring countries, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, and Austria. As a result, it has been largely untouched by tourism and boasts stunning natural landscapes, bustling cities, and sleepy fishing towns.

The ever-popular Lake Bled is very much worth a visit with its clear waters, beautiful setting and the steady stream of pletna boats taking visitors to the gorgeous island in the middle of the lake. The small island is home to the Assumption of Mary Church where the tradition is for the groom to carry his wife-to-be up the 99 steps.

An equally beautiful lake but one that is out of the tourist-trap and popular with the locals is Lake Bohinj. It’s much bigger than Lake Bled and has more beach available as well as secluded spots with mountains in the backdrop.

Of course, the capital city, Ljubljana, is a must-visit.

It’s a bustling place but is in no way crowded. Boasting beautifully clean streets, ample ice cream shops, a helpful tourist information point, and stunning architecture. Visit the cathedrals, the churches, the famous bridges and then eat out in one of Ljubljana’s many restaurants.

If you visit anywhere in Slovenia, make sure you go to Piran. This is a small fishing town in the south of the country that I absolutely loved!

It has a pretty square just behind the harbour area, an old fortress you can explore, plus a Bell Tower (completely worth climbing the rickety stairs to the top). Eat out in one of the sea-front fish restaurants and watch the sunset on this charming, secluded part of the world.

You can follow Jo’s travels on Twitter and Instagram

 

The Phillippines

Submission by Rachel from Celt and Kiwi

If you ask a Filipino how many islands there are in the Philippines they will ask you, “High tide or low tide?”

There are more than 7,000 islands, and our bucket list destination is one small group of them – The municipality of Coron.

It sounds awfully hipster to say that I last visited before the Philippines became the destination de jour of many travel companies and bloggers. Really, that’s just how I apologise for the raw quality of my photographs! When I lived in Manila, I asked for recommendations for somewhere to take my Dad. Coron was quickly suggested and it is a trip we still talk about 5 years later.

Island hopping is what you visit for. The food and the friendliness of the people are why you want to stay forever!

Travelling to Coron requires very little preparation. We booked hotel and flights in advance, but arranging daily activities like the famous island-hopping excursion are easily arranged at your accommodation or in Coron town.

Do not miss:

• Kayangan Lake – Highly Instagrammable, secluded swimming.

• Barracuda Lake – Known for its thermocline: Layers of salt and freshwater that have noticeably different temperatures.

• Atwayan Beach – White sandy beach, often included as a lunch stop.

Top tips:

• Politeness wins almost anywhere you go. You will likely hear the word ‘po’ added to the end of sentences. There is no real English translation, but is similar to saying sir or ma’am. (Salamat po – thank you, sir/ma’am). Try picking up a couple of Tagalog greetings before you go.
• Tipping is not expected in the Philippines, but it is becoming more common. Be aware that the gap between rich and poor in the Philippines is quite extreme. As a result, tips may be considered embarrassing. If you chose public transport (such as Jeepney) it’s best to avoid tips, but it’s your call on tricycles, ubers and taxis.

You can follow Rachel’s travels on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest

 

Santorini, Greece

Submission by KB from Her Life In Ruins

Out of every place I’ve visited, Greece has by far been my favourite! Which is why I’m making it my submission for this post on Amazing Bucket List Destinations!

Greece is a country that deserves to be explored in its entirety. But, (for the sake of brevity) I’m going to focus on the island of Santorini, specifically.

Santorini is a circular island with a sunken caldera (the only one in the world!). This was caused by a volcanic eruption many, many years ago. There are so many jaw-droppingly gorgeous beaches on the island that are a can’t miss!

The Red Sand Beach, which gets its name from the red coloured deposits from the volcanic eruption, lies down the mountain from the Akrotiri archaeological site. The water at the beach is crystal clear and gets to being around 30 foot deep. Another gorgeous beach, the Perissa Black Sand Beach, is located on the south end of Santorini. This one, as the name suggests, is known for its black coloured deposits.

Santorini is home to some wonderful industries. There are many skilled jewellers who make artesian jewellery with stunning gem stones. You can find their shops up and down Gold Street, near the ship ports in Fira.

The wine business is also booming here. Vintners on the island make a very specific type of wine that requires that the grapes grow near the ground in a coiled, nest-like way. The process is incredibly fascinating and creates a unique taste! These vineyards are some of the oldest in Europe. If you’re able, hop on one of the wine tours that take you around the island!

Greece is such a special country, and Santorini is an amazing island.

I hope you’re able to explore this area someday!

You can follow KB’s travels on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest

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