When it comes to travel planning we’re somehow always a little late to the game. Usually we realise that we should start planning our travel itinerary for the new year around mid December… And by then we’re actually already quite late – especially for the first half of the year!
Where will our traces lead this year?
So, we promise ourselves to get better, prepare and be more organised in the future. But that might be just another one of those New Year’s resolutions we’ll break soon enough š When it comes to our Travel Bucket List, then we can only assure you – the more we travel, the longer this list grows.
See the tiny boat on the horizon?
If we weren’t afraid of the ocean a bit we could totally be sea nomads!
If we finally visit a country from our bucket list we usually realise while the trip, that we want to come visit again… š We want t0 experience it again with more time or during another season or for a specific event or celebration. There’s always a good reason to return š
Yes, we went to Jordan this year, but we would totally come again!
And then – wherever we travel we find new inspirations. We meet new well-traveled people who share their stories and experiences with us and, well, here we go and we add another item to our bucket list…
We definitely want to re-visit the Faroe Islands.
Maybe when the mountains are covered in snow (and we maybe get to see Northern Lights!).
Our Travel Bucket List 2018
At some point we realised that we had to prioritise our Travel Bucket List and made the resolution to at least tick off our Top 3 in 2018.Ā The Top 3 destinations on our Travel Bucket List for 2018 cover three continents that we neglected during the last year: Africa, Asia and South America!Ā Namely we want to visit these three countries:
- Namibia
- Myanmar
- Argentina
We can’t believe that we didn’t visit these three continents since over 10 years! Most of our travels in recent years were focused on short haul destinations in Europe, Middle East or North Africa, and long-haul trips to North America, Central America and the Caribbean. That is about to change 2018!
Top 3 destinations of 2018
Therefore we want to cover new territory with these three destinations, that make the Top 3 on our Travel Bucket List 2018:
#1 Namibia
There are many reasons why Namibia made it to the Top of our Bucket List for 2018. Firstly: We have never been to Africa!Ā Well, not really at least. We did set foot on the African continent by visiting Morocco and Egypt, but those aren’t really African countries, but Arab ones. The culture, the people, the landscapes – it doesn’t feel like Africa in the North. Secondly: Namibia has it all: Deserts, lush wildlife habitats, a wild coastline, canyons, mountains, plains – you name it!
What we want to experience in Namibia?
- Go on a Safari and spot wildlife
- Climb Sand Dunes at sunrise
- Photograph the tree skeletons at Dead Vlei
- Visit the lost city of Kolmanskop
- Hike Fish River Canyon
Who inspired us to go there?
Freya and Chris – the couple running thesandyfeet.com and their incredible 11 day Namibia road trip itinerary.
When to go?
The best season to visit Namibia is usually the Dry Season between May and September. But we always prefer the off-season and therefore plan on visiting Namibia in April. This marks the end of the rainy season and Namibia can be lush and green in parts. This makes wildlife spotting harder, but also more rewarding! And prices are lower during this season as well.
#2 Myanmar
We have to share a secret with you: We haven’t been to Asia since 2005! Yes, you heard right – it’s been over 10 years (and we can’t believe this ourselves). In 2005 we visited Bangkok and Bali, both already very touristy destinations back then. Myanmar wasn’t on our radar in 2005 – but this changed a couple of years ago, yet we never managed to make it.
The furthest East we went since 2005 was our trip to Azerbaijan in 2016 (see the blogpost here). Now this definitely has to change in 2018! And from all the Asian destinations Myanmar is on top of our Bucket List. The country offer a variety of landscapes, is still not overcrowded by visitors and we feel especially drawn to the Buddhist culture and philosophy.
What we want to experience in Myanmar?
- Climb a Pagoda and watch the sunrise in Bagan
- Ride a Hot Air Balloon
- Travel the Irrawaddy River on a cruise
- Discover a Buddhist cave with statues
- Marvel at the fishermen at the Inle Lake
Who inspired us to go there?
Kathi and Romeo from sommertageblog.com and their recentĀ 3 week trip through Myanmar starting in Yangon.
When to go?
The best season to visit Myanmar is between October and February. This is the dry season and the only time of the year where you can also include the beach destinations (like Ngapali) to your itinerary. Yet again we’ll go against the mainstream clock and plan on visiting Myanmar in September, right before the main season. Why? This marks the end of the rainy season, so Myanmar will be lush and green and not hot and dusty. And again: We always prefer the low season!
#3 Argentina
Argentina holds a special place on this list. For a very personal reason. We have a family connection to Argentina as Marion’s grandfather was from Argentina. He worked for the United Nations and therefore left Argentina and moved around quite a bit (maybe that’s where the travel bug originated from).
Marion’s Dad was born in Oslo during a short family stay in Norway, her first uncle was born in the USA and her second uncle was born – you guessed it – in Austria. That’s where Marion’s grandparents finally moved and settled. And that’s how Marion came into this world – and probably also got her grandfather’s nickname “Wienerin” (Viennese Girl). While Carlos never really gave up his Argentinian roots (think imported red wine and Asado all year long), Marion didn’t get a lot of connection to Argentina up until 2002 during the first visit.
So while Marion got to visit Buenos Aires and her countless cousins in 2002, we have never been there together. Unfortunately 2002 was also the year of one of the biggest financial crisis’ in Argentina, which overshadowed the visit. Many members of Marion’s family lost their jobs and houses during that period. One of the reasons why it’s time to re-visit Argentina under different circumstances!
What we want to experience in Argentina?
- Meet with all the family members (and convince them we don’t eat meat)
- Survive as a vegetarian š
- Hike to a glacier
- See Orcas on the Valdes peninsula
- Find a lama in the wild
When to go?
The best season to visit Argentina is quite dependent on where in the country you want to go. Argentina is huge and there are many different regions (and climate zones) to discover. Since we want to also visit the South (Patagonia) we plan on visiting in November (which is before the main season that starts in December). If we want to see Orcas we might have to move the visit into the period between February and May though, as this is the main season for whale watching on the Valdes peninsula! This is still undecided.
The runner-ups
Of course there’s a looong list of runner-ups on our Travel Bucket List and we want to share it with you as well! Here are our Top 19 destinations, that just barely didn’t make the Top 3:
- Hawaii
- Maledives
- Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Thailand (Chiang Mai)
- Stockholm
- Tokyo & Kyoto
- South Africa
- Antarctica Cruise Ship Expedition
- Iran
- Georgia
- Bhutan
- Java
- Costa Rica & Belize
- Oman
- Costa Rica
- Azores
- Lofotes in Norway
- Whale Watching in Greenland
- Venice in foggy November
- Seoul during Fashion Week
What’s on your Travel Bucket List 2018?
Let us know what’s on your list in the comments. We will work on many projects in 2018 and definitely want to give away another trip to you guys (like the Alaska trip that we gave away this year together with Å KODA). So please inspire us and let us know where your travel bug is directing you in 2018 š