The year 2020 has brought with its truckloads of grief for everyone. But perhaps the biggest grief for us frequent travelers is the fact that we won’t be able to travel anytime soon!
However, on the flip side, the year has also provided us with a lot of extra time on our hands for planning all the amazing trips we can take in the future.
In fact, we’re about to present you with a list of destinations that require careful planning and need to be booked way in advance. Also, these should make a way into your bucket list since they’re once-in-a-lifetime-trips! So chin up, put your daydreaming hats on and start planning your epic travel bucket list for the future!
5 Bucket List Trips That You Can Plan Way In Advance
1. Cruise Around Antarctica: If cruising around the harshest place on Earth is your thing, you have to plan a cruise trip to Antarctica!
Here nature reigns. You’ll see penguins walking along the shore, seals rolling on ice slabs and otherworldly glaciers up close. On board, you’ll also be surrounded by a diverse team of experts, who’ll share their knowledge and insights about the wildlife, landscape and local culture of Antarctica. You’ll also be skiing, sea kayaking and camping in freaking Antarctica, which will make it a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Several companies including Lindblad Expeditions, G Adventures, and Intrepid Travel offer a variety of cruises ranging from 9 to 24 days. The longer the trip, the more expensive it gets.
The cruises begin their journey from Ushuaia in Argentina, which is the world’s southernmost city. You will then voyage across the legendary Drake Passage and then make stops at Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Shetlands, and the Antarctic Peninsula, depending on how long your trip is. At each stop, you will head out in a zodiac or a kayak to explore the wildlife, penguin rookeries, and even research stations!
When to visit: As there is a particular season to sail in Antarctica, you need to book well in advance! Travel season in Antarctica usually takes place in November to March.
2. Total Solar Eclipse: Do you know that a total eclipse occurs once on average every 18 months somewhere around the world? Also, for it to occur in a single location is extremely rare, precisely only once in every 375 years on average.
When a total solar eclipse occurs, the moon moves between the Sun and the Earth and completely covers the disc of the Sun. When this occurs, the shadow of the moon is cast onto the Earth, and for a few minutes, everyone and everything within that path is plunged into an abyss of darkness. This is why a total eclipse is considered to be a once-in-a-lifetime event and should make it to your bucket list.
When to visit: Now that we’ve convinced you about how special this phenomenon is, you need to plan which one you want to experience! The phenomenon is happening in Chile and Argentina on Dec 14, 2020 and in Antarctica on Dec 4, 2021. After that, it will take place on April 20, 2023 in Exmouth Peninsula and Ningaloo reef off Western Australia’s Coral Coast. The total eclipse will then greet North America again on April 8, 2024, where it will go through Mexico (in Mazatlán), the U.S. (Texas to Maine – right over Niagara Falls) and Canada (Ontario to Newfoundland).
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3. Galapagos Island Cruise: The Galapagos Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean approximately 600 miles from mainland Ecuador and are home to more than 2,000 endemic species of animals, including sea lions, blue footed boobies, flamingos, penguins, and giant tortoises. It is also the place which Charles Darwin visited and was inspired to pen his theory of evolution!
What makes this place a once-in-a-life-time opportunity is the fact that the Galapagos National Park regulates the number and types of tourist boats that operate in the area so as to prevent overcrowding and to lessen the environmental impact and stress on the animals of the island.
When to visit: Most tourist boats in the Galapagos offer inclusive itineraries which are strictly monitored by Galapagos National Park officials. So you’ll need to be flexible with dates while booking. But most visits to the islands happen in July and August.
4. East African Safari: An East African safari is a must for all the wildlife lovers. Filled with game reserves, scenic surroundings and luxury lodges, it makes for an experience like no other.
A visit to Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve is a must, where the world’s most spectacular wildebeest migration takes place. Or one can go to Tanzania’s most famous safari destination, the Serengeti, or traverse to Lake Tanganyika, where you’ll see forests full of chimpanzees and clouds of butterflies, or even trek to Africa’s highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro. Hell, one can even go to Uganda and Rwanda, which are known for their Gorilla trekking safaris, where you will encounter wild gorillas in their natural habitat upclose.
When to visit: It’s is through the vast corridor of Kenya and Tanzania that the Great Wildebeest Migration of 1.5 million creatures takes place. The river crossings occur in the months of July and August, and the period is honestly one of the best times to see the great migration, so plan well!
5. Roadtrip on Historic Route 66: Roadtrips are going to be back in style in a post-pandemic world as more people will avoid flying! And that’s why a road trip along America’s most iconic route is a must. The 2,448-mile journey will give you the rustic American road trip feels like no other!
You start from Chicago on and take in the beautiful countryside passing through the states of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona. Your memorable road trip will end at the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, California.
When to visit: To ensure that you’re giving yourself enough time to take in the beautiful landscapes as well as the major attractions along the way, a good ‘two weeks’ are required for traversing through this legendary American roadway. Also ensure that you plan during late spring, early summer, or autumn so that you can end up avoiding the extreme summer temperatures.
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