The Travel Adventure Bucket List

Here are some of the more exceptional experiences I want to have. For a larger and more general list of places I want to visit, see the list of locations.

In no particular order:

Glide in the Alps or Andes

Ever since I started flying gliders (sailplanes) in 2013 I have dreamed of soaring the mountaintops in Switzerland and Chile. First, much more flying experience required, but it’s on the horizon!

Soaring 8500′ above Kinross, Scotland

Everest Base Camp Trek

I have always had an interest in hiking and in Nepalese culture. While discussing this with some friends in a London pub (over perhaps one or two pints too many) we made serious plans to go on a two-week trek to the South Base Camp. It fell through as scheduling conflicts and academic commitments prevented us from avoiding the monsoon season, but is still something I plan to do in the near future.

Explore Antarctica

I don’t know whether it’s the relative inaccessibility, isolation from the busy world, scientific dedication of the researchers working there, or simple natural beauty that draws me to the world’s least-visited continent.

East Africa Tour

I’m undecided if this will be by bicycle, motorbike, or car, but it’s something I have had in the back of my mind for a few years now. Starting in Eritrea or northern Ethiopia, then heading south through Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, and ending in Malawi for the Lake of Stars festival in Mangochi.

Japan and Southeast Asia Tour

I think the list of places I want to visit in Japan is longer than it is for any other country. I am semi-fluent in Japanese (took five years of lessons in grade school, inspired by my large interest in Go, a Chinese board game very popular in Japan) and think spending a good month or two or three there would do wonders to solidify my grasp of the language. Then, springboard on to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, and East Timor.

India: The Rickshaw Run

A 3,000km two-week race across Western India in the most unreliable vehicle you can imagine. Sounds like a perfect opportunity for things to go wonderfully wrong.

✔️ COMPLETED in April 2019! Write-up coming soon.

Sail the Mediterranean

I will need to learn to sail properly first, having only tried it once on a lake in Bavaria which was superb, but this seems like a great way to experience all the terrific destinations on Europe’s south coast.

Cycle Across Cuba

I visited Cuba in 2012 and fell in love with the country. This first visit was mostly confined to Havana and the western provinces of Artemisa and Pinar del Río. But I would love to spend three weeks or so cycling across the entire island from east to west, taking in more of the gorgeous landscapes and fascinating culture.

Camino de Santiago / The Way of St James

Precise route TBD; perhaps starting in London or Paris, and going by foot to Galicia, Spain. I’m a big fan of long walks!

Have you been on one of these adventures? Any advice or other experiences you recommend? Get in touch!