18 Amazing Travel Experiences
to Put on Your Bucketlist

18 October 2017 | Mri Grout | Collaboration Post

7. Witnessing the Blue Lava of Mount Ijen

Witnessing the Blue Lava of Mount Ijen by Finding Beyond

Shelley McGuigan | Finding Beyond

Hiking up Mount Ijen in Java, Indonesia, in the middle of the night has to be one of our most memorable travel experiences because this isn't just any mountain hike where you're simply rewarded with breathtaking views when you reach the top - Mount Ijen offers something very different.

Travellers like us come from far and wide to witness Mount Ijen's extraordinary natural phenomenon - the blue fire. Mount Ijen is, in fact, an active volcano which emits bright blue flames inside its crater. Other than Mount Ijen, there is only one other volcano (in Iceland) in the world that spews blue fire, so this really is something special to see.

We started our Mount Ijen crater hike at 3am so we could reach the rim before sunrise; once the sun is up, it's much harder to observe the blue flames. As we approached the top, highly sulphuric smoke bellows from the crater so we were given heavy duty gas masks to wear. Then there it was - naturally occurring blue flames caused by the combination of intense heat and extreme levels of sulphur. So awesome! Once the sun had risen, we were then greeted with the sight of the world's most acidic lake. Brilliant turquoise in colour, it was a truly beautiful view.

Thanks for visiting Lifelong Vagabonds! By viewing our ads you're helping us to create more amazing travel experiences for your bucketlist.

8. Getting Blocked By a 10ft Long Komodo Dragon

Sophie | The Wanderful Me

The largest lizard on earth, reaching up to 10 feet in length and a weight of up to 200 pounds; able to eat a whopping 80% of their own body weight in a single feeding; has a long, forked tongue and scaled skin that will give you goosebumps; and can run up to 13 miles per hour. Sounds like a mythical creature, right? Nope. This animal is very real, and still attracts thousands of visitor’s to the islands it inhabits today.

Located in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia, Komodo National Park includes three different islands: Komodo, Rinca, and Padar. And on each island lives the ferocious Komodo Dragon. A wild, yet alluring sort of creature, the Komodo Dragon holds a special awe about it.

So since I was already in Indonesia and had some free time, I hopped on a 4-day boat trip to Komodo National Park to see the infamous Komodo Dragons for myself. The trip took me to the islands of Komodo and Rinca to hike around and seek out the vicious dragons. Whilst the group and I were making our way on one of the treks, we came face to face with a rather large Komodo Dragon… blocking our path across the bridge. No doubt, its relaxed stance could change in a second; the Komodo Dragon's eyes, watching us closely, said it all, ‘y'all are definitely not crossing this bridge without going through me first.' This experience was like nothing else; fully knowing this fierce beast could easily take me down, yet admiring its awe-ing power and size - from a good distance away!

9. 'Honeymooning' in the Maldives

Hannah Lukaszewicz | Getting Stamped

Over the past 4 years of traveling nonstop we have had some amazing travel experiences but nothing tops island hopping in the Maldives while staying in overwater bungalows. We spent 5 weeks feeling like we were on a Maldives honeymoon staying in the craziest gorgeous resorts with shades of blue we never even knew existed. There is something magical about waking up and taking only a few steps out to your balcony where you can then jump right into the ocean. We’d stay up late hanging our heads off the end of the bed as we watched the fish swimming through our glass floor. During the day we’d spend our days on the beach or off on a boat searching for a private island to spend the day at. If you’re a diver you’ll be in heaven here for the Maldives offer some of the best diving in the world. We felt like we were on a Maldives honeymoon, it was just a magical place to relax and reconnect, then at the end of the day sit and watch the magical sunset.

10. Crossing the Root Bridges Into a World of Serenity

Zara & Charlie | The Carefree Couple

This incredible sight is hidden deep in the subtropical forest of North East India. Accessible only via a small pathway consisting of 5,000 steps, these root bridges remain largely untouched by tourism. If you brave this challenge, you'll be rewarded with enchanting views of root bridges and fresh water blue pools you can jump in to cool off. Currently, only crude swing bridges provide a crossing over these pools and some of these are not well maintained. A further 1.5 hr climb deeper into this unknown world will take you to extraordinary views of the roaring Rainbow Falls.

All these beautiful bridges have been made by hand over hundreds of years. As the trees grow, the bridges themselves become stronger and can be constructed without the use of any man made materials. Due to rising water levels, there are plans underway to increase the double decker root bridge to a triple decker root bridge, the only one in the world. The untouched, serenity of the wilderness is unlike anything we've witness elsewhere across the globe. The hospitality of the local people was heart warming and an encounter we will never forget.

11. Watching Four Wildebeest Migrations in One Day!

Jim Jones | Travel Stories and Images

I’d have to say my most amazing travel experience was watching the annual wildebeest migration in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. Each year, nearly a million animals - mostly wildebeest, but also zebras and antelope - migrate back and forth between areas in Tanzania and Kenya. They are in search of food, water, and safe locations to mate or to give birth. Although the migrations have a seasonable predictability to them, it’s not always guaranteed that someone visiting Serengeti will be able to see one. If the weather conditions aren’t right, or the year has been too dry or too wet, or the rivers are filled with too many crocodiles or hippopotamuses, then the wildebeest may not migrate on a given day. To make this experience even more difficult to catch, there is usually only a single crossing at each river each day. However, on the day we went, there were four separate migrations! Our guide said that he’d never seen this many in one day.

The animals all approach the water cautiously, knowing that they are vulnerable while crossing the river. Zebras usually head into the water first, as they move the fastest and act as scouts for the wildebeest. The braying of the zebras sounds almost like dogs barking. The animals all tentatively inch closer to the water but retreat quickly after the first sign of danger. When the coast seems clear, they all cross en masse. Occasionally, zebras will bring up the rear of the group as well. Sometimes not all of the animals make it across in one trip. When that happens, the zebras bray and the wildebeest moo to their companions on the other side - as if to encourage them to move quickly whilst it’s still safe!

Say thanks to Lifelong Vagabonds by booking your next trip through our affiliation link at no extra cost to you!

Booking.com

12. Exploring Ancient Temples and Ruins in Egypt

Ramses statues in Egypt photo by Travel at Will

Linda | Travel at Will

So many people are avoiding travel to areas that are deemed dangerous. In doing this, they are both missing great destinations and creating havoc with local economies. We too were originally reticent about visiting Egypt, but then we had so many amazing travel experiences here. The trip through the desert took us to Luxor. The temples and tombs at Luxor, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings exceeded my thoughts about what Egyptian ruins would be like.

With little other tourists at the ruins, we had many sights almost to ourselves. But it was sad to see the lines of empty cruise boats on the Nile River. We also ticked off a bucket list item when we got to scuba dive in the Red Sea in Egypt. We took a scuba dive trip from a virtual ghost town that used to be a thriving resort town. The scuba diving was a good taste test and it will bring us back again. We learned that sometimes you need to take a little risk to see some amazing sights of a lifetime. There are many ways to take tours that will help to keep you safer.