Seven World Wonders

Do you have a bucket list? Or maybe a travel wish list? I do, I call it my Wanderlust List. It’s a list of incredible world wonders that I dream of experiencing some day. Some are epic adventures others are more ordinary – it’s a good mix. They may never happen but it’s good to have a dream.

 

 

The new Seven Wonders of the World are a good starting point for a bucket list but the wondrous experiences our planet has to offer are countless. From the thrill of seeing an animal in its natural habitat or coming face to face with the power of nature. An iconic landmark that symbolises a place or a travel encounter that stopped you in your tracks and marked you forever.

Let me tell you about some of my personal World wonders and why they’re special to me. My own favourite experiences, treasured memories and moments I’ll never forget. And one or two that I still dream will happen one day. They might inspire your own bucket list.

 

The New York City Skyline

My first time in the USA. My first long-haul trip. A girl from the sticks in the most iconic city in the world. And that view. The Manhattan skyline took my breath away. It still does. Nowhere gives me the buzz that New York City does and it takes me right back to the thrill of my first big adventure.

 

Whale Watching

 

I love to see our planet’s wildlife. An epic whale watching trip in Monterey Bay, California is one of my most memorable travel moments. On a 3-hour boat trip in Monterey Bay we watched as five Orcas taught the baby of the pod to hunt. Nearby, a group of Humpback whales spouted and fin slapped the water angry that the Killer Whales were on their territory.

As if that wasn’t incredible enough a pod of around 300 dolphins dipped and dived through the water ahead of the boat. A truly amazing day.

 

Machu Picchu

 

Sitting and looking quietly down over the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu was a big travel memory. That moment took my breath away and it was nothing to do with the altitude.

It wasn’t just the archaeological wonder of Machu Picchu itself or the journey there that made its mark on me. It was a feeling I had that I wasn’t expecting. A feeling that we were connecting with the energy of a remarkable place and an ancient civilisation that had gone before us. Peru was full of adventures for us – some I still need to write about.

 

The Seven Sisters Cliffs in East Sussex

One of England’s most iconic views and one of my favourite places is right on my doorstep. The Seven Sisters chalk cliffs and their dramatic drop into the English Channel are a wonderful sight and fairly close to where I live.

A hike along the cliff tops with the sea stretching into the horizon on one side and the South Downs rolling away on the other is one that I’ll never tire of. If you’d like to do this walk yourself you’ll find all the information in my Seven Sisters Walk post.

 

Wildlife in Costa Rica

 

My last big trip was to Costa Rica and the wildlife there was incredible. I encountered all sorts of animals from brightly coloured frogs, iguanas and geckos to monkeys, coatis and sloths. There were countless birds, butterflies and insects too.

We saw all these creatures in the wild which was pretty special. It’s amazing to listen to a guide who’s passionate about wildlife. The way they share their knowledge is almost as captivating as the animals themselves. Costa Rica was packed full of wonders.

And two wonders that I dream of experiencing…

 

The Great Migration

One of the world’s greatest spectacles, the Great Migration, is high on my wanderlust list. Imagine the sight of huge herds of wildebeest and zebra, 2 million or more, as they thunder across the grand circuit through the Serengeti Plains from Tanzania to Kenya’s Maasai Mara and back.

 

The Northern Lights

Photo by Nicolas J Leclercq on Unsplash

I’d love to see the Northern Lights dance across the sky. This is a tricky one as there are no guarantees they’ll pitch up and perform. I sat out in the middle of Iceland in perfect blackness one icy January night and despite two pairs of gloves my fingers still went numb. I didn’t see them that time but one day it will happen.

Well, all this talk of travel has inspired me to go and research another trip. Where are you heading next…?

Disclosure: This post has been created as a paid partnership with Exodus Travels. As always, all views are my own.