THE DAY

Right An unforgettable husky ride in the Canadian wilderness

Below A typical street scene in Cuba he Sami people say you can hear the Northern Lights sing,” said our guide, Geir Notisnes, as we stood in the toe-scrunching cold. We were on a road outside a small fishing town in the Lofoten Islands, 95 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Behind us loomed a string of snow-dusted serrated peaks and occasionally the air carried wafts of fish from the town’s vast wooden racks strung with stiffening cod. We waited until the embering sun slowly melted below the horizon and night cast the snowy arc of the Milky Way and the slim crust of a new moon above us. Slowly, spectral wisps of cloud started to streak across the sky. “Here they come,” whispered Geir, reverently, and slowly the translucent wisps strengthened into dazzling ribbons of emerald silk that ran over our heads. I had wanted to witness the aurora borealis for a decade and last year I decided I’d waited nine years too long.

If not now, then when?

I know I’m not alone in being guilty of saving the epic big adventures I’ve long dreamed of to a mental ‘to-do’ list, for when I have more time, more money or am celebrating a special milestone. Phrases such as ‘I will, as soon as’ or ‘later’ easily trip off the tongue and plans get side lined. It usually takes a major event to make us take stock of what’s important in life. And the Covid-19 pandemic delivered a one-two punch of confinement and loss. It robbed travellers of their freedom, spontaneity and, in many cases, their confidence, but it trained the lens on how finite time can be and forced everyone to re-evaluate. Our imaginations had time to dream up all the places we still wanted to explore, from pacing barefoot across a sugar-white sand beach in the Maldives, to spending time in the company of elephants on an African safari. And many have emerged from the pandemic with a carpe diem attitude.

“We’ve seen a huge uptick in demand for ‘bucketlist’ and ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ type trips in the last year, unquestionably as a result of all that ‘lost’ time during the pandemic,” says Gemma Knight, Senior Commissioning Travel Editor at The Daily Telegraph. “We no longer take the ability to hop around the world for granted in the way we once did, and there’s certainly a new sense of urgency when it comes to ticking off those destinations now, rather than later,” she adds. Online, more people are searching for the ‘ultimate bucketlist’ when it comes to travel, and bookings for big ticket trips like climbing Kilimanjaro or hiking the Inca Trail are up.

A brave new world

Anna Moores, Editorial Director of independent guidebook publisher Bradt Travel Guides, reports that at the Destinations travel show, held in Olympia, London, there was a real buzz. “We expected there to be a lingering sense of anxiety about travel following Covid, but it was the opposite. Many of the travellers in the more senior age bracket were booking not just one long-distance trip for the following year, but several. Everything from jaguar watching in the Pantanal to a safari in Namibia.” Bradt’s own list of travel guides also reflects travellers’ desire for more adventurous destinations, with new titles for 2023 including Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Karakalpakstan in northwest Uzbekistan. This is reflected in Explore’s research too, which shows that among the top ten booked trips for 2023 were much-misunderstood Pakistan, just-open-to-travellers Saudi Arabia, and the jungles of Guyana.

We’ve also seen people become braver in their choices, more eager to push themselves out of their comfort zones and make the most of their trip – whether that’s by going it alone for the first time, opting for adventure activities, or even trying a style of travel they’d always assumed wouldn’t be for them, such as cruise or skiing.”

Big adventures

Explore’s research also shows a lot of people are shaking off the idea of waiting for friend and family plans to align and just doing it alone, with 67% of bookings made by solo travellers this year. Travel videographer, Harry Pope, says “While I have had some regrets about missed opportunities, the pandemic gave me ample time to reflect on my travel aspirations and create a bucketlist of places I wanted to visit once travel re-opened. Among my top destinations were Japan, Greenland and New Zealand and I’ve since been fortunate enough to embark on a trip to Greenland – it far exceeded my expectations. I wasn’t expecting its natural beauty to blow my mind as much as it did and mushing huskies across the pristine snowy tundra is something that will stay with me forever.”

Most poignantly, the research also shows that many senior travellers regret not visiting long-haul destinations while they could still manage the flights, such as Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and Japan. Their biggest regrets? Not seeing the mysterious Great Pyramids of Giza, the otherworldly ruins of Machu Picchu, Japan’s riot of springtime cherry blossoms or sailing among the glacier-licked fjords of Norway

The time is now

So, the moral of this story is that if you’ve penned your bucket list, don’t wait to start ticking it off! In the words of Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines and sail away from the safe harbour.” Within a few weeks you could be sharing a bowl of ropa vieja on a Cuban homestay or standing in the misty rainforest of Uganda, eye to eye with a mountain gorilla.

Emma Thomson Travel journalist, writer, and author @emmathomsontravels

Top wish-list destinations

We’ve recently undertaken a study that allows you to compare your travel history with Sir David Attenborough’s to reveal how you measure up in comparison to the greatest travel documentarist and wildlife advocate of our time.

Our survey participants also indicated the places they would like to visit next. Their top wish-list destinations are:

Madagascar

A land teeming with exotic wildlife, contrasting cultures, verdant rainforests and friendly local people. Wake up to hear the echoing call of indri lemurs at sunrise, marvel at the towering baobabs and experience the mighty canyons of Isalo National Park.

Japan

Japan is a diverse and alluring country, full of surprises at every turn. Get into the heart of Japanese culture with a stay in a Buddhist temple or family-run ryokan, observe snow monkeys bathing in the hot springs of Jigokudani Onsen and whizz across the countryside on a bullet train to explore the city of Hiroshima.

Iceland

No wonder this country comes up as a firm favourite. No other place compares to Iceland’s unique combination of snow covered glaciers and steaming geysers. Visit in winter and get a chance to experience the northern lights or go in summer for wildlife favourites like puffins and whales.

Looking for some more bucket list destinations? Visit: exploreworldwide.ca/bucketlist

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PAKISTAN

For trekking enthusiasts, Pakistan offers the chance to explore the less-visited western area of the Himalayas. Discover the show-stopping scenery of the Karakoram Mountains with lush valleys, creaking glaciers and some of the highest peaks in the world. Meet local people along the way and take the opportunity to try some regional specialities such as Mamtu which are delicious stuffed dumplings or Buttering Daudo, a traditional apricot soup.

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GUYANA

As the only English-speaking country in South America, Guyana is a melting pot of cultures – having been influenced by the British and Dutch, as well as people from Africa, India and nine indigenous tribes. If you’re looking for a place that is truly off the beaten track, with masses of lush rainforest, incredible food and lovely people, then the ‘land of many waters’ is the place for you.