Bucket List Top 50
Time to fulfil dreams great and small and enjoy the fruits of your labours.
We took a look at what people see as their ultimate bucket list and were amazed at the sheer scale and diversity of what we found. Travel featured very highly and shows some commonality of destinations but for everything else the choices are endless.
For some the list is just that, an actual list with perhaps a few items already ticked off, whereas for others it’s just a general desire to do things that are fun and fulfilling.
Having examined the evidence and thrown in a few thoughts of our own we have come up with the Chancery Lane Top Ten for travel, and a list of the most frequently occurring suggestions.
1. The Northern Lights
Comes out top in almost every survey we looked at. The Aurora Borealis is perhaps the world’s most awesome natural phenomenon, and a must see for many retirees. This spectacular light show can be unpredictable to see because of the weather and sun cycle so the best time to go is as close to mid-winter as possible. Reykjavik is the best place to be based and guides are available to take you out into the darkness for the best view. You can combine your trip with another bucket list favourite of taking your grandchildren to visit Father Christmas in Lapland and you might be able lucky enough to see the Aurora there.
TOP TIP:
The power and intensity of the northern lights runs in eleven year cycles with the next peak in the winter of 2024/25.
2. Safari
When it comes to Safari there is a lot of choice and the option to tie in other activities. A weeks Safari with a second week exploring another part of Africa or relaxing by the sea is a great combination. Tanzania and Zanzibar for example. As well as spotting big cats, giraffes and elephants, here you can position yourself to witness the migration of the wilderbeast.
TOP TIP:
Shaking off the dust, Zanzibar is a charming and friendly place to relax and pay a visit to the birthplace of Farrokh Bulsara, Freddie Mercury.
3. Cuba and the Caribbean… or Mexico
A cruise in the Caribbean features high on the lists we surveyed and the top place to visit is Havana.
Whilst cruising is the perfect solution for some, for others the organised trips ashore don’t allow freedom to explore and linger.
Havana is a mesmerising city with enough to keep you absorbed for four or five days. You can easily combine this with flights to other Caribbean islands or fly direct to to Mexico City or one of the worlds best diving locations at Cozumel.
TOP TIPS:
In Havana, hire a vintage taxi and ride out to Finca Uigia, Ernest Hemingway’s home, now a charming museum. Have a coffee in the Bar la Terrazza in Cosima where he found inspiration for his book ‘The Old Man and the Sea’. Arriving back in Havana if you have the stamina you can drink daiquiri at Floriditaor or mojito at La Bodeguita del Medio, two of his favourite watering holes.
4. Australia and New Zealand
The biggest question you have here is how much time have you got? It’s a long way and there is so much to see and do, but whatever you decide it will be worth it.
We suggest a four week trip starting in Sydney where you can enjoy the sights, sounds and flavours of this spectacular waterfront city. There is so much to see and do here a week will fly by. You can of course spend more time exploring Australia and you wouldn’t be disappointed, but another big bucket list item is not far away. New Zealand.
TOP TIPS:
Best time to visit is February and March. Australia and New Zealand’s school holidays run throughout January so it’s quieter after that and the summer weather is still good. Arriving in Christchurch where you pick up your motorhome for the circular trip of a lifetime around the South Island, with its spectacular scenery and fascinating history. After a two week adventure, a final week relaxing in one of the North island’s quiet locations, the Bay of Islands or the Coromandel will be a delightful finale.
5. Machu Picchu
Close to the top of most bucket lists comes the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu, and with good reason. The city and its history are fascinating but its setting in the mountains is simply breath-taking.
You can spend a day or two here and in the town below but your trip to Peru should also include time in the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca and the city of Cusco.
TOP TIP:
If you are fit enough for a long hike, walk the last day of the Inca trail arriving at Machu Picchu’s Sunrise Gate at sunset. Most of the tourists will have left and you will see the city at its spectacular best.
6. Route 66
Our bucket list survey did not show the U.S.A. in general, or even specify New York very often. It seemed Baby Boomers almost unanimously want to do Route 66! And for most the mode of transport for an epic road trip is invariably a Harley Davidson or a Ford Mustang. To do the whole thing is 2448 miles through eight states and three time zones! Allow three weeks.
For most the journey starts in Chicago and passes through St Louis, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Amarillo, Alberquerque, the Grand Canyon and finishing in Santa Monica. For many a shortish diversion to Las Vegas en route is a must.
TOP TIP:
The romantic idea of riding a Harley or a Mustang is great but maybe 2500 miles might get a bit uncomfortable. A number of travel companies offer the opportunity of a comfortable 4x4 or a motorhome with a switch to a classic for the last section of the trip.
7. Venice
Top of a long list of European destinations comes the incomparable city of Venice. A city like no other with its long rich history, stunning architecture and all set on a system of waterways which makes you wonder how it exists at all!
After a relatively short flight to Marco Polo airport a water taxi into Venice is a fantastic way to begin this adventure. Getting around is easy and the best way is to walk, get lost, and find yourself again. There are so many individual things to look at but the beauty of the place is just soaking up the whole thing, and being filled with wonder.
TOP TIPS:
Venice Carnivale is a spectacular time in February each year when people in costume parade the streets and squares. Often described as “the Olympics of the Art world”, the Venice Art Biennale will run from April to November 2022.
8. The Great Wall of China… and Japan
China is another destination where you can spend a long trip exploring its culture and nature, and the top draw is the Great Wall. With this in mind we suggest starting in Beijing and include visits to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. From here you can enjoy a full day trip to the spectacular Great Wall.
Next fly to Kyoto in Northern Japan and enjoy this beautiful ancient city with rich culture and unique gardens. Take the bullet train and visit Mount Fuji on the way to Tokyo.
TOP TIPS:
Time your trip to arrive in Kyoto in early April to see the cherry blossom at its best.
9. India — The Golden Triangle
A trip to India is not always a simple or easy thing. It can take you into an unfamiliar world and out of your comfort zone, but then that’s the point.
The Golden Triangle connects three major destinations by rail combining some of India’s most famous monuments. Starting in Delhi with old and new side by side, a train to Agra takes you to the Taj Mahal. Last stop is the Pink city of Jaipur in Rajasthan.
TOP TIP.
For ‘India Light’ consider a houseboat on the waters of Kerala or a Yoga Retreat on the island of Goa.
10. Home Sweet Home
There is so much to see of our own Islands and most of us have seen just tiny pieces of it. It would be hard to agree which places deserve to be on the list so make your own.
Here is a starter for 10:
1. London
2. Stonehenge
3. Bath
4. Lake Windermere
5. Loch Ness
6. Hadrian’s Wall
7. Giants Causeway
8. Cambridge
9. Yorkshire Dales
10. Liverpool
Once you separate travel this is the Top 25 Bucket List, with one or two surprising entries.
1. Get up late. Do what you want when you want.
2. Spend time with the grandchildren
3. Buy a dog
4. Get a second home or a motorhome
5. Re-visit honeymoon destination
6. Volunteer
7. Learn a foreign language
8. Put photos into albums
9. Gardening. Get an allotment
10. Renew wedding vows
11. Hot air balloon ride
12. Write a book
13. Work on family tree
14. Get a vintage car
15. Sort the loft out
16. Have an affair
17. D.I.Y. Projects
18. Tea at the Ritz
19. Swim with dolphins
20. Make art
21. Tour vineyards
22. Do a cookery course
23. Get cosmetic surgery
24. Do a charity sky dive
25. Join the National Trust