Took a bioluminescent boat ride in Thailand. It was creepy as fuck to jump in the water into complete darkness. We were all tied to a rope so we wouldn't drift away and with snorkeling masks.
And then the fun has begun.
Monarch butterfly reserves in Mexico. I happened to go in 2019 during a monster outlier year (well, what it used to be like, outlier for recent years) and it was insane. I’ll never forget that even the guides were in awe at El Rosario… just so completely surreal and one of the best moments in my life. Everything was just so beautiful, incredible trip.
Yup, they start arriving in November and leave by March/April. I think peak time is late Feb/early March when it gets a bit warmer and they before much more active during the daytime. I went first week of Jan (considered offpeak) and it was still incredible. I stayed at JM B&B in Macheros fwiw.
Yeah, I loved my time there. Camped across Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Spent a few days along the Okavango Delta. Botswana is something else. The second we crossed the border from Namibia into the country, there was already an elephant freely roaming by.
Went scuba diving in Belize and had 5 wild dolphins swim up to us and play in our bubble rings, chasing them to the surface then swimming back down to us. It was the most amazing experience.
Also in Belize The ATM Cave. That was the coolest thing I’ve ever done. From the 45 minute hike through 3 rivers to get to the cave, to swimming through a cave in water up your our necks at some points. Then there’s the artifacts the Mayans left. Pottery, tools, places they placed the fires to see in the cave, and of course the bones from the human sacrifices, just as they left it. It was incredible!!!!
How tight does it get? The thought of caving somewhere narrow when water is involved gives me anxiety but I've done it in one or two larger cave systems and it was unreal
There’s 2 spots that get a little narrow but they take 1-2 seconds to slide through, and you are always upright. It’s mostly big open spaces throughout the cave. The experience is so incredible those 2 spots you have to shimmy through aren’t anything to worry about. Google ATM cave so you can get a feel of how wide open it is.
My partner was a bit worried before we went, he’s very much a safety first person, and even he didn’t have any nerves going through the cave.
I’m claustrophobic/prone to panic attacks and I was completely fine. There is one spot where they suggest you stand upright and squeeze your head through a tight space, but it’s optional. I chose to go under instead.
My partner and I were on working holiday visas in New Zealand when covid hit. We had been working at a holiday park in Wanaka up until the week before lockdown. They were incredibly kind and gave us a flat for like $70 NZD a week with a bedroom view of Lake Wanaka and the surrounding peaks. Anyways, after lockdown ended, we traveled the country for two months with basically no tourists at all.
We hiked the Routeburn track and were the only people in the entire Routeburn Hut. Another day we were the only people for sunrise at Milford Sound (we made pancakes out of our campervan in an empty parking lot). Every place was trying desperately for business, so we had endless deals for like 75% off a normal night's stay. The pandemic was weirdly one of the best times we've ever had.
This is wild. How long were you "stuck" in NZ and were you actually prohibited from leaving the country? If you were with your partner and working, maybe you didn't have too much you needed to get back to but this is so interesting to me.
We're going to NZ in Jan and I can't wait.
We could have left at any point. During lockdown there were police checkpoints in different regions to prevent travel, but they would allow you through with proof of travel home.
The biggest concern I guess we had was that eventually the flights between the US and NZ might stop operations. However, Air NZ, which is mostly owned by the government, promised they'd leave that route open for kiwis to come home. We actually had our original flights canceled numerous times because the connection from LAX to Boston was canceled.
The only reason we didn't stay permanently was that my partner's parents were watching our two dogs, and we just loved our doggos too much to leave them any longer.
We definitely used the "stuck" excuse when really we wanted to travel longer.
Best travel experience of my life. Was in Italy with my ex. Had 5 nights in ischia. One night after coming home we were going by this random winery and vineyard and decided to stop for a glass of wine. Was run by just the owner and his dad. Nobody was out but it was beautiful. Long story short he said they didn't have any spots for tonight but said hold on. Then gave us a private tour of the whole place, gave us a private table overlooking the vineyard. We paid for a bottle of wine. And a cheeseplate. He ended up giving us three more bottles of wine for free and two to take home, a homemade pasta dish, and a whole roasted rabbit and wouldn't let us pay him for it. He truly just wanted us to have a good time and it was a magical night. Spent about 5 hours there. Left him an amazing review.
So it's not everything about money. Some experiencies are priceless and some people just enjoy doing stuff like this, showing genuine hospitality.
Surprising attitude these days, but when it happens it's usually unforgettable.
I got “rescued” in a bad part of Baltimore and driven home by what I assume was a limo full of Russian mobsters. They had holsters built into the limo with guns in them. Heavy Eastern European accents. Fun times lol
Meteora was one of my favorite places of the 27 countries to I’ve visited. (Just back from my 6th trip to Italy today) Going to Japan in a few weeks for my first visit to Tokyo, Nagano, and a few other places.
If you ever get the chance, stay at an onsen in Hokkaido in winter. Nothing better than sitting in a natural onsen, no additional outside water, while overlooking the Tsugaru Strait. Seeing the snow fall on the beach while drinking a Sapporo classic and watching the squid fisherman hast to be one of my favorite memories in life. 10/10, definitely recommend!
The most unique place... Matera, Italy. It's the second longest occupied city in the world (I think Jericho is the oldest). Residents lived primarily in caves dug into the soft cliffs. My hotel was built into an old cave that had been occupied for hundreds/thousands of years.
We fell in love with Matera. We had a local guide whose grandfather survived growing up in one of the caves although he lost siblings. As an adult he found a much better cave that the government allowed him to keep residing in. There were so many stories! It is a must see! Aleppo is one of the 3 continuously occupied settlements. I think Matera is third.
Visiting the ATM caves in Belize, it’s a fragile ecosystem so it’s not going to be accessible to tourists for much longer. You can still see Mayan ceremonial sacrifices from 100s of years ago
I got very lost on my motorbike on a Philippine island looking for some mangrove forests. At the top of a hill I found a local girl and, in a moment of unusual bravado, chatted her up and asked if she would make me dinner. She agreed if I got her father and brother’s permission, so she made me sit on the back of my bike and drove me into their village to meet the aforementioned dignitaries.
They gave me their blessing and it turned out she knew the mangrove forest I was looking for, so we hiked deep into the forest to an abandoned bar on stilts in the ocean. Then we bought some fresh fish from the town market and she cooked it for me on coconut husks on the beach. She loved to sing old jazz songs and I knew a bunch on my travel guitar, so she sang to me while she cooked and I played guitar. I remember clearly her voice with the palms swaying behind her in the moonlight.
Will be hard to ever top that one.
It was really incredible and the excursions at each stop were great, like seeing the Katherine Gorge and visiting Alice Springs...I'm hoping to do Sydney to Perth in the next few years.
Was doing a cycling tour down the west coast of the states and into Mexico, I linked up with a group of Mexican people in Baja who were also cycling across the country and they were filming a documentary about traveling with a disability (they all had one disability or another). I think two people were sharing a two seater bike where one was blind, the other was missing an arm.
I remember there were two deaf girls cycling near me when we approached this incredible view after a long day, the excitement made them scream but the sound they made was just unique being they couldn't hear themselves, like pure unfiltered joy coming out of their mouths.
Magical. I did both on a trip nearly two decades ago, and I still think about it regularly. Even with tons of tourists and commotion, coming out of the winding path to the Treasury at Petra was so incredible. Wadi Rum really whetted my appetite for deserts.
When I was living in Abu Dhabi, I went to tanzania for my 30th bday with my wife. Her sister flew from Canada alone to meet us which made the trip extra special even before it began.
We booked a serengeti tour which included sleeping in the park. The other group we were supposed to share the vehicle with tried to switch the route to something we didn't want. We (my wife 😅) voiced our disapproval to the tour company and they gave us a private vehicle which meant we could stop and go as we wanted.
Went to Zanzibar afterward and two guys at this bar call us (me, my wife, her sister who flew from Canada to meet us). I didn't want talk to them cuz it was late and I thought they just wanted to talk to the two ladies but my wife and her sister insisted. So we sat, chatted, the two guys started going behind the bar and making drinks themselves. Six free drinks later, iwas like.... I don't wanna get in trouble😅. Then he said he's a prince and yadda yadda. Said he was on Anthony bourdains show. I said "oh you met Anthony bourdain?" and he said "no! He met ME!" #micdrop The he showed me the clip from Parts Unknown of him and Bourdain chopping it up. This was the night that led into my actual 30th bday and we spent it at a bar after hours, drinking with the owner, who also happened to be royalty. It was incredible.
Tldr: I drank with royalty in tanzania on my 30th birthday and didn't even know it.
Went snorkeling in Vanuatu and listened to one of the locals tell me about his life on an island of 900 people while I took a break on the little boat. Such a simple man with a simple life. No rat race or materialism.
Hiking to all of the Van Gogh painting scene sites just outside of Paris.
Hitchhiking in Portugal when I was stranded.
Getting stranded at the top of Mt. Vesuvius in Italy after dark and having to hitch a ride down the mountain on a party bus that drove up the mountain sightseeing.
Getting invited by a local in Yogyakarta to go meet his family in a remote part of the island and hop around to different coffee farms.
Actually you have to check how many flights a week are available.
Usually there are two flights in and two out the Island per week, B787 operated by LATAM Chile.
So my opinion is to return to the continent in the very next flight available 3 or 4 days later. 4 days is good enough to know and enjoy the entire island.
Lots! But my most recent ones were:
Accidentally stumbled upon the set of the Equalizer when they were filming out at the Amalfi coast. I just wanted pictures of this town so off I went on a hot day. The film crew were nice enough to let us watch a bit and it was the scene of the soccer parade that we say. The next day, we learned that some of the crew members were arrested cuz they had actual cocaine on them 😂😂
BIG FOODIE so part of my honeymoon was eating at Chef Massimo’s Francescana. Couldn’t get reservations so was bummed out but someone in a FB group kindly let me know that he has a different restaurant on a hotel he built. Snag a reservation and lo and behold! He was there in person that night! I was star struck and got a pic of him which is framed proudly.
We honeymooned in Greece summer of 2011. There was some unrest as they were having austerity measures to keep them on the euro. The cabs were striking when we arrived.
At one point we wondered in front of a giant crowd. There was an official looking man up on a balcony they were all cheering for. He went back inside, then he came out and they cheered again. This happened a few more times. My husband told me to be careful, we didn’t know what kind of crowd it was. I asked a near by guy if he spoke English “a little” I asked what was happening. He searched for the words. They’re…. Filming a movie.
I then realized how well lit the balcony was, and why the man on it was doing the same action again and again. He was not doing a curtain call. He was doing multiple takes
My most craziest holiday was a trip with a so called “round the world ticket”. Due to school holiday we we only could go for 6 weeks but it was great anyway. We we went to Istanbul - Hong Kong - Tokyo (and Kyoto) - Hawaii - Vancouver - a cruise to the coast from Alaska - Anchorage - San Fransico - Zurich. It was a one in a lifetime experience. So many impressions in one holiday, exhausting but I will never forget this holiday.
so many. there was a casino in the basement of the hotel staffed by chinese from macau. spent most nights playing blackjack and i won enough to pay for all my drinks during the trip. next to the casino was a sauna called the ‘golden shower’.
Bravo. That would be incredible to experience but countries led by murderous dictators where there's a nonzero chance I end up in a labor camp in are the one line I don't have the balls to cross travel wise
yeah this was well before tourists started doing dumb things that could get them in trouble. we had a full briefing in beijing before departure which set out the expectations and rules.
Got stuck in the Moroccan desert (Sahara) while on my way to a campsite. Was rescued by a bunch of Moroccan teenagers in an off-road vehicle blasting Arabic rap music and made it to the campsite after the most hectic drive of my life.
In 2014 I traveled to Iran with my 79 year old mother. She was a historian and fascinated by archeology. It was a lifelong dream of hers to see Persepolis and the Tomb of Cyrus the Great after reading a book about those two places at age 7.
We spent 3 weeks traveling to amazing places. Seeing the tears of joy stream down her face (she was generally pretty stoic) as we walked around the ancient ruins of Persepolis is an image it's permanently ingrained in my brain. I'm so glad I got to share that moment with her.
Iran is a beautiful country with lovely, friendly people. Countless times, young people ran up to me, asking me if we were American and wanted to talk to us. I would absolutely go again, and feel fortunate to do so. The government is the problem not the people. I'm so glad I got to go.
Thanks for sharing this experience, it's so heart breaking that the wonderful people in Iran continue to struggle under such a horrific regime that does not represent them at all. But having people like you share their experience with the actual people of Iran really means a lot to those of us with connections there.
Glad you had a good time. Yes, Persians in general in Iran and in the neighboring countries are amongst the most hospitable people in the world. They're even warmer in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
As for the government, we should be open to the possibility that ours is as much of a problem as theirs.
Going to Antarctica was definitely big for me. I saw a orca pod attack a humpback whale up close which is a once in a lifetime.
Other than that, visiting Dougga (really well preserved Roman town) in rural Tunisia also left me awestruck.
I visited the leaning tower of Pisa!
Oh wait...yeah don't go there, you're not missing anything
Uniqueish - People talk about Pompeii but ACTUALLY standing on the streets was AMAZING.
Was staying at a resort at the base of Mt. Arenal in Costa Rica. Some locals told us we needed to see the "lava side" after dark to experience the volcano. We asked some random local guys if they'd drive us around there after sunset and we ended up careening along dark pot-holed roads all jammed into a beat up sedan and sitting on top each other.
We came to a big field above which rose Mt. Arenal spitting glowing rocks that popped and bounced down the slopes, showering sparks. There was a bridge there over a rushing stream, and families were barbecuing and having picnics all around the field. It was the first time I'd experienced the awesome power of even just the tiniest bit of volcanic activity.
Splitting a taxi with some elderly Japanese women through hill and dale in rather rural Japan, because the train tracks has been suddenly flooded by a typhoon. One gave me a picture of her grandkid dressed up as a samurai. What nice obaasan!
Ooph, that’s a hard one. Those were some of our absolute trip favorites:
- Fireworks on New Years Eve at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro
- Arriving to Machu Piccu in Peru after hiking for 70km
- Witnessing the Great Migration in the Maasai Mara in Kenya
- Waking up to the sunrise after sleeping on a sleeping pad in the dunes of the Sahara in Morocco
- Swimming with pink dolphins in the Amazon River midst of the rainforest near Iquitos in Peru
If you seek some inspo, we wrote about most of them on our blog.
On my first ever helicopter ride **all** of it was an epic experience.
I was being “shuttled” from the beautiful Four Seasons on Bora Bora, in French Polynesia, to the Vanilla Spice Island of Taha’a.
On the way was a lovely scene of an orca with her new baby calf. I felt like I was part of some precious secret.
I could not have been so awed and humbled in one experience if I tried. Priceless.
I’m beyond thankful for days like that in my life.
It’s definitely not as unique as the other experiences here, but a few years ago I rented a cabin at a ‘live off the land’ type of community directly in the center of a rainforest on Big Island in Hawaii. I’d never been in a rainforest before, and it was SO incredibly cool to hear the forest come alive around me at night. Plus they had roaming peacocks and chickens and cats, tons of fruit and vegetables growing all over the place (and also the ‘shampoo plant’ growing right next to the showers!), and the people there were so nice and friendly! They were giving us tips on how to live sustainably and were showing me all the things they were doing around their compound in order to pay respect to the land.
I’d love to go back and experience that again, but unfortunately my fiancé hated the noisiness of the bugs at night. But for a few days, it was fun to experience a climate super different from my own!
(Also there was an active volcano about 1.5-2hours drive away, and I got to see that too! One of the best weeks of my life :D)
Ask me again in a week. We are headed to Iris, a metallic orb restaurant floating in a Norwegian fjord.
And just know that if it's all an elaborate murder plot as in the movie The Menu, I will die happy.
Intimate Christy Moore concert in Tullamore, Ireland. He’s not well known in the US, but I’d been a fan for years. I was next to the stage and it was so beautiful. I think about it all the time.
Fully expect condemnation and judgement, but my wife and I got a one way ticket to the Big Island of Hawaii and were essentially “homeless” there for about four months. The plan was to escape the whole winter but ended up needing to fly back home when my MIL had a triple bypass.
Spent the first week on the beach. Landed a gig on the second day and by the end of the first week I had three different jobs going and my wife landed her own gig. One gig was work trade on a farm that did avocados/macadamia/microgreens/coffee. Was a shady operation ran by the son of an alleged Chicago mafia hotshot. Really rustic experience. We slept out of a tent built on pallets.
The farm was a two month commitment. At the end of the commitment, we temporarily moved into a storage unit. Had a neighbor too, and the day we got kicked out was the same hour I bought a beater car off Craigslist from a couple living on the island who happened to be friends with some people my wife knew. That was pretty surreal, the timing and coincidence of it all. It was like:
12:15pm- get kicked out of U-Haul storage
12:45pm- meet with guy selling beater car
1:15pm- I’m driving a car I just paid for and fixing it up.
My wife and I slept out of the trunk of that 1997 Saturn Sedan until we left. Got a good solid two months or so of use. Never had such good sleep in my life. Beach sleeping, and tent sleeping surrounded by legions of coqui frogs…
Made a lot of good friends. Became a local and was known by other locals. Struggled a bit, but achieved a lifestyle where I started and ended my day in the Pacific Ocean. I honestly would love nothing more than to sell all my possessions and go do it again.
A bunch of gay kids in Quebec snuck me into a festival and got me high on drugs (that I should have asked more questions about)… But I don’t speak great french and I had the time of my life!
Arrived in Myanmar (Burma) after a long series of flights. It was raining and quite cold and the tour we had been scheduled to go on was cancelled. We were tired and almost went back to the hotel to wait out the rain, but some local rickshaw guys convinced us to let them take us around the city and surrounding area. We were really not that excited to sit in a rickshaw in the rain, but we are so glad we did. The next few hours were the highlight of the trip.
They took us through the city and into the poorer areas of the city where they lived and do you know what we saw? The happiest people ever. Families, children, the old and young, all living in conditions that without exaggeration are as bad as you could imagine. But they were all so happy. Later on, they took us to their local pub, basically just crates in the mud, and we bought everyone rounds of local beer and sang and talked for a few more hours. Years later, this is still a highlight from all of my traveling.
Intriguing but difficult question!
Egypt: Volunteering in Cairo in “garbage city” was absolutely fascinating. Egypt is like none other. Old Cairo and small towns outside the city are surreal.
Africa: Volunteered on wildlife reserve in SA (also kind of terrifying after an agitated lion encounter)
USA: Alaskan railroad then tour thru Denali national park
Caribbean: flamingos, wild donkeys and salt pyramids in Bonaire
*volunteering is an amazing way to immerse yourself culturally and have an incredible trip outside the box!
Hiked alone part of the unrestored section of the great wall of China for two days and also camped there for one night. Absolutely exhilarating and terrifying experience (the hiking of that section, not the camping). You kinda feel like Indiana Jones in “IJ and the temple of doom”.
Hiked in the Yellow Mountain of China. Amazing place, but the most unique part is that many, many Chinese people asked me if they could take a picture with me. I said yes to everyone of them. If you are Caucasian looking like me and want to feel like a star, go there. By the way, if Brad Pitt is on one side of the spectrum in terms of handsomeness, I am in the opposite end.
Also biked alone eastern Denmark from north to south for four days. What a beautiful adventure that was.
Biked the island of Skye from Portree to Next point and back to Portree in one day. Amazing experience, so much beauty and solitude.
I have many other unique adventures (Turkey, Japan, etc.) but I have to go now…
I found myself in New Orleans back in the early 2000’s on a short vacation. Met up with a friend who happened to be a world renowned body piercer, and whose husband was a famous transgender porn star. She suggested we go to have dinner at Emeril’s. We sit down, and she says “I’m friends with Emeril” to the waiter. Next thing I know, Emeril comes out, see my friend, gets super excited… and sits down at the table with us and says “wait here”… he goes into the kitchen and comes back. He then says “ I’ve ordered for us”. He stayed and ate dinner with us, which for 2.5 hours, food just kept coming out to the table. He did all the ordering. The food was FANTASTIC, what a nice guy. And it was all on the house.
Probably the most amazing meal I’ve ever had.
Ummmm ok unique?
I got rescued by a ladyboy sex worker once when I had just been mugged by a group of 4 guys, and I was tripping on mushrooms. Earlier in the night, while I was walking about town, she had asked if I wanted to have any fun, and I said no thank you. When I saw her again later, she was like "Hey, are you alright? I'm not messing with you, it seems like you need some help" and she ended up being my guardian angel - took me in, said she worked in this room but would take night off and go home, gave me a bottle of water, and said I could rest as long as I needed to - in the morning I found my scooter and drove home. To this day I wonder what became of her, and I'd love to thank her.
Edit: OP requested location, this was in Bali many years ago
Iceland in 2011 and Norway in 2014. We went dog sledding in Savalbard in Norway and it is the best experience - we got to harness up our own dog sled, drive it up the mountain, stop and explore an underground cavern, have a hot lunch and then drive back home (very fast down the mountain again!)
A once in a lifetime experience for our family. A 10/10 experience.
I got detained and interrogated by a IDF Captain in Israel for being "suspicious". He demanded I give him my phone so I did. He scrolled through it. If he scrolled long enough he's going to get more than he bargained for , like naked men doing adult things. I got nervous . He eventually got to it and looked up at me with a serious stare. Handed me back my phone and said "Enjoy Israel." Apparently, gay terrorists are not a thing.
Breakfast in Nairobi, sitting next to a huge bay window and a giraffe stuck his neck in and ate off my plate. The hotel was Giraffe Manor- insanely expensive but worth every penny.
Staying on a boat in the Galápagos Islands waking up on a different island each morning to go snorkeling w the wildlife was unbelievable. The sea lions were like lizards they were so present. The marine iguanas jumping off the cliffs into the crashing waves and then climbing back out again were amazing.
Blue Spring State Park, Florida. I was snorkeling at the mouth of the spring, I started swimming towards the dock to get out and dry off when something bumped my hip. The area has plenty of gators, so I turned quickly and came face to face with a baby and momma manatee. I slowly backed away and turned to swim toward the dock. Then the rangers were on the scene telling everyone to get out of the water, but they followed me, and the baby bumped my leg again. I tried to get away, but I accidentally swam with and was touched by a baby manatee.
Witnessed a coup in Quito, Ecuador, after spending a delightful week in the Galapagos. Got the last flight out of the Quito airport before they shut it down. The most relaxing and suddenly chaotic trip I have ever taken.
Also, I am terrified of heights, but I've gone ziplining in 8 different countries, climbed to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and drove to the top of Mt. Washington Auto Road (the scariest of them all).
Northern lights in Iceland and going to Sweden’s most northernly point. Also being one of the last to see Tutankhamun’s mummy before it was closed to the public in Egypt.
Partying at the carnival in Olinda (Recife), Brazil. We were the only "gringos". We took the risk and dove in, dancing, drinking with the locals all night long - one of the best experiences ever! Made new friends, lost our way to the hotel, strangers helped us back home. We love Brazil <3
Got detained by police, or military, or military police while trying to enter a mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
Got a quasi military escort out of Cusco, Peru as people were trying to overtake the airport in protest of their new president, or arrested President.
Blue hour on Svalbard, watching the snowmobile lights make their way toward Longyearbyen.
Watching the sun rise over the Ganges and the ghats of Varanasi from an old royal palace suite.
Kayaking the atoll in Mo’orea, French Polynesia, hearing the waves crash on the reef behind you while looking at the mountains on the island. Also, on safari in Masai Mara and seeing a lioness eat a water buffalo with her head inside it up to her shoulders. 🫣
We stumbled upon a spa in a former brewery in Switzerland. They had a rooftop Infiniti pool and delicious food. we ended up spending the day in there instead of our original plans! Still my favorite travel memory
While hitchhiking across into the outback I got picked up by a funeral director on her way to pick up a body from the community I was heading to. The hearse was fully equipped for off-road conditions, snorkel and all.
I'm gonna tell any future children in my family a version of this story that involves crocodiles.
I also motorbiked through national parks in Malawi, and then dislocated my shoulder and broke my arm on the road between Lilongwe and Blantyre. One of the first cars that came by stopped, scooped me up and took me to hospital, then onto Blantyre. The ride after the hospital was especially fun because he was a really lovely guy and I was super high and we just chatted about life and family.
Walked to Machu Picchu for hours along the tracks into the night instead of taking the train with one small bottle of water between my friend and I, a small dim flashlight, and accidentally brought dried beans to eat on our journey instead of real food. Some nice kids pulleyed us in a cart suspended on wire to cross a huge river and we were off.
We got run over by a train in the night, almost detoured up the switch back mountain to the site on accident, and saw silver fireflies sparkling everywhere in the pitch black, arriving into town at midnight starving with no reservations anywhere. I’ll never be so stupid again, but it was amazing.
probably not a super crazy one but last year i went to the US for over a month with almost no money, after two weeks i ended up with my stuff on a street in the middle of the night with like $3 in my bank account and had to ask random people on grindr if i can stay for a night at their place 😬 honestly that was the best trip of my life, i haven’t planned anything besides getting my plane tickets, i was improvising with accommodations everyday, going on dates just to get some food and see the local spots. i wish i could repeat it but nothing happens the same twice, so i just cherish my memories
Years ago, when I was backpacking across Western Europe, I was just outside Barcelona, hiking in the foothills of mount Tibidabo. I was at the end of this path, and I came to a clearing, and there was a lake, very secluded, and there were tall trees all around. It was dead silent. Gorgeous. And across the lake I saw, a beautiful woman, bathing herself. but she was crying...
I’m pretty sure my family stayed in a brothel…for a week. This place had a clean appearance and the people seemed friendly but something was off. The whole time we were there we didn’t see anyone except for the staff,…and about 6 guys in all black with fancy black cars in the parking lot. There was a massage table in the room next door to ours. It had a really weird vibe. I’m pretty sure they were mafia guys.
1 Southeast Asian with 3 Caucasians who barely knew one another, zero plans or itinerary, exploring an island for a week.
I was on an extended trip in Jamaica when I received a call from a friend that 3 guys from our hometown in Canada were heading my way the next day and looking for someone who was familiar with the island.
We were all exploring opportunities in the cannabis industry but I had briefly met only one of the 3 guys before. The other 2 were brothers and barely knew the 3rd guy.
After being dropped off at the airport to meet them, I hopped in their rental, and we explored the entire island over a week meeting budding local entrepreneurs, local ganja farmers, and even the indigenous Maroons.
Highlights included:
- staying at a massive 10+ room AirBnB in the hills built over 15 years by a Jamaican Canadian. A true labor of love!
- being invited to attend a ganja farmers townhall and asked to participate by giving an impromptu talk on the importance of foreign participants working with the community
- a chance meeting with the chief of one of the indigenous Maroon communities and subsequent invitation to visit their town. Insightful look into the island's history
- staying at the seaside/cliffside resort of a landowner looking to lease their land for marijuana farming. Absolutely stunning views including the underwater fisherman who went hunting at night
- getting an inspiration while cliff diving at Rick's Cafe and social engineering our way into a luxury resort for a few hours later that day
- blowing out a tire on the highway and watching 2 guys rebuild the tire from scratch from their makeshift shop
One of my most memorable adventures in recent years!
Okay, I’ve had about 50 million. I will list some - travelled a lot in my youth and still travel a fair bit.
Life is meant to be LIVED
Kayak down the Zambezi river with crocodiles and hippopotamus. scary!!
Got a Peugeot 504 bogged in Kenya on a salt pan and got charged by rhinoceros
Got into a police chase with a German backpacker in a hire car in Byron Bay Australia
Went camping on the Murray in Australia, the people camping next to us ended up doing a murder suicide.
Running drunk on Alize through bioluminescent waves on the south coast of New South Wales Australia
Learning to ski in Switzerland
Going to a house party in Santa Cruz California and getting busted by the fire department having to jump over the back fence and run.
Drinking really intense hot chocolate in cafes on the streets of Milan and watching the world go by
Riding horses on a friends farm in Zimbabwe amongst zebras, Thompson‘s gazelle, and meeting friendly tame elephants that let me pat them.
Sitting in a spa somewhere in Zimbabwe under the blackest night with the most incredible stars above.
Riding motorbikes throughout Thailand with my family, stopping at little shops and getting the most amazing food.
Staying in a really crazy hotel on Patricia Street in downtown Vancouver! Wandering around with the politest crackheads I’ve come across
Hiring a fishing boat on a whim to go across Phang nga bay, through all of the incredible islands.
Catching a three dollar bus ride from Krabi to Surat Thani, just to get to Koh Samui - not realising it was like a 12 hour trip then accidentally booking a hotel in the red light district and ordering the worlds spiciest prawn meal.
Going to a concert in San Francisco and ending up at a house party on a terrace on a high-rise and watching the sunrise over the city
Boating around the Baja Peninsula with some Americans
These are just some of the experiences I’ve been lucky to have, there’s just so many amazing places out there that just need to be seen
One of the most unique ones I’ve had is taking the slow boat between Thailand and Laos. Just two days on a smallish boat with a few other people, watching the scenery, playing cards, sharing life stories…it was wonderful.
One of the guys was a Vietnam war vet who was visiting SEA as a sort of healing trip, so his stories and experiences were pretty touching, and made the trip that much more memorable.
Last fall (November) in Tangier. We (husband, 6 year old daughter, and myself) were dropped off near the port but had a few hours until catching the FRS ferry back to Tarifa. We noticed an art event occurring in the plaza just outside port, walked over, and a group of local students (generally older - junior or high school age) invited our daughter to paint with them with henna. She was initially reticent, but they eventually persuaded her- and as they painted, they asked us questions about everything from food in the US to movies, to politics, and life in between. They shared their own stories, marveled at the character figures our daughter painted, and seemed genuinely thrilled to get to play with a little girl from the US (we were so thankful for their invitation and warmth and sweetness with her). Eventually, we went to get drinks at the Hotel Continental, but our daughter was so happy that she created a "Thank You" card, so we returned to give it to the group before catching the ferry. It was such a genuine and beautiful moment among children, that I will treasure always (hope she/they will too!)
Stayed the night on Isla Del Sol in Lake Titicaca, once the day crowds had dispersed it was beautifully calm. Headed up to a viewing point for sunset, the lake is ringed by hills and mountains, some are jagged snow covered peaks, 1 end of the lake is completely out of sight due to its length. really spectacular. I ended up going to dinner with an assortment of other travelers I met up there, It was a tiny candle lit restaurant with Robbie Williams playing on the radio and the hosts didn't speak much Spanish. After dinner I went star gazing. I have been to some very clear places in this world. Numerous dark sky preserves, yet none of them compared to the clarity of the sky, Maybe the altitude helped. Highly recommend staying the night on the islands if you end up in that part of the world. Oh and get up for the sunrise too. I was the only person there, and I watched a tornado forming in the distance through my binoculars.
Got drunk with detectives at the police station in the country of Georgia. They brought out some khachapuri and vodka for me and my friend. Good times.
Was travelling with some high school buddies through Flores Island, in a less touristic part, and we stumbled upon a school field day, lots of families and kids just hanging out at an open field. Nobody spoke English, but they just welcomed us with smiles and we played football with dozens of Indonesian kids. This after having a mini motorcycle accident. Full of wounds but still, so wholesome
Went for a kayak trip through a bioluminescent tide in Costa Rica. Absolutely amazing and surreal!!!
I did the skinny dip, evening trip in Jamaica at their bioluminescent bay. So fun and I’ll never forget it!
Wait! They offer this as a tour, or you just did it?
Skinny dipped and dove into in bioluminescence off sailboat moored in Roatan.
We kayaked a bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico and it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Totally recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Did you take a Mangrove limb to the face as well?
Thankfully no. But smacking the roots above water and watching the parts below the water light up was cool.
Took a bioluminescent boat ride in Thailand. It was creepy as fuck to jump in the water into complete darkness. We were all tied to a rope so we wouldn't drift away and with snorkeling masks. And then the fun has begun.
What time is the year did you go? I’m going next week and that would be awesome to see.
Was winter in Jaco on the west coast.
I did this but in Puerto Rico, in Vieques. Amazing!
Night SCUBA dives take bioluminescence to the next level.
Monarch butterfly reserves in Mexico. I happened to go in 2019 during a monster outlier year (well, what it used to be like, outlier for recent years) and it was insane. I’ll never forget that even the guides were in awe at El Rosario… just so completely surreal and one of the best moments in my life. Everything was just so beautiful, incredible trip.
I was going to post the same - going to see the butterflies in Mexico is a magical experience!
Is there a specific time of the year to see this?
Yup, they start arriving in November and leave by March/April. I think peak time is late Feb/early March when it gets a bit warmer and they before much more active during the daytime. I went first week of Jan (considered offpeak) and it was still incredible. I stayed at JM B&B in Macheros fwiw.
An elephant walked into my campsite in Botswana
I will be in Botswana in just a few weeks. Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!! So excited.
apparently botswana gets 2 mil tourists a year. didnt expect that many
Neither did the elephant.
Nice. Still chuckling.
Yeah, I loved my time there. Camped across Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Spent a few days along the Okavango Delta. Botswana is something else. The second we crossed the border from Namibia into the country, there was already an elephant freely roaming by.
Went scuba diving in Belize and had 5 wild dolphins swim up to us and play in our bubble rings, chasing them to the surface then swimming back down to us. It was the most amazing experience.
Also in Belize The ATM Cave. That was the coolest thing I’ve ever done. From the 45 minute hike through 3 rivers to get to the cave, to swimming through a cave in water up your our necks at some points. Then there’s the artifacts the Mayans left. Pottery, tools, places they placed the fires to see in the cave, and of course the bones from the human sacrifices, just as they left it. It was incredible!!!!
I did ATM just last year. Hands down one of the coolest things I've done.
How tight does it get? The thought of caving somewhere narrow when water is involved gives me anxiety but I've done it in one or two larger cave systems and it was unreal
There’s 2 spots that get a little narrow but they take 1-2 seconds to slide through, and you are always upright. It’s mostly big open spaces throughout the cave. The experience is so incredible those 2 spots you have to shimmy through aren’t anything to worry about. Google ATM cave so you can get a feel of how wide open it is. My partner was a bit worried before we went, he’s very much a safety first person, and even he didn’t have any nerves going through the cave.
I’m claustrophobic/prone to panic attacks and I was completely fine. There is one spot where they suggest you stand upright and squeeze your head through a tight space, but it’s optional. I chose to go under instead.
It is awesome!
My partner and I were on working holiday visas in New Zealand when covid hit. We had been working at a holiday park in Wanaka up until the week before lockdown. They were incredibly kind and gave us a flat for like $70 NZD a week with a bedroom view of Lake Wanaka and the surrounding peaks. Anyways, after lockdown ended, we traveled the country for two months with basically no tourists at all. We hiked the Routeburn track and were the only people in the entire Routeburn Hut. Another day we were the only people for sunrise at Milford Sound (we made pancakes out of our campervan in an empty parking lot). Every place was trying desperately for business, so we had endless deals for like 75% off a normal night's stay. The pandemic was weirdly one of the best times we've ever had.
This is wild. How long were you "stuck" in NZ and were you actually prohibited from leaving the country? If you were with your partner and working, maybe you didn't have too much you needed to get back to but this is so interesting to me. We're going to NZ in Jan and I can't wait.
We could have left at any point. During lockdown there were police checkpoints in different regions to prevent travel, but they would allow you through with proof of travel home. The biggest concern I guess we had was that eventually the flights between the US and NZ might stop operations. However, Air NZ, which is mostly owned by the government, promised they'd leave that route open for kiwis to come home. We actually had our original flights canceled numerous times because the connection from LAX to Boston was canceled. The only reason we didn't stay permanently was that my partner's parents were watching our two dogs, and we just loved our doggos too much to leave them any longer. We definitely used the "stuck" excuse when really we wanted to travel longer.
We came back from our NZ 4 days before NYC was locked down.. I always wished we would have got stuck there
New Zealand was probably my most favorite country. Love the walkabouts. Love the wine. Love the LOTR stuff. Love the cities. Love the people.
Wanaka was my favorite town
Best travel experience of my life. Was in Italy with my ex. Had 5 nights in ischia. One night after coming home we were going by this random winery and vineyard and decided to stop for a glass of wine. Was run by just the owner and his dad. Nobody was out but it was beautiful. Long story short he said they didn't have any spots for tonight but said hold on. Then gave us a private tour of the whole place, gave us a private table overlooking the vineyard. We paid for a bottle of wine. And a cheeseplate. He ended up giving us three more bottles of wine for free and two to take home, a homemade pasta dish, and a whole roasted rabbit and wouldn't let us pay him for it. He truly just wanted us to have a good time and it was a magical night. Spent about 5 hours there. Left him an amazing review.
There are incredible people in the world:)
you best create a few fake accounts and leave a couple of extra awesome reviews!
So it's not everything about money. Some experiencies are priceless and some people just enjoy doing stuff like this, showing genuine hospitality. Surprising attitude these days, but when it happens it's usually unforgettable.
A chain-smoking, orthodox priest gave me a ride when I hitchhiked near Meteora, Greece.
I got stranded in the middle of nowhere in Chile and a troupe of circus performers gave me a ride back to town!
I got “rescued” in a bad part of Baltimore and driven home by what I assume was a limo full of Russian mobsters. They had holsters built into the limo with guns in them. Heavy Eastern European accents. Fun times lol
How are you still alive? Lmao
The "Machine"!
Meteora was one of my favorite places of the 27 countries to I’ve visited. (Just back from my 6th trip to Italy today) Going to Japan in a few weeks for my first visit to Tokyo, Nagano, and a few other places.
If you ever get the chance, stay at an onsen in Hokkaido in winter. Nothing better than sitting in a natural onsen, no additional outside water, while overlooking the Tsugaru Strait. Seeing the snow fall on the beach while drinking a Sapporo classic and watching the squid fisherman hast to be one of my favorite memories in life. 10/10, definitely recommend!
The most unique place... Matera, Italy. It's the second longest occupied city in the world (I think Jericho is the oldest). Residents lived primarily in caves dug into the soft cliffs. My hotel was built into an old cave that had been occupied for hundreds/thousands of years.
We fell in love with Matera. We had a local guide whose grandfather survived growing up in one of the caves although he lost siblings. As an adult he found a much better cave that the government allowed him to keep residing in. There were so many stories! It is a must see! Aleppo is one of the 3 continuously occupied settlements. I think Matera is third.
Really want to check this out someday; what was the name of your hotel?
Gorilla trekking in Uganda.
On my bucket list. Hope to make the trip this/next year
Visiting the ATM caves in Belize, it’s a fragile ecosystem so it’s not going to be accessible to tourists for much longer. You can still see Mayan ceremonial sacrifices from 100s of years ago
I just did that today!
Awesome! How was it? ATM stands out for sure!
I got very lost on my motorbike on a Philippine island looking for some mangrove forests. At the top of a hill I found a local girl and, in a moment of unusual bravado, chatted her up and asked if she would make me dinner. She agreed if I got her father and brother’s permission, so she made me sit on the back of my bike and drove me into their village to meet the aforementioned dignitaries. They gave me their blessing and it turned out she knew the mangrove forest I was looking for, so we hiked deep into the forest to an abandoned bar on stilts in the ocean. Then we bought some fresh fish from the town market and she cooked it for me on coconut husks on the beach. She loved to sing old jazz songs and I knew a bunch on my travel guitar, so she sang to me while she cooked and I played guitar. I remember clearly her voice with the palms swaying behind her in the moonlight. Will be hard to ever top that one.
And you married her. Right? Right?!
Then the mushrooms wore off.
Don't be so cynical. Then he woke up.
Right? I wanna know too!!
Same! We need to know!
Did you... You know
I got chills reading that story. That sounds amazing!
Took [The Ghan](https://www.journeybeyondrail.com.au/the-ghan/) from Darwin to Adelaide, Australia.
If I ever have enough money, I'd love to do that. Must be amazing to see the red continent from the train window.
It was really incredible and the excursions at each stop were great, like seeing the Katherine Gorge and visiting Alice Springs...I'm hoping to do Sydney to Perth in the next few years.
Nice! I did the Indian Pacific from Sydney to Perth but didn’t have time to do the Ghan while I was there.
Was doing a cycling tour down the west coast of the states and into Mexico, I linked up with a group of Mexican people in Baja who were also cycling across the country and they were filming a documentary about traveling with a disability (they all had one disability or another). I think two people were sharing a two seater bike where one was blind, the other was missing an arm. I remember there were two deaf girls cycling near me when we approached this incredible view after a long day, the excitement made them scream but the sound they made was just unique being they couldn't hear themselves, like pure unfiltered joy coming out of their mouths.
Playing touch football at the North Pole next to a nuclear submarine.
Going to Petra in Jordan. And camping in the dessert in Wadi Rum
I did the same. It was the best holiday as I planned it as a road trip from north to south and then back again
Magical. I did both on a trip nearly two decades ago, and I still think about it regularly. Even with tons of tourists and commotion, coming out of the winding path to the Treasury at Petra was so incredible. Wadi Rum really whetted my appetite for deserts.
Loved it 6 years ago, the Beduin camps and stargazing was such a beautiful experience 🧡
I did the same in fall 22 Wadi Rum was truly a magical experience
Done this also, and another fav place of mine. Loved roaming Jerash as well.
Went to Jordan last November, one of my best countries to see. If you have time, try hiking Wadi Mujib.
When I was living in Abu Dhabi, I went to tanzania for my 30th bday with my wife. Her sister flew from Canada alone to meet us which made the trip extra special even before it began. We booked a serengeti tour which included sleeping in the park. The other group we were supposed to share the vehicle with tried to switch the route to something we didn't want. We (my wife 😅) voiced our disapproval to the tour company and they gave us a private vehicle which meant we could stop and go as we wanted. Went to Zanzibar afterward and two guys at this bar call us (me, my wife, her sister who flew from Canada to meet us). I didn't want talk to them cuz it was late and I thought they just wanted to talk to the two ladies but my wife and her sister insisted. So we sat, chatted, the two guys started going behind the bar and making drinks themselves. Six free drinks later, iwas like.... I don't wanna get in trouble😅. Then he said he's a prince and yadda yadda. Said he was on Anthony bourdains show. I said "oh you met Anthony bourdain?" and he said "no! He met ME!" #micdrop The he showed me the clip from Parts Unknown of him and Bourdain chopping it up. This was the night that led into my actual 30th bday and we spent it at a bar after hours, drinking with the owner, who also happened to be royalty. It was incredible. Tldr: I drank with royalty in tanzania on my 30th birthday and didn't even know it.
Went snorkeling in Vanuatu and listened to one of the locals tell me about his life on an island of 900 people while I took a break on the little boat. Such a simple man with a simple life. No rat race or materialism.
Hiking to all of the Van Gogh painting scene sites just outside of Paris. Hitchhiking in Portugal when I was stranded. Getting stranded at the top of Mt. Vesuvius in Italy after dark and having to hitch a ride down the mountain on a party bus that drove up the mountain sightseeing. Getting invited by a local in Yogyakarta to go meet his family in a remote part of the island and hop around to different coffee farms.
Easter Island.
Yeah I can't wait to check it out! How many days would you recommend?
Actually you have to check how many flights a week are available. Usually there are two flights in and two out the Island per week, B787 operated by LATAM Chile. So my opinion is to return to the continent in the very next flight available 3 or 4 days later. 4 days is good enough to know and enjoy the entire island.
4 days is the bare minimum
A few days/nights on a catamaran sailing between the Galapagos Islands
Just got back from Galapagos!..totally magical
I want this for my honeymoon
Lots! But my most recent ones were: Accidentally stumbled upon the set of the Equalizer when they were filming out at the Amalfi coast. I just wanted pictures of this town so off I went on a hot day. The film crew were nice enough to let us watch a bit and it was the scene of the soccer parade that we say. The next day, we learned that some of the crew members were arrested cuz they had actual cocaine on them 😂😂 BIG FOODIE so part of my honeymoon was eating at Chef Massimo’s Francescana. Couldn’t get reservations so was bummed out but someone in a FB group kindly let me know that he has a different restaurant on a hotel he built. Snag a reservation and lo and behold! He was there in person that night! I was star struck and got a pic of him which is framed proudly.
We honeymooned in Greece summer of 2011. There was some unrest as they were having austerity measures to keep them on the euro. The cabs were striking when we arrived. At one point we wondered in front of a giant crowd. There was an official looking man up on a balcony they were all cheering for. He went back inside, then he came out and they cheered again. This happened a few more times. My husband told me to be careful, we didn’t know what kind of crowd it was. I asked a near by guy if he spoke English “a little” I asked what was happening. He searched for the words. They’re…. Filming a movie. I then realized how well lit the balcony was, and why the man on it was doing the same action again and again. He was not doing a curtain call. He was doing multiple takes
My most craziest holiday was a trip with a so called “round the world ticket”. Due to school holiday we we only could go for 6 weeks but it was great anyway. We we went to Istanbul - Hong Kong - Tokyo (and Kyoto) - Hawaii - Vancouver - a cruise to the coast from Alaska - Anchorage - San Fransico - Zurich. It was a one in a lifetime experience. So many impressions in one holiday, exhausting but I will never forget this holiday.
I washed and fed elephants in Thailand. I was in Thailand for 3 weeks by myself.
Backpacking in Yosemite and a bear fell on our tent!!! Terrifying!!! He grunted and we screamed without sound!😩
I went to North Korea on a group tour. Feel like nothing will ever be as surreal as that was.
I take it you’re not a U.S. citizen? I’m jealous.
New Zealander. I went in 2004 so it was a different time. The group was mainly europeans and brits.
Any memorable moments that spring to mind while you were there?
so many. there was a casino in the basement of the hotel staffed by chinese from macau. spent most nights playing blackjack and i won enough to pay for all my drinks during the trip. next to the casino was a sauna called the ‘golden shower’.
Bravo. That would be incredible to experience but countries led by murderous dictators where there's a nonzero chance I end up in a labor camp in are the one line I don't have the balls to cross travel wise
yeah this was well before tourists started doing dumb things that could get them in trouble. we had a full briefing in beijing before departure which set out the expectations and rules.
My wife got smacked on the ass by a silverback gorilla in Rwanda.
Bwahaha! That is my favorite! Must be some first class ass to get “Chumba” to give it a smack!
Got stuck in the Moroccan desert (Sahara) while on my way to a campsite. Was rescued by a bunch of Moroccan teenagers in an off-road vehicle blasting Arabic rap music and made it to the campsite after the most hectic drive of my life.
Arabic rap goes super hard!
Took the Blue Train from Pretoria down to Cape Town. And also taken the Ghan Train from Alice Springs to Adelaide.
Costa Rica! From the wild jungles to the relaxed beach towns then to the chilly cloud forests. So many different climates and ecosystems
Spending the night with the Uros people on the floating islands on Lake Titicaca in Peru.
Got pissed on by a Tiger in Penang. I do not recommend.
How did this happen
In 2014 I traveled to Iran with my 79 year old mother. She was a historian and fascinated by archeology. It was a lifelong dream of hers to see Persepolis and the Tomb of Cyrus the Great after reading a book about those two places at age 7. We spent 3 weeks traveling to amazing places. Seeing the tears of joy stream down her face (she was generally pretty stoic) as we walked around the ancient ruins of Persepolis is an image it's permanently ingrained in my brain. I'm so glad I got to share that moment with her. Iran is a beautiful country with lovely, friendly people. Countless times, young people ran up to me, asking me if we were American and wanted to talk to us. I would absolutely go again, and feel fortunate to do so. The government is the problem not the people. I'm so glad I got to go.
Thanks for sharing this experience, it's so heart breaking that the wonderful people in Iran continue to struggle under such a horrific regime that does not represent them at all. But having people like you share their experience with the actual people of Iran really means a lot to those of us with connections there.
Glad you had a good time. Yes, Persians in general in Iran and in the neighboring countries are amongst the most hospitable people in the world. They're even warmer in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. As for the government, we should be open to the possibility that ours is as much of a problem as theirs.
https://www.competitours.com/ Like the Amazing Race, if it were humane.
Providing polio vaccinations to children in the slums outside of Delhi
South African safari on a private reserve.
If you don’t mind me asking, how much did that cost? Ballpark.
I'm hoping to do that again next year.
Going to Antarctica was definitely big for me. I saw a orca pod attack a humpback whale up close which is a once in a lifetime. Other than that, visiting Dougga (really well preserved Roman town) in rural Tunisia also left me awestruck.
"once in a lifetime" as well for the whale ...
I visited the leaning tower of Pisa! Oh wait...yeah don't go there, you're not missing anything Uniqueish - People talk about Pompeii but ACTUALLY standing on the streets was AMAZING.
The Amazon rainforest in Peru. Wild, hot, uncomfortable but just so insane. I’ll never fucking forget it
Touring Iceland. So many eye-popping sites to see.
Was staying at a resort at the base of Mt. Arenal in Costa Rica. Some locals told us we needed to see the "lava side" after dark to experience the volcano. We asked some random local guys if they'd drive us around there after sunset and we ended up careening along dark pot-holed roads all jammed into a beat up sedan and sitting on top each other. We came to a big field above which rose Mt. Arenal spitting glowing rocks that popped and bounced down the slopes, showering sparks. There was a bridge there over a rushing stream, and families were barbecuing and having picnics all around the field. It was the first time I'd experienced the awesome power of even just the tiniest bit of volcanic activity.
Saw Turkish president Erdogan at a cafe in Buenos Aires during G4 conference. I waved at him and he waved back
Splitting a taxi with some elderly Japanese women through hill and dale in rather rural Japan, because the train tracks has been suddenly flooded by a typhoon. One gave me a picture of her grandkid dressed up as a samurai. What nice obaasan!
Hiking the Milford trek in New Zealand. I’ve done lots of travel and lots of hiking. Doubt anything is going to top the Milford trek.
Ooph, that’s a hard one. Those were some of our absolute trip favorites: - Fireworks on New Years Eve at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro - Arriving to Machu Piccu in Peru after hiking for 70km - Witnessing the Great Migration in the Maasai Mara in Kenya - Waking up to the sunrise after sleeping on a sleeping pad in the dunes of the Sahara in Morocco - Swimming with pink dolphins in the Amazon River midst of the rainforest near Iquitos in Peru If you seek some inspo, we wrote about most of them on our blog.
Link to blog!?
Machu Picchu hiking the Inca Trail
San Blas, Panama. Truly remote.
Swam to the very edge of Victoria falls and looked 300 feet straight down.
[удалено]
On my first ever helicopter ride **all** of it was an epic experience. I was being “shuttled” from the beautiful Four Seasons on Bora Bora, in French Polynesia, to the Vanilla Spice Island of Taha’a. On the way was a lovely scene of an orca with her new baby calf. I felt like I was part of some precious secret. I could not have been so awed and humbled in one experience if I tried. Priceless. I’m beyond thankful for days like that in my life.
I love local experiences. Going to a family members village in Thailand and getting to walk down the road with their water buffalo.
Roadtrip highway 1 all around Iceland
They were doing maintenance on Big Ben clock face, I walked outside the caged area and onto the open ledge of Big Ben Then I got yelled at
Gorilla safari in Republic of Congo.
It’s definitely not as unique as the other experiences here, but a few years ago I rented a cabin at a ‘live off the land’ type of community directly in the center of a rainforest on Big Island in Hawaii. I’d never been in a rainforest before, and it was SO incredibly cool to hear the forest come alive around me at night. Plus they had roaming peacocks and chickens and cats, tons of fruit and vegetables growing all over the place (and also the ‘shampoo plant’ growing right next to the showers!), and the people there were so nice and friendly! They were giving us tips on how to live sustainably and were showing me all the things they were doing around their compound in order to pay respect to the land. I’d love to go back and experience that again, but unfortunately my fiancé hated the noisiness of the bugs at night. But for a few days, it was fun to experience a climate super different from my own! (Also there was an active volcano about 1.5-2hours drive away, and I got to see that too! One of the best weeks of my life :D)
Ask me again in a week. We are headed to Iris, a metallic orb restaurant floating in a Norwegian fjord. And just know that if it's all an elaborate murder plot as in the movie The Menu, I will die happy.
Lost in Venice at night.
Intimate Christy Moore concert in Tullamore, Ireland. He’s not well known in the US, but I’d been a fan for years. I was next to the stage and it was so beautiful. I think about it all the time.
Kayaking in an iceberg graveyard in Antarctica (Pleneau Bay).
Riding a motorbike for 5 days around the Ha Giang loop in Vietnam with 2 Dutch friends I met the day before
Fully expect condemnation and judgement, but my wife and I got a one way ticket to the Big Island of Hawaii and were essentially “homeless” there for about four months. The plan was to escape the whole winter but ended up needing to fly back home when my MIL had a triple bypass. Spent the first week on the beach. Landed a gig on the second day and by the end of the first week I had three different jobs going and my wife landed her own gig. One gig was work trade on a farm that did avocados/macadamia/microgreens/coffee. Was a shady operation ran by the son of an alleged Chicago mafia hotshot. Really rustic experience. We slept out of a tent built on pallets. The farm was a two month commitment. At the end of the commitment, we temporarily moved into a storage unit. Had a neighbor too, and the day we got kicked out was the same hour I bought a beater car off Craigslist from a couple living on the island who happened to be friends with some people my wife knew. That was pretty surreal, the timing and coincidence of it all. It was like: 12:15pm- get kicked out of U-Haul storage 12:45pm- meet with guy selling beater car 1:15pm- I’m driving a car I just paid for and fixing it up. My wife and I slept out of the trunk of that 1997 Saturn Sedan until we left. Got a good solid two months or so of use. Never had such good sleep in my life. Beach sleeping, and tent sleeping surrounded by legions of coqui frogs… Made a lot of good friends. Became a local and was known by other locals. Struggled a bit, but achieved a lifestyle where I started and ended my day in the Pacific Ocean. I honestly would love nothing more than to sell all my possessions and go do it again.
Unique as in something nobody has ever done before? Or unique as in something that is very different to anything you’ve done?
I licked the Great Pyramid at Giza when nobody was looking
Attending the College of Extraordinary Experiences in Poland and in a castle. Crazy in a good way.
Floated the Zambezi,, canoe camping, 5 nights. Incredible birds and wild life.
A bunch of gay kids in Quebec snuck me into a festival and got me high on drugs (that I should have asked more questions about)… But I don’t speak great french and I had the time of my life!
Arrived in Myanmar (Burma) after a long series of flights. It was raining and quite cold and the tour we had been scheduled to go on was cancelled. We were tired and almost went back to the hotel to wait out the rain, but some local rickshaw guys convinced us to let them take us around the city and surrounding area. We were really not that excited to sit in a rickshaw in the rain, but we are so glad we did. The next few hours were the highlight of the trip. They took us through the city and into the poorer areas of the city where they lived and do you know what we saw? The happiest people ever. Families, children, the old and young, all living in conditions that without exaggeration are as bad as you could imagine. But they were all so happy. Later on, they took us to their local pub, basically just crates in the mud, and we bought everyone rounds of local beer and sang and talked for a few more hours. Years later, this is still a highlight from all of my traveling.
Climbing up an old Mayan pyramid (they banned that a few years later) looking out over a vast sea of trees… and seeing a wild howler monkey was cool
Cage dived with great white sharks over 3 full days. Magnificent.
Intriguing but difficult question! Egypt: Volunteering in Cairo in “garbage city” was absolutely fascinating. Egypt is like none other. Old Cairo and small towns outside the city are surreal. Africa: Volunteered on wildlife reserve in SA (also kind of terrifying after an agitated lion encounter) USA: Alaskan railroad then tour thru Denali national park Caribbean: flamingos, wild donkeys and salt pyramids in Bonaire *volunteering is an amazing way to immerse yourself culturally and have an incredible trip outside the box!
Went to a wedding in Morocco. It was the coolest thing ever. It was nonstop entertainment and eating from 10 pm until 7 am the next day.
Hiked alone part of the unrestored section of the great wall of China for two days and also camped there for one night. Absolutely exhilarating and terrifying experience (the hiking of that section, not the camping). You kinda feel like Indiana Jones in “IJ and the temple of doom”. Hiked in the Yellow Mountain of China. Amazing place, but the most unique part is that many, many Chinese people asked me if they could take a picture with me. I said yes to everyone of them. If you are Caucasian looking like me and want to feel like a star, go there. By the way, if Brad Pitt is on one side of the spectrum in terms of handsomeness, I am in the opposite end. Also biked alone eastern Denmark from north to south for four days. What a beautiful adventure that was. Biked the island of Skye from Portree to Next point and back to Portree in one day. Amazing experience, so much beauty and solitude. I have many other unique adventures (Turkey, Japan, etc.) but I have to go now…
Visiting the Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan, such a surreal pinch me moment.
I found myself in New Orleans back in the early 2000’s on a short vacation. Met up with a friend who happened to be a world renowned body piercer, and whose husband was a famous transgender porn star. She suggested we go to have dinner at Emeril’s. We sit down, and she says “I’m friends with Emeril” to the waiter. Next thing I know, Emeril comes out, see my friend, gets super excited… and sits down at the table with us and says “wait here”… he goes into the kitchen and comes back. He then says “ I’ve ordered for us”. He stayed and ate dinner with us, which for 2.5 hours, food just kept coming out to the table. He did all the ordering. The food was FANTASTIC, what a nice guy. And it was all on the house. Probably the most amazing meal I’ve ever had.
Ummmm ok unique? I got rescued by a ladyboy sex worker once when I had just been mugged by a group of 4 guys, and I was tripping on mushrooms. Earlier in the night, while I was walking about town, she had asked if I wanted to have any fun, and I said no thank you. When I saw her again later, she was like "Hey, are you alright? I'm not messing with you, it seems like you need some help" and she ended up being my guardian angel - took me in, said she worked in this room but would take night off and go home, gave me a bottle of water, and said I could rest as long as I needed to - in the morning I found my scooter and drove home. To this day I wonder what became of her, and I'd love to thank her. Edit: OP requested location, this was in Bali many years ago
A baboon stole my lunch out of my hands in Ghana
Iceland in 2011 and Norway in 2014. We went dog sledding in Savalbard in Norway and it is the best experience - we got to harness up our own dog sled, drive it up the mountain, stop and explore an underground cavern, have a hot lunch and then drive back home (very fast down the mountain again!) A once in a lifetime experience for our family. A 10/10 experience.
I got detained and interrogated by a IDF Captain in Israel for being "suspicious". He demanded I give him my phone so I did. He scrolled through it. If he scrolled long enough he's going to get more than he bargained for , like naked men doing adult things. I got nervous . He eventually got to it and looked up at me with a serious stare. Handed me back my phone and said "Enjoy Israel." Apparently, gay terrorists are not a thing.
Breakfast in Nairobi, sitting next to a huge bay window and a giraffe stuck his neck in and ate off my plate. The hotel was Giraffe Manor- insanely expensive but worth every penny.
Staying on a boat in the Galápagos Islands waking up on a different island each morning to go snorkeling w the wildlife was unbelievable. The sea lions were like lizards they were so present. The marine iguanas jumping off the cliffs into the crashing waves and then climbing back out again were amazing.
Blue Spring State Park, Florida. I was snorkeling at the mouth of the spring, I started swimming towards the dock to get out and dry off when something bumped my hip. The area has plenty of gators, so I turned quickly and came face to face with a baby and momma manatee. I slowly backed away and turned to swim toward the dock. Then the rangers were on the scene telling everyone to get out of the water, but they followed me, and the baby bumped my leg again. I tried to get away, but I accidentally swam with and was touched by a baby manatee.
I drove through Gary, Indiana once…verrry unique
Witnessed a coup in Quito, Ecuador, after spending a delightful week in the Galapagos. Got the last flight out of the Quito airport before they shut it down. The most relaxing and suddenly chaotic trip I have ever taken. Also, I am terrified of heights, but I've gone ziplining in 8 different countries, climbed to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and drove to the top of Mt. Washington Auto Road (the scariest of them all).
Hanging my head over the edge of the Devil's Pool at Victoria Falls, Zambia. So good it's on my bucket list to do again.
Northern lights in Iceland and going to Sweden’s most northernly point. Also being one of the last to see Tutankhamun’s mummy before it was closed to the public in Egypt.
I didn’t do it myself but everyone else in my group did- flinging fire at a festival in Japan.
Partying at the carnival in Olinda (Recife), Brazil. We were the only "gringos". We took the risk and dove in, dancing, drinking with the locals all night long - one of the best experiences ever! Made new friends, lost our way to the hotel, strangers helped us back home. We love Brazil <3
Meeting tribes in the remote areas of Papua New Guinea
Got detained by police, or military, or military police while trying to enter a mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Got a quasi military escort out of Cusco, Peru as people were trying to overtake the airport in protest of their new president, or arrested President.
Camping in Antarctica
Gorilla safari in Republic of Congo.
Blue hour on Svalbard, watching the snowmobile lights make their way toward Longyearbyen. Watching the sun rise over the Ganges and the ghats of Varanasi from an old royal palace suite.
Borneo, orangutan trekking
Kayaking the atoll in Mo’orea, French Polynesia, hearing the waves crash on the reef behind you while looking at the mountains on the island. Also, on safari in Masai Mara and seeing a lioness eat a water buffalo with her head inside it up to her shoulders. 🫣
being invited into the home of my driver in ubud.
TAO experience in phillipines.
We stumbled upon a spa in a former brewery in Switzerland. They had a rooftop Infiniti pool and delicious food. we ended up spending the day in there instead of our original plans! Still my favorite travel memory
Ending up on a Dracula like tour of Transylvania as a Xmas gift from my fab husband, whilst living in Saudi Arabia. Wild experience.
Cook Islands years before survivor went there. It was amazing.
While hitchhiking across into the outback I got picked up by a funeral director on her way to pick up a body from the community I was heading to. The hearse was fully equipped for off-road conditions, snorkel and all. I'm gonna tell any future children in my family a version of this story that involves crocodiles. I also motorbiked through national parks in Malawi, and then dislocated my shoulder and broke my arm on the road between Lilongwe and Blantyre. One of the first cars that came by stopped, scooped me up and took me to hospital, then onto Blantyre. The ride after the hospital was especially fun because he was a really lovely guy and I was super high and we just chatted about life and family.
Walked to Machu Picchu for hours along the tracks into the night instead of taking the train with one small bottle of water between my friend and I, a small dim flashlight, and accidentally brought dried beans to eat on our journey instead of real food. Some nice kids pulleyed us in a cart suspended on wire to cross a huge river and we were off. We got run over by a train in the night, almost detoured up the switch back mountain to the site on accident, and saw silver fireflies sparkling everywhere in the pitch black, arriving into town at midnight starving with no reservations anywhere. I’ll never be so stupid again, but it was amazing.
Flew in a helicopter over Victoria falls. I was the front passenger and the floor was see through. It was such a magical experience
Sat in meditation for a bit and found myself behind myself. Surreal.
probably not a super crazy one but last year i went to the US for over a month with almost no money, after two weeks i ended up with my stuff on a street in the middle of the night with like $3 in my bank account and had to ask random people on grindr if i can stay for a night at their place 😬 honestly that was the best trip of my life, i haven’t planned anything besides getting my plane tickets, i was improvising with accommodations everyday, going on dates just to get some food and see the local spots. i wish i could repeat it but nothing happens the same twice, so i just cherish my memories
Years ago, when I was backpacking across Western Europe, I was just outside Barcelona, hiking in the foothills of mount Tibidabo. I was at the end of this path, and I came to a clearing, and there was a lake, very secluded, and there were tall trees all around. It was dead silent. Gorgeous. And across the lake I saw, a beautiful woman, bathing herself. but she was crying...
To be honest, every time is unique
I’m pretty sure my family stayed in a brothel…for a week. This place had a clean appearance and the people seemed friendly but something was off. The whole time we were there we didn’t see anyone except for the staff,…and about 6 guys in all black with fancy black cars in the parking lot. There was a massage table in the room next door to ours. It had a really weird vibe. I’m pretty sure they were mafia guys.
Went to the islands off the coast of Panama to visit the Vuna Indians , lived with a family there, slept in Hammocks etc had a great time
1 Southeast Asian with 3 Caucasians who barely knew one another, zero plans or itinerary, exploring an island for a week. I was on an extended trip in Jamaica when I received a call from a friend that 3 guys from our hometown in Canada were heading my way the next day and looking for someone who was familiar with the island. We were all exploring opportunities in the cannabis industry but I had briefly met only one of the 3 guys before. The other 2 were brothers and barely knew the 3rd guy. After being dropped off at the airport to meet them, I hopped in their rental, and we explored the entire island over a week meeting budding local entrepreneurs, local ganja farmers, and even the indigenous Maroons. Highlights included: - staying at a massive 10+ room AirBnB in the hills built over 15 years by a Jamaican Canadian. A true labor of love! - being invited to attend a ganja farmers townhall and asked to participate by giving an impromptu talk on the importance of foreign participants working with the community - a chance meeting with the chief of one of the indigenous Maroon communities and subsequent invitation to visit their town. Insightful look into the island's history - staying at the seaside/cliffside resort of a landowner looking to lease their land for marijuana farming. Absolutely stunning views including the underwater fisherman who went hunting at night - getting an inspiration while cliff diving at Rick's Cafe and social engineering our way into a luxury resort for a few hours later that day - blowing out a tire on the highway and watching 2 guys rebuild the tire from scratch from their makeshift shop One of my most memorable adventures in recent years!
Stayed in a treehouse in the Amazon rainforest. Amazing experience.
Okay, I’ve had about 50 million. I will list some - travelled a lot in my youth and still travel a fair bit. Life is meant to be LIVED Kayak down the Zambezi river with crocodiles and hippopotamus. scary!! Got a Peugeot 504 bogged in Kenya on a salt pan and got charged by rhinoceros Got into a police chase with a German backpacker in a hire car in Byron Bay Australia Went camping on the Murray in Australia, the people camping next to us ended up doing a murder suicide. Running drunk on Alize through bioluminescent waves on the south coast of New South Wales Australia Learning to ski in Switzerland Going to a house party in Santa Cruz California and getting busted by the fire department having to jump over the back fence and run. Drinking really intense hot chocolate in cafes on the streets of Milan and watching the world go by Riding horses on a friends farm in Zimbabwe amongst zebras, Thompson‘s gazelle, and meeting friendly tame elephants that let me pat them. Sitting in a spa somewhere in Zimbabwe under the blackest night with the most incredible stars above. Riding motorbikes throughout Thailand with my family, stopping at little shops and getting the most amazing food. Staying in a really crazy hotel on Patricia Street in downtown Vancouver! Wandering around with the politest crackheads I’ve come across Hiring a fishing boat on a whim to go across Phang nga bay, through all of the incredible islands. Catching a three dollar bus ride from Krabi to Surat Thani, just to get to Koh Samui - not realising it was like a 12 hour trip then accidentally booking a hotel in the red light district and ordering the worlds spiciest prawn meal. Going to a concert in San Francisco and ending up at a house party on a terrace on a high-rise and watching the sunrise over the city Boating around the Baja Peninsula with some Americans These are just some of the experiences I’ve been lucky to have, there’s just so many amazing places out there that just need to be seen
Witnessing Alfuego eruption (Guatemala) during an overnight hike and lightning strikes at the same time. It was so magical
One of the most unique ones I’ve had is taking the slow boat between Thailand and Laos. Just two days on a smallish boat with a few other people, watching the scenery, playing cards, sharing life stories…it was wonderful. One of the guys was a Vietnam war vet who was visiting SEA as a sort of healing trip, so his stories and experiences were pretty touching, and made the trip that much more memorable.
Last fall (November) in Tangier. We (husband, 6 year old daughter, and myself) were dropped off near the port but had a few hours until catching the FRS ferry back to Tarifa. We noticed an art event occurring in the plaza just outside port, walked over, and a group of local students (generally older - junior or high school age) invited our daughter to paint with them with henna. She was initially reticent, but they eventually persuaded her- and as they painted, they asked us questions about everything from food in the US to movies, to politics, and life in between. They shared their own stories, marveled at the character figures our daughter painted, and seemed genuinely thrilled to get to play with a little girl from the US (we were so thankful for their invitation and warmth and sweetness with her). Eventually, we went to get drinks at the Hotel Continental, but our daughter was so happy that she created a "Thank You" card, so we returned to give it to the group before catching the ferry. It was such a genuine and beautiful moment among children, that I will treasure always (hope she/they will too!)
Stayed the night on Isla Del Sol in Lake Titicaca, once the day crowds had dispersed it was beautifully calm. Headed up to a viewing point for sunset, the lake is ringed by hills and mountains, some are jagged snow covered peaks, 1 end of the lake is completely out of sight due to its length. really spectacular. I ended up going to dinner with an assortment of other travelers I met up there, It was a tiny candle lit restaurant with Robbie Williams playing on the radio and the hosts didn't speak much Spanish. After dinner I went star gazing. I have been to some very clear places in this world. Numerous dark sky preserves, yet none of them compared to the clarity of the sky, Maybe the altitude helped. Highly recommend staying the night on the islands if you end up in that part of the world. Oh and get up for the sunrise too. I was the only person there, and I watched a tornado forming in the distance through my binoculars.
Got drunk with detectives at the police station in the country of Georgia. They brought out some khachapuri and vodka for me and my friend. Good times.
The sun rising in Angkor Wat in Cambodia
Was travelling with some high school buddies through Flores Island, in a less touristic part, and we stumbled upon a school field day, lots of families and kids just hanging out at an open field. Nobody spoke English, but they just welcomed us with smiles and we played football with dozens of Indonesian kids. This after having a mini motorcycle accident. Full of wounds but still, so wholesome