What should I put on my Bucket List Top 5 places ?

[Talios]

I’m recently retired, early 50s, very fit and active. I’ve decided to draw up a top 5 inspirational places to visit with the aim of doing them in the next 10 years.

So I’m looking for suggestions, preferably personal/recommended specific places to visit or things to do (so not a general “do an African safari”), or somewhere unusual or breathtaking.

NOT looking at Europe (unless it’s an unusual or not well known fabulous place) and NOT Australia/NZ.
I have reasonable budgets but nothing extortionate like £30k for Antarctica!

Things I love:

Wildlife (on land and under water)
Adventurous and outdoorsy
Amazing scenery
A little history/culture but not the main driver

Things I’m not interested in:

Food and wine
Fancy hotels (unless there’s more to the place that the hotel)
Cruises (unless it’s a smaller boat somewhere special )

Provisionally on my list is:

Diving with manta rays (any specific recommendations welcome as there’s several places in the world, I’m a certified diver)

Visit/ canoe up the Amazon jungle probably Brazil or Guyana

So any suggestions what else I can add?

Oh and Russia - but maybe not at the min

Thanks to this thread I'm now browsing holidays to the Maldives that I can't afford 🤣

I have to say I didn’t really like Russia - although I was there just over thirty years, it was generally unpleasant. The Winter Palace was good though, as was the overnight train from Moscow to Leningrad (St Petersburg).

Nile Cruise is fab too (with the sunrise hot air balloon over the Valley of the Kings) and the trip to Abu Simbel, though it’s a long drive. I am looking forward to doing this again as DD is old enough to appreciate it now!

Came here to say Galapagos! Great minds :)

Cape Town, my favourite place on the world.

I came to say Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Mauritius (not the fancy resorts, though a little pampering is nice), and Canada. We absolutely loved trips to Banff, Whistler, and to Tofino. What a great list to be compiling, OP!

Mine have been similar to yours! Although I'm not sure if you know (apologies if so), you can also see puffins off the coast of Northumberland (the farne islands) along with seals and if you are lucky, dolphins! It's an amazing sight. Hope you get to do it all!

Oh we loved it! Went a few years ago. Lovely architecture and history. Went to some beautiful small towns. Friendly, talkative, honest tour guides. Great food even for vegetarian me - this was the biggest surprise.

Never been so cold in my life though.

I expected it to be austere. Was very pleasantly surprised.

Thanks for that, was thinking of going to Oban this spring, for the seafood! Island would be a good place to go to and get away from cars! ( I live in London).

Thanks @Adultchildofelderlyparents . I’d love to go somewhere unspoilt by humans, it’s getting so hard to find. Though I suspect it has internet ☹️. Parent of teens here.

I booked it randomly and it ended up being the best holiday we've had in years. The sea eagles regularly flew over the island, dolphins in the harbour every morning on the taxi boat between island and mainland and even golden eagles. It was pure bliss, so quiet with perfect weather. There is a pub on the island too 😄 so what more could you ask for?

I’m googling it now!

We stayed at Easdale cottage, an old crofters cottage and the highest one on the island so you get the best views and look down on the other houses

Would anyone on here recommend Malaysia?

Also loved the beauty of Tasmania shown round by a local on a number of trips.

Yes, I absolutely loved Penang in particular. Some of the best street food I’ve ever had, beach, historic town and jungle all within half an hour of each other. We also did KL and the Cameron Highlands. KL was fun but at the end of the day it’s just another big city. The Cameron Highlands were beautiful and a great escape from the heat - I suspect I’d enjoy them a lot more now we’d have a bit of a budget rather than the awful £5 per night hostel we were in at the time! I hear very good things about the East Coast as well but I haven’t been personally.

I'd love to see Golden Eagles / massive birds of prey in their natural habitat

Well an Antarctic trip is on mine, I've got it priced for this time next year at £3800 per person, 14 day cruise plus 5 night in hotels and flights

Thanks. I’m thinking about Malaysia for my 50th next January.
I desperately want to see jungle type wildlife and want to go east due to jet lag.
otherwise I’d be booking Costa Rica!

Wow, thanks everyone! Must be the time of year that we are all thinking of holidays!

At the moment, thinking of adding to my list is Borneo ( orang-utans) and possibly Canada (Vancouver/BC, maybe a rail journey through the Rockies). I’m trying to keep the 5 choices as diverse as possible so some that sound fab, like Costa Rica are quite similar to Brazil which is on my definite list.

Looks like Maldives will be my “diving with mantas “ choice although there seems to be hundreds of island possibilities. Looks like January will be spent looking at even more options.

And Japan likely.

So my current list (in no order) is looking like-

-Amazon/Brazil for wildlife/jungle/waterfalls (and a few days in Rio)

Japan

Maldives (manta rays/diving)

Borneo

Canada

Bear watching at Knight Inlet in the British Columbia rain forest

Roatan- an island off Honduras. Super for beach, exploring and scuba diving!

And Cuba- pls go to Cuba again for me!

Of all the places I have travelled, watching elephants round a watering hole at sunset in the Namib Dessert is the experience that has stayed with me most. Swimming with minke whales in Orkney wasn't bad either (this wasn't organised. I wad swimming, the whales rocked up of their own accord).