7 Wanderlusticious Activities around the World I’d Love to Experience

Back in December, I compiled some of my favorite travel-related gift ideas that I had found around the web. I’m still oohing and ahhing over most of those items, but the list also made me realize just how difficult travelers can be to shop for. After all, what do you give someone who has minimized their possessions and stuffed their entire life into a backpack?

Hint: it starts with “e” and ends in “xperiences.”

No room for knick-knacks on this camel!

No room for knick-knacks on this camel!

Here’s where a company called Tinggly, who you may have recently seen mentioned around the travel blogosphere, enters. It’s pretty simple: purchase a certificate for $125 U.S./€100/₤80, give it to your favorite traveler, and he or she then has two years to cash in the certificate for one of 100+ experiences in over 50 countries around the world. Sweet.

I’ve had a look around Tinggly’s offered experiences and am excited to join them for a jet boat thrill ride around Sydney Harbour in a few weeks. But for whenever I next get a chance to travel the world, here are a few other experiences I’d love to partake in.

Hunting for the Northern Lights on the seas of Iceland (learn more)

I am completely obsessed with the idea of seeing the Northern Lights (or even the Southern Lights, which aren’t too far from me!), and seeing them by boat in Iceland sounds out-of-this-world spectacular.

Visiting Iguazu Falls (learn more)

A friend who recently traveled to Iguazu Falls described it as the type of place that is so magnificent it reminds you exactly why you travel, which is why it’s high on my list for whenever I make my big South America trip happen.

Touring NASA in Houston, Texas (learn more)

I’m a complete sucker for all things space, especially NASA (I loved the touring NASA exhibit I saw in Madrid), so how neat would it be to visit the NASA Control Center? Serious geek out time.

Houston City and NASA Tour in Texas
Staying at Vietnam’s “Crazy House” (learn more)

I love quirky architecture (Gaudi totally floats my boat), and what better way to experience it than staying a night in a building as bizarre as this one?

Vietnam Crazy House
Rappelling, canyoning, and ziplining Costa Rican waterfalls (learn more)

I could definitely see my adventurous side coming out when surrounded by Costa Rica’s striking scenery.

Costa Rica waterfalls
Touring the Grand Canyon (learn more)

I may hail from the western U.S., yet I’ve still never managed to get to the Grand Canyon! It’s about time I get around to appreciating what’s in my own backyard, darn it.

Grand Canyon
Snowmobiling through Finland (learn more)

Just thinking about it makes me shiver, but venturing into the cold to see Lapland, Finland’s landscapes on the back of a snowmobile? Yes please.

Snowmobile, Lapland, Finland
Have you experienced any of these? What tops your bucket list?

Disclaimer: I will be a guest of Tinggly in a few weeks, but my endorsement is genuine! Also, all photos (except me on a camel, duh) are credited to Tinggly.


21 Responses

  1. Estrella says:

    Seeing the Northern Lights is something I really want to do, too! They look amazing, too bad I’ll have to brave some cold weather to see them lol! I’d never heard of Vietnam’s “Crazy House”, the name definitely fits.

    • Yeahhh the cold weather makes them a lot less appealing. Maybe I am better off seeing the Southern Lights, since you can see them from Tasmania, where it’s still cold but at least above freezing!

  2. Lauren says:

    Most of these things are on my list too! Minus the snowmobiling, because I do that in Canada already 🙂

  3. Amazing list! I’ve actually never thought of touring NASA before but that sounds incredible!

  4. We love Tinggly too and how they are changing the gift-giving culture! Making amazing memories > materials and things. The Northern Lights is also HIGH on our list!! 🙂

  5. …I want to walk along the sunset-lit Danube in Budapest, enjoy a night at the opera in Vienna, explore some of the Scottish countryside (hello, Isle of Skye), eat paella in its birthplace, see the mosques in Istanbul, ride a vintage car through the streets of Havana, and take a tour throughout all of Italy (north to south)–yeah, I still got some ways to go!!…

    • I love your list! Havana is near the top of my list as well. I think if you offered me a chance to fly anywhere in the world right now, I’d choose Cuba! And I’d definitely recommend Budapest and Istanbul!

  6. Roshan says:

    I’ve been to Iguazu and Grand Canyon- both amazing. The Northern Light is definitely something I want to see too 🙂

  7. Ashley says:

    Before I saw the thing about NASA I saw the photo and thought, “She wants to go to the moon? Well that would be a travel blog first I bet!” – Hope you get to all these places!

  8. Ashley says:

    Awesome collection! I’d love to see the northern lights AND I want to go to Iceland, so #1 would be the perfect experience for me.

    • Thanks! I’ve been hearing such amazing things about Iceland lately. I’m sure part of it is their impressive PR efforts, but most of it seems to be that it’s simply a stunning country!

  9. Great list! The Northern Lights are definitely towards the top of my list. I have only been to Iguazu Falls and it was incredible.

  1. May 13, 2015

    […] Harbour, but I had never really thought to give one a try. Two weekends ago, though, I exchanged a Tinggly voucher for a new adventure, a thirty minute thrill ride around the […]

  2. August 26, 2015

    […] them for over 350 experiences in 80+ countries around the world. You may have read my list of international activities I’d love to experience or my recap of a fabulous jet boat ride around Sydney Harbour through Tinggly. A fantastic gift […]

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