The Ultimate Wanderlust Bucket List – Ria From Thoroughly Modern Millennial

Last updated on 21 August 2023

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*waves to Anjali’s blog audience* Hi! I’m Ria from Thoroughly Modern Millennial, and I’m taking over the blog today whilst she galavants about Japan (I am well jel, guys).

I’ve always admired Anjali for being such a fearless traveller and her travel posts are totally wanderlust-worthy. Though I myself am a bit timid when it comes to my own travel experiences it’s nice to dream of just dropping it all and flying off on a jet plane to some foreign land. And whilst I’m all for realistic travel plans, today I’m dreaming big.

Here are my top 5 ultimate places on the travel bucket list (that I may never get to but whatever!)

5 Ultimate Places to Travel Bucket List

1. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada, USA

Starting with a bit of an ominous one, stretching across California and Nevada lies the dusty wastelands of Death Valley National Park. The great expanse of salt flats, badlands and sand dunes make it one of the biggest parks in the United States and definitely one of the most breathtaking. Though it’s name suggests otherwise, the park is actually a tonne of natural wildlife who have adapted to the dry desert climate. Some of the most famous shots and images of the Valley are actually when it played backdrop to that little sci-fi franchise – Star Wars…maybe you’ve heard of it?

2. Hohenzollern Castle, Stuttgard, Germany

I love me a good castle and this one’s a beaut! Located in the south of Germany, Hohenzollern Castle (say three times fast!) is actually in its third incarnation, the previous two having been destroyed in various wars. The castle, though still privately owned in the Prussian and Swabian family lines, it is open to view by the public who flock to it for it’s priceless collections of art and stunning architecture. Sat atop a forest filled hilltop overlooking Hechingen and Bisingen, it literally looks like something ripped out of a fairytale story.

3. The Bridge of Immortals, HuangHsan, China

Another place with a bit of a foreboding name and definitely not for the faint-hearted or those with vertigo. Tucked into a crevice of the famous Yellow Mountains in China is the world’s highest bridge, the Bridge of Immortals. Getting to bridge is a trek and a half itself as carved steps and wooden footholds lead you through landscapes that inspired thousands of works of Chinese poetry and art.

4. Pink Sands Beach, Habour Island, Bahamas

You can stick your ol’ white sandy beaches…this one is p i n k. The east side of Habour Island in the Bahamas is home to one of the more unusual natural occurrences in the world. It’s famous pale pink beach stretches almost 3 miles along the coast and gets its colouring from tiny microscopic shellfish called Foraminifera (see, don’t ever say I don’t teach you anything!). The contrast between the turquoise blue of the sea and the pale pink hues of the beach makes for quite a magical sight, and also weirdly reminds of the album art for Halsey’s Badlands.

5. Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand

And finally, one that Anjali might recognise. The highest mountain in New Zealand is found on the South Island and towers over the idyllic landscape at over 12,000 feet. Snow-capped, stoic, and grandiose in scale, Mount Cook is a popular and challenging destination for mountain climbers all over the world. Personally, I’d save a bit of energy and take a helicopter tour of the mountain (…and maybe pretend I’m Peter Jackson filming parts of LotR).

Hope you enjoyed that! Thanks to Anjali for letting me guest post 😀

Thanks, Ria, for this great post! I will await your email telling me you’re coming to visit! Make sure you guys head on over to Thoroughly Modern Millennial and say hello. you can also find Ria on the following places: