Lake Baikal is the oldest and deepest lake in the world and is located in Siberia, just north of the Mongolian border. In an increasingly modernizing world, the lake is an example of pristine wilderness that has largely been untouched by man. Its isolation and location within the taiga also make it a refuge for unique wildlife. For a nature lover, few destinations can match Lake Baikal in terms of sheer beauty and there is perhaps no better place in the world to experience such an open and vast wilderness.

Made up of 91,000 square kilometres of tropical wilderness, Arnhem Land is as unspoiled and remote as you can get. Its small population is predominantly Aboriginal people, whose traditional culture remains largely intact, making it a huge tick on our bucket list. Access to Arnhem Land is so restricted that only selected tour operators who have earned the trust of traditional landowners may bring visitors in.

The town of Chamonix looks like any other bustling mountain town in the Alps—until you look up. The pure vertical relief is mind-boggling: Granite mountains shoot 10,000 vertical feet from valley to peak, their wild blades at odds with the mannered European culture of coffee and croissants far below.

Rebecca Rusch has traveled from continent to continent for over 20 years, so her number one bucket list trip for avid mountain bikers may come as a surprise: her home, Ketchum, Idaho.
“It’s just paradise,” Rusch says. “In just our valley alone, we have over 450 miles of singletrack mountain biking. I’ve lived here for 11 years now and there are trails I haven’t ridden yet. It really is a mecca just for the sheer volume.”

At the foot of the statue of Jose Francisco de San Martin Matorras on Lima’s Plaza San Martin stands one of the #world’s most charming statues, that of Madre Patria. A representation of liberty, she has a fierce, determined face, flowing robes and … a tiny llama on her head. She was supposed to wear a votive flame, in Spanish a llama, but during the commissioning of the statue, the instructions got lost in translation. The result is one of the best examples of the power of words.

If you want to stay in a hotel that is completely different from the norm, try the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi which is made completely from ice and snow. From here you can see the Northern Lights, take a dog sled tour or a guided snowmobile safari. This destination could knock a few things off your ultimate travel wish list

About 30 miles south of Asheville, North Carolina, there lies a gem of American whitewater: the Green Narrows. “It’s one of the most popular and consistent creeks in the country,” Fisher says, which is why it has become a prime training ground for local elite kayakers and a pilgrimage site for boaters across the U.S.

Part of the appeal of Potrero Chico is, put simply, the easy—and cheap—living. By day, climbers ascend spires like Crash Test Dummies, an exposed two-pitch 5.9 with an enviable view over the verdant valley at the top. Come evening, they buy fresh veggies and fruit at the local markets, then gather in campgrounds like La Posada to cool off in the pool, share stories, and drink margaritas in the shade.

Vastly underrated, almost entirely unexplored and gloriously untouched, Myanmar (aka Burma) is an effervescent delight with an untapped glory of natural treasures, incredible historical gems and astounding scenery. To travel to a place that has stood almost completely still in time, and to have a chance to experience first-hand the unknown delights surrounded by evidence of a chaotic, humbling and turbulent past would be a once in a life time travel opportunity indeed.

Alaska is the absolute last wilderness frontier that has been left virtually unexplored and the state that gave us Sarah Palin! Visit Denali National Park with its wildlife and scenic mountains, including Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in the US. Its breathtaking beauty of rugged snowy mountains, forest upon forest of pine trees hugging the lower slopes of these ranges and the complete isolation and loneliness except for wolves, black bears and the odd trapper, leaves the mind boggling.

The Kokoda Trail is famed in Australia as the site of the most important battle citizens fought—and won—against the Japanese in World War II. Now, trekking the 60-mile trail is like a rite of passage for Australians. Still, few other travelers know about it. Naturally Eruç, who trekked it on his circumnavigation of the globe, does.

On Western Australia’s Coral Coast at Ningaloo Reef you can partake in the underwater experience of a lifetime. Every year, between mid-March and mid-July, these gentle giants of the ocean congregate in the Ningaloo Marine Park following the mass spawning of coral. They can grow up to 18 metres in length but are completely harmless to humans.

Moab, Utah, and Fruita, Colorado, are some of the West’s great mountain bike meccas, so it’s no surprise that the backcountry route that connects them—the Kokopelli Trail—is a stunner, too.
The trail winds by some of the Southwest’s classic landscapes, from red-rock desert dotted with sage and juniper to the alpine meadows and ponderosa stands of the La Sal Mountains.

One thing Australia has in abundance is coastline, and with that comes waves. Though there are plenty of places to catch them, Healey’s favorite is unequivocally the Margaret River.
A large part of the appeal of the area, however, is its natural beauty and easy lifestyle. On shore are forests full of some of the world’s tallest hardwood trees and limestone caves with some of the longest stalactites on the planet.

It’s a hell of a long walk, but it’s worth it. Join dedicated trekkers from all over the world as they take on up to 400 miles of trail that winds through the Pyrenees Mountains in northern Spain and southern France. Hikers have been walking this pass since the Medieval Age, with the ultimate goal of reaching the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, the end of the Christian pilgrimage.

The Tikal National Park is one of the most extensive Maya archaeological sites in the world. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. There are several structures in the area, and many are still being unearthed. Some of the best known are the six buildings known as Temples I to VI. Other structures in the area include Temple 33, a funerary temple, and Structure 34. This is a pyramid with a three chambered shrine.

Pack your trunk and head for the Surin Elephant Festival. Every year, more than 100 elephants take part in this event. The Elephant Round-up displays the amazing grace, strength and intelligence of this huge creature in games of soccer, log carrying, and the tug-of-war against human teams. The talent and playfulness of the pachyderms never fail to draw cheers from the spectators.