My Travel Bucket List for 2021 #ttctop3

Dreams of travelling and seeing the world is the motivation for many to get up every morning and achieve and accomplish all that they can. Treating ourselves with travel as a reward for a job well done is a great way to live. This year in 2020 has been a challenge on so many fronts for so many of us and having our travel dreams put on hold has been very disappointing. 2021 is looking like it will give opportunities to get back out there and do what we love. I don’t think travel this year and in the coming years will be about just ticking the box of saying “I have been there.” Travel itself will become more meaningful, full of immersion and opportunities to give back.

As a small-town boy who grew up on the East Coast of Canada, I consider myself very fortunate to work for an organization that offers such a wide-range of travel options. Having always had a genuine curiosity about the world and a keen interest in learning about and experiencing as many different cultures as possible, it is certainly a challenge to narrow down my travel bucket list.

In 2019, I had the chance to travel to Ireland on a multi-generational vacation with my family – parents and daughters included – to experience Insight Vacations’ Irish Elegance journey. Though I’ve been to Ireland numerous times, this vacation was one I’ll never forget as I got to share the experience with the most important people in my life. We all shared in the magic as my family experienced staying at the enchanting Ashford Castle for the first time, and challenging my daughters to an archery competition on the grounds of Ashford Castle is a memory I’ll hold closely. Watching my parents share the experience with my daughters, while bonding and connecting more than they ever have was a treasure. I also had an opportunity to take in an evening at Dublin’s oldest pub with my oldest daughter. Your children grow up faster than you think possible, but they do and now, enjoying music in a historic pub with my daughters is something I look forward to doing more often.   

You may notice a slant towards family travel in my top ten, which stems from the fact that my first time on an airplane did not occur until I was 24 years of age. My goal as a parent now is to show my two daughters as much of the world as I can before they turn 24. I believe travel is as important a component in their education as an addition to the teachings they are exposed to in the classroom. It is a gift that will stay with them for life. My oldest daughter will start law school in September 2021 and I feel like I am running out of opportunities to travel with her. It makes the travel plans for this coming year even more meaningful.  

I Have decided to be more focused this year so here are the three trips I am dreaming of for 2021:

1. Trafalgar’s Secrets of Greece including Corfu

Ancient history, seaside scenery and immersive experiences would surely give me a taste of The Good Life on this trip to Greece. Experiences include ascending the Acropolis and being guided by a ‘Local Specialist’ for a sightseeing tour with stunning views of iconic sights like the Athena Parthenon, the Agora, the Royal Palace and Temple of Zeus. There is also a Be My Guest experience hosted by the Karambellas family on their olive and wine farm for an evening of dinner and dancing which would be delightful. I would love to experience all Greece has to offer with the real ease of travelling with Trafalgar. I have been to Athens a few times for business and I was captivated by the historic and archeological sites. I would like to take my daughters to see those sites and to see the home of democracy, our current political system that all started in Greece.  

2. Wonders of Egypt with Insight Vacations

I have been to Egypt before with Insight and it has always been my most memorable trip. Now I want to go and take my daughters. You see many historic destinations on television but for some destinations, when you finally see them in person, they seem smaller or less impressive. However, Egypt was the complete opposite. It was grander and more mind blowing then I could have ever imagined. I think 2021 will be the best time to go. As the country is seeing its tourism rebound, my hope is to go this year and experience it with lesser crowds. What makes this trip extra special is the Insight Experience that includes a meeting with a sailor on a traditional Nile felucca where you get to learn about the ancient Nile craft. 

 3. Trafalgar’s Wonders of St. Petersburg and Moscow 

On this trip, travellers learn about Russia’s progress over the years and dive into culture by discovering an incredible collection of artefacts and art collected by Russia’s tsars and tsarinas since the mid-18th century. You’d also have the chance to connect with locals via a Be My Guest experience over drinks and canapés at the Theatre of Youth in St. Petersburg before enjoying a stage performance by the students of the theatre. Being a child of the 70s and 80s and quite a news junkie, I heard about life behind the Iron Curtain. Cold war life in Russia has always intrigued me, I would like to get a glimpse of that before it’s memory completely disappears from its citizens.  

While we’ve all been dealing with uncertainty over the past year, one thing’s for sure – that travel will always survive and offer so much value to our lives. I hope you join me as we continue to dream about our bucket list destinations and help plan for our bright future ahead so we’re ready to travel once our industry fully recovers. A bon voyage is waiting for all of us!