PREVIOUS TRAVEL EXPERIENCE REVIEWS
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LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCES THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU TO TRAVEL

Meet turtles and sloths, Costa Rica

Tortuguero means place of turtles in Spanish, so head to Tortuguero NP on the north of the Caribbean coast. Visit a beach at night and you might spot hawksbill (Mar-Nov), two-metre leatherback (Mar-May), green sea turtles (Jul-Oct) and loggerhead (May-Aug). If you want to see olive ridley, visit Santa Rosa NP on the Pacific coast (Jul-Feb). Meanwhile, you can see Hoffman’s two-toed sloth and brown-throated sloth on Osa Peninsula.

Make it happen: Fly to San José. Escape by bus from Gran Carib terminal downtown to Cariari, then on to La Pavona. From there, you can go by boat to Tortuguero NP. To see sloths, join a guided night hike, as they’re tricky to spot.

Meet mountain gorillas, Rwanda/Uganda

Alan Wood, one of our readers put it perfectly when he said, “Imagine our surprise when we came upon the family of gorillas all sleeping peacefully with only the silverback on watch. We sat enchanted at their feet and, after a while, they started to wake and stretch just like a human family in the morning. He was unperturbed by our presence and we felt privileged to be visiting."

Make it happen: fly to Rwanda or Uganda. For Rwanda, fly to Kigali, and for Uganda, fly to Entebbe, near Kampala. In both countries, gorilla-trekking permits start from US $500.

Snorkel in Bora Bora, French Polynesia

There’s no need to don your diving gear - just bring a mask and snorkel, immerse yourself in the shallow lagoon and wait for a graceful giant to glide silently by. While you're exploring this underwater garden, don’t be surprised if you bump into a bat, leopard or eagle ray – the waters here host some of the most diverse marine life on earth.

Make it happen: Bora Bora is 250km north-west of Tahiti. Daily flights from Tahiti’s Faa’a airport take 45 minutes; some stop at the islands of Moorea, Huahine and Raiatea.

Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil

A fine force of nature straddling the border between Argentina and Brazil, this chasm is one of the widest waterfalls in the world, consisting of 275 cascades spread in a horseshoe shape over 3km. Make the journey on foot and let your anticipation build with the growing roar before emerging to soak up the spray on a walkway or boat ride.

Make it happen: Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, is a 90-minute flight from Buenos Aires. Buses run to the visitor centre; from here, walk or take a quick train ride to the falls.

Appreciate all that ice, Antarctica

The notorious sail to Antarctica across the Drake Passage can be a tough one, but that's swiftly forgotten as you start to see more and more ‘bergy bits’. Of course, the wildlife is a reason to go to Antarctica too: the various penguins steal your heart while sightings of whales, leopard seals and snowy shearwaters will make any trip memorable.

Make it happen: Expedition cruises leave from Ushuaia (Argentina), Christchurch (NZ) and Hobart (Tasmania).

Get a glimpse of ancient Petra, Jordan

Deep in the Jordanian desert, hemmed in by sandstone crags and approached along a slither of a canyon, suddenly an ancient facade looms out of the rock. And not a weathered outline: a crisply-defined colossus, six mighty pillars guarding the entrance as if the Nabateans (who built them two millennia ago) had just popped out for lunch.
Make it happen: Allow two days (or more). See our Petra travel guide for more information.

Lounge on islands, Malaysia

These coral-fringed islands offer lush forest scenery, unspoiled white beaches and plentiful opportunities for scuba diving in their pristine turquoise waters. Get hands-on with turtle conservation projects or stretch your legs on a trek through inland jungle brimming with wildlife (including exotic birds, monkeys and giant monitor lizards).

Make it happen: The Perhentian Islands can be accessed by boat from Kuala Besut, 110km north of Kuala Terengganu. Ferries to Tioman run from Mersing.

Marvel at the Mayan ruins of Tikal, Guatemala

Today, deep in the tangled interior of the Petén Basin, it feels like time has stood still: climb the iconic Jaguar Temple and watch the sun set over the primordial jungle for an ancient overview. Just don’t leave your bag unattended: the local coatis, raccoon-type creatures, have light paws and a penchant for muesli bars.

Make it happen: Flores is the gateway town for Tikal, serviced by flights from Guatemala City. The Flores-Tikal minibus ride takes around 75 minutes. Tikal is open 6am-6pm; stay overnight so you can catch sunset and sunrise at the site.

Delve into the dunes of Sossusvlei, Namibia

There are sand dunes, and there are sand dunes. And the Namib Desert’s offerings in this arena are the Himalaya of the granular world: the dunes here tower up to 300m, massive undulations that shape-shift with the wind. They’re not just big, they’re beautiful – gracefully curved, rippled, and apricot-orange under a perennial blue sky.

Make it happen: Sossusvlei is 590km west of Windhoek. It’s accessible by 2WD; a 4WD is necessary for the final 5km to Sossusvlei Pan (or walk from the car park).