Like many broke college students who suffer from a case of wanderlust, I spend a lot of my time researching landmarks around the world and dreaming of the day I can actually visit them. Although the list of places to see is truly endless, I’ve managed to narrow down a shortlist of my top destinations – all particularly unique, overshadowed, or less known. Cheers to the seven amazing places you can now add to your travel bucket list!
1. Maldives’ Sea of the Stars
If you’ve ever seen a glowing sea on Tumblr, good news: it actually exists! These scenic waters, located on the island of Vaadhoo, are the result of bioluminescence, a naturally occurring chemical process. Though I don’t like choosing favorites, this is an absolute must on the bucket list.
Image source: W Maldives
2. Finland’s Kakslauttanen Artic Resort
Though this resort has multiple accommodations, the Glass Igloos package is specifically available for booking throughout Northern Lights season. Multiple excursions are offered throughout the year depending on the season; however, due to the resort’s overall location and atmosphere, the holiday season is the most exciting (and the most expensive) time to visit.
Image source: Kakslauttanen
3. New Zealand’s Hobbiton (Hobbit Village)
For the longest time, my mom had a huge crush on Orlando Bloom. This naturally led to many family movie nights in tribute to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The opportunity to see the set where the so-called hobbits lived is probably my mother’s biggest dream.
Image source: Hobbiton Tours
4. Kenya’s Giraffe Manor
This hotel serves as a giraffe sanctuary. Imagine peeking through your window and seeing giraffes casually roam outside. One of the most interesting things I’ve heard is that giraffes occasionally poke their heads through the windows at certain times of the day. Breakfast with giraffes… can you even imagine?
Image source: Like A Local
5. New Zealand’s Waitomo Glowworm Cave
This cave makes me think of one of those slow tunnel rides at Disneyland, except instead of admiring the sounds and figures overpopulating the inside, we’re really just admiring the actual cave itself. Located in New Zealand, this cave exhibits a glowworm species, responsible for the lights glowing throughout the cave. Tickets for a single boat ride are pretty expensive – but it’s not everyday that you can see a naturally glowing cave of worms.
Image source: Medium
6. Canada’s Free Spirit Spheres
Accommodations in this unique location consist of three different treehouses: Eve, Eryn, and Melody. In an attempt to remain connected to the natural forest environment, these three spheres (yes, spheres) were made to remain suspended in the trees, Due to the limited number of treehouses, booking should be done far in advance; it’s a popular accommodation experience and is known to fill up very quickly.
Image source: Lost Waldo
7. Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes
This forest reserve has no glowing caves, hobbits, or giraffes; it’s simply on this list because of its breathtaking, natural beauty. There are many beautiful waterfalls and lakes in the world, but this destination definitely has to have some of the prettiest ones.
Image source: TripAdvisor
Start saving up Aggies, because there’s an incredible world out there just waiting to be explored!
Cover image source: Pexels