Is it hot-air ballooning over the Serengeti or Turkey, river trips, observing wildlife in natural surroundings, visiting ancient ruins, arctic expeditions, or swimming with sharks?
One experience that I often recall is when my 2 girls were quite young, and we hired a little 26ft sailing boat in Greece for 2 weeks to explore. One day, the wind had picked up really nicely, and we were going along at a lovely pace, when we were joined by a school of dolphins – we were all so excited, and we were all leaning over the bow watching them dart and play with the boat. They seemed so close we felt we could touch them. It will always be such a treasured memory. They stayed with us for a good 20 minutes. It was a truly delightful experience.
We never had time to get a camera out, but it remains in my mind so clearly.
Which trip or travel moment do you keep coming back to? I’d love to hear it
Therese
When I took my elderly parents back to my dad’s ancestral village. Really made me further appreciate the lives we’ve lived since, the opportunities we’ve enjoyed.
Poverty, isolation and a lack of education and opportunities are degrading to humans and many of us are way luckier than folks in such circumstances.
Maybe my bluewater “Diver on a Hook” outing off Hawaii’s Big Island: 4 divers tethered to a down line from a boat 80 feet above, drifting through clear water 3000+ feet deep using dive lights to backlight passing plankton. Very tranquil experience in an eerie blue abyss until it was interrupted by 2 Blue Marlin that came up from below to check us out. It’s been almost 30 years but those ghostly apparitions circling us in the deep blue and the near-hysterical reaction of our guide are unforgettable memories from a uniquely rare experience.
If you get a chance also go to the Island of Volcano in Sicily, and on Stromboli 3 volcanic cones all exploding every 20 minutes or so! It’s a tough walk up but easier coming down.
Not entirely sure whether it was my most memorable experience of all time, but the first thing that came to mind when reading this question was the desert – particularly desert nights. And perhaps the best part of all was watching Western children, five to seven years old, enjoy it just as much. Running around at night in the sand with headlamps on must have been one of their most memorable experiences as well.
Some pictures from the Liwa Desert, which, by the way, is the largest uninterrupted desert in the world.
Tandem skydiving from 16500 feet in Motueka New-Zealand. When we jumped I could see both the north and south islands. 70 seconds of free fall. Thrill of a lifetime. Unforgettable experience that I also have on video.
Getting close to a pair of young cheetahs in South Africa, and then realising as we made our way back to the vehicle that they were stalking us. I have to confess I looked around at the other members of our small party, and was relieved to conclude that I was definitely not the slowest…
Do you perhaps mean Stromboli? I haven’t been to Vulcano but I think it’s cthere are mud wells. In Stromboli there are several craters. You used to be able to climb to the summit but now you can only go half way. I was lucky, I went there before the new regulations and it’s probably my most memorable experience.
Aha yes I missed out ‘and also Stromboli’ edited now! Yes we climbed to the top and sat with our legs over the edge looking down onto the cones. The earth did actually move- the whole of my chest rumbled, it was incredible. But still Ambae was the best- a 15 hour hike up then sleeping on the volcano then 8 hours back down. The volcano is in the middle of a lake which changes from blue to blood red depending on ph. Not many people get up there- but we did. Ambryn was also impressive. Tanna is pretty easy for tourists to get to. Kilauea in Hawaii was one of my first serious volcanoes to climb up- it erupted whilst we were there, and I saw curtain lava. It’s worth mentioning that my husband was a geologist in O&G.
I ended my wonderful vacation travelling around India at a beach in Kovalam. Three young men approached me and asked if they could have a picture taken with me. Apparently it was their first time ever to a beach in India and they had rolled around in the sand and were covered with mud. I’ve never seen such excitement on anyone’s faces before - it really ended my vacation on a great note! I had seen such beauty and yet so much poverty on this trip.
Really tough when life’s been so full of daring escapades…But a soul satisfying adventure was 18 days on the Colorado River on a private raft trip without motors with 8 river guides down the Grand Canyon 10 years ago. The colors of the canyon walls, the changing river and the night sky camping on the banks. The rapids and the boat pounding, surging
. Rolling, lolling, and the pleasure of a cold beer before dinner and sleeping in tents with Paco pads for soft landings. The quiet, the ravens following us, stealing our food while we hiked the slot canyons. Finding out I was a natural at skittering up narrow gorges and rock hopping. Being mystified by the bright aqua blue of slot canyons’ river water, by rock formations colors and contortions, by the rye humor of my fellow river travelers.
Sailing into New York on Ruby Tuesday, our own yacht. My first glimpse was on a night watch. As I watched the lights getting nearer and sharper I got a sense of what all these immigrants felt so long ago. A feeling of hope, anticipation and fear of the unknown. Sailing under the Verrazano Narrows Bride we got our first glimpse of Lady Liberty in the dawn light. I cried. I don’t cry very often but I cried that morning. It may have been exhaustion, the passage had been tough at some points, but it felt overwhelming to see this vast city spread. We anchored behind the statue and had our “Breakfast in America” moment. (It was afternoon tea by then)
We stayed there for48 hours soaking it all in then sailed under Brooklyn Bridge and motored up East River, past the United Nations building (security escort by a gun ship as they were meeting, through Hells Kitchen and spat out the other end after seeing 11 knots on the dials. What a ride! We have done it a few times now but that first time was something special. One of my unforgettable moments.
I never ever wanted to visit New York but now it’s one of my favourite cities.
)
edited now! Yes we climbed to the top and sat with our legs over the edge looking down onto the cones. The earth did actually move- the whole of my chest rumbled, it was incredible. But still Ambae was the best- a 15 hour hike up then sleeping on the volcano then 8 hours back down. The volcano is in the middle of a lake which changes from blue to blood red depending on ph. Not many people get up there- but we did. Ambryn was also impressive. Tanna is pretty easy for tourists to get to. Kilauea in Hawaii was one of my first serious volcanoes to climb up- it erupted whilst we were there, and I saw curtain lava. It’s worth mentioning that my husband was a geologist in O&G.
