100 journeys before i die : 40-31

Now, inching closer to even more hallowed ground.

40. The Great Barrier Reef

After all, it is the largest reef system on earth. Snorkel, Yacht, or just Beach it.

And the options for staying are heavenly. Hayman, Lizard Island and Bedarra are just a little bit of the cream of the crop. There's also a more mainstream Palazzo Versace at the more touristy Gold Coast.

39. South Island Hiking Trip

When you hear that this is the best that one of the world's most scenic countries can offer, your appetite is whetted. Simply put, Hike across New Zealand's South Island, taking in hills, snow, picture perfect lakes and awe inspiring fiords all along the way.

Blanket Bay is the South Island luxe headquarters.

38. Camel Safari to Petra

An ancient city hidden in the deserts? Exotic enough? Another Indiana Jones  fantasy - a safari a la bedouin through the Jordanian desert to Petra.

There's a clutch of family-style resorts like the unimaginative Movenpick Resort, but places like Feynan Eco-Resort promise to offer more authentic experiences. 

37. Fishing in Los Roques

This Venezuelan Archipelago promises two idyllic things - beautiful women (Venezuela!) and beautiful beaches (The Carribean!). Imagine coral islands with turquoise waters and white sands, with laid back shacks and absolute freedom from organized tourism. While that does mean an obvious lack of high end resorts, it also means that one of the last island paradises on earth remains that way. As for fishing, veggies like me can let go of the fish after a catch, carnivores can carry their earnings to the shack and get it cooked.


Beach shacks with rooms. The only way to go.

36. Deserted in the Lakshadweep

Another island paradise, but this time in our own backyard. While the Maldives rope in the world, the Lakshadweep remain calmer, more pristine. Twice the beauty, half the hype.


Nothing much to choose from. The amazingly overpriced Bangaram Island Resort offers a very spartan but decent stock to put yourself up in.

35. Hiking to Machu Pichu

The lost city of the Incas, high in the Andes, covered in mist, shrouded in Mystery. Boy, am I a sucker for Indiana Jones fantasies.


Cusco, nearby, is the base for Machu Pichu expeditions. Here, you should head straight to the fantastic Hotel Monasterio, but those prefering to be closer to the lost city can choose Monasterio's sister hotel, The Machu Pichu Sanctuary Lodge.

34. Trekking through Kinnaur

As you wind your way through Himachal's dusty and positively scary Sutlej valley, there comes a point where the hydel projects cease to appear, the valley is greener, the air thinner. You are in Kinnaur. Apart from awesome scenery and a hindu-buddhist cultural mix to interest many, Kinnaur offers the finest apples, and the achingly pretty Sangla Valley. Trekking routes abound, with starters like the Sangla Kanda trek through Sangla valley pastures, the Rupi Bhabha Wildlife Sanctuary Trek. More experienced trekkers can go for the religiously infused Kinner Kailash Parikrama and the Pin Parvati Pass Trek into neighbouring Spiti. Kinnaur is the best introduction to actually high mountains.


Not much to choose from apart from random guest houses in Kalpa and Recong Peo, or at Sangla. Sangla valley has a clutch of summer camps, notably Banjara Camp which is probably the only pedigreed place to stay upriver from Naldehra.

33. Island Hopping in Palau

Island paradise strikes again. This time, its a 'Blue Lagoon' like setting in the positively virgin islands of Palau, somewhere in the Pacific.


Largely all-inclusive resorts catering to Jap tourists, to choose from. Incongruous names like Palau Pacific and Palau Royal rule the roost here.

32. Shopping for Spices in Aleppo

Aleppo? Syria. Think of middle eastern mystique. Spice Souks, Muzzein Calls, Cul de Sacs, Crusader Castles, Roman Ruins... Think of Istanbul or Marrakech without the tourists, and double the atmosphere. Plus, Aleppo has more history than both.


Plenty of chic converted mansions to pick from, notably Mansouriya Palace Hotel.

31. Esfahan

The perfect city of the Islamic world, Esfahan has been famed for its beauty for generations at end, with poems going as far as to proclaim that the perfect suitor is one who has been to Esfahan, for he is both cultured and of able mental health. Thanks (or No Thanks?) to Iran's regime, Esfahan remains less plagued by tourist hordes, with only genuine travellers to accompany you as you discover the pleasures of the blue tiled mosques, the secret alleys, the friendly chais, the beautiful carpets...


The Abbassi hotel is amazingly famous for its setting in a reconverted Serai, and is full of all the kitsch you can hope to imagine.








Score - still, 13/60