Why You Should Have a Travel Bucket List

If you’re bored with life & you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things – you don’t have enough goals. – Lou Holtz

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If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Now tell me, what is stopping you? I’m sure money will be number one on this list, followed by time, and then by responsibilities, but if you can dream about traveling to your dream destination, you can surely make it a reality (cliche I know). One way of doing this is by creating a travel bucket list, which is a compilation of travel dreams and adventures you plan to accomplish during your lifetime. I know you’re thinking, “how is just making a travel bucket list going to help me,” but I can give you three reasons as to why it is important.

First, it gives you something to look forward to. Think about how excited you will be when you finally make it to Hawaii or to London or to (insert your dream destination here). Reaching that goal is exhilarating and you will be glad you went after it.

Second, having a travel bucket list is important because making lists helps us put things into action which in turn help make them more attainable. When you are able to truly visualize what you want to accomplish, you can then budget, plan and prepare for it. Want to go to Paris? Set up airfare travel alerts, watch out for flash sales and deals, set aside how much money you will need so that you can begin to save and budget properly, set up travel goals for yourself (i.e – one trip a year, taking your new birdwatching binoculars on an adventure to Africa, etc). Traveling isn’t as expensive as one may think with proper planning and preparation.

Thirdly, creating a travel bucket list will help motivate you to reach your travel dreams. It will empower and push you to do the “unthinkable.” Just as you work hard to reach your professional goals, you should also work hard to reach your dreams.

For me, having a travel bucket list is more than just being able to cross something off, but more so the feeling that I get for making my dreams a reality and being able to make lasting memories in the process. Traveling has really become one of my passions and any chance I get to travel is one that I plan to take. Do you have a travel and adventure bucket list? What places do you one day plan to visit?

St Lucia Wetlands: South Africa’s First World Heritage Site

Off the N2 at Mtubatuba is the R618. Follow this to the end, some 22kms and you will cross the bridge over the Lake St. Lucia estuary and into the village of St. Lucia, set amongst the coastal dune forest. St. Lucia is an integral part of the isiMangaliso Wetlands Park, South Africa’s first World Heritage Site.
St Lucia Wetlands
There are several small shops and restaurants in the village and a wide choice of hotels, guest houses, camping and self-catering accommodation.
The park stretches north on both sides of Lake St. Lucia and occupies 9% of South Africa’s coastline. The waters of the lake contain some of the highest concentrations of hippo and crocodile in South Africa and there is prolific birdlife. Cruises along the lake allow visitors to take advantage of natural history and for those who want to get more involved, there are kayaking excursions on the lake.

On the shores of the Indian Ocean are leatherback turtle egg laying and hatching tours (seasonal), angling, snorkeling, SCUBA diving and whale watching excursions.

Landwards there are walking and horseback trails through the dune forest as well as bird-watching excursions. In the town Zulu curios are available at several locations and for those interested in the natural history of reptiles, there is the Crocodile Research Centre.
Hippos Relaxing in St lucia
Within an hour’s drive are many activities to suit a variety of interests. Zulu history, culture and artifacts are well represented and the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game reserve provides encounters with the Big Five and many smaller creatures. Visitors can opt for an accompanied safari or drive themselves.

The climate in St. Lucia is always balmy – the winters cool and dry and the summers warm with afternoon thunder showers. Access to St. Lucia from either Durban (2 hours) or the Kruger (5 hours) is via good roads.

Introduction to the Drakensberg

Stretching majestically for 245km, the Drakensberg mountain range forms a natural barrier between the western reaches of KwaZulu-Natal and the Kingdom of Lesotho.

­It is a mountain range of spectacular natural beauty, where golden sandstone and soaring basalt buttresses rise above pristine steep-sided river valleys, rocky gorges and high rolling grasslands.

With an elevation of over 3,000m, these magnificent mountains offer exceptional conditions for walking and hiking.

In the summertime, the best time to look for Drakensberg Accommodation, clear morning skies puff up with towering cumulonimbus clouds in preparation for the daily afternoon thundershower.

In winter the days are warm and dry. But a balmy 20°C afternoon will plummet with nightfall to below zero, and snow regularly illuminates the peaks.

Rock Painting of the Drakensberg

For the Bushmen or San, rock paintings were not just representations of life; they were also repositories of it.

Ancient rock art sheds light on the trance experiences of Bushmen shamans.

When entering a trance, shamans often bled from the nose and their arms stretched behind them as the transformation into the spirit world took place.

When shamans painted an eland, they didn’t just pay homage to this sacred animal of well-being, healing, beauty, peace and plenty; they also harnessed the essence of its supernatural potency and great spiritual power.

By putting paint to rock, shamans opened portals to the spirit world.

Uzemvelo KZN Wildlife

Just like the San, you too can form a spiritual bond with the beauty and power of the Drakensberg.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife offers the ultimate freedom of great open spaces in a world of gigantic peaks and buttresses, of towering sandstone cliffs and hidden valleys, virgin forests and crystalline rivers.

Recreational opportunities abound, from a gentle amble along a self-guided trail, to a vigorous hike high up in these huge mountains. Accommodation options range from luxury lodges to fully equipped cottages and chalets, to scenic campsites with well-appointed picnic and ablution facilities. Rustic mountain huts and over-night caves are also dotted throughout the park.

From the earliest days, people have coveted the Drakensberg region. To the Voortrekkers, the mountains resembled a chain of fierce dragons; to the Zulu nation, a ‘Barrier of Spears’ – Ukhahlamba.

The San left evidence of their lifestyle in numerous subtle cave paintings.

King Shaka set out to conquer and lay claim to its fertile lands. European immigrants, both Boer and British, locked horns in their bid to possess the territory.

The rich soils of its valleys, nestled beneath the natural protection of towering cliffs, have attracted wanderers from far and wide.

Be a wanderer of the Drakensberg.

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