big bucket list adventures

BIG bucket list Adventures

21. See a spirit bear in British Columbia Canada
Why? These rare bears roam only here. Even for a country big on big empty Canada s Great Bear Rainforest takes some beating. What the GBR does have though is lots of lovely wildlife: grey wolves grizzlies cougars orca sea otters humpback whales and uniquely Kermode or spirit bears. These unusual ursines are black bears with a recessive gene which renders about 10% of them creamy pale. Like spirits though they re tricky to spot only around 1 200 are thought to exist and fewer than 200 of those are white. But if you head to the right part of this roadless fjord cut river riven rainforest you might be in luck. The area around Klemtu is a known Kermode hang out and lodges accessible only by floatplane have guides expert in tracking them down.
22. Ride the Trans Siberian Russia China
Why? To take the slow route across Siberia. What s the old adage? It s better to travel than to arrive? Could have been written for the Trans Siberian train journey. If you were that desperate to get between Moscow and Beijing (the route of the network s Trans Mongolian branch arguably the most interesting) you could fly it in under eight hours. But no it s this six night 7 621km train that is slow travel at its most atmospheric an unhurried spooling of endless birch trees Lake Baikal shimmer grassy steppe Gobi Desert yurt camps camel herds and station traders selling sweets and sausages. The train provides a cosy confinement within that vastness where your cabin mates could be Buddhist monks or Russian businessmen where vodka flows freely and the hot water samovar is always steaming ready to make a brew. Plans have been mooted to build a high speed line from Moscow to Beijing slashing the journey time from seven days to two. Progress perhaps but what s the rush?
23. Raft the Zambezi River Zambia
Why? Run the great river while you can. The Zambezi is one of the world s most iconic waterways slicing its way through south eastern Africa and famously plunging over Victoria Falls. Rafting it whether you choose a short trip from Livingstone or a multi day beach camping expedition is up there with the world s greatest river journeys. You ll tackle hair raising rapids called things like Oblivion and The Devil s Toilet Bowl. You ll might spot hippos lazing in the channels and even crocs on the banks. But there s also a sense of urgency here. Plans are afoot to build a dam that will greatly effect the Zambezi s flow disrupting its natural ecosystems and wiping out its rapids (and therefore rafting industry). If the dam gets the go ahead it is due to be completed by 2025