Travel is one of the few experiences in life you can design entirely around yourself. You get to choose the destination, the pace, the priorities — every tiny detail, right down to what you pack in your suitcase. The world is wide open, and the adventure is yours to shape.
That’s where the real excitement begins — especially if you’re someone who loves the outdoors. For many travelers, it’s not just about where you’re going, but what you’ll be doing once you get there. The hikes, the water, the fresh air, the adrenaline — sometimes the activities are the destination.
From wild coastlines unbothered by tourists to rugged mountains, remote waters, and wilderness areas that exist on another level from day-to-day city life, there’s so much to see and explore. If you’re looking to add to your bucket list, this post has some experiences for travellers who love the great outdoors.
Whale Watching
Heading out onto the open water to see whales in the wild is something no one ever tires of. It is a memorable experience for anyone and one of the most majestic sights you can see on the water.
There’s just something about watching these mammals breach the surface of the water or glide alongside a boat that is awe-inspiring
Certain destinations make for even more sightings and epic experiences due to seasonal migration routes. Vancouver Island in Canada is one of the best places to see orca pods between May and October. While Monterey Bay in California offers all year round whale watching opportunities, thanks to an underwater canyon.
Top tip: always check migration seasons if whale watching is on your bucket list, to give you the best possible chance of sightings, and a smaller boat is always better for improved viewing angles.
Watching Wildlife in Their Natural Habitat
Seeing wildlife where it actually lives and how it’s supposed to be is an experience that can really be eye-opening. We’re not talking about zoos here or wildlife parks, but out in the wild where they’re supposed to be.
If you’re after a rewarding wildlife viewing experience, you can head to places like Yellowstone National Park for sightings of elk, bison, and wolves as they roam the vast open expanses. Or maybe heading to Botswana’s Okavango Delta is something you want to do, so you can see elephants and hippos moving through wetlands as you view from small safari boats. Or if you prefer to see birds, Costa Rica’s cloud forests are the perfect destination for remarkable biodiversity in a small area.
Early morning trips give you the best chance of seeing animals like this when they are most active.
Hike Through Protected Wilderness Landscapes
Hiking is an amazing way to experience the world around you. Travelling on foot slows everything down, and you’re able to take in the terrain, vegetation, and wildlife that you might miss when travelling in vehicles.
The world has multiple locations that are guaranteed to be jaw-dropping, not just for real landscapes but for the animals who call them home, too.
Patagonia in southern Chile and Argentina has dramatic hiking routes through glacier-carved valleys and towering peaks, while Banff National Park in Canada provides well-marked alpine trails surrounded by turquoise lakes and snow-covered mountains. Heading over to Italy, you can scale the trails in the Dolomites and stop overnight in mountain refuges.
These hikes aren’t for beginners nor for the faint-hearted, and while you can see some of the native wildlife, the aim here is to see the area, and you get to see animals as you pass through their home.
Explore Remote Costlines
Many of the most stunning coastlines in the world are hard to access by land. And this means to bask in their beauty and uniqueness, as you need to access them by boat.
Norway’s Geirangerfjord is one such example where boat travel reveals waterfalls and towering rock faces that rise dramatically from the water. Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, for example, offers island-hopping routes through hundreds of small islands scattered across the Adriatic Sea, while Thailand’s Phang Nga Bay is known for its limestone aisles that create a maze of waterways perfect for boat exploration.
They might be harder to access, but that doesn’t mean the destination isn’t worth the effort. Even for those who don’t have the best sea legs. However, it’s always best to embark on these excursions with experienced operators who know the area tides and how long you can stay in the location safely.
Guided Fishing in Wild Waters
Fishing tips offer hours immersed in natural environments. With clear waters for miles, no land in sight, ht and just you and the ecosystem doing its thing in peace.
Even those new to fishing often enjoy these adventures simply for the peace of the environment, even if they won’t want to participate in the activity itself.
Alaska is one well-known destination for this type of adventure, as its waters support massive runs of salmon and large halibut populations. Booking with experienced operators such as Oasis Alaska Charters means you gain access to the most productive fishing grounds while basking in the scenery of Alaska and the beauty of undisrupted waters.
For the best results, king salmon fishing peaks in early summer, while halibut fishing can remain strong throughout the season.
Exploring Glaciers, Mountains, or Dramatic Terrain
Some landscapes leave an impression simply due to their scale. This is true of glaciers, volcanic landscapes, and towering mountain ranges that show how powerful natural forces shape the planet.
You can see this in all its glory in Iceland’s Vatnajökull Glacieri, which offers guided glacier hikes where you get to walk across ice formations and deep crevices.
While in South America, the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina is famous for its massive ice walls that people radically break into the waters below. If you want stunning mountain scenery you need to head to Nepal’s Annapurna region for a trekking route through some of the highest peaks in the world.
Remember to always check weather conditions and mountain environments before booking so you get the right weather to explore the outstanding landscape safely.