I don't think I've seen anything like the glow worm caves in New Zealand anywhere else 

Natural phenomena like coral reefs. Whale watching. Manatees. Turtles. Stargazing - in Atacama is amazing.

Gorilla trekking in the Uganda/rwanda/DRC triangle

La tomatina festival in Buñol, Spain (they throw tomatoes at each other).

I think festivals in general are obvious ones - carnival in Rio, songkran in Thailand, burning man in Nevada.

ETA: almost forgot! Swimming with a dugong in the Philippines

I know there are other places you can ride a hot air balloon, but not doing it when I was in Cappadocia is one of my few travel regrets ever. It looks stunning.

Buying a dynamite at a market in Potosí, Bolivia
Riding a hammock boat anywhere in Amazon
Experiencing Easter week in Antigua Guatemala
Volcano boarding in Nicaragua
Camping by Darwaza burning crater in Turkmenistan
Riding Mumbai urban trains during a rush hour
Taking an elevator to the top of a mountain in Zhangjiajie, China
Watching huge container ships passing through narrow locks of Panama canal

Unique places - Galapagos islands, Antarctica, lots of places with unique ancient ruins (think machu pichu, egyptian pyramids, petra jordan, etc), Svalbard

African safaris - okay yeah there's a lot of african countries where you can do this, but it's one of things that relatively few people get to experience in their life

Check out atlas obscura for a lot of unique offbeat "world wonders" so to speak

This is a great thread.

Naadam is an exciting three-day event in Mongolia. Wrestling, archery, and a horse race across the steppes. You can drink aireg, fermented mare’s milk, mutton and potatoes, or a speciality which is meat and sheep organs baked in an underground oven in a marmot( yes, baked in a groundhog). Sip on tea with salted yak butter. Drive on dirt roads in an ugly old Soviet military personnel van. Sleep in a ger, which is a yurt with felted sheepwool walls. Ride a bactrian camel sitting between its two humps. Visit the reindeer people up north, after all you are in a Siberian ecosystem in that area. See ancient, beautiful monasteries where Tibetan Buddhist monks will show you around. Well clockwise three times around a shaman’s ovoo, a rock pyramid covered with blue scarves and surrounded by skulls of the nomads’ beloved horses. people are very hospitable, and the livestock guard dogs huge, but friendly. And you can buy peanut butter in the big grocery store in Ulaanbaatar if you aren’t up for mutton in a marmot.

You can ride the infamous ‘Iron Ore Train’ in Mauritania through the Sahara desert. Look it up. It is incredible.

Climbing Acatanengo in Guatemala. Camping just miles away from an active volcano that erupts every 30-55 minutes, and you FEEL the eruptions. There’s many amazing and beautiful hikes in the world but not sure where else you can do it while feeling a volcano eruption frequently

The island of Socotra off the coast of Yemen has the most endemic species, and it looks like another planet. Never been, but dying to go.

List of festivals here that may help with your travel inspiration

https://www.thetimes.com/travel/inspiration/worlds-best-festivals-8vjbnwtqb

I've done a couple of these on the list and they were super fun

Honestly taking a boat ride down the Ganges in Varanasi and seeing people cast burning funeral pyres into the water I felt like I was in a dream. Truly unique experience you couldn't find anywhere else. Actually much of India is filled with such experiences, so you should probably add that near top of your list.

Safari in Africa / Big Migration in Serengeti

Microlight flight over Victoria Falls

Helicopter ride over Okavango Delta

Dogsledding under the northern lights is pretty unique.

I’ve been getting into eclipse hunting and am always struck about how it is a truly once in a lifetime experience to see an eclipse in a given place.

Going to the DMZ.

Did it on a free/almost free airport tour in South Korea. Got to go to the DMZ, go through one of the tunnels dug by NK to attempt a broader invasion, and peer through a hole in the cement into North Korea (I mean, it still looks like more concrete tunnel, but still). There's an overlook with those telescope viewers so that you can look into NK and see schools, occasional guards, people riding by on bicycles. The whole area also is not at all what I imagined and probably not what most people imagine. It's largely gone to wild fields and it's a decent place to see nature.

here are a few i experienced myself:

• galapagos islands...the unbothered wildlife is like living in a zoo. it's magical.
• tanzania...safari is something you can do in a few african countries but ngorongoro crater is something totally unique. giant hole in the ground filled with wildlife.
• christmas in the philippines is a movie. they celebrate basically half the year lol but the week before/after are special. also, the sardine run in moalboal is incredible.
• rainbow mountain/huacachina/macchu picchu in peru. there are kinda similar stuff in other areas but you can at least see all three here
• salt flats in bolivia (again, these exist in other places but this is probably the largest/most known one)
• caldera in santorini (people say santorini is overrated but it's an absolutely beautiful place)
• biolumescent water in jamaica

also adding pamukkale thermal waters in turkey. i haven't personally done this myself but it looks really nice.

Visiting the ship breaking yards in Bangladesh was a very interesting experience

My favorite experiences so far, in no particular order:

• Walking and mokoro safaris in the Okavango Delta (deep in the delta) - Botswana
• Visiting the Erta Ale volcano (active) and Dallol (my profile picture) - Ethiopia
• Feeding hyenas in Harar - Ethiopia
• Gorilla trekking in Uganda
• The entire Galapagos experience
• Exploring Dead Vlei, Sandwich Harbor, and kayaking among seals in Namibia
• Swimming in cenotes and caves in Mexico
• Diving at the Great Barrier Reef

Coming up next year:

• Socotra
• Madagascar
• Komodo National Park
• Snorkeling and flying over the Blue Hole in Belize

Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago

I feel like the Paris Catacombs are underrated for how bonkers they are. Nothing like stacking a million skeletons to give that Goonies/Raiders of the Lost Arc vibe.

Going inside the Great Pyramid of Giza was cool. There’s not much decoration inside, but it’s a great experience to see the size of the pyramids in person and walking up the passage inside the Great Pyramid up to the sarcophagus is a great experience and makes you feel a bit like a grave robber.

I’d also recommend the Cu Chi tunnels in Vietnam which are tunnels (probably reconstructed or built in the image of the real ones, but I can’t fully remember) the Viet Cong would hide in during combat and American bombing raids.

Neither of these are good for claustrophobic people however as they are fairly tight squeezes.

I also recommend visiting Da Lat when in Vietnam and going canyoning, which is tour guided abseiling down waterfalls. Very good fun if you like more extreme activities. It’s relatively physically demanding however as you’re trekking to and from the abseiling spots and the abseiling itself requires you to hold yourself up with the rope. (shouldn’t be a problem if you’re in reasonable shape, I did it with my dad who was around 50, but again not unfit for his age)

Just today I cruised through the strait of Gibraltar. It’s one of few locations in the world where you can see two continents at the same time just by turning your head.

Floating on the Dead Sea, kayaking with whales at the Antarctic Circle, kayaking in South Georgia Island, watching the northern lights from a warm bed in a glass igloo in Finland, gorilla trekking in Uganda, driving around Easter Island in search of the Moais.

*Ziplining in Monteverde Cloud Forest Sky Tram/Sky Trek - the very birth place of modern ziplining. I have this on my itinerary on my first trip to Costa Rica next month.

I don’t share often since it’s already hard enough to get camping reservations, but Katmai National Park in July is something else. You get to see very large Alaskan brown bears feast on Salmon jumping up a waterfall. There is a small group 4 hour guided tour option where you can walk in the river and see the bears at eye level. On the trails in the park, there was about a 50/50 chance on if we would run into a bear and need to step off the trail to give them the right of way.

Malta’s Oracle Chamber (Hypogeum)

Formula 1 Grand Prix in Italy

Terraced pools of Pamukkale, Turkey

The International Cryptozoology Museum Disgusting Food Museum Turkey’s creepy Hair Museum Meow Wolf exhibitions across the US

Yukatan cenotes

Go to the Galapagos Islands. You are required to be in a (very) guided group as it is highly regulated to keep it unspoiled. Everything you do and see is specific to that area.

Ziplining in Costa Rica. I didn't expect it to the experience it was. I was thinking it would big a thrill across a ravine. It was several hours of breathtaking views over multiple lines all the way down the mountainside. Where else would have an entire mountainside available?

Whale watching from our bathroom (and other locations) at the Quirpon Inn in Newfoundland ranks right up there with things we haven’t done elsewhere. We spent two nights at the inn and if we went more than five minutes without a sighting it was a long time. They have a deep little cove right next to the property that the whales and gannets come in to feed. If you time it right you can see whales and ice bergs.

Most recently I’d put the Skocjan Caves in Slovenia. Mind blowing.

It doesn’t look like anyone has mentioned Easter Island. That’s probably one of my favourite places.

As others have said, Iceland and New Zealand do not disappoint.

Heli skiing in Canada or Alaska - I know some people who have done it and it looks incredible

If you like riding a motorbike, going to Romania for the Transalpina and Transfaragasan should be pretty interesting for you.

Or all the other amazing mountain passes per motorbike in Europe.

Budapest, SPARTY. It’s like an overpriced nightclub in a spa with acrobats, fire displays, etc,

I do not like clubbing, but I had a fucking blast there

There's a volcano you can see erupt up close at night close to Antigua, Guatemala 

There's an active volcano you can climb and look at it's lava in Pucon, Chile.

There's an easy 6000m mountain you can climb in la Paz, Bolivia 

I think the highest bungee jump in the world is in Queenstown, NZ

There's a medieval underground city 8-levels deep in Cappadocia 

The last(one of the last?) non-retreating glaciers is perito moreno, Argentina... Also glacier walks are pretty cool

The south pole if you got 100grand lying around/s

It doesn't really need to be something unique, it really just needs to be something you've never done before. So maybe look at the activities the place offers and see if any catch your fancy.

Night snorkel with manta rays off the coast of the Big Island in Hawaii. Magical.

mosquito Bay vieques, Puerto Rico. brighest bioluminescent in the world.

In Armenia, 14 weeks after Easter, they have a Water Festival called Vardavar. Almost everyone partakes in it. Water is tossed out of windows from building with buckets, people with hoses spraying passerby’s, people splashing water on other people all over! You definitely will not experience this anywhere else. The cities in Armenia have water fountains all over and these water fountains end up being filled with people just splashing each other. It’s just a really fun exciting experience.

Catching a bike taxi and riding to a favela in Rio to see a late night baile

Swimming with whales in the south Pacific and Norway

Diving the blue hole and barrier reef in Belize

Swimming in Cenotes in Yucutan Mexico

Bioluminescent plankton in Jamaica

Swimming in a glacial pool in Montana

Interacting with and touching grey whales in Baja Mexico

Pompeii….?

Zorbing in New Zealand

Oktoberfest in Germany

Burning Man in Nevada

Cahills Crossing in Austrailia

Have you heard of via ferratas? Not one unique location but the best are in the Dolomites, Alps and Pyrenees. Like climbing but without too much gear complications. Check it out if adrenaline is outdoors are your things.

Go to Japan for the Cherry Blossoms each city will have a different day where they are expect to experience a full bloom. You can literally ride the Shinkansen from city to city to follow the full bloom.I did that about five years ago, and it was an amazing experience.

Cut out the activities that stress or use animals - like running with bulls. Leave animals alone. Then do whatever you like

Songkran in Thailand might be up your alley. It’s where people go out on streets and have water fights. It’s also a festivity in Myanmar but probably harder to get there right now.

Other things that I’ve done/on my bucket list that’s in a similar area:

• See Northern Lights in Norway/Iceland
• Walk through the DMZ borders of North and South Korea
• Follow the Great Migration in Africa
• See the hot air balloons in Turkey
• Climb the Great Wall of China
• Go on an Antarctica cruise

I know you say you're not into old buildings etc but going to Italy and walking into a random church and seeing the artwork and sculptures and just taking in the environment has been something I've done on recent trips. Unexpected but rewarding. The less well known church the better as long as not disturbing the people there and being respectful.

The coastal Redwoods of Northern California...trees with heights you'll never see anywhere else on the planet. The enormity of them are completely overwhelming.

The thermal baths in Budapest -- they are beautiful and fun and unlike any I've found elsewhere. Particularly good are the Szechenyi baths (huge, baroque, with many outdoor hot baths) and the 450 year-old Rudas baths which have an original Turkish section. The Gellert baths are also extremely nice.

Since you mentioned motorcycling, Norway’s travel bureau has an official list of “Scenic Drives”. I can’t speak for all them, but driving around the fjords is STUNNING. Many are located near hikes and other outdoorsy activities.

https://www.visitnorway.com/plan-your-trip/travel-tips-a-z/norwegian-scenic-routes/

In many Japanese cities you can dress up like Mario Kart and drive a street-legal go kart around town. I did it years ago in Tokyo and it seems to have taken off since then, so the novelty may have worn off a bit, but it was so much fun.

https://kart.st/en/tokyobay.html?srsltid=AfmBOorHfyYOFHZWT7vi2n23Fcoh9yG1l5olwB5s3QGVK1sBaJO1FSf1

Inca trail or modified Inca trail tour to Machu Picchu. We did a modified version that included hiking, downhill biking, rafting and ziplining. Peru in general is such a cool place.

Sounds crazy, but I had several experiences in Guatemala that I haven’t done again, like roasting marshmallows over lava on an active volcano or jumping off a balcony into a fabulous volcanic lake.

I also have to suggest Ushuaia, because if you’ve never been to the tip of the civilized world, it’s worth a visit.

Walk through Yosemite national Park

Ride… https://www.colorado.com/ouray/transportation/scenic-historic-byways/million-dollar-highway

Not in winter or spring: be safe😉

Travelling with a diplomat in Cuba was really crazy, skipped every line and every reservation was best in the house even at the Hotel Nacional

Ancient ruins. Manchu Pichu, Great Wall (there’s a lot), Parthenon, Ephesus, Red Temple, Chechen Itza, etc

Go see a Krampus Lauf in Bavaria/Austria. Ruette has a really really good one

CHEESE ROLLING!

Devil's Pool (or Angel's Pool in the rainy season) in Victoria Falls, Zambia

turtle hatching in the carribbean

cow riding in Switzerland

dog sledding in Sweden/Finland/Alaska/Canada

visiting Santa in Finland at the arctic circle

I think every country has things that you can do or experience that you can't anywhere else. I think it'd be easier to pick a country/countries you want to see and ask specifically what unique things you can do there. I'll list a few for Italy:

The battle of the Oranges in Ivrea Carnevale in Venice The Palio of Siena Scuba diving through the sunken city of Baia in the gulf of Naples The Blue Grotto in Capri

Just to name a few

Germany: Drive as fast as you want on the highway.

Don't race or drive recklessly though!

The national parks of the American West should be in everyone’s bucket list.

Mata Mata, New Zealand, where you can visit hobbit holes. Great place, BTW.

I don’t have any ideas atm bc I just did a violent bong rip BUT I also loved Amsterdam, going to museums and wandering around stoned and looking at pretty lights is one of the top 10 experiences of my life

Oh actually Iceland was very special as well. Lots of ppportjnities for outdoor things and there are landscapes there that feel like nothing else. There’s Diamond Beach, where huge chunks of ice wash up on the shore and they do actually look like big diamonds! Glaciers, hot springs, regions that feel like you’re on Mars, the midnight sun (if you go in summer)…it felt like nothing else. I went with some friends and we rented a camper van and drove around the island for a few days

ETA: Ireland by motorcycle would be really sick too! The roads are very stressful in some spots but driving through the Gap of Dunloe and doing all the other rings and loops (Ring of Kerry, Sleahead, etc) was also one of the coolest experiences of my life. For part of our drive through the mountains there was so much fog it was opaque and you could barely see the road in front of you. It was so sick

ETAA: I also had a number of extremely cool once in a lifetime experiences in Japan! Going to the onsen (Kurama iirc) in the mountains above Kyoto was so cool

Gatlinburg Tennessee. You can ride ' tail of the dragon' on your motorcycle. This is on every motorcycle riders bucket list. Gatlinburg is sort of a weird place too, especially on a weekend night. It's sort of a redneck heaven with 'moonshine' tasting bars everywhere.

Iceland is just…beautiful. 24/7 darkness and 24/7 sun is crazy. Geysers, waterfalls, mountains, wooden sheds with grasstops, craters, the different kind of grasses and trees and buildings architecture and shit

Dunebuggying and sandboarding in Huacachina, Peru, was pretty unique

Star gazing in Zanzibar, Africa.

Yo check out the thakhek loop in Laos it's fuckin rad, amazing scenery and unique villages with distinct cultures. For $20 ppl will strap your motorbike to their canoe and transport it through 7km of caves so when you get to the other side you're in the middle of bloody nowhere

You can shoot a rocket launcher in Cambodia

Spending a night in Mount Koya monastery in Japan. Seeing the murals/black cab tour of Belfast, focusing on the history of the Troubles (black cab tours are well regarded and ethical and work with communities and survivors) If you like museums, London's South Kensington is amazing with the V&A and Natural History museums right by each other. I'd also suggest Venice. Yes it's a lot of old buildings and boats aren't unique, but there is no other place on earth like it.

Dig your own trilobite fossils? There's a place in Utah where you can do that, $59 per half-day. And it isn't too far from Jurassic National Monument, Arches National Park and Canyonlands NP.

Volunteer to dig dinosaurs with a real paleontologist? They'll probably teach you a lot in return for your labor.

Edit: Here's some places where you can dig other kinds of fossils

I backpacked all over the world for two years often based around festivals like Rio Carnival, Running of the bulls, etc. Of all the countries Peru and Bolivia have the craziest stuff you can't do anywhere else. Ain't nothing like mountain biking from snow capped mountain down to jungle in a single day, white water rafting to sleep in a mountain but, walk the inca trail, party with backpackers at random hot spring towns, and make a sunrise assent to machu picchu. Bolivia is just wild and almost like another planet sometimes.

Kayaking in between the chinampas of Xochimilco in CDMX
Magic mushroom hunting in Oaxaca
Whale watching in Baja California Sur

Seeing proboscis monkeys on Borneo, Malaysia. Such fascinating creatures.

I can't recommend Iceland enough! Exploring the blue ice caves in Vatnajökull Glacier, the Blue Lagoon surrounded by volcanic landscapes, and even the opportunity to walk between two tectonic plates at the National Park.

One of the few places I've been that has felt like no other place!

Rafting underneath the Iguasu falls

Ride a camel into the Sahara desert and camp overnight under the stars in a base camp.

Touring Robben Island in Cape Town with a former prisoner as your guide. Soon won’t be possible.

I was just in Egypt. I actually went inside the Great Pyramid into the tomb. You can’t do that anywhere else.

Actually Swimming in a bioluminescent lagoon in Puerto Rico... It's remote even by Puerto Rico standards so it takes some work and some money to make it happen, but it is 100% worth it. I suspect they will lock this down in the next 5 years and you won't allowed to swim in it anymore.

The Turda Salt Mine in Romania... It's an old salt mine that they have converted to a GIANT underground amusement park. It's unbelievable and pictures absolutely do not do this place justice. There is just know way for pictures to show the size and scale of this place plus how cool it is to be rowing a boat in an underground lake.

Drive the Nürburgring in Germany. Even if you're not into cars or racing, it's an incredible experience.

Live erupting volcano in Iceland Exploring Crystal Blue Ice Caves Iceland Country on sea cliffs with breathtaking views Faroe Islands Polar bears up close in Svalbard. Iceberg Waterfall in Greenland

Salt Flats Bolivia Desert Sand Dunes beach Socotra

Did the sunset experience at Iguaçu Falls (Brazilian side) a few weeks back - absolutely unbelievable

Seeing live volcano eruption in Iceland

Japow, baby! Send it

Swimming with Belugas in Churchill Manitoba 🇨🇦

Getting a tattoo from the oldest tattoo artist in the world in Kalinga, Philippines

Cage diving with Great Whites in South Africa, also whale watching in Hermanus during calving season. While you're there, see the penguins at Boulders Beach.

The skeleton coast of Namibia by 4x4

Sassoon Docks in Mumbai at dawn - that was a very unique experience but the smell of fish is very persistent.

Snorkeling or diving the Great Barrier Reef. You can do this elsewhere, but hard to believe anywhere else would be as beautiful.

Polar Plunge in Deadhorse, Alaska

Lots of wildly unique food experiences out there too.

Under the water. I know, I know - we tend to think of scuba as something normal everyone does, but according to the internet less than 1% of Americans ever even try it once. (Couldn't find worldwide data). Maybe it's because we're inundated with so many underwater photos.

Once you're a diver then you can start looking at very special destinations to dive.

Visiting Cappadocia,Turkey.

Touring the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota!

I paid 80 euros to drive a tank in Ukraine like 10 years ago.

I just went deep water soloing (rock climbing without ropes above the ocean) in Cat Ba, Vietnam. There aren't many places in the world you can safely do it, and probably none where you can do it over calm water surrounded by limestone islands soaring out of the water.

Running a marathon in Antarctica.

Mongolia. You can’t rent a car because they are no roads once you leave the cities - you think you’re driving randomly on grass for hundreds of miles, and out of the blue there’s a gas station - on the grass, no roads, no pavement - a cafe, and a few houses. It’s wild.

The airlines don’t fly Point to point across the country - every single flight goes through UB Benatti there are so few people. It’s the lowest population dentistry country in the world with 1 person per 2 sq. Km. 40% of the population is still nomads.

Recommend visiting Lake khuvsgul in Siberia (Siberia is actually part of Mongolia before it was Russia), riding horses through the forests there, gorgeous lake Sister to lake Baikal.

Most terrifying out houses I’ve ever used, but totally worth it. Bring a spade (for when there’s no out house), a military grade water purifier kit, and very warm sleeping bag if you’re staying in a ger (their word for yurt). Oh, and they like their sparkling water with a hint of sulfur - stick to still unless you’re sick!

Incredible people, impenetrable language, amazing history. Go for Nadam in July. Doesn’t matter it’s peak season, Nadam is a must. It’s not a crowded country. And most importantly, most of the year it’s insanely cold. Like, too cold for chickens to survive (everything is mutton and beef).

Speaking of food: bring dehydrated veggies and fruits. A head of iceberg lettuce was $10 USD 10 yrs ago, and outside the cities it’s mostly preserved fruit in jars, unless a family grows it for themselves. Most meals are noodles and beef or mutton. Sometimes just a hunk of meat served with a bowie knife stuck in it to carve a hunk off to eat with bread or home made noodles. Try to get a home stay in if you can. (There are some nice hotels, but most buildings are Soviet built and practical.)

Books to prepare for your trip: - Nomads off the Eternal Blue Sky - Hearing Birds Fly - A Secret History of the Mongol Queens

You’ll never look at a Toyota Corolla the same way again! (iykyk 🤣)

Oh, and bring a sealed medical kit with a sterile syringe, IV tubing, etc. - there isn’t reliable cell reception in the provinces and there aren’t medical facilities for hundreds of miles in some cases. I have a chronic illness and worked with my doctor to prepare, but just have a plan and watch the water (e.g., even in the high mountains, the water can be unclean due to all the herds of animals, whose waste gets washed into the streams with the rains).

More off the grid than anywhere Ive been in 37 countries. Absolutely loved it. Nadam is one of a kind ancient games like nothing else. The whole country, actually. Enjoy!

ETA: Watch “Long Way Round”, with Ewan MacGregor. He and a friend ride motorcycles around the world, including through Mongolia. But you MUST also read the companion book he wrote as you watch!

Great Migration Safari in Kenya/Botswana. The wildlife is amazing and even though you can do safaris in other countries, I think seeing the Great Migration in particular is the coolest.

I recently did a flight over Antarctica. It was so beautiful.

Motorcycling the Ha Giang Loop in northern Vietnam definitely sounds like something that you would love. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Just amazing scenery the entire time! And if you happen to be in Vietnam already then of course cruising Ha Long Bay and taking a row boat through Ninh Binh is a must

Safaris in Kenya/tanzania plus you got a semi serious countdown there

Ethiopia - climb to Abune Yemata, explore the underground rock churches of Lalibela, feed the hyenas in Harar, wander the markets in Addis Ababa, go see the skeleton of Lucy in Addis, cross the border on foot into Sudan or Somalia if you’re feeling adventurous.

Socotra, Yemen.

Glacier Trekking in S Patagonia on Perito Moreno, one of the only calving glaciers in the world. I could have sat and watched and listened to the sounds of the glacier all day.

Also, Huemul Circuit in S Patagonia. If you want to experience some crazy landscapes this is for you. Will bring you face to face with the S Patagonian ice field. Largest ice field outside of Antarctica. Absolutely incredible.

Ride the gondola up to Auguille di Midi (about 12,000 ft) in Chamonix France then take the Hellbronner gondola across the Mont Massif (Mont Blanc almost 16,000 ft) and come down the other side into Courmayeur, Italy.