Planning Your Bucket List Trip: Where Will Your Dreams Take You?

Are you ready to make 2025 the year you finally check that dream destination off your bucket list? In this episode of the Vacation Inspiration podcast, I’ll guide you through the process of planning your ultimate bucket-list trip.

From breathtaking safaris in Africa to the serene landscapes of Antarctica, and the cultural wonders of Japan, we’ll explore trending destinations and unforgettable experiences. Plus, I’ll share tips on why planning early is the key to creating a truly extraordinary journey.

Whether you’re dreaming of adventure, relaxation, or a little of both, this episode will inspire you to start planning now. Let’s turn those travel dreams into reality!

Tune in and discover:

• Why early planning is essential for luxury travel.
• Top bucket-list destinations for 2025.
• How to choose a trip that speaks to your heart.
• The benefits of working with a luxury travel advisor.

Where will your 2025 bucket list take you? Let’s dream big together!

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Transcript

0:01

Welcome back to the vacation inspiration podcast. I'm Paula Prickett, your host and travel advisor with black dog luxury travel. And I am super excited to talk to you today about something that is very near and dear to my heart, which is planning your bucket list trip. first off, it's kind of amazing and awesome that we did survive January so far. So hopefully everyone is doing great on their new year's resolutions. I know we've just stepped into the new year, but. when it comes to. some of these travel experiences, early planning. Is very beneficial. kind of the earlier you start dreaming the sooner we can make it a reality. And I absolutely love doing that for you. So I want to talk a little bit about why early planning is important for some of these bucket list trips. Some like hot destinations that maybe you didn't know to put on your bucket list and how to choose. The best bucket list trip for you. So. Grab your favorite beverage and let's dive in. First, let's talk about why planning now, not in six months or next year is the best thing you can do for yourself. So when you're planning your bucket list trip, especially to an in demand destination, such as Africa. Right now, Japan. And Arctica. availability is. Everything. And a lot of the times when we're doing some of these extensive itineraries and these very complex trips for people. The best lodges, the best guides, the best experiences will book up well in advance sometimes a year to two years ahead of time. So that's why starting early is definitely in your favor. Because if we're putting the puzzle pieces together and some of these properties, or some of these guides that are in such high demand, they may only have a day or two. Available here. And then we have a gap and then we've got, you know, kind of our next place or an ex experience. You know, several days down, down the line, it just doesn't fit in very well. So to plan ahead. Really definitely benefits you that way. And it just gives you, well, it gives you more time to dream that's for one thing, but it also allows you to customize the trip more so we can. We can really plan ahead to, to maximize your experience and maximize your time. And. Knowing that you have. You know, a dream trip in the works kind of makes the rest of the year, a little bit more exciting. It gives you something to look forward to something, to motivate you, something to inspire you. And something to dream about. Now for destinations. Like. Where should your travel dreams take you? I know right now, some of the most exciting bucket list options. Africa is always going to be on the list. Safaris are absolutely magical. I could personally safari every day of my life and be a very happy camper. But. And then, some of these destinations like Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana. they, really lead the way with some of their lodges and their wildlife experiences. So you can, you know, kind of. Even just imagine. The elephant experiences, you know, they're, they're so close and they're just in the wild, they're in their natural habitat. Um, you know, lions, leopards, cheetahs, all of the things it's. Africa will always be always be Africa will always be magical, should always be on your list. And I will give you a spoiler alert because you will think. Okay, I'm going to plan. I'm going to plan my one trip to Africa. And then you will go to Africa and you will realize. There's no way. You can't go back. You're going to have to go back to Africa. You will absolutely love it. You'll. You'll completely fall in love with it. Japan. Japan is also another one that has, you know, since it, it opened up its borders after COVID. It has been on everyone's radar. You've got the cherry blossoms in the spring. You've got the vibrant city of Tokyo. You've got tea ceremonies. Um, you skiing, snowboarding. Japan is very special. That has definitely been a hot one for a lot of people. Patagonia. So I do love Patagonia as well. It will always be in my. Top five of a favorite places to go. just the landscaping and glacier hikes, the remote luxury lodges. Again, it comes back to, they don't have that many rooms in some of these luxury lodges. So we really. Need to create a seamless experience for you in advance. and the topography to kind of navigate around Patagonia. sometimes can be a little bit weather dependent. So some of our windows for travel. definitely makes a difference. So Patagonia. Fantastic bucket list destination. also there's fishing there too. Forgot about that. It's just, it's absolutely stunning. You will fall in love with it as well. The Mediterranean. Like for instance, whether you do cruises, Or whether you do. your own land exploration package. They will probably never go out of style, Greece, Italy, Croatia. there's something about that Mediterranean sea that just gets into your soul. Completely. Completely worth the trip. a small ship cruise. If you're looking at doing something like that, they do tend to book up again. They're not large. The small ships can get into places where the big ships can't. If you know me at all, you know, I don't like sharing my vacation with a ton of people. so I am a fan of small ship cruising for sure. And I also just love the attention. To detail that they give you while you're on the ship. It's a, it's a delightful experience. And it's a great way to see. A lot of different places. you only have to unpack once, but you kind of get a taste of a lot of places and, and you can. You know, decide if you want to go back for more should you want to, but it really gives you a nice overall experience, but just the, the coastal villages are charming. hidden beaches, just the locals are lovely in the Mediterranean. I mean, how could they not be look where they live? It's just amazing. So definitely a bucket list trip there. If you haven't been put it on there. And I know I just got back from Antarctica. late last year. That sounds so weird to say, but that one is also definitely a bucket list trip for people. And you, and I mentioned a little bit on this podcast as well. I would not leave that one. A long time. I think the younger you go the better it will be for you. I think just the, having the mobility and being able to experience the raw nature of Antarctica. should definitely be. Moved up, if that is on your bucket list, don't leave that one for, for when you're old not moving around much. So. Definitely Antarctica. Should be on the list. Should be dreaming about going, it's such a unique experience. It is unlike anything else I've ever done. So, and you might have your own dream destination in mind, and I would love to know what it would be and why there's different things that Appeal to different people, which I think. Kind of brings us to the next thing of like, how do you decide. You know, on your bucket list trip. When I talk to clients. And sometimes I'll have clients that. Just really, aren't sure they, they know they want to go someplace. They really aren't sure where they want to go. And it's almost too. Wide have a blanket. Right. So we really have to kind of narrow some things down. You know, what time of the year do you have available to go? Like, that's just kind of like some logistics stuff. How long do you have. That you can, you know, be away from home or away from work or, or whatever. Like how much time do you have that you can, can go and do this and really. Be able to be present and soak in the experience. And speaking of experience, like what type of things. Light you up. And I love asking this question to people because you never know what your answer is going to be, but there will be. different things for different people. for some people it's it's wildlife for some people it's. You know, History. I've had people that completely light up. With obviously food. Food is always a big one. I've had people light up with architecture. Um, they're huge into architecture. And so to see some of the architecture used. throughout history and some places that like totally rang the bell for them. So that's one thing to think of is like, what lights you up? What brings you joy? Is it a beach? Is it a mountain? Is it, history? Is it animals? Is it culture? Is it food? Is it kind of a combination thereof? All those types of things. Because you can have more than one for sure. another one I would say is, you know, who do you want to travel with? That's a big one because who you travel with can greatly impact your trip for sure. So, you know, are you traveling with your family or you're traveling with kids? Is it. A romantic escape. Are you going on your own? I traveled by myself. Fairly often. So I'm very familiar with that. sometimes just the people that you're with can shape the destination. And honestly, too, sometimes it's the people that you travel with. That does let you up. So I've got some people, That. They have just said, I don't care where we go. I don't care what we do. I just want to go with my wife. Like it just want to go with, these people that I love. And that's enough for them. That brings them joy. Now there. For the other people may have some, may have some opinions. so we can kind of kill two birds with one stone in that type of situation. But, and then, you know, you'll also have to like different things that you've always dreamed of doing. the Northern lights. That's a big one for a lot of people. and they're amazing. They're abs you know, and you can create some fantastic trips and fantastic experiences around those. Obviously we've touched on safaris. I know myself. I'm not going to. Say helpful. I am, but there were some movies in my youth that definitely. Um, Created. Some desires to go to different places in the world. I'm not going to tell you what movies they are. But, they're still kind of hanging out in the back of my mind of like, this is when I was at that impressionable age. I saw this movie and there's this place that's still, still has like a desire in my heart to go to. So some of those two. Some of those things, like it's just kind of always been there. And if you don't ever really, plan. Ongoing, it will just stay there. It'll just stay the buried dream. So. That is definitely something to, to think about and kind of consider when you're trying to figure out like where to go. And I know shameless plug here for working with a travel advisor, but that's what I do. I know a lot of the times when people come to me and. Looking at kind of some of these bigger trips. Or I would bigger, but just. Trips of great importance to them. And in my opinion, every trip should be a great importance to you. Cause it's, it's your time. Away from work, it's your time away. Um, and you with, with people that you care about. So it's, it's an important thing, but so people will come to me and they'll be like, I'm overwhelmed. I have no idea where to start. I have no idea how to put all these puzzle pieces together. Um, all that type of thing. So that is where working with the travel advisor definitely works out in your favor. Um, we have got negotiated contracts with people. We. Work with upgrades and perks that other people don't get. And we really put the entire thing together. So that it's just seamless and enjoyable. Like my goal. I often say to people, my goal is. You know, you just need to get to the plane. And then everything else is taken care of. So we've got everything. Lined up, we're monitoring things. We can move things if we need to on the fly. Hopefully not, but trouble is that way. So sometimes that happens. Um, But we just have it all. Like set up, so you don't have to worry about, you know, What's coming next or, oh my gosh, this or that, or, you know, all those types of things. Like you can actually just. Unplug. And enjoy this amazing experience and the people that you're with. So that's definitely the biggest advantage to using a travel advisor. In my opinion. So hopefully this has been at least inspirational. I do hope that you are. Starting to at least think of. You know, kind of making your bucket list trip a reality. Uh, if you would like some help, I would, I would love to help you out. Please reach out to me. And, we can chat. And get something, something started for you, but. before we know it, we'll be talking about 20, 26 and as scary as that is, Kind of even comprehend, but if we don't start planning now, the time's going to pass anyway. And another year by, and you wouldn't have even taken a step towards. Towards making some of those. Amazing memories or, or checking the box on some of these bucket list trips. So hopefully that was. At least educational for you. And I hope that. The year 2025 is a year. Filled with incredible travel memories for you. We will talk to you again, next time. Have a great day.