13 Things You Should Do Around the World in Your 30s

[Patricia Keys]

Pil-Art



Your thirties are decade of transition, when most people finally get to better understand the nuances of life and the responsibilities that come with it. You become more mature and focused, and start to think about your life seriously. And if you have a passion for travel, you can still enjoy it to the maximum, and more responsibly perhaps than you did in your twenties. Here's my list of the life-changing experiences you can look forward to:

Travel Back to Time at the Pyramids of Giza

Counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Egypt's pyramids of Giza along with the Sphinx outside Cairo are a quintessential bucket-lister. At a height of 479 feet - and a base 754 feet across - the Great Pyramid of Cheops (top) stood as the tallest man-made structure for nearly 3,800 years until the completion of the Eiffel Tower, A marvel of human creation. Activities include touring pyramid interiors and the ruins of the workers' village, visiting the Solar Boat Museum, taking a camel ride, and watching the mesmerizing even sound and light show.


Go on a Wildlife Safari in Kenya's Masai Mara

In one of those bucket-list experiences of a lifetime, you'll be awed by the vast open woodlands with its variety of wildlife species like lions, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, leopards, elephants and cheetahs. The Masai Mara is the one-stop destination for wildlife and nature lovers yearning to witness these wild animals from close quarters. Enjoying camping the night under the stars and peek into the life of the Maasai tribes who inhabit most parts of these lands. 


Rejuvenate at a Yoga Retreat in Bali

Eat, pray love, anyone? A yoga retreat  is an ideal way to let go of the stress and anxiety of the modern world. Apart from being a picturesque location with fantastic beaches, Bali is also known for its yoga, wellness, and spirituality. People from different parts of the world flock to this amazing destination to experience its rejuvenating yoga retreats it offers. Experience the incredible energy of a Bali yoga retreat - it'll do wonders for your health and mental wellbeing.


Witness the Northern Lights

The aurora borealis are a natural phenomenon that results from the disturbances caused by the solar winds in the magnetosphere. The best place to witness these Northern Lights is from Fairbanks, Alaska, as well as other places like Norway, Finland, Sweden, Greenland and Iceland.  Be mesmerized by these stunning display of bright hues that dance across the night skies, making them look like something straight from a fairy-tale books.  


Explore the Rainforests of the Amazon

If you are an adventure freak, then one of the things to do in your 30s is to explore the Amazon rainforest. Covering a large part of Brazil and extending to Peru and Colombia, the Amazon is known for its biodiversity as home to thousands of tribal peoples. That biodiversity includes some of the rarest species of wildlife, such as the much-famed anacondas, piranhas, and jaguars. A journey to these rainforests will take you a different world altogether where you can get a real taste of jungle life - and since climate change and human encroachment are endangering them, experience it while you can. 


Go Trekking in the Himalayas

South Asia's mystical, majestic Himalaya Mountains have lured thousands of explorers and adventurers from all corners of the world for ages, home to some of the most incredible peaks, some towering at an elevation of more than 8,000 meters. Trek through some of the most stunning landscapes o earth and experience some of the local cultures that make them their home, in north India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and China. 


Experience the Thrill of Bungee Jumping in South Africa & Elsewhere

Rising 216 meters (709 feet), the Bloukrans Bridge bungee jump in South Africa's Western Cape was the first ever to be used for this sport, and is still the country's highest. It only takes seven seconds for you to plunge to the base from the top, but those seven seconds will surely be the adrenaline rush of a lifetime. And don't worry, trained staff will be there to guide you and ensure that you are well-secured before the jump. Give it a try if you love to push yourself to the edge. And of course, you can find this activity in many other countries around the world - most notably New Zealand and Australia.


Ride the Rails in India

India's rail network is the most expansive in the world, carrying up to 20 million passengers daily on  20,000 trains. Yes, the average Indian train ride is loud, smelly, and chaotic, but at the same time wonderful and exciting. It is a truly unique experience where you interact with different people, explore the sights and sounds, and of course, learn to be more compassionate, happy, and empathetic. For those looking for more of an upscale experience, this country is also home to some of the world's most atmospheric luxury trains, such as the Maharajah Express.


Walk the Great Wall of China

Another of the truly iconic wonders of the world, the Great Wall winds across more than 21,000 kilometers and is visible even from the moon. There are several portions of this astonishing feat of ancient engineering, built from the 7th through 3rd century BCE, that are open to visitors - walk its massive brick-and-stone ramparts and learn of its fascinating history. It's one thing to see it in pictures and quite another to experience it up close and personal.


Take an Antarctica Cruise

The planet's southernmost continent - and its most remote and least known - is a magical, otherworldly-seeming place whose allure cannot be adequately captured in words or even pictures, and it's visited by just 35,000 per year. Embark on one of the November-through-March cruises that ply its frigid waters to get a close-up look at its magnificent icebergs, whales, and beaches covered with penguins and seals. It'll be sure to be seared into your memory forever.


Hike to Machu Picchu

Latin America is full of ancient ruins, but thanks to its spectacular setting 2,430 meters up in Peru's Andes Mountains, perhaps none are more memorable - and mystical - than this mysterious 15th-century "lost citadel" of the vanished Inca Empire. But instead of merely being one of the thousands thronging the ruins on any given day, make the experience even more memorable by hiking the challenging but rewarding Inca Trail that leads here through cloud forests, alpine tundra, villages, and other Inca ruins. Depending on where you start, it can take two to five days. Oh, and watch out for soroche (altitude sickness)!


Scuba Dive/Snorkel Australia's Great Barrier Reef

Off the coast of Queensland, the world's largest coral-reef system (comprising some 2,900 reefs) stretches across an area of some 133,000 square miles and is home to 400 coral types along with nearly 2,000 species of fish, sea turtles, whales, dolphins, and other marine life. Explore some of this stunning underwater scenery by scuba diving snorkeling off various islands such as Green Island or Michaelmas Cay, or take a boat excursion out onto the open reef. You can also take excursions to swim with the manta rays, giant marine turtles, whales, even sharks - a once in a lifetime opportunity. 


Raft the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

Some six million visitors flock to admire one of the world's mightiest and most famous canyons, but there's nothing quite like the excitement of experiencing it from the bottom - more specifically the whitewater rapids of the Colorado River which runs through it. There are different packages available which will which provide plenty of adrenaline in addition to a look at areas - side canyons, caves, hidden waterfalls - you can see only from the river.