The Windfall Wishlist: Bucket-List Trips Worth Daydreaming About
Everyone has a list for the day the numbers come up. Maybe it’s a work bonus, a surprise birthday cheque, or the weekly draw you entered on emiratesdraw.com on a whim. However the money arrives, the first question is usually the same: where would I go?
Here’s our list, from achievable splurges to once-in-a-lifetime journeys. Each one comes with a tip for doing it for less, so you can start planning whether or not the windfall ever turns up.
- A spa weekend in the Lake District
Think a lakeside hotel, a hot-stone treatment, a walk up to a viewpoint before breakfast and a long dinner by the fire. It’s close, easy and properly restorative.
Do it for less: go midweek in November or early March, when rates drop sharply and the fells are quiet.
- A food weekend in Paris
Book a table at a bistro you’ve bookmarked for years, browse the market stalls on Rue Cler, and sit outside with a glass of wine and nowhere to be. Paris is the classic weekend for good reason.
Do it for less: book Eurostar tickets as soon as they’re released, stay in the 11th or 12th row instead of the centre, and make lunch your big meal, when set menus are far cheaper than dinner.
- A girls’ trip to Lisbon
Lisbon has sunshine, pastel de nata, rooftop bars, and miradouros (viewpoints), with Sintra’s fairytale palaces a short train ride away. It’s ideal for a group that wants a bit of everything.
Do it for less: go in May or late September, share an Airbnb apartment, and get around on the trams and the metro instead of taxis.
- An overwater villa in the Maldives
This is the one on every list: a villa over a turquoise lagoon, a ladder straight into the sea, and reef fish visible from the deck.
Do it for less: look for resorts that offer a few nights in a beach villa and others in an overwater one. Avoid Christmas and Easter, and watch for flight sales from UK hubs.
- Japan in cherry blossom season
Kyoto’s temples, Tokyo’s neighbourhoods, a ryokan with an onsen (hot spring bath), and cherry blossoms along the rivers. It’s a trip that lives up to the hype.
Do it for less: a rail pass can still make sense if you’re covering a lot of ground. Mix in business hotels with one special ryokan night, and eat at convenience stores and standing noodle bars, which are excellent.
- A Northern Lights cabin
A glass-roofed cabin in Finnish Lapland or a cosy lodge in northern Norway, with husky sledding by day and, with luck, the aurora overhead at night.
Do it for less: travel in late February or March, when nights are still dark but prices ease. A self-catering cabin with a big window gets you most of the magic.
- A safari in Kenya or Tanzania
The Masai Mara or the Serengeti during the Great Migration is one of the best travel experiences.
Do it for less: consider the shoulder months either side of peak migration, or a mid-range tented camp instead of a luxury lodge. You see the same animals.
- Antarctica
Icebergs the size of buildings, penguin colonies and total silence. Most trips sail from Ushuaia in Argentina.
Do it for less: last-minute berths are sometimes sold at a discount from Ushuaia itself. Smaller ships also tend to give you more landings for your money.
- A grand rail journey
There’s a vintage sleeper through the Alps, or a slow train across a continent with dinner in a dining car. Here the journey is the destination.
Do it for less: scheduled sleeper services like the Caledonian Sleeper or Nightjet give you a similar romance for a fraction of a luxury train’s fare.
- Round the world
Pick five or six cities on different continents and take a few months to see them. For many people it’s the dream that sits behind all the others.
Do it for less: round-the-world tickets from airline alliances can be cheaper than booking each leg separately, especially if you’re flexible on dates and direction.
How to Choose Your First
If the whole list appeals, narrow it down with three quick questions. How much time can you realistically take off? A long weekend rules out Japan, but it’s perfect for Paris or Lisbon. Who are you going with?
A girls’ trip, a solo adventure and a family holiday suit very different destinations. And what do you actually want from your bucket-list trip, to come home feeling: rested, inspired or slightly in awe?
Answer those honestly and one trip usually stands out. It’s often not the most expensive one, but the one that fits your life right now. The others can wait for the next birthday, the next bonus or the next lucky break.
By A.Williams
Image credit Dreamstime.com
