12 Months 12 Countries: What’s On Your Travel Bucket List?

Suitcase with travel stickers and text overly asking about what's on your travel bucket list.

Putting together a travel bucket list can be a lot of fun! Dream with me: if money and at-home responsibilities were no issue, where would you go?

Let’s say you had one year to travel (and a generous, replenishing bank account). You have twelve months to divide among twelve countries – one month per country. Which twelve countries would you choose and why?

With this in mind, here’s my own current travel bucket list (in no particular order) to inspire you.

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1. Costa Rica 

Palm trees on the beach overlooking the ocean in Costa Rica.
Image by William Méndez from Pixabay

Why?

Green landscape leading up to a green volcano in the distance in Costa Rica.
Image by Frank Ravizza from Pixabay

2. Italy 

Buildings on a hill overlooking the Amalfi coast, a travel bucket list must.
Image by user32212 from Pixabay

Why?

The colosseum in Rome lit up at night.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

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3. Canary Islands 

Aqua, shallow water lying along a desert landscape with a hill in the distance.
Image by lapping from Pixabay

Why?

A gigantic tree in the middle of a tropical forest.
Image by Monique Stokman from Pixabay

4. Greece

Blinding white buildings iconic to the travel bucket list country of Greece.
Image by fancycrave1 from Pixabay

Why? 

A Greek Orthodox church located next to the sea.
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

5. Thailand 

An intricate temple sitting next to a lake to look as if it is floating.
Image by gallivant01 from Pixabay

Why?

A single traditional boat floating in aqua water in the travel bucket list country of Thailand.
Image by SoleneC1 from Pixabay

6. Mauritius 

A craggy rock sitting solo within an aqua lagoon.
Image by DerBub from Pixabay

Why?

View from a mountain overlooking the ocean and reef.
Image by Nici Keil from Pixabay

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7. Bali (Indonesia) 

An intricate dragon statue silhouette facing a temple in the travel bucket list country of Bali.
Image by Peter Biela from Pixabay

Why?

An intricate carving of a man on a bike on the wall of a temple.
Image by DEZALB from Pixabay

8. Australia 

White sand and aqua water swept across the landscape in the travel bucket list setting of the Whitsunday Islands.
Image by Horst Müller from Pixabay

Why?

Ocean waves lapping onto golden sand below the Great Ocean Road, a travel bucket list must in Australia.
Image by Julian Hacker from Pixabay

9. Society Islands, French Polynesia

A solo outrigger type boat floating in sparkling water in French Polynesia.
Image by Julius Silver from Pixabay

Why?

  • Beaches, beaches, beaches!
  • Island Hopping
  • Sailing & Snorkeling
  • Lagoons
  • Rainforest
  • Polynesian culture
  • Over-water bungalows
  • Tropical flowers
  • Marine life (sea turtles)
  • Bora Bora
  • Moorea
  • Mountains (Magic Mountain)
Overwater bungalows before a green mountain in the travel bucket list must French Polynesia.
Image by Julius Silver from Pixabay

10. Columbia

Colorful buildings set on a descending cobblestone road in Columbia.
Image by gustavo9917 from Pixabay

Why?

A pier with a white building at the end over a body of water.
Image by Manuel Ramallo from Pixabay

11. St. Vincent & the Grenadines

Blue water along a rocky shoreline in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Image by Ernie A. Stephens from Pixabay

Why?

Turquoise, sparkling water stretching to cobalt blue ocean with a tiny island in the distance.
Image by Kyle Gransaull from Pixabay

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12. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Two birds on a rocky outcrop next to blue ocean water.
Image by ILVDD from Pixabay

Why?

  • Beaches
  • Island Hopping
  • Sailing & Snorkeling
  • Hiking
  • Volcanos
  • Marine life (sea lions, sea iguanas, turtles, hammerhead sharks, giant schools of fish) 
  • Tortoise Breeding Centers
  • Endemic Species (Galapagos Penguins)
  • Kicker Rock
  • Lava Tunnels
Turquoise ocean water reaching to cobalt water between two outreaches of land.
Image by ILVDD from Pixabay

What’s on Your Travel Bucket List?

You could probably see dozens of countries in a twelve month period, but one month per country allows you the time to slow down and smell the roses (or the salt in the sea).

Do you see a trend in my own personal list?

Items such as a passport, map, and magnifying glass that could be used to prepare a travel bucket list.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

I don’t know about you but I do. Cleary I’m most drawn to beautiful beaches – the more exotic the better!

So what about you? If you had twelve months to split among twelve countries, what would your twelve be? What’s on your travel bucket list?


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Aerial view of sea, coral and beach with text overlay asking what's on your travel bucket list?
Aerial view of sea, coral and beach with text overlay asking what's on your travel bucket list?
Aerial view of sea, coral and beach with text overlay asking what's on your travel bucket list?

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