By Lynn O’Rourke Hayes
FamilyTravel.com
You’ll marvel at dozens of bucket list-worthy vacations ideas found within National Geographic’s illustrated guide to “Epic Journeys: 245 Life-Changing Adventures.” Here are five ideas sure to tempt your family’s travelers, including one right here in Washington:
1. Bike the Baltics. This compact region, comprised of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, is rich in scenic beauty, history and heritage. Given the largely flat terrain and cycle-centric culture, it’s possible to explore the area’s ancient ruins and fairytale-like castles as well as to sample the important cultural and folk traditions in one 10- or 12-day biking trip.
2. Sink into the Yucatan Cenotes. Dive, snorkel or swim in the gem-colored waters near Tulum on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. More than 6,000 natural limestone sinkholes, some with large pools, others small and sheltered, once provided fresh water for the Mayan people and were considered portals to the gods. In fact, the word “cenote” means “sacred well.”
3. Discover the wonders of Palau. This Pacific archipelago of 500 islands is one of the richest ecosystems on the planet, and home to more than 1,300 species of fish and 700 species of coral. During your visit to this aquatic wonderland, you can paddle and snorkel in the Rock Islands, which are listed as Unesco World Heritage sites. History lovers will find the WWII heritage compelling.
4. Explore Namibia. One of the least populated countries in the world, Namibia begs to be explored. From the capital city of Windhoek to the stark Skeleton Coast, you’ll find a timeless landscape where desert-adapted wildlife — elephants, lions and the rare, black rhino — share the vast landscape with birds, antelopes, cape foxes and brown hyenas. Few people and sparse development translate into a magnificent display of stars.
5. Paddle near the orcas. One of the best places to see orcas in the wild is in the protected waters of the Johnstone Strait off Vancouver Island’s northeastern coast. There, paddlers glide past old-growth rain forests, empty stone beaches, and remnants of ancient settlements as they make their way through the Strait and around tiny islands.
