Looking for your next adventure? Of course, you’ll want itto be the experience of a lifetime to check off your yachting bucket list. Butwhere to go? Take a stamp out of the passport of these crew, who shared the highlightsof their bucket list so far — and what they’ll be checking off next.
Scuba Diving inKomodo, Indonesia
Stewardess Margaret Conway of a 30-meter motor yachtconsiders getting certified as an Advanced PADI diver in Komodo National Parkby some of the best dive masters in the world to be one of her most incredibleexperiences. “The currents of the flow-through from [the] Pacific to IndianOcean produce some of the most nutrient rich and biodiverse waters on theplanet, but also some of the most dangerous conditions,” she says. “Every divewas unbelievably beautiful and exhilarating, from nudibranchs to manta rays,soft coral, drop offs, and upwellings. Perhaps most surprising of all were thedramatic landscapes in view each time we resurfaced.”
Up next: Patagonia and Antarctica; Easter Island
Exclusion Zone andAir Studios in Montserrat, Lesser Antilles
Chef Annie Gevorkian of 106-foot M/Y Galilee calls thebird’s eye view of Montserrat surreal. “If near Antigua, take the twentyminute hopper flight to Montserrat to see the marvels this tiny volcanic islandhas to offer,” she says. “Hire Sunny from Montserratislandtours.com and ask himto apply for a special permit to take you to the exclusion zone, where you cansee the buried remains of the capital city of Plymouth. Also, don’t miss out onrenting a car and finding the remains of Air Studios Montserrat, you won’tregret it!”
Up next: Swimming with whale sharks
The Grand Canyon,Arizona, U.S.
The sunset hues of the Grand Canyon made for an amazing tripfor one stewardess on a 105-foot motor yacht, who found the experience to be“absolutely insane.” She adds, “If you go there, raft in or hike to the riverbelow — you won’t be disappointed! [It’s] not exactly on your water-route, butaccessible from the California coastline within a day’s drive.”
Up next: Yosemite or Yellowstone
Half SailingNavigation of Australia
Chief Stewardess Anjuli Waybright of M/Y Onika has a bucket list that couldstretch for miles. With her heart set on an expedition-style trip, shecompleted a half-sailing circumnavigation of Australia from Cairns to Perthover the top with a crew of two on a 48-foot sailboat. “[There was] tons ofadventure and problems to solve, and [I] honed sailing skills on the fly,” she says.“I’m proud of the accomplishment even as much broke, and squalls hit us fordays. It’s nice to know how resilient and strong a person can be inadventuring.”
Up next: An adventure trek through Iceland or the DominicanRepublic
The Midwest, U.S.
The Midwest may not seem an obvious top bucket list choice,but this underrated section of the United States has a distinct beauty and alot of adventure to offer that you can’t find elsewhere. One chief stewardessof a 50–meter yacht took a trip from Fort Lauderdale to Wisconsin a few yearsago and loved being in a different setting. “While all my friends were checkinginto St. Tropez and St. Martin, I got to see places I never thought I would goto, like Cleveland, Ohio, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” she says. “The best partof the trip was the beginning of the St. Lawrence Seaway; we would go throughall the locks and see the Thousand Isles. That was a really great experience.”
Up next: Croatia
What’s on your bucket list?
Photo: Statue Rock, Montserrat, by Annie Gevorkian