101 Things to Do Before You Die: Rivers and Lakes by The TI Review Team
Fall Asleep along the Amazon by Fiona Dunlop
It’s hard to beat a week spent chugging along the Amazon in an open-sided boat, living on fresh fish and oranges, falling asleep in a hammock to the calls of howler monkey and waking to the sounds of the jungle dawn.
Float Feet First Downstream in Costa Rica by Linda Ballou
Rafting the Pacuare River in Costa Rica is a must do before you die. Class III-IV rapids are spaced nicely between peaceful glides through a primordial rain forest populated with colorful birds, grunting monkeys and three-toed sloth dozing in the canopy. Neon blue butterflies waft by on a warm breeze. Clear water invites a swim in deep pools beside a waterfall. All seems perfect in the world as you float feet first downstream.
Ride a Jet Boat up a Pristine Valley by Linda Ballou
The brilliance of New Zealand, the God Zone, can’t be overstated. A jet boat ride up pristine Wilken’s River Valley (not the busy Shot Over River outside of Queenstown) is a full-tilt boogie. Fish-tailing upstream, we sprayed rooster tails on sheep gawking at us from the shore. Snow-tipped peaks frame the sparkling river set off by dazzling blue skies. Wheelies on water and running rapids in reverse—who could ask for more?
Paddle Through a Canadian Lake by Ben Mallalieu
Paddle slowly across a mirror-flat Canadian lake on an autumn evening with the trees on the bank and lines of migrating geese in the sky reflected in the water.
Be One with the Salmon by Cleo Paskal
Snorkel down the Campbell River on Vancouver Island with 30 lbs., horny salmon swishing by. WAY more fun than it sounds.
The Waterfall of Love by Annabel Skinner
Venezuela: Splash beneath the crystal icy waters of the Cascada del Amore in the shadow of the Venezuelan tepuis.
Take a Riverboat up the Congo by Binyavanga Wainaina
Somewhere bittersweet. I would love to visit this sad, mad and beautiful country again; and this let my ground shake a little more. Congo means a lot to me - it has produced the best (Patrice Lumumba) and the worst (Mobutu).
Visit the Bodim Moor by Kamin Mohammadi
Cornwall, Dozmary Pool: Visit Bodmin Moor, the only natural lake in Cornwall and - legend has it - home to the Lady oh whom rests Excalibur. Walk around the pool and feel the eerie atmosphere of the moor, with its rose quartz and amethyst crystals.
Cascade Waterfalls by Andrew Ferree
Grab a taxi driver who'll take you to Cascade waterfalls a few kms out of Port Vila. They are as remarkable in real life - falling through 150 m, countless levels and rocky, swimmable pools - as they are lame on film when you show your friends back home.
Stay by the Shores of Lake Baikal by Andrew Ferree
Eat smoked fish and caraway-seeded fresh buns by the shores of Lake Baikal - the largest (and coldest) freshwater lake this side of Antarctica.
Cross the Seas to Orkney by Sarah Anderson
United Kingdom: Cross the seas to Orkney - wild, elemental and beautiful with an all-pervading sense of history. Sometimes the British Isles seem to have it all.
Jet-Boat up the Dart River by Yvonne Van Dongen
Jet-boating up the Dart River, Queenstown, New Zealand. This thrilling ride into New Zealand’s untouched interior offers clear air, sharp sunlight, jagged pristine bush-clad mountains and an icy blue river - a combination so stunning one founding father called his river settlement Paradise.
Raft Pakistan's Ghizar River by Steve Jermanok
Raft Pakistan's Ghizar River. Originating in the remote Hindu Raj, with 23,000-foot Tirich Mir looming just to the north, the Ghizar is a Class V river (the most challenging) that whips its way through lofty peaks and narrow canyons toward the frontier town of Gilgit. Startled villagers still appear on the shores of this off-the-beaten track destination to cheer rafters on.
Want something more tropical? Check out Travel Intelligence's 101 Things to Do Before You Die: Beachfronts