I’m sure you have noticed that there are lists for everything. Top ten lists for beaches to see and 1,000 places to dine. They may list what you should see for a city, for an area, for a country, or for something like scuba diving hotspots around the world.

We have to admit, we look at those lists when we’re planning trips. How many “have to see” things does this country or that city have. We have to say, our favorite picks pretty much coincide with those lists. There are just some things you must see anywhere you travel in the world. In Cairo, you must see the pyramids; in Paris, the Eiffel Tower; in New York, the Statue of Liberty.

Just remember that any list, whether it’s top sites in a particular country or what you need to see or do before you die is someone else’s idea of what is important. Use these lists for ideas, but don’t define your trip by them. Not everything on those lists will interest you, and your time could be spend elsewhere on something that interests you more.

You can even find lists that are for specific interests, like top restaurants in a city. If you like to party, you can find the top night life spots or bars. If you are a shopaholic, I’m sure there are lists to find the best places to shop. If you like nature, there are lists for the best places in the world to see wildlife. Whatever your interests, I am sure you could find a list.

Some top ten lists will tell you to skip touristy sights. We don’t think you should listen to them. If there is someplace you think you want to see, go and see it. Judge for yourself if it’s touristy or not. It’s not a bad thing to be a tourist!

Everyone has a different opinion about what is fun to see and what is boring. I don’t enjoy shopping, so I’m going to stay away from those top ten lists for best places to shop. I will check those lists of “best places to see wildlife” and then do the research to see if what they recommend appeals to me. We also love ancient sites, like castles and megaliths, but they may bore you to death.

It’s not necessarily fun to run from one site to another site just ticking them off the list if it’s someone else’s dream. Pick and choose what interests you and enjoy each place you visit.

We do think top ten lists are fun. If we can tick them off and have fun doing it, we love that. They’re a good place to start your planning. Compare different lists. There are many top ten lists out there. If they all list the same sights, chances are those really are the ones you shouldn’t miss.

Bookmark to:

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 4:49 pm and is filed under Adventure Travel, Travel Basics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.