A recent Legal & General study looked at the travel plans of 2,000 UK retirees.

It found that nearly two-thirds (65%) of those surveyed planned on travelling (or had already travelled) with their partner in retirement.

Favourite destinations included Spain (46%) and Italy (41%). Rest and relaxation are a priority for holidaying Brits but more than a third (34%) are looking to visit new places and tick destinations off their bucket lists.

With that in mind, and with the new year nearly upon us, read your guide to some of the best bucket-list destinations if you’re planning a big trip in 2025.

1. See the Serengeti from above

At the top of many travel bucket lists is a sunset or sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the majestic Serengeti.

In the language of the Maasai, Serengeti means “the place of endless plains”, which is easy to understand as you glide above the 15,000 square kilometres of the Serengeti National Park.

Travel as part of a package and you’ll find that your flights to Tanzania, accommodation, and transfers will all be arranged in advance. Tours of the area might include safaris, hikes, and trips to traditional villages so you’ll have a chance to really explore this beautiful country.

You also stand a chance of seeing some of the area’s iconic wildlife, like rhinos, giraffes, elephants, and lions.

Time your hot air balloon trip for June and July and you might even glimpse one of the wonders of the natural world, the wildebeest migration.

2. Visit endangered orangutan in their Borneo home

Borneo in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand comprises ancient rainforests with a rich culture and exquisite cuisine. It also boasts some incredible wildlife.

You’ll need to do your research to find the right orangutan-spotting trip. Or allow a travel agent to do all the hard work for you.

These trips aren’t for the fainthearted, or the physically unfit, as the orangutan live deep in the rainforest and it can sometimes require a trek of up to six nights or more to find them.

The Batang Ai National Park guarantees beautiful surroundings but not orangutan sightings. These wild animals in their natural habitat will do as they please. But a trip to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary means you can be sure to see one of these beautiful animals.

3. Trek and kayak through Chile’s glacial past

The Aysén region of Chile is an adventurer’s paradise, perfect for those early active years of your retirement. The Marble Caves, vast glaciers, and beautiful lakes make for breathtaking scenery wherever you look, with surprises around every corner. Including the San Rafael Glacier, a wall of ice in the heart of a rainforest.

Visit the Marble Caves via kayak and then marvel at this incredible formation, thousands of years in the making.

4. Follow in the footsteps of Agatha Christie

The Orient Express has been winding across Europe from Paris to Istanbul for around 140 years.

Viewed as the height of luxury then and now, Agatha Christie was a frequent passenger. She used her journeys as inspiration for arguably her most famous book, and the most famous case of her fictional detective Hercule Poirot, Murder on the Orient Express.

The Orient Express has always been a service, rather than a specific train, but the “original” Orient Express ceased to run in 2009. There are still, though, plenty of options open, allowing you to travel in style as you soak up the atmosphere of the last 140 years.

5. Take in the spectacle of the Iguazu Falls

While Victoria, Angel and Niagara Falls might be taller, the intricate arrangement of nearly 300 individual waterfalls makes Iguazu the largest waterfall system in the world, and a must-visit.

On the Brazil / Argentina border in the Iguazu National Park, you can take a boat trip under some of the smaller falls (although many of them are still more than 200 metres high). The most famous of the falls is known as “the Devil’s Throat”, a chasm measuring 270 feet high, 492 feet wide and 2,300 feet long.

If you dare, stand on the viewing platform and watch the power of nature as it flows beneath you.

As one of the lesser-known natural wonders of the world, it only receives a comparatively small number of visitors each year – 1.5 million compared to the 30 million that visit Niagara annually. You’ll feel like you almost have the place to yourself!

Get in touch

If you need help to make your retirement travel dreams a reality, get in touch. Email info@thepensionplanner.co.uk or call 0800 0787 182.