5 Bucket List Hikes You Need To Tackle in 2023

2022 took us to some of the best hikes of our lives. From Thailand to Portugal, here are 5 hikes you should definitely add into your 2023 travel plans! 🥾🌲

1) 𝙉𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙡, 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖 𝘾𝙞𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙞𝙩 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙠🇳🇵

This hike is certainly not for the faint of heart. But the unbeatable views throughout fuelled us to keep going. As we ascent, we went from lush forests in day 1 to autumn hillsides by day 8, and even seeing snow towards the end!

This expedition was our second TTI Experiences trip, where we bring like-minded travellers to the world’s wildest destinations. Starting off the trip as strangers, we all became close friends by the time we reached the Thorong La Pass (the highest point). 🏔️

𝗠𝗮𝘅 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲: 5,416m

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: 131km

𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 11 days

𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆: Intermediate to Advanced

2) 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨, 𝙆𝙪-𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜-𝙜𝙖𝙞 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is 🇦🇺 Australia’s second oldest national park with numerous walking tracks to explore.

We did two hikes here. The first was Topham Track, a short 3.7km return hike (2hrs) that traverses open woodlands. The trail is mostly flat and unassuming, but the end features stunning views of Refuge Bay. Head to the secret sandstone cave at the end too — it’s unmarked, close to the main path.

The second hike was the America Bay Walking Track. It’s even shorter (1.8km return hike, 1hr), but we preferred this as it starts off pretty flat and narrow, before getting a bit more rugged — traversing across large rocks and unpaved trails are our favourite kind of hikes! 😍

𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲: AU$12/car (~S$11.48)

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀: 24 hours

𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆: Beginner

3) 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙆𝙝𝙖𝙤 𝙎𝙖𝙢 𝙍𝙤𝙞 𝙔𝙤𝙩 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠 (𝙃𝙪𝙖 𝙃𝙞𝙣)

Khao Sam Roi Yot translates to “mountain with three hundred peaks”, the park’s series of limestone hills.

Our hike of choice is trekking up to Khao Daeng Viewpoint (157m). It’s a low effort and high reward hike that takes just 30 minutes to reach, where panoramic views of the Gulf of Thailand await. ✨

Hikes aside, this park is massive and worth spending a full day here. Some must-visits include the Phraya Nakhon Cave and the Thung Sam Roi Yot Freshwater Marsh. 🪷

𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲: ฿200 (~S$8) — flash ticket for entry to all landmarks

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀: 6AM – 8PM

𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆: Beginner

4) 𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙜𝙖𝙡, 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙞𝙧𝙖

The Vereda do Areeiro (PR1) is Madeira’s most famous hike, connecting the island’s three highest peaks — Pico Ruivo (1862m), Pico das Torres (1851m) and Pico do Areeiro (1817m). This ~12km route takes about 6-8 hours, with mind blowing views throughout! 👀

be sure to head to the top for breathtaking views of the peaks and villages 🏘

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: 10.5km

𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 2-4 hours

𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆: Intermediate to Advanced

5) 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙕𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡’𝙨 𝙋𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙗𝙤𝙬𝙡

Located in Arthur’s Pass, the Devil’s Punchbowl 👹Walking Track is a short hour-long return hike (2km), with a rewarding 131-metre waterfall at the end. Its scenic route starts with a flat walk across a bridge followed by a series of stairs.

Drive around Arthur’s Pass and enjoy the amazing alpine scenery — one of the most beautiful road trips around New Zealand’s South Island! 🚗

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀: 24 hours

𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆: Beginner

𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕, 𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆!

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