Editors' Picks: Our Bucket List

It's the end of days! The Mayan calendar predicts the world will come to a screeching halt Dec. 21. So we'd be remiss if we didn't provide a list of our dream vacations before we kick the bucket.

"Something definitely on my bucket list is to go on an African safari. If we're faced with the apocalypse, hey, I might as well stare down a rhinoceroses or a lion. If it's the last thing I'll ever see, I'd love to watch the sun set and the stars come out over the African hillside. But in all honesty, if my days were really numbered, I'd probably be sipping wine in a Parisian pied-à-terre even though it's a lot less wild." -- Sara, Producer

“I’d spend my end of days on this island paradise in French Polynesia. I’d be wearing next to nothing and enjoying unlimited tropical drinks and fresh seafood. I’d walk the beaches, said to be as white and soft as baby powder, and swim in the clear blue waters of the lagoon and surrounding barrier reef. In the evening, I’d retire to one of those over-the-water bungalows where I could watch the fish through the coffee table and fall asleep to the sound of the waves below. What a way to go!” -- Jodi, Site Director

“It's no surprise that, being a travel editor, my bucket list is long ... it's an occupational hazard. Things have moved up and down on my list, but there is one trip that's always been set in ink: Hike the Inca Trail. While I know there is a comfortable train that goes directly from Cusco, Peru, to Machu Picchu, there is something very end-of-days about making the same arduous 4-day, 30-mile trek through the Sacred Valley that the ancient Incas once made. The most memorable travel moments are the ones that don’t come easy, right?” -- Kathleen, Producer

“World coming to an end?! Hurry, sign me up with Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space program fast! Oh, shoot! The first flight out isn’t until 2013? Guess that means Branson is betting the world won’t stop spinning come Dec. 21. A ticket aboard this flight will cost a cool quarter mil, but with a passenger list that reportedly includes Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie this is one trip I wouldn’t want to miss. Oh yeah, plus it would be pretty cool to see the Earth from outer space.” -- Lisa, Producer

“Most people probably wouldn’t know where the Falkland Islands were if you asked them, which gives me all the more incentive to visit these isolated islands just off the southernmost tip of South America. The main reason I'd like to visit the Falklands is the chance to meet a penguin … or a few thousand. Five different species live on the tiny islands. And they're not afraid of humans; so I wouldn't have any problem getting a perfect photo op.” -- Amanda, Producer

“When I find myself daydreaming, there is only one place I go -- to the secluded, white-sanded, clear-watered beaches in Fiji. For me it’s the perfect place to relax in the sun, far away from the rest of the world. The island nation in Melanesia, located in the middle of the South Pacific, spans more than 330 islands, making it an ideal place to escape with your loved ones or simply spend time alone far away from the rest of civilization.” -- Ben, Producer

"Taking a dive in the Great Barrier Reef, climbing to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge or just people watching and relaxing au naturel on Lady Jane Beach are all fun things I imagine my trip Down Under would include. However, if my days were numbered, I’d go on a balls-to-the-wall adventure and backpack my way through Australia’s Outback. Exploring natural beauty like Ayers Rock, Alice Springs, Kakadu National Park and the diverse wildlife would maintain my Zen state even though the Earth is about to fall off its axis, go hurling into space or just become a hot ball of sizzlin’ mess." -- Kwin, Managing Producer

"Working at Travel Channel has opened up a Pandora’s box; my bucket list will now take a Mega Millions-sized fortune to realize. The top of my list are the Maldives. Sadly, this stunning collection of 1,190 tiny islands and atolls may become the first nation to disappear into the water if climate change persists. It’s only a matter of time before my dream of scuba diving in the islands’ reefs becomes a distant wish, so my lottery win better be imminent!" -- Allee, Producer

“I made an afternoon trip to South Africa’s Rocklands a few years ago and the memory of those few hours there still hasn’t escaped my mind. The region is a massive collection of boulders in the country’s Cederberg Wilderness Area, just north of Cape Town. With the impending apocalypse upon us, I’ll spend my remaining moments climbing boulder after boulder with my trusty Nalgene flask filled with Talisker 18 for one final adventure in pebble wrestling.” -- Arthur, Video Project Manager

"Let me tell you, Dubai is no joke -- we’re talking luxury at its finest! Besides being home to Burj Khalifa, which currently holds the title of the world’s tallest building, the city is a stone’s throw from the Palm Islands, the world’s largest artificial islands now being called the eighth wonder of the world. The UAE city has been on my bucket list for about 10 years, and once I find reasonably priced direct flight, I’m packing my bags. Whatever else Dubai has up its sleeve, I’m already looking forward to running around Dubailand and the Mall of Arabia like a kid in a candy store." -- Vanessa, Photo Editor

“Dinosaurs intrigue me. Maybe it’s because they ruled the Earth for such a friggin long time -- 160 million years. Granted, it may sound a bit odd to spend the end of days roaming the halls of Museo Carmen Funes, a small natural history museum in Patagonia, pondering the last days of a species that went extinct 65 million years ago. But looking up at the fossils of the biggest, most fantastical giants to have ever roamed the Earth would definitely transport my imagination to a place far, far away.” -- Lisa, Producer