Cheap Bucket List Ideas You Can Start Checking Off This Weekend

Mountaineers going up a snow capped slope

Whether we realise it or not, we all have bucket lists. You know, things you would like to do someday but never really seem to have the time. Ever since that Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman movie came out in 2007 (The Bucket List) most people think that the line items on their bucket lists have to be grand. Things like:

  • Jumping out of perfectly good aeroplanes (skydiving)
  • Skiing Mt. Everest (only for those with a very demanding “dare-devil” in them)
  • Racing an F1 car alongside Louis Hamilton
  • Learning the ways of the samurai in Japan

While it is true that the grander your bucket list the more exciting it can be, it is also true that it can contain the little, simple things in life. Things that you can start checking off today.

scuba divers

The main problem with creating a near-impossible to accomplish bucket list is that you will keep procrastinating:

  • You will get to it someday
  • It costs too much so you need to save for a few years
  • You cannot get the time off work
  • Maybe when you retire

These are all excuses that can be dismissed by simply coming up with a bucket list that does not call for a national referendum on whether or not you should really spend a month diving the Mariana Trench.

With that in mind, here are some bucket list ideas that you can start checking off today.

Simple bucket list ideas you can start working on today

Your bucket list can be comprised of anything. As long as it is something that you feel will get you excited then it can make the list. Just ask yourself: what are some of the things you have always wanted to do but never really got around to?

  • Do you want to learn how to fish or go scuba diving?
  • Do you want to learn how to make your own signature cocktail?
  • Maybe you want to learn sign language or how to speak Swahili?

These are all things that could go on your bucket list. Today, you can turn that stubborn “I’ll get to it someday” into “I’m starting today” with these simple and affordable bucket list ideas:

Go hiking to Ngare Ndare

Ngare Ndare has to be one of the most, if not THE most, serene locations in Kenya. Located at the foothills of Mt. Kenya, this lush forest which straddles the border between Laikipia and Meru Counties is only a 4-hour drive from Nairobi or a 40-minute drive from Nanyuki (you can do this in a day).

Turquoise pool at Ngare Ndare

Image Credit: Ngare Ndare

From 200-year-old trees to a canopy walk over the forest that will sermon all of your courage topped off with occasional elephant sightings and excellent picnic opportunities, Ngare Ndare is really what your soul needs every now and again. The best part is that the forest has a total of 7 natural pools that, if you go at the right time (right after heavy rains) are as turquoise blue and as clear as the sky. It truly is spectacular.

Tour your own town

People who live in Nairobi tend to overlook just how beautiful the city is and how much it has to offer. The same applies to people who live in any other town. Believe it when we say that your town has something exciting to offer, you just have to look closely enough. Nairobi for example has:

  • The Nairobi National Park (the only National Reserve within city limits in the world). Have you ever been? You do not have to go to Maasai Mara to see the Big Five or stay at a luxury bush resort. You can find all that just 20 minutes from the city centre.
  • The Nairobi National Museum complete with Botanical Gardens, Nature Trails and a Snake Park.
  • The Mamba Village. Have you ever seen a Nile Crocodile up close? Those things truly are related to dinosaurs. At the Mamba Village, barely 25 minutes from the city centre, you will get to see over 70 of them being fed.

Then there is the David Sheldrick Elephant & Rhino Orphanage, the Bomas of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum …the list goes on and on. These are all things you can visit and enjoy in a day. They don’t even cost that much.

Go GP-Karting

Well, it’s nothing close to racing an F1 car alongside Sebastian Vettel and the likes but if you are a speed junkie then go-karting is one of the best and safest ways to let that demon out. At GP-Karting near the Carnivore on Lang’ata Rd, you will experience much more than just racing a 60cc speedster on the tracks. They also offer paintballing, private racing and a restaurant if you just want to hang out and look at the karts whiz by.

Live Like a contestant on Ninja Warrior for a day

If you are into high adrenaline challenges, then there are several options at your disposal. You could:

You could also put all those on your bucket list for later and go for a “High Ropes Challenge” in Rongai. There is an outfit called “Diguna High Ropes Challenge” that allows you to be like Tarzan for the day. Check it out:

Learn how to use a handgun

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to fire a 9mm handgun? You can actually learn how to do that at the “Kenya Regiment Rifle Club” at the Sailing Club in Langata, just 15 minutes from the city centre. You will learn all about gun safety, hire the guns and ammunition from the professional and see if you are a natural “dead-shot” at the firing range. There are very few more thrilling ways to spend an afternoon. The charges range from 1,000 Ksh ($10) for entry and vary depending on the kind of gun you want to hire. (1,000 Ksh ($10) for 9mm guns and different charges for the ammunition)

Your bucket list ideas do not need to take you halfway across the world (but if they do, well and good). You can simply come up with some exciting ideas that you can start checking off the list this very day.

Do you have any other bucket list ideas you would love to try today? Share them with us in the comment section below.

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