Travel is one of the greatest teachers in life. Everywhere you go, listening to the stories of the locals and hearing what they have to say will provide you insight on how other people think. Some people travel just to stamp pages on their passport, some to see new places, some to learn from the locals, many are seeking to hear what spiritual teachers have to say, and so on.
No matter what your specific traveler "type" is, keeping an open-mind and hearing what others have to say can dramatically affect your worldview in a positive way.
Here Are 5 Places You Need to Visit Before You Die
1. Machu Picchu
Even the best camera in the world wouldn't do this place justice. There is a surreal feeling that you get when you walk around this village built on top of a mountain. The energy of this place is vibrant and mysterious. The funny thing is that scholars don't even agree why it was built. Yet, it definitely required a massive amount of architectural skill.
One thing we can confirm is that the Incas (or whoever built it) had an advanced knowledge of astronomy. The Intihuatana at Machu Picchu aligns to all four cardinal directions (North, South, East, West) and signals when it is the winter solstice. Interestingly, the Ancient Egyptians also practiced this sort of construction in Luxor.
2. Medellín, Colombia
Don't let the TV show Narcos fool you. This is one of the best cities in the world. Sure, illegal trading and exportation of Colombia's infamous national product is still alive and well, but this city is absolutely stunning. Both aesthetically and culturally. The predominant majority of Colombians are peaceful and friendly. There's a reason Pablo Escobar didn't want to leave Medellín behind even though he was taking on the entire Colombian police force.
Since much of Medellín is built around the mountains, public transportation is accomplished by a large string of metrocables which replace the need for a subway. The metrocable will take you above the city, giving you a one-of-a-kind panoramic view of the entire city. The nightlife in this city is one of the best in the world, with pubs and discotecas at nearly every corner. This is one of the best urban environments regardless of what your interests are.
3. Jerusalem
Regardless what your spiritual beliefs are, whether you think it's the capital of Palestine or Israel, where you come from, or your interests, Jerusalem is perhaps the most important historical city in the world. Here, you can walk down the streets and see ruins which date back to the ancient Jebusites, Hebrews, Romans, and so on. In fact, many ancient cultures you hear about in history books such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians, Ottomans, and much more controlled this city at one point.
This is also a place you need to go if you want to hear from scholars of the three main monotheistic faiths: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. A typical line of questions you will hear in Jerusalem is "What's your name?" "Where are you from?" and "What's your religion?" Choose the answer to the last one wisely if you wish to make friends with all of the scholars. For example, I wouldn't have learned that the Muslim sheik (great man by the way) was a hashish smoker if I didn't first tell him that I believe in god.
4. Luxor, Egypt
If you only had a choice between spending a day in Luxor vs. spending a day in Cairo (to see the pyramids), you should choose Luxor. When you imagine the ancient Egyptian culture, Luxor is the place where their civilization is still most alive and well. From countless temples, tombs, museums, and sites to explore, you could literally spend your entire life searching around this city and learning something new each day.
Although today this city goes by the name Luxor, this was originally the Ancient Egyptian capital Thebes. Nearly every ancient pharoah you read about in history books or see in movies called this place home. The mystery of the ancient Egyptian culture is widely spoken about here. The radical Islamic ideas remain in Cairo.
5. Mumbai, India
Mumbai (known to locals as "Bombay") is one of the most heavily populated cities in the second most populated country in the world. It is also the entertainment and financial capital of India. This means it is New York and Los Angeles combined. Indians with dreams of becoming superstars flock to Bombay to join the thriving Bollywood entertainment sector (which by the way earns twice as much as Hollywood).
Bombay is unique in that people of all religions coexist peacefully. Walking down the street you will clearly mark out Muslims, Chrisitians, Hindus, and so on. The city gets so packed that certain locals will stay up late at night so that they can experience the beauty of the city without all the crowds. Anybody planning a trip to Asia should start here.