Crowley's got her next fantasy trip mapped out.

"Now I have a bank account with 'The Galapagos' written on it. It's not in the cards for 2013, but I'll get there.

"I want to do one of those week long boat trips with the scientists on board who tell you what you've seen, what you're about to see because I think it will ratchet up the awe factor, if that's possible."

Pantanal region, Brazil

Shasta Darlington, a CNN correspondent based in São Paulo, is determined to visit the Pantanal region of Brazil.

"This is my second time living in Brazil and it's something I failed to do the first time, so I want to make sure I get there this time," wrote Darlington.

"It's the largest contiguous wetland in the world and teeming with animal life. Most people think the Amazon is the place to go to see Brazilian flora and fauna, but the Pantanal region is easily just as rich in animals and they're easier to spot, especially during rainy season when rivers rise forcing animals literally onto islands."

The region is hard to reach and navigate, Darlington said, with mostly lodge-like accommodations and boats, small planes and four-wheel-drive vehicles for transportation.

But the rewards are rich. "There are an abundance of birds, monkeys, caimans, snakes, butterflies and fish out there."

South Africa

"There are some destinations that you know as soon as you step off the plane will change you. For me, it's always been Africa," wrote Patrick Oppmann, CNN's correspondent in Havana.

He has visited the continent three times but has yet to make it to South Africa.

"As a journalist, I have long been fascinated with how South Africa is emerging from decades of the racial divisions of the Apartheid era.

"But it's one thing to read about those years and another to actually visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, or to walk in District 6, the area where thousands of black residents had their neighborhoods destroyed."

And of course, the country's spectacular beauty is a big draw. "You can hit the beach, hike Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town, take in amazing wildlife and cage dive among Great White sharks."

Oppmann wouldn't miss trying braai, the South African way of spit-roasting meat over an open fire.

"And if there was a cold glass of the excellent local wine or beer to go along with the braai, that would be just fine too."