Travel like Jeremy Clarkson

Vietnam

Although this was Clarkson's least favorite adventure (due to his enduring hatred of all things two-wheeled, as opposed to four), the other presenters clearly enjoyed themselves. Buy a motor scooter and ride all the way from South Vietnam to North Vietnam. Starting in the heart of Saigon, journey to the mountain town of Da Lat for some awe-inspiring scenery. Having a shot of snake blood is optional, of course, but recommended. A visit to Hue, and the Hai Van Mountain Pass, is also in order. Clarkson called this "one of the best roads in the world." End your journey in the stunning Ha Long Bay, home to thousands of limestone islands and otherworldly beauty. You probably won't be inclined to turn your scooter into a boat as the presenters did, but you can take a cruise through this UNESCO World Heritage site and marvel at the unique scenery.

Makgadikgadi Pan

Makgadikgadi Pan is the largest salt flat in the world, much larger than the Bonneville flats of Utah, and much more unforgiving as well. Botswana as a whole is a wonderful country, but I find the mystery of this vast wasteland particularly compelling. This arid desert of crust and sun requires decent equipment, excellent survival skills, and mental fortitude. The TopGear presenters were the first people to cross this in a car, a feat all three managed. The heavier cars, however, required extensive modification (stripping body panels off the car, leaving only the bare essentials) so as to not sink into the crust and stop. Be sure to bring sunglasses and full coverings for your mouth and face so as to not get too much dust into your lungs.

The Deep South

The continual trash-talking of "the colonies" (aka the United States) reached new depths in this challenge. The road trip in beat up old cars from Florida to New Orleans afforded the Brits plenty of opportunity to talk about rednecks, eat roadkill, and nearly get themselves beaten up in Alabama. This is also the easiest journey for most of us to do, and there are plenty of amazing sites to see along the way. All you need is a cheap car and some time, and you too can try not to drive your car into alligator-infested rivers in Florida. Leave the pink spray paint and "Nascar sucks" decoration at home, however; you won't have a camera crew documenting the whole incident, and you could find yourself in a nasty pickle.

Resolute, NU

Perhaps the most ambitious TopGear road trip was to the magnetic North Pole, in a modified Toyota Tundra pickup truck. Even more shocking is that they succeeded. While I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone try and drive to the North Pole without SERIOUS preparation, you can visit the town of Resolute, their starting point. This is one of the coldest inhabited places on earth, and about 400 miles south of the magnetic North Pole. If you don't like snowmobiles or sled dogs, there really isn't a whole lot for one to do. The good news (tongue in cheek) is that due to global warming you'll likely soon be able to get to the North Pole.... via boat. There have been cruises on Russian icebreakers that take tourists to the North Pole, but it isn't cheap.

Millau Viaduct

The Millau Viaduct is the tallest bridge in the world, a true feat of engineering. While you most likely cannot afford to cross the bridge in the latest Italian supercar, any vehicle will suffice to get a sense for how truly large this man-made artifact is. Some of the bridge masts are taller than the Eiffel Tower. If you find yourself in Europe sometime in the near future, going from Montpelier to Paris or vice versa, you owe it to yourself to traverse this amazing bridge.