This is my collection of mods primarily targeted on exploration, tech and farming.

Exploration and farming

Biomes O' Plenty adds lots of new biomes, and fine-tuned Alternate Terrain Generation makes landscapes more natural-looking, with high mountains, volcanoes, sharp cliffs, occasional overhangs and very scenic views overall. Biomes change gradually from one to another, depending on height, temperature and humidity. Terrain on the larger scale is not looking like a random patchwork. Minor tweaks made with a special mod (atgtweaks): it adds sandy shores to rivers, prevents them from flowing in all directions, and also removes lakes from deserts. For even better-looking rivers, Streams mod is included.

Mo' Creatures is used to populate the landscape with mobs, Natura — with trees (but without blocky clouds in the sky), Pam's HarvestCraft — with agriculture, Ruins — with tons of randomly generated structures. All added content is stretched across larger distances, so the player is encouraged to explore more and more, always finding something new. Oh, and there's Twilight Forest as well, if wandering in the overworld is too dull for you.

Tech

Another big aspect of this modpack is the tech mods: "electronic" IndustrialCraft, "mechanical" BuildCraft, "redstoney" Project Red, and also RailCraft (because trains) and Immersive Engineering (because steampunk). Trains, redstone circuits, pipes, nuclear reactors, windmills, quarries — the only thing is left off is computers (IMO they just don't fit Minecraft style, sorry).

Decoration

Some mods for fun and creative buildings: Hats, BiblioCraft, CarpenterBlocks, DecoCraft, Storage Drawers. And of course, must-have utilities: Not Enough Items, Waila, Journey Map, Inventory Tweaks.

Lair