It’s a new year, and people everywhere are beginning to make grand travel plans. It’s an exciting time, one that helps beat those awkward January blues. While we’re in this planning stage, let’s think about how we travel. With visiting new destinations easier than ever before, many of us fall back on the old tried and tested holiday routine: flying, checking in, and sitting on the beach. This year, let’s do things a little bit differently. Below, you’ll find a few ideas that’ll be sure to keep travel fresh and interesting, all the while making it a year to remember!
Travel Different: If You’ve Been There Before, It’s Out
OK, first thing’s first: there’s going to be no “do-overs.” If you’ve already visited a destination, then scratch it off the potential holiday list. It’s always nice to revisit a place that you already have fond memories of, but it’s just a fact of life that returning to the same place over and over won’t lead to any personal growth. Vow to stick to all new places: you might just find that there’s a whole world out there you’ve been avoiding just because you can’t tear yourself away from your favourite destinations.
Off the Map Destinations
Have a conversation with your friends, family member, and work colleagues about where they’re planning on visiting this year, and you’ll quickly see a pattern forming: everyone goes to the same places! This year, be different and choose a destination that’s off the beaten path. The world is a big and beautiful place, full of colour and wonderful people, after all. Instead of booking a cheap holiday within Europe, take a look at escorted tours to China and other places in Asia. You’ll be able to experience a side of the world that few other people that you know get to experience, and you’ll definitely have lived up to your vow to “travel different” this year!
Travel Different – In Nature
It is, admittedly, much easier to book a trip to a city than it is to spend some time out in the outdoors. But before you hit ‘buy’ on those flights to New York, let’s have another thing about nature. There are plenty of benefits to going on an outdoors holiday. You’ll be getting fitter and happier; you’ll have opportunities to do things that you just can’t do in cities, and you’ll have a more relaxing time. Before you think about spending another week rolling around museums, take a look at some of the world’s most beautiful destinations, and imagine staying there, in a cabin, with your loved ones. It might just convince you that it’s the way to go this year!
Closer to Home
Talking about having different types of travel experience, how about…barely travelling at all? You might think your home area is the most boring place on earth, but chances are you just haven’t explored enough of it. No matter where you live, there will be places nearby that will interest and delight. It might not sound as exciting as jetting off across the globe, but you’ll still have fun, and will also be getting to know your home area that little bit better at the same time.
New Experiences
There are many ways to travel. Indeed, if you can dream it, then you can do it. Instead of opting for the traditional holiday, why not take a look at having a completely new experience? You could go on a multi-day hiking trip, staying in tents along the way, or you can look at the many active holidays available, such as biking or skiing.
A bike tour is one of the best ways to explore new places and try novel experiences. There’s so many things you can miss out on when you travel by car. On a bike, you can stop at spots, shops, restaurants, and towns that you normally wouldn’t have noticed when you’re in a car. For those who are worried that their physical fitness is not up to the standard, there’s always the option of using a power-assisted motorized bicycle to cover long distances without exerting too much energy or straining your muscles.
By Land or Sea
When you think of travel, you probably conjure up images of airports and aeroplanes, security lines and little bags of peanuts. But people have been travelling for thousands of years, and planes are a modern invention. So why not ditch the plane? You can have just as much – if not more – fun by travelling via car, train, or ship. And moving from one place to another this way will also have another advantage: you get to see the land that you’re passing, not just pass over it as you would if you were in an aeroplane.
Out of the Comfort Zone
Ultimately, there are many ways you could approach your commitment to travelling differently this year. The golden rule, it seems, should be to step outside of your comfort zone and do something that you’ve never done before. If you do, you’ll look back on this year as one that is full of awesome memories!
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