This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Image from Pexels
If you love to travel, you might have a few favorite spots you can’t help returning to. You might visit new places too, but you know which destinations are best suited to you. However, if you keep going back to the same places, you can limit your traveling experiences. You might experience new things each time you return, but you could still be missing out on a whole lot if you don’t try somewhere new. Even when you do pick somewhere you’ve never been before, perhaps you follow the crowd. It’s easy to get swept up in what everyone says is the next big destination. If you want to be more adventurous with your travel choices, here’s how you can do it.
Use a Random Destination Generator
Do you want to travel somewhere new but you don’t know where to start? There are so many places you can see in the world, and you’ve probably never heard of most of them. How are you meant to discover new places if you don’t know to look for them? That’s where a random travel generator can come in. Using websites like Travel Spin, you can come up with a destination picked at random. You can read all about the location and why you should visit, plus look at photos, to see if it piques your interest. If it’s not for you, just spin again and try another destination.
Read Travel Guides
You can read about travel in a variety of forms. Pick up a travelogue book and read about someone’s adventures at length. Browse through the travel guides in your local bookshop to see if there’s anything interesting. Of course, the internet has a wealth of stories and advice about travel too. You can read travel blogs to find out how other travelers are experiencing the world. You can look at online magazines such as The Idealist, where you will find city and destination guides to inspire you. Looking at photos of a destination might make you want to go there instinctively, but reading about it will help you cement your decision and learn more about it.
Image from Pixabay
Watch Travel TV
If you’re more of a visual person, perhaps you might enjoy watching travel shows instead. You can find them on TV, or you could go looking for travel videos on sites like YouTube. A video can help you engage more with a destination and what it has to offer. Of course, it also needs to have the right presenter or narrator who can help you connect. A travel show can help you learn lots of things about a destination. You can see how the locals live, as well as how you can experience the place as a traveler or tourist.
Find Meaning in Your Travel
When you decide it’s time to go off on a trip, don’t simply look for the place where you can have the most fun. If you want to be a more adventurous traveler, try to examine the meaning behind your traveling. Think about what you want to get out of your travels and how you can achieve it. You might be trying to find yourself, which could lead you to go on trips into the wilderness or visit spiritual sites. Maybe you want to find ways to help other people, and you could find some volunteering opportunities in various locations. You might want to learn a language and look at the different countries where you might be able to do that.
Travel Solo
Traveling with friends or family is fun, and you can spend some quality time together. But you don’t always have to go traveling with people you know. Setting off on your own can be a great way to find new adventures. You don’t have to think about any other people when you’re deciding what to do. You can pick where to go, where to stay and what you’re going to do every day. If you don’t want to be completely alone, you can try joining a group tour and make some new travel buddies. Going traveling solo gives you more freedom and perhaps more willingness to say yes to things too.
Go Local
If you want to be a more adventurous traveler, one thing you can do is avoid being a tourist. While you might want to see some famous sights, they won’t necessarily offer you a unique travel experience. You won’t be able to experience somewhere exactly as a local person does, but you can make an effort to do so. There are many ways to have a more local experience, from staying in a homestay or renting an apartment to eating and drinking where the locals go. You might be able to join in with cultural experiences, from festivals to sports.
Image from Pixabay
Get Suggestions from a Travel Expert
Talking to someone who knows what they’re doing is a great way to explore new possibilities. People don’t often go to travel agents anymore, but it’s a good place to start if you want someone to suggest suitable destinations for you. However, if you want to discover somewhere interesting, you might want to avoid the big companies. Try smaller travel experts instead, who can recommend unique experiences. You’ll know you’re in safe hands if you can talk to someone who has experienced the places they are recommending first hand.
Pick Destinations Based on Activities
People often choose the places they want to visit based on recommendations from friends and family or what’s hot at the moment. However, one way to discover new destinations is to select based on activity. You can find places you might never have considered by choosing a particular activity you want to do. For example, you might enjoy skiing when you’re on your travels. Perhaps you’ve never thought about visiting Poland to ski, but it might come up in your search for places to get the best snow. You might start by looking for somewhere to scuba dive, canoe, cycle, or see some art.
See Popular Places in New Ways
There are some destinations and famous places around the world that you might have a yearning to see. Just because you want to be adventurous, it doesn’t mean you want to miss out on seeing these things. But if you feel that it’s a bit too predictable to visit somewhere, you could consider doing it in a new way. For example, many people walk the route to Santiago de Compostella in Spain. But there are several routes that will get you there, and you could select one of the lesser-used paths. If you wanted to see Angkor Wat in Cambodia, you could visit it by going on the annual half-marathon through the ruins.
Image from Pixabay
Travel in Different Ways
How do you normally travel? Do you take a quick plane, then get into a comfortable rental car as soon as you step off? If you want to see the world in new ways, you should consider using a variety of modes of transport. You can explore somewhere new on a motorbike or scooter, on a bicycle, or even on foot. When you visit somewhere new, understand what local modes of transport there are. There could be buses, trams, and trains, or perhaps options like tuk tuks or rickshaws. You can have a completely different experience depending on how you travel and how fast you go. When your abroad buying an electric bike from eriderbikes.com would be the perfect way to explore.
Experiment with Different Places to Stay
As well as exploring different transport methods, you can also think about different ways to lay your head. Some destinations are especially suited to staying in hostels and meeting travelers along the way. Other places are ideal for camping, allowing you to get in touch with nature. Many destinations have more unique forms of accommodation too. You might find farm stays, for example, where you can do some farmwork to earn your bed for the night. There are lots of interesting places to stay that can give you a new perspective on a destination.
Image from Pexels
Don’t Stay in Touch with Home
It might seem strange, but loosening your ties to home can help to enhance your travel experiences. You can give yourself more fully to what you’re doing and perhaps be more willing to try new things. While you might feel a little homesick, you don’t have to be connected to home at all times. It might be nice to call home once a week or check Facebook once in awhile, but you don’t need to be permanently attached to home.
Avoid Making Plans
If you’re looking for adventure, try to keep your plans loose. Don’t create a rigid itinerary that you need to stick to. Even when you book a tour, you often get free time to explore as you wish. If you want to have more freedom, book your transport and first night’s accommodation and decide what to do from there. You can gather some ideas so you aren’t being completely spontaneous and you have some thoughts about what to do next.
Seek out an adventure when you next go traveling. There are so many ways to discover new places and things to do and see.