The world has so many new experiences to offer, and travelling will always be exhilarating. Having said that, it’s always fun to switch things up a little and change the way you do your vacays. Instead of planning a regular itinerary, why not plan your holiday around a unique theme? Do consider these uncommon travel trends:
1. Couch surfing – Instead of spending the bulk of your travel budget on renting a hotel room or a flat on Airbnb, try couch surfing for a change. By staying as a guest at a host’s home, you’ll get to meet locals from different cities and immerse yourself in the foreign city’s culture like a real local. There is a whole community of couch surfers online for you to check out. Some hosts also allow two travellers at a time, so you can feel safer with a friend instead of being all by yourself with a stranger.
2. Wellness retreat – Rejuvenate your mind, body and soul outside of the yoga studio and you’ll see the wonders it’ll do. Ideal for some soul-searching, these retreats are usually centred around doing various forms of exercise amongst the seas, forests and skies, as well as providing you with a relaxing atmosphere, invigorating therapies and indulging in nutritious, clean food. Make sure to check reviews and credentials of the team running the retreats so you get a professional experience.
3. Voluntourism – Explore the world in a meaningful way by volunteering abroad for a cause close to your heart. It’ll teach you to live in a completely different environment and learn from it, while meeting other like-minded people like yourself. What’s better is that you get to do all this in exchange for room and board, usually with host families or locals. You’ll definitely return home a changed person.
4. Reality travel – Even though it is a pretty grim way to travel, travelling to areas like the slums of India, rural poverty-stricken towns of Indonesia and Brazil’s favelas sign you up for a harsh reality check that could only do you good. You’ll learn the depths of humility and gratefulness while delving into these downtrodden local communities that aren’t often highlighted by mainstream media.
5. Safe danger tourism – If you’re travelling in a group and you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can take a tour around war torn regions like Ukraine and Somalia to explore the battlefields. Usually, these tours will come with a local guide and specially trained bodyguards to bring you around. Surely, these companies cannot guarantee your safety so you would be going on these tours at your own risk.
6. Ecotourism – Go back to basics and invest your time in responsible travel to natural environments to support conservation efforts sustaining the well-being of cultural diversity in regards to locals, wildlife and sea creatures. Some of the more popular ecotourism spots include Palau island, Costa Rica and Kenya. Getting educated on sustainable living is surely empowering and provides you with enriching once in a lifetime experiences you can forever be proud of.
7. Blockbuster site visit – Are you a TV or movie buff? Take your passion to the next level and tour around the breathtaking locations where some of your favourite movies were once filmed at. The whole Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed entirely in various settings in New Zealand, and Transformers 4 was shot mostly in parts of Hong Kong and Chongqing, China. What a fantastic way to relive your favourite films!
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