Summer is here and my Facebook newsfeed looks more like a travel portal with posts such as “Paris calling!”, “Time for the Alps!” or “Barcelonaaa!!!” I get it, people look forward to this time of the year to get away from the desert heat, so why not use this time to also show off your lovely weight loss, new summer wardrobe and flaunt your choice of holidays spots?
A friend of mine went to a lifestyle-of-the-rich-and-famous kind of resort in the island country of the Maldives last year. I must admit I enjoyed her stunning DSLR pictures of the sunny Maldives, with her perfectly pedicured red toenails in the silken white sands or against the turquoise coral reefs. “Where’s your dear hubby in these pictures?” I asked. “Oh he doesn’t enjoy the sun. Or the sand”, she answered. Strange choice of a holiday destination then, I thought.
Sometimes, it’s one of those things you want to tick off your wish list and sometimes it’s one of those things that you do to make a social statement. I probably am guilty of that too. There was a time when I would rather pick a holiday to a picturesque seaside town in Italy than a trip to Cambodia, but time changes you. And travel does that too.
Thanks to my work, I have been to some of the most interesting destinations. I learnt to slow down and observe a new way of life, adjust into their pace of life, their culture. I learnt to ditch my itinerary and appreciate the journey instead of rushing towards the destination. That is when I truly began to enjoy travel.
I’ve asked many people about their favourite places to holiday, and often the same names are rattled off — London, France, Italy, the Caribbean, LA — and many of these are my favourite too. But sometimes travelling off the beaten path can open up new horizons. For example, we all know London, but have you been to Edinburgh? Scotland’s capital hosts the biggest arts festival in the world every August, and has the stunning Edinburgh Castle perched high on Castle Rock. It’s this place that inspired J.K. Rowling to write the first novel of the Harry Potter series. We all know Bangkok, but have you heard of Chiang Mai, its quieter sister city? This gorgeous city is filled with beautiful landscapes, culture, cuisine and nightlife. We’ve all heard of the great African safari, but have you been to India’s Kanha Tiger Reserve, Rudyard Kipling’s inspiration for The Jungle Book? Its luscious Sal tree forests and rich tiger population guarantees some lovely sights. Or, the Trans-Siberian express that connects Moscow with Vladivostok, the small cruise ships to the Galapagos islands with the kids, an adventurous road trip to Patagonia? To discover a lost civilisation in Machu Picchu or a road trip in Alaska to explore the beauty of the rugged North American landscape and flora and fauna.
Travel consultant and media guy Anjaan agrees. He says it’s important to be more of a traveller and less of a tourist. He suggests you combine your holiday with an activity such as yoga, trekking, diving, cycling or a concert.
His top three immersive travel experiences include diving in Malaysian Borneo, sandboarding on Tangalooma island on the Great Barrier Reef and tea with locals in Cappadocia, Turkey. Some more destinations include relaxing in the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia, classical concert hopping in Vienna, exploring Angkor Wat in Vietnam, surfing in Unawatuna in Sri Lanka, a yoga trip to Ibiza, cruising the Amalfi coastline in Italy or praying with Zen monks in Nikko in Japan.
So if you’re already planning to fly across the world this summer, a lesser-known place deserves a chance on your itinerary. It might just surprise you and give you the vacation of your life. To travel is to awaken.
