No one likes a tourist trap. How many times have you heard someone say that their favourite part of their travels was a “box ticking”, major tourist attraction? 

That’s because travel isn’t about crossing things off your list, it’s about the journey and in-between moments. 

With this in mind, we challenge you to find your own special place the next time you travel. 

Try and find a place that is uniquely you. A place that might feel undiscovered and waiting, just for you, to explore and realise the magic that it has to offer.

How do you do this?

Take the alternate route between destinations. The most direct path between points A and B might not always provide the most interesting or unique experiences. This may even require an alternative means of getting there. Once you deviate from the pre-determined pathway, the reward may be a whole new core memory or sense of direction.

Explore and find your own adventure. Don’t just follow the planned itinerary to the letter. This, most likely, will be a well-worn path that has been traveled by many. You would have heard about, or seen, these places before your journey has even begun. Instead, be curious, open a map and place a marker on a position that wasn’t in the guidebooks.  Feed that calling for adventure, you never know what you might find.

Think outside the box. We all know the holiday formula. Take a plane, catch a taxi, stay in a hotel, swim at the pool and enjoy some fine dining. What if you flipped that around and tried something completely different? Have you ever slept on a rooftop in Tangier or in a monastery on the Spanish coast? Have you ever ordered from a restaurant without being able to understand the language on the menu? By trying something that is so far out of your normal, you are opening yourself up to discovering a journey that could expose you to that special place.

As with all adventure, you’ll have to take a chance – maybe you plan to visit a couple of places that have a certain allure, but remember there is no guarantee that these places will end up being your special place. The search could take time. Or perhaps you may think you’ve found it only for it to be usurped by somewhere else that calls to you more than before. All you need to do is enjoy every moment of exploration along the way.

As you plan your next trip, we challenge you to be adventurous and try to find that destination that is uniquely you. Somewhere off the beaten path, somewhere that appeals to your individuality, somewhere that has its own story to tell. A place that impacts you like no other.

Hopefully you find your new favourite destination like we found ours. 

See you on the road!