If all your vacations start to look alike—the same beach house rental or a trip to Disney World—consider the world of unusual travel. If you’re like most people, you probably know things like “Dude Ranches” exist, but did you know you can take trips to explore underground caves? You don’t like caving, you say? How about a gourmet tour? Spend your vacation traveling to the best restaurants in the world with fellow foodies. Still not interested, you say?
How about – riding through the desert on a camel; find little-known magical places in Europe while cruising the canals on a barge; learn to speak French while touring Normandy? Have I found you one yet? If not, try: yachting through New England coastal fishing towns from Connecticut to Maine; chase storms with experienced storm chasers; go looking for gold to the west; tour the vineyards of Tuscany; take a cruise down the Amazon River into the rainforest.
You’re not ready for this, you say? Perhaps you would like a change of accommodation. How about a stay in a castle in Scotland? A refuge in nature in Alaska? Camping on the banks of the Colorado River?
Did you know that you can still travel on the Orient Express from Paris to Venice and to Istanbul? Take a covered wagon ride across the prairie? Crew a sailboat? Learn to dive in the Great Barrier Reef?
How about a theater trip to London, where you see at least one show a day and meet with the cast and directors to discuss the production? You can learn to drive a dog sled across the frozen expanses of Alaska, learn to rope cattle at a cowboy school, participate in an archeology dig, or improve your photography while visiting places of breathtaking natural beauty.
Still not for you? You might want to consider an antiquing trip, a spiritual getaway, a hot air balloon adventure. You can go on a reindeer safari, a bird watching trip, a ghost town tour, visit the great museums of Europe, learn to paint in Italy or France, windsurf in Greece or the Caribbean islands.
If you have an interest, there is almost certainly a tour built around it, most likely many. In addition to special interests like the ones listed here, there are singles cruises, spa vacations, gay and lesbian tours, meditation tours, pilgrimages, and much more.
Don’t you have anyone to go with? An adventure tour is ideal for you. You will always have companions and a guide to pave the way. Meet other people with similar interests and come home with new friends for life. The truth is that you can often have a better time traveling solo with a tour – it’s a good opportunity to learn more about yourself.
If you’re in the mood for the trip of a lifetime, get away from the ordinary and think about what would be the perfect vacation for you. Maybe all you really want is to lie on the beach and drink tropical concoctions, but if you’re in the mood for something more, check out this list, listen to your heart, and do something amazing. You will not regret.