Traveling is fun. Why it is so much fun because we could see new things and new places and faces from where we are living. It is even better to travel to experience the different culture and preference of the country. Meaning to say that the more you explore on the travel destination, the more fun you will be able to experience.
How could we experience more on travel? You have to be more adventurous in this case. Try going off the beaten track to do something different from others. Why do what other Holiday makers are planning for you? You will get the same travel stories as every other travelers. Be more adventurous to try new things and to do something differently and you will be rewarded with some unforgettable travel experience which no other travel blogger will tell you online.
Here are the Top 5 ways on how travelers could be more adventurous on their travel:
- Engage a specialist. Get someone experienced to plan for an adventure holidays for you. This travel niche will open your perspective on travel. This is the safest way to be adventurous where your adventure travels are planned. Peru holidays for example is itself adventurous to explore where the specialist will guide you to the adventurous tour to the Empire of Inca ;
- Get out of tourists spot! Wherever places or cities you are visiting, apart from those ‘must-see‘ sights and ‘must-do‘ things in there, throw away those travel guides and start traveling away from there to somewhere unknown to the guides and other travelers. Either a town in the suburbs or a jungle on the mountain, you will experience some precious moment which are just fun! Off course, make sure they are safe for travelers.
- Eat what locals eat. Don’t follow the guides. They will lead you to somewhere touristic. Make use of your eyes and senses to follow what the local people are eating everyday! You must be adventurous enough to go a little further to those restaurants or cafes with mostly local patrons. Others may look at you strangely when you step in there, but only then you can eat like the locals! Those foods may not suit your appetite, but at least you could be the highlights of the other local people!
- Get lost in town. Adventure holidays involve getting lost in town! Ever remember the last time you got lost in a foreign country? What could you experience from there? I got lost in Brisbane. I also lost my way in Scotland. Who cares? I got the best guesthouse in a local farm in Loch Ness and I can read all the roadsigns in Brisbane now!
- Pick up photography. Be a photography hobbyist and your passion in photography will lead you closer to the local people and some unique scenes of the city. To capture some beautiful images, you will start being adventurous to get closer to things and places where travelers without a camera will not. I will not go to any gardens on travel if I’m not shooting flowers as my hobby. I would not climb up the mountain if I’m not shooting sunset of the city of Florence. I would not be adventurous enough to eat those street foods if I’m not taking any photos for my blog.
Without the adventurous mind, I would miss some of the most beautiful scenes, people, foods and culture of those travel destinations that I’ve been to. Without those unforgettable travel experiences, I would not get as much fun on travel and travel as much as I do now. – Travel Feeder, the ultimate travel photo blog.
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Guest post by Mike Sowden.
“Athens? Oooh, you must see the Acropolis”.
Athens holds a special status in world culture – the so-called birthplace of democracy. (Hey, no pressure). This is part of the universal appeal of Athens, and also in a mild way, its curse. You’re going to Athens? Mental imagery: temples, columns, togas, Socrates, Pericles, Delphi, warriors, togas…Acropolis. You’re going to the most classically Classical corner of the world and it will be beautiful beyond your wildest dreams. And then you arrive, and you’re faced with a thoroughly modern city bulging with contemporary urban life. You blink, you try to adjust, but when you hit the slopes of the Acropolis and join a throng of baseball-capped tourists and squeeze through the Greek-guarded gates into a monument littered with tourists and scaffolding, disillusionment will be kicking in. This isn’t what you came to see!
You must see the Acropolis? Absolutely – but if you want to truly get a feel for the Athens of today, save the Parthenon for your second trip. First, see this magnificent ancient monument as the Athenians see it, from down below and from all sides…and make Athens your priority first. There’s much to love. Try these:
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The Plaka district. In her book Eurydice Street: A Place in Athens, Sofka Zinovieff notes that the Greeks are so terrific at socialising into the wee hours that they sometimes forget to go to bed. Dinner is eaten any time between 10pm and 2am, and some cafes and restaurants stay open until stupid-o’clock and beyond. Plaka is the place to do this – Athens’s famous (and famously gorgeous) wining & dining district hugging the lowest slopes of the Acropolis. In 2007 I tried the all-night thing, alternately drinking coffee and beer, sparking up conversations, honing my ear for spoken Greek and rendered myself fuzzy-headed for a week. I wouldn’t have missed it for t he world.
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Monastiraki. When you hit the markets, Athens feels Middle Eastern. Hucksters tug at your arm or fan out their wares on the pavement on a blanket, ready to bundle up and do a runner when the police arrive. Market stalls sell everything (including a lot of football shirts), chaotic and garish and exciting. Architecture is bewilderingly varied and often gorgeous. Poke around the back of the quietest shops and you’ll see marvels and wonders. And when you’re all commerced out, wander into neighbouring Plaka and plan dinner.
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The best way to appreciate Athens is from above – because this city goes on forever. Climb Lykavitos Hill as dusk approaches and look out over the city, and the breath will whoosh out of you. (Plus, you can see the Acropolis from above, and appreciate why it truly commands the city).
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Use the Metro whenever you can. It’s the best way to get round Athens and see a zillion other things, and it’s absurdly, ridiculously cheap – in 2007, 7/10ths of a Euro for 40 minutes of travel (which is pretty much a traverse of the whole inner city). The metro stations all have their own character – for example, Syntagma has walls displaying huge cross-sections of the archaeology discovered when the station was built, now protected behind plate glass. And they’re great places for people-watching.
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Lastly – and I can’t recommend this enough – just get lost. Seriously. Give yourself a free day and a good map, and wander randomly until you’ve no idea exactly where you are. Then follow the most interesting streets, the most enticing smells, the most curious noises. Athens is one of the safest cities in Europe, and feels it too. You’re safe to wander, so find your own Athens; make it yours.
First impressions count. Let Athens show itself at its best, and you’ll be friends forever.
Mike Sowden is a freelance travel-writer and blogger. He writes about travel for MNUI travel insurance and for his own site Fevered Mutterings. Catch up with him on Twitter @Mikeachim.
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I’ve been taking it for granted as a Buddhist and Taoist all the while where I didn’t realise that many of the travelers out there are not. Since most of the Asian countries are Buddhist countries (Thailand, Vietnam,Cambodia, Laos or China), it would be great if travelers of different religion could understand a thing or two about Buddhism, when visiting Asian countries, could really appreciate the beauties of these countries. Most importantly, as a world traveler, could also respect the existence of other religion.
Buddhism is the 4th largest religion in terms of followers and is also one of the oldest religion and philosophy started being taught and introduced in Northern India since 6BC. There are 2 main branches of the religion, namely Theravada (“The School of the Elders”) and Mahayana (“The Great Vehicle”). While the oldest surviving branch of Theravada dominates countries in Southeast Asia especially Indo-China and Thailand, Mahayana Buddhism is widely followed throughout East Asia of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. To recognize between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, travelers could easily spot the differences of these 2 branches through their monasteries and statues. Wat are widely seen in Indo-China and Thailand while temples and big Buddha could be found everywhere in mainland China. Nevertheless, the 3rd branches of Buddhism, Vajrayana, which was evolved from Mahayana school of thoughts, could be seen in Tibet, Mongol and Nepal.
There are many religious practices in Buddhism where followers or Buddhists treat them as part of their lives. It would be great if people from other religion could also know and respect these practices. Here are the Top 5 Things travelers could do to fully appreciate and respect the Buddhism countries.
- Do wear appropriate clothing and not to be naked. Especially when you enjoy your holidays in one of those Indo-china tours or Thailand, the local people would be very much appreciate if travelers could respect their religion by not disclosing their bodies in public. Hot pants and sleeveless tops are not recommended in this sense. If you are visiting their temples in short pants and sleeveless shirts, there is always a counter to borrow a cloth to cover up your body, at least.
- Do ‘Wai’ at buddha and in front of temple. You can even ‘Wai’ at monks. ‘Wai’ is a greeting sign among Buddhists by pressing both palms and fingers together as in prayer and bow head and body slightly. By doing this to elderly and monk, you are paying great respect to them. Also not to forget to Wai at temples or wat and also when you see Buddha statues. You won’t miss them if you’re traveling to Indo-China or Thailand.
- Donate for incense and pray for good luck. One of the common religious practice of Buddhists is to do regular devotion to the Buddha. You can do the same in any Chinese temple or Thai wat. Try the devotion practice by donating a small amount of money into the donation boxes (normally 1 or 2USD will do) in the temple, pick up 3 sticks of jossstick or incense, start praying to the Buddha for good luck and then insert them into the dedicated incense bowl.
- Do not photograph with buddha statue. You can always photograph any Buddha statues or temples. I took too many shots at Buddha in Wuxi China also. However, in order to respect the important icon of the religion, don’t photograph with the Buddha (which means pose next to the statue or even hold your hands around him). Always photograph when the Buddha is facing you only, not beside you. This is the basic respect you can pay to the Buddhist.
- Do try the Buddhist cuisine. If you haven’t done so. Buddhist cuisine is known as Zhai Cai (齋菜) among Chinese which is mainly vegetarian. However, some places might allow milk and eggs while some Buddhists don’t treat onion, garlic or leek as vegetarian. There are many Buddhist vegetarian restaurants in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Holidays in China must include a vegetarian meal in one of these restaurant. They are not only tasty but also healthy. The main ingredients of Buddhist cuisine include bean curbs, gluten and agar among other vegetables. Vegetarian chefs nowadays could also imitate meat and seafood using these ingredients so perfectly and taste as good.
You would not feel any pain or lose anything by doing the above. Instead, you will feel the serenity in your mind. As a traveler, it would be fun also to do what the local people are doing and to appreciate other religions in this world. However, there is one exception: (Travel Tips) If there are monks approach you in your way and ask for donations in money, ignore them and walk away. They are fake monks. Genuine monks only ask for food, if they ever need donations. If you wish to donate, buy genuine travel blogger(that’s me) a cup of coffee instead… – Travel Feeder, the ultimate travel photo blog
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