These days there are a host of options available for people who are looking for alternative, adventure travel options. Tours have become a lot more focused and cater to different types of travellers by offering a carefully curated list of activities and sightseeing opportunities. There are also plenty of options outside of organised tours, including volunteering and taking a road trip.
Volunteering and Teaching
There are a multitude of volunteering and teaching opportunities abroad that offer you a chance to experience life in a new country, whilst also interacting with its people and contributing to society. English teachers are in high demand in places such as Japan, Russia, China, and Peru. Most English schools require their teachers to have a basic TEFL or TESOL certificate. If you don’t have a certificate, you could also consider volunteering abroad. Rural communities in India, Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of South America are always in search of enthusiastic volunteers to work in clinics, help build schools, and participate in a number of community-involvement projects.
Road Trip
Hiring a car and heading out onto the open road is the best way to really appreciate the landscapes and geographic features of a foreign country. The Americas are an excellent place to embark on a road trip with friends as it features relatively good roads, low petrol prices, and amazing scenery. One popular route is the Pan American Highway, which starts in Monterrey, Mexico and snakes all the way down to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Keep road trippers often extend this route considerably, taking a car from Fairbanks Alaska through Canada, the contiguous United States, Central America, and finally ending at the tip of Argentina.
18-35 Travel
Travelling with a group of like-minded individuals can really enhance your experiences abroad. 18-35 travel is ideally suited for young people looking to discover the world with a group of their peers. These kinds of travel packages are high-energy, activity-packed, and are often suited for travellers on a shoestring budget. This is a great choice for young solo travellers who are looking for an adventure but don’t want to spend a fortune.
Adventure Travel
If you’re a sports or adrenaline junkie, then you should highly consider adventure travel as an option. Adventure travel combines incredible sightseeing and cultural excursions with exciting sports like mountain trekking, sea kayaking, or surfing. Popular destinations include the Inca Trail in Peru, which combines ancient ruins with incredible jungle and mountain trekking, Mount Everest in Nepal, and Costa Rica, which is home to great surfing, stunning volcanoes, and dense jungles.
Culture and History Travel
All of today’s culture have been shaped by events of the past, and a great way to see how this all comes together is by embarking on a cultural and history tour. Whether it’s exploring ancient Buddhist temples in the Far East partially reclaimed by the jungle, mysterious pyramids in Central America, or Roman ruins across Europe, these tours offer an eye-opening glimpse into how history has shaped the world. Because they’re aimed at travellers who really appreciate culture and history, they offer more detailed information on the practices of ancient civilizations, how ancient buildings were constructed, and so forth.
Travelling abroad and discovering what’s out there will change your worldview. Getting introduced to new cultures and new ways of life is a really eye-opening experience and there’s no right or wrong way to do things. To help narrow down your options, think about what interests you. What destinations are you keen to explore? What kinds of things are you curious about? What would you like to try? After you’ve answered these questions, review all your options again to see which ones match your personality and your budget.
Sue Landy is a freelance travel writer who loves find out about new ways to explore the globe.
