Making the decision to embark on an adventure travel trip is one that opens you up to a new world of experiences, one where you can try exciting new things and embrace different cultures. But before you get caught up in the euphoria of your impending trip, take the time to read over these seven important lessons related to adventure travel. Even if you just absorb one of these lessons, it could make a huge difference in the quality of your adventure travel experience.
1. Be Prepared for Anything
One of the most helpful adventure travel tips is to be prepared for anything that might happen. If you have this type of mindset, you’ll be able to roll with the punches much more easily than if you blindly rely on everything to go smoothly for the entirety of your trip. One way to be prepared is to think of different scenarios that might occur while you are traveling, such as lost luggage, missing reservations or theft. Then, make a plan in advance for dealing with each of them.
2. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Sometimes your adventure travel plans will go off without a hitch. Other times, you might hit a few snags, especially if you make mistakes when traveling abroad. If you find yourself delayed in an area that you don’t want to be, put a positive spin on it. Perhaps there’s something there that can enrich your life. Visit the local shops and restaurants if possible or strike up a conversation with another traveler. If all else fails, get out your phone or tablet and read a book or connect with others knowing that soon you’ll be on your way to your next adventure.
3. Be Ready to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Even if your adventure travel ideas didn’t include an unexpected opportunity you encounter, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take advantage of it. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something you never thought you would can make for the most memorable adventure travel experiences. This doesn’t mean you have to do something as extreme as swimming with manta rays, but it does mean that you should be willing to push yourself farther than you would normally go.
4. Leave Guilt Behind
Sure, there will likely be those people who are envious about your ability to leave everything behind for a while and head off on an adventure, but don’t let them make you feel guilty about doing it. Unfortunately, life is short, and there are no guarantees. That’s why it’s important to grab hold of opportunities like planning adventure travel trips. Whether you’re planning an adventure in India or you’re staying in the states, don’t let guilt that others might try to pile upon you keep you from enjoying your life.
5. Pack Handy Items
One thing that might be key in making adventure travel easier is to pack handy items, like the ones you keep around your home for incidental repairs or quick fixes. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to stop what you’re doing to shop for an item you need while on a trip. Added to the frustration is the possible high cost for such items when you have to purchase them from specialty shops. Taking the time to pack something as simple as a roll of duct tape could be priceless in certain situations, such as needing to repair a blowout in your luggage quickly. Other handy item ideas are a power strip, headlamp, moist towelettes and safety pins.
6. Don’t Over Plan
If you happen to be someone who likes to have a plan for everything, there’s nothing wrong with that, but when you travel, it can be nice to keep your options open when traveling. For example, if you’re thinking about booking several nights in a certain destination, you might want to shorten it to one or two. Unless you know that the location can serve as a hub that will enable you to make various exciting day trips and return there nightly, it might not be the best choice. You might get there and find that you really don’t want to be tied down to that particular area for more than a day.
7. Be Open to Different Cultures
Although eating insects and sleeping in an open-air environment might not be at the top of your adventure travel to-do list, you could learn a lot from immersing yourself in the more inviting practices of other cultures. Consider eating like the locals do, attending a fun, local event or participating in everyday activities, which can all give you a unique and enriching cultural experience you’ll likely remember forever.