BY: CAROLINE ROLF

There was a time when travel meant escaping everyday stresses—unwinding and recharging.. It meant you needed a place that you could do absolutely nothing and feel absolutely delightful. I personally chose to travel like this, when several friends and I needed to forget the “stress of high school” by lounging on a Cuban beach for a week straight. Other typical activities of said holiday include: drinking and eating as much as you can from a seemingly infinite buffet of fried everything, posing with palm trees and statues, hanging out by the swim-up-bar all afternoon (we know you only visited the washroom once), and heading home with one-size-fits-all T-shirts for the whole family that states ‘I love [your destination here]’. It used to be about the best package your travel agent could find, the hottest destination, the five-star rating. If it wasn’t the utmost luxurious, how could you truly forget about your crummy job and the brutal winter weather? Travellers went and saw, but they rarely conquered. But times are changing, and so is the way people want to travel.

Travellers in present day are looking to fill their hunger with more than a dozen of Montreal’s scrumptious bagels. The modern day Christopher Columbus seeks a different kind of trip, one that encourages a meaningful connection with the local environment, the kind that encourages you to embrace a new culture and leaves you lusting for more. It could happen in any location, be that the mountains, city, or rain forest, experiential travel is making its mark.

This type of travel puts the focus on experiencing a destination to its fullest by connecting with its people, history and culture. It’s less about the touristy highlights and photos and more about the traveller’s own take away and transformation. The experiential traveller is seeking a shift within themselves and an opportunity to better connect with the world around them.

So how does one become an experiential traveller? Where tourists once stood back to take in their surroundings, the experientialist dives right in, fully immersing themselves in their surroundings. To travel this way requires scraping the list of classic “must sees” for a fresh list of “must dos.”

There is still nothing wrong with wanting to snap a picture of the Eiffel Tower lighting up at night or coming home with all the miniature lotions from the hotel bathroom. For every traveller choosing to sleep on the side of a steep mountain, there will be one who prefers lounging on the cabana beds under the scorching Miami sun. This might be what’s pulling travellers towards a new kind of journey, away from the mainstream experience. They want to have an excursion that is wholly their own. No longer restricted to travel brochures and guided tours, the experiential explorer isn’t following anyone’s footsteps.

If you’re longing for adventure but unsure how to get started, perhaps one of these experiential travel experts will be able to help.

G Adventures

G Adventures, formerly Gap Adventures, is a portal site and offers travellers a wide variety of customizable trips in terms of services and prices. It requires some imagination and time to narrow down all the possibilities, but the diversity of offerings makes G Adventures is a good first stop. If you haven’t got a specific trip in mind, click on the ‘Inspire’ page and let your mind wander.

Vayable

Vayable’s main focus is to provide the ultimate cultural and community experience. Locals from cities across the globe are on this platform to offer their time and knowledge. This way, you’ll get to experience a destination like a native and maybe even make a new travelling companion.

Ker & Downey

With over five decades of travel expertise, Ker & Downey can set you up to ride horseback through an African safari or venture through the natural beauty of Turkey. Whatever destination you are curious about, these experts will gladly take on the challenge of tailoring a journey to you, with an emphasis on luxury.

Image sourcing: unsplash.com