Go travel… and make your own path.

The year is once again coming to an end and it’s time to use up all those unused off days from work to head out and see what the world has offer. Witness different horizons and meet new people, immersing yourself in foreign culture and all of its wondrous splendour.

You know where you’re going and you’ve the bought your travel ticket. Time to leave home and depart into the world.

But be warned! For these unique escapades, there is danger in looking and not truly seeing, so be mindful when someone asks you to figure out if you’re a traveller or a tourist. Many may use the two words interchangeably but there is a phenomenal difference to those within the travel community.

Traveller Vs. Tourist

A tourist is someone who goes to different lands and enjoys mostly the commercial offerings. A tourist visits common fast food outlets, packed theme parks, and is not really willing to compromise when no electrical socket is to be found conveniently. Some go somewhere just for the sake of going, to “check it off the list.”

Don’t get us wrong though, it’s perfectly fine being a tourist. It takes the home stress away and calms the mind as tourists seek to get away towards a relaxing break from everyday tensions and monotony. Taking part of tourist activities also contributes to local industries which drives the domestic economy, which is a good thing!

A traveller on the other hand is someone who is already mentally out there even before they take a step out the door. A traveller dreams of experiencing exotic cultures, yearning to learn new things, understand different concepts and tries to take on a first person positioning by actually being apart of the local life every chance they get.

In short, a tourist goes on vacations, but a traveller goes on adventures.

Off The Beaten Path

“Look for chances to take the less-traveled roads. There are no wrong turns.”

Susan Magsamen, award-winning writer

With the above in mind, we’re here to talk about keeping away from tourist traps (We’re sure there’s a reason why it’s called that). There are countless hidden beauties, non-commercialized wonders and other off-the-beaten-path venues for you to experience.

Each destination has its own unique attractions, ranging from nature, culture, food, architecture and history. Some people enjoy a specific theme while some tend to be more rounded; but it ultimately doesn’t really matter unless you’ve got a set goal, in which case you may want to invest a little more research and plan out your journey.

While travel brochures are handy and internet searches often produce reasonable results, nothing beats actually speaking with the locals. Talk to them and find out what makes them tick, where do they eat, what they would wear and what they would recommend for you to further be engaged in their culture(s). They know best, or at the very least, are able to point you in the right direction.

Some Suggestions!

Have a look below for some ideas of where and what to look out for. Note that it is not ordered in any way particular.

Coonoor, India

Coonoor is a hill located in Tamil Nadu, India. Known for its production of Nilgiri tea, it also boasts scenic beauty, fresh natural air and well-kept nature reserve. It has several trekking expeditions leading into the Nilgiri Hills, also known as the Blue Mountains.

Nasi Kandar Beratur, Malaysia

This iconic little restaurant located in Penang, Malaysia, specializes in what would be loosely translated as “In line for Kandar Rice”, boasts of people queuing up (part of the experience) for an average of 30 minutes to select their meal. Shop opens at 10pm although the crowds tend to flock in around 3am!

Laggio di Cadore, Italy

Scenic and stunning, Laggio di Cadore is a small village in Italy where you can explore loads of mountain trails where you can go hunting for wild mushrooms and various berries. You could even bring your harvest to the local artisanal gelaterias and they’ll whip up some nice gelato.

Fairy Pools, Scotland

The Fairy Pool is a stream with waterfalls that flow into a glen, found in the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Known for its stunning beauty, aqua blue waters and wickedly cool air. Highly popular amongst nature enthusiasts.

Lombok Island, Indonesia

Also known as Bali’s sister, it’s an island to be found in the West Tenggara provinces of Indonesia. Discover blissful underwater life, great surfs, robust flora and fauna as well as the Sasak Tribe who still retain strong culture practices.

There are way, way, waaay more things awaiting to be discovered by you. Go out there and explore, get yourself lost and find your way back. Satisfy your wanderlust by taking your time and letting the sights and sounds sink in, really appreciating your surroundings as you allow yourself be in awe of the wondrous beauty that is this world.

Remembering The Adventures

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads.

Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.”

Rosalia de Castro, writer and poet

While we advise you to let time stop for a moment at these places, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to take a few photos (or tons for that matter!) of the places you visit. As you venture forth and discover new things, you broaden your worldview. Capture the experiences and showcase those photographs to keep it close to you as both a reminder and a prized memory. Lay it all down in our Photobook, selecting from any of our Readybooks to chronicle your adventures in a timeline for comfortable presentation.

We would like to suggest a couple of designs that we think would be fitting to your needs. Check out our Readybook Sunkissed or Trip of the Year.

Sunkissed

Although Sunkissed was originally designed to accommodate highlights hotels, resorts and other venues, we’re presenting this because it affords a decent amount of photo space, organizable by different destinations and plenty of room for text. This means that you can insert fair description of your photos, recounting the stories behind the picture.    

Trip of the Year

On the other hand, the Trip of the Year Readybook offers a more chronologically based layout and well placed areas for text. This allows for a storyline and easy reading. It also incorporates a lot of elements which enables you to use plenty of icons if you choose to do so, making it a lot more fun!

For more hands-on products, apply these photos to Calendars, Notebooks, Greeting Cards or more; keeping it versatile and close. In light of this holiday period where a lot of us would be doing some travelling, we have prepared specially tailored deals for you to lay out all those life-shaping moments in ways you’d want it most.

Click Here to get to our website and go through our promotions, taking advantage of the discounts on our products.

Take to your travels and go beyond, truly engrossing yourself in new, different terrains. Turn trips into journeys and break through all the impossibilities as you see the world in all its raw awesomeness.

So go…

Go travel.

Here. There. Everywhere.

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