Travel light, travel hard

Many people think I am going for holidays to take photos, because they are the most important on my blog. Of course I shoot photos but on the run, between attractions I planned.

There is plenty of options for holidays. One can relax on the beach for two weeks others run from place to place to see as much as possible and they recharge this way their “batteries”. I like to combine those two versions of travelling, but I have to admit that very often there is much more moving than resting. Getting suntan on a beautiful beach with a book and drink in hand sounds perfect but when I see a map with all attractions and things to do I cannot resist and I build a plan full of adventures. At the end I always try to find few days for more or less active leisure. If we do not like to be on the run all the time we can always mix in just a bit of activity to our vacation plan. And there is a lot of things we can choose from so to have a light or hard version of the plan.

Curious traveller

– sightseeing night and day

Version light means getting up all the time in the middle of the night to see something, somewhere during sunrise. On top not very long trekkings. Day by day. But you cannot underestimate that moment when world is waking up to life and we can be part of this. Sunsets are also great and they can impress with colours. Sometimes it is harder to shoot a photo when you dream about bed.

Every journey can be planned a bit differently. To bring some variety we can for example go sightseeing the ancient cities by hired bikes, whole day, in your own pace, with your own plan. And by the way, while moving you are sunbathing much better!

Active traveller

– canyoning, kayaks, rafting, stand up paddle

Rafting lures in many places, for example in Thailand. In Chiang Mai surroundings which is full of beautiful temples and tasty food one can enjoy the river on pontoon. Adventure good for everyone, a lot of laughing and paddling. A guide can also make a smaller or bigger splash 😉 In places where the current is colder it is worth to watch the nature around us and absorb the tranquility of the place. One can also try rafting on Bali, but there seasons are more important, water level can be too low – better check it in advance. And rafting itself can be reached by ATV through field roads and paths.

Staying with water and mountain rivers definitely canyoning is worth a try. Apparently, it is great around Lake Garda in Italy. I wish I had tried it last time, but everything is ahead of me!

And of course old good kayaks. On lakes (e.g. Maggiore), on the sea (e.g. near Ao Nang, Krabi), great idea to spend some time on the water. A bit of action, beautiful views and feeling of freedom… On my “must do” list I have kite surfing, surfing, stand up paddle.

A bit tired traveller

– trekking, climbing, via ferrata

You can also exhaust yourself. For example while trekking. There is a lot to choose. Shorter trekking around well known peaks, in steamy jungle, or longer and more demanding, let’s say two, three days long, which allows to reach the summits. Sometimes you sleep in dormitory in the hut, sometimes in tent so you can admire sunrises and sunsets straight from “the bed”. This kind of adventures have their own laws. Sometimes our stuff is carried by porters and we take only our personal belongings and water, other time we have to bear everything by ourselves. One can hike incredible summits like Kinabalu on Malaysian Borneo or mesmerizing volcanoes like Rinjani in Indonesia. You have to fight with yourself to get up at 2 a.m., an effort to hit the summit is sometimes overwhelming but happiness at the top is priceless. Moments like this are worth of getting tired, you remember them for years.

Underwater traveller

– diving, snorkeling

If we can go up we can also go down. Since I started to dive I am totally impressed how much the water has to offer. It is such a joy to drift peacefully, admire fishes, turtles, coral reefs, to dive deeper and watch barracudas and sharks. For those who seek some adrenaline nothing better than ship wrecks. Of course we have to remember that diving is demanding sport and better to have good stamina if you want to dive three times a day. Course should be done with trustful company and we should pay attention to theory and practise as well. After all we learn how to take care of our life and health. But if diving is a bit too much for us we can do snorkeling, swimming with pipe also allow us to see a lot of nice things under the water and spend time in motion.

Caveman traveller

– caving

Did you try caving? I think it deserves your attention. For example in Malaysia Mulu you can visit the largest underground chamber in the world called Sarawak. If it is a first time in the caves it is better to start from entry level and progress to gain experience. We will get equipment, harness, helmet and a guide, who will lead us safely through the caves. In some of them swimming skill will be useful cause it is required to drift a part of the passage in the underground river. A lot to choose, there are almost 200 kilometers of routes underground, many of them open for tourists.

Finally it doesn’t matter if you challenge yourself a lot or not. What matters is to travel and expand your horizon!