Unusual Holiday Ideas for 2020
Is this the year you dare to be different?
You could Indulge your passion and creativity by going on a holiday to do something you love. Or, you could give your time to a worthy cause and volunteer abroad.
We all make New Year’s resolutions, vowing to do more things we enjoy or look after ourselves a little better. Many of us resolve to do more travelling, take more ‘time out’ and see more of this great planet of ours. Some of us, myself included, might have secret ambitions of learning to speak French in Paris, painting in the Tuscan countryside, volunteering on an overseas aid mission or heading off on a spiritual or religious retreat to find meaning and purpose in our busy lives.
Some people stay steadfast in pursuit of that enlightenment and their travel goals but most of us say we’re going to do stuff then life (or budget) gets in the way of our dreams. Right?
Lying dormant in the back of my mind are holiday ideas that I’ve never acted upon. Now, I can’t say for certain that this is the year I’ll get around to doing any of them but I do have high hopes. My holiday pattern is likely to change from this year as my son is probably going off to University in September (grades permitting) and now that he’s all grown up, the family holidays we’ve gone on over the years just won’t appeal to him anymore. However, I’m hopeful I’ll get another summer fortnight with him all to myself before I hand him over to the big wide world. To this end, I may find I have more time to go off on adventures of my own – call it a midlife crisis if you like but I genuinely have a thirst for travelling to new places and for picking up hobbies and interests that I have dabbled with in the past but didn’t have time to pursue them properly.
I’m sure you too have had secret wishes to travel on your own and do something purely for you. Maybe this year, you’ll be able to tick one of your goals off your life wish list and if you have the time, here’s just some of the amazing trips you could go on.
Ecotourism and Volunteering Abroad
I know it might not sound like a holiday to some people but if you’ve been doing some soul-searching lately and it got you thinking about how you can help make a difference in some small way, maybe it’s time to start considering giving your time to a good cause. There are a few specialist organisations who can arrange volunteer holidays – whether it be wildlife or rainforest conservation or a community project that has somehow tugged at your heartstrings, it can be done – all you need is the time and the desire to do it. Look at what’s on offer from Responsible Travel
With them, you can help in all sorts of areas and age is no barrier either – you can be 16 or 60…you’ll be made very welcome. Is it time to give something back to the world? Here’s how you can do it – look at all the amazing work you could be doing here
If doing your bit for the planet is high on the agenda this year then you could also take a responsible holiday that combines your love of nature and travel with supporting the environment. There’s hardly a day goes by without plastic pollution making the headlines. You could join the crusade through some awareness work as a volunteer.
Projects Abroad offer some truly amazing volunteer programmes. In addition to fighting noble causes, they also have opportunities in teaching, sports coaching, youth development and refugee support.
Take a look at what they have available and what projects you can get behind this year. Click here for more info.
Spiritual and Religious Holidays
If you’ve been asking yourself lots of questions about faith or self-discovery, a spiritual retreat could have the answers, or at the very least, you’ll be able to devote proper time to prayer and enlightenment in the right setting, with expert advisors and healers to guide you to a richer, more rewarding way of life. Retreatsonline.com offer breaks across many different faith groups for self-awareness and spiritual growth. They also have sacred journey retreats in some cool places around the world, such as ‘Art & Healing for Women’ ‘Mindfulness, Concentration and Insight’ Silent Meditation in Assisi, and ‘Spirits of the Earth – adventures for the soul in Machu Picchu’
There’s many more options available and if this is the path you want to take for this year’s holiday, check out Retreats Online – the choice is amazing and you’re bound to find the right trip that will feed your soul.
Pilgrimages
A popular pilgrim route that still attracts a lot of participants is the Camino de Santiago trail – or, The Way of St James. You can join a tour group and do the pilgrim journey to Santiago de Compostela by following the ancient route by coach with the option to walk part of the way with an expert guide to explain the history and significance of it all.
Or if you want to see more than one pilgrim destination, you could try a multi-centre shrines of Europe tour, with Fatima and Lourdes among the holy sites you could visit. For more information and how to book a specialist pilgrimage holiday, take a look at Joe Walsh Tours
Music, Art & Opera
If you’ve got a passion for the arts but your other half isn’t so keen, then why not take yourself off to join fellow aficionados on a cultural tour or music holiday? You could be exploring some of the finest performance venues and galleries in the world in exciting cities such as New York, Dresden, Berlin, Venice and Moscow. There are some truly inspiring itineraries from Kirker Holidays. You should check them out.
Singing Holidays in France
Ever dreamt of singing your heart out with nobody to judge you or mock you? You can belt it out with like-minded folk on a singing holiday in France – and all within a pretty chateau setting. How good would that be? The singing holiday includes technique masterclasses with individual tuition and you’ll be staying in high-end accommodation at Chateau Des Chezeaux. The owner tells me there are plans afoot to expand the singing breaks into Italy’s Tuscany region and into the UK too but for now la belle France will be your rehearsal space. Tres bien!
You could be hitting the high notes this summer and breakfast, lunch and evening dinner with wine is all part of the package. Check out Singing Escapes for more information and how to book your singing break.
I must admit, there’s appeal in every one of those suggestions and who knows, maybe I’ll get to do something amazing this year. I hope you do too…
If you’ve got a dream trip lined up already or if you’re planning to shake things up a little with your holiday plans this year, we’d love to hear from you. Tweet us @tripsology
I love travel. I’ve been fascinated by other countries and cultures since my first foreign trip in 1985 and I’ve had serious wanderlust ever since.I also love to write about where I’ve been and tripsology lets me indulge that passion. I’m thrilled to be a regular contributor and editor. When I’m not writing I also run my own PR and publicity company.