Published 15th Dec. 2022
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Drink less, work out more. Scroll less, read more. Every year we set ourselves the same goals and every year they get canned by mid-January. And who can blame us? Cutting out all our vices during the bleakest month of the year? It’s a no from us. That’s why, when it comes to new year travel resolutions, we are full of indulgent optimism. For no other reason than the fact there is nothing more joyous than organising a holiday. But try planning a trip that is both sustainable, purposeful and allows you to show off your unit five Duolingo skills and you’ll find the January blues are all but a distant memory. If travelling in 2023 means pushing yourself more out of your comfort zone, forsake the over-planned itinerary and let fate figure it out, or go it alone on a solo trip. Read on to discover our new year travel resolutions.
1
Have you ever dreamt of turning up to an airport, checking the departure schedule and hopping on the next flight to…anywhere? Us too. After years of restrictions and rules we’re challenging ourselves to walk – suitcase and passport first – out of our comfort zones. Whether it be booking your first night and letting fate take care of the rest, saying yes to that early morning hike in Bali or striking up conversation with inquisitive locals in Oaxaca, being spontaneous is all about seizing the moment. If type A personality traits stand in the way of serious spontaneity, however, ease your way into it by abandoning dinner reservations for the evening and seeing where the night takes you…
2
Solo trips can feel quite daunting. Without the safety net of someone else asking if you have your passport (again and again) or navigating the labyrinthine lanes of Marrakech alone while you snap scenes of its russet medina, you’re forced to figure it out all for yourself. Fortunately, with the help of our destination specialists and in-country Concierges, you shouldn’t find it too taxing. In fact, one of the many joys of travelling solo is the flexibility to do exactly what you want, when you want. Don’t want to move from your sun lounger for a week in the Seychelles? Sure. Deciding to go back to the same restaurant in Ravenna three nights in a row because it was just so good? Absolutely. Or spend an afternoon people watching from a charming cafe in Montmartre, because how else are you supposed to brush up on your French? So go and Eat, Pray, Love your way into 2023. If Julia Roberts can do it, so can you.
3
It’s no secret that we’re big advocates for travelling more sustainably. Our Travel Less, Travel Better ethos will tell you that much (as will our 100% Carbon Absorption policy). But like France, who are set to ban short-haul flights between Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux and Lyon in 2023, we too think the new year is the perfect time to implement sustainable travel choices. Swap planes for trains on a Gastrainomy tour (see what we did there) through Europe, and wings for wheels on a no-fly all-frills road trip across Norway’s remote Lofoten Islands. If your sights are set beyond Europe, make up for your long-haul flight with stays in community lodges. Apart from providing a more memorable and authentic stay, you see first-hand how your money benefits local people. Plus, where else would you be able to learn about Namibia’s semi-nomadic Himba tribe than with them at their very own Serra Cafema camp?
4
You’re never too old to learn something new. In fact, without realising it, you probably do it every day. But we’re not talking about LinkedIn courses here. We mean the big things. The things you’ve told yourself you’ll do year after year, like learning a new language or finally picking up the guitar that has spent far too long looking sad in your attic. You may even find these new talents come in handy on your travels. Paint your own Picasso in Paris, fluently order for the table in Verona and join in the fun in Lima with your very own charango. If you don’t have time to take up a new skill before you travel, do it while you’re there. In fact, we can’t think of a better place to learn how to make Scandinavian meatballs than Sweden itself.
5
Sabbaticals put the balance back into work-life balance. Free of the fear of looming return flights and feeling like you have to squeeze the very essence out of a city in just one weekend, sabbaticals are life’s way of saying slow down. Think of them like gap years – just without the hangovers and hostels – where you come first and life comes second. Fall into a hedonistic hole in Vietnam, where daily detoxes and yoga retreats come as a package deal, or breathe in the salubrious air of the Earth’s lungs on a month-long trip into the Peruvian Amazon. Go on rainforest hikes with knowledgeable guides, spot scarlet macaws and vibrant toucans in low-hanging canopies and sail along the meandering Amazon River in search of frolicsome dolphins. Sabbaticals are the perfect opportunity to live like a local too. Instead of googling the best fika in Stockholm, find your own on a long stay in the cosy capital, or become a pad Thai connoisseur on an eleven-week sabbatical to Indochina.
6
We’re no strangers to sun loungers, but we think holidays should be more than just flying and flopping. That’s why, for our final new year travel resolution, we are championing travelling with purpose. Rather than retreating to a beachside resort, how about heading into Peru’s Sacred Valley to volunteer at a children’s foundation? Or aiding conservation projects in Kenya? Travelling with purpose doesn’t just have to be about voluntourism though. In fact, philantourism (see what we did there too) is the perfect mash up and the idea couldn’t be simpler. Choose your destination based on where the money is needed most and spend your time there integrating yourself in the local community, talking to locals and finding out exactly what your destination is made of. You’ll come back with a lot more than sunburn and souvenirs, that’s for sure.
Written by Naomi Pike
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