{"id":199,"date":"2020-10-01T16:32:40","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T06:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/?p=199"},"modified":"2021-02-23T15:33:35","modified_gmt":"2021-02-23T05:33:35","slug":"the-path-less-trodden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/the-path-less-trodden\/","title":{"rendered":"The path less trodden: mindful and meaningful travel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We share six ways you can explore the world through slow, mindful and meaningful travel.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 11.1 million Australians returned from short-term overseas trips in 2018. Have you ever wondered about the impact of all that travel? Besides financially boosting the visited country\u2019s economy, travellers leave social and environmental traces behind \u2014 good and bad. As the ease of travelling grows and globetrotting becomes more common, a shift to exploring the world through mindful and meaninful travel needs to happen \u2014 and fast. Here are six ways you can do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get to know the locals<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Accommodation apps such as Airbnb and CouchSurfing have changed the way humans travel. Staying with locals means you can discover their favourite spots for delicious food, fun activities and beautiful views, away
from the crowds.

When it comes to booking activities, seek out locally owned, familyoperated
tours or businesses. In doing so, you\u2019ll take the road less travelled, explore the local sites and give back to the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the time to learn a few local phrases such as \u201chello\u201d, \u201cthank you\u201d and \u201cmore please\u201d. Locals will appreciate your effort in learning their language.

When you\u2019re exploring, wander outside of tourist areas (only if it\u2019s safe to do so), visit a restaurant where the menu isn\u2019t in English and live like the locals wherever possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be respectful<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You pull your camera out to capture the beautiful Saharan plains, mud-hut homes and wild animals but a local kid jumps into your frame. Be respectful of the privacy of the locals \u2014 especially children. If people or children are in your shot, remember to ask for permission before taking a photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support the community<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

While you might be tempted to give the locals money when they beg, it can actually have the obverse effect. Often, the children are encouraged to skip school in order to beg tourists for money. This isn\u2019t a longterm solution to the poverty cycle. If you\u2019d like to financially support a community, look to reputable local organisations that support those in need. It doesn\u2019t have to stop when you leave the area, either. Consider sponsoring a child (with an organisation that supports the community as a whole) to create a lasting impact on someone\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reuse and recycle<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As the saying goes, \u201cleave only your footprints behind\u201d. Avoiding the plethora of plastic bottles can be difficult in places with unsafe water. Thankfully, companies such as Sawyer are a step ahead and produce bottles with built-in filters so you can drink contaminated water without fear.

Saying no to plastic straws will help reduce the amount of plastic waste in the world. Skip the tacky key-ring souvenir and buy something lasting for your friends and family such as Fair Trade gifts or local art pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the wild<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Seeing the world\u2019s animals is a popular reason for travel and strongly tied to the specific country itself. From the Big Five in Africa (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo) to polar bears in Alaska and Japanese macaques, there are countless wild animals to see in your lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than going to a zoo, snag a seat on a safari to see the animals in their natural habitat and not in captivity. To take this one step further, look into local rescue centres and find out more on animal rehabilitation and release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wander mindfully<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Next time you\u2019re travelling and you stumble upon something wonderful, take a moment to pause. Breathe it all in; the Earth is incredibly beautiful, a masterpiece of creativity and a miracle in itself. Put down the camera for a moment to acknowledge the wonders of this Earth and make memories with people in different places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Words CASSIE HAYWOOD<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\nWant to learn more about being moved? Visit our moved archive.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We share six ways you can explore the world through slow, mindful and meaningful travel. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 11.1 million Australians returned from short-term overseas trips in 2018. Have you ever wondered about the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":334,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199\/revisions\/334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellbeing.com.au\/being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}