New retirees who suddenly have more time on their hands are often eager to travel while they’re still relatively young. Some have a long list of destinations to check off, while others may need inspiration. To find your perfect retirement adventure, start by thinking about your personal interests and use them to plot your ideal itinerary. Here are 15 travel themes to consider exploring in retirement.
Train travel. Train travel is a convenient and comfortable way to see a country’s landscapes and culture. Buy a Eurail pass to crisscross Europe, or head east and follow the path of Paul Theroux’s “The Great Railway Bazaar” . If its harrowing adventure you seek, try the Devil’s Nose Train Ride in Ecuador or cross the Gokteik Viaduct trestle built by the British colonialists in 1899 in Myanmar.
UNESCO World Heritage sites. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designates certain global landmarks as having historical, cultural or scientific significance. So far, UNESCO has named 1,073 World Heritage sites around the globe. They are unique destinations that include cities and towns, archaeological sites and natural wonders that are attractive to tourists. You’ll find them in nearly every country in the world, so check the list before you depart on your next trip.
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Bird watching. Bird enthusiasts will travel great lengths to snap a photo of a rare bird. Thousands of bird species scatter the globe, making the hobby a wonderful reason to get out and explore. Some of the more off-the-beaten-path birding destinations include Papua New Guinea, Cape Verde and Antarctica.
Olympic host cities. The modern Olympic Games began in 1896 in Athens, Greece. Since then, more than 40 cities have hosted the games. A majority of the host cities are in Europe, so you can easily visit many of the Olympic stadiums and villages by car or train. The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland is a top site and isn’t far from the International Olympic Committee headquarters at Vidy.
Ancestry. The internet has made it easier to research your family origins and history. Immigration records and government documents may indicate the exact town of your family history. You can now even trace your roots using a specialized DNA test to map out your unique heritage. With your family tree and DNA results in hand, design a vacation to discover the lands of your ancestors.
River cruises. Luxury cruise lines design boat itineraries over famed river routes between some of the world’s great cities. Though Europe is the most popular for river cruises, you can find routes throughout Asia, South America and Africa. River cruises offer retirees the comforts of higher-end hotels paired with the adventure of exploring unfamiliar territories.
Round-the-world flights. Perhaps the most efficient way to see many diverse destinations is a round-the-world flight. Airlines partner through alliances, making it easy to combine flights for a set price. Most packages have a list of acceptable stops and require that you keep moving in one direction without back-tracking. Prices are set based on how many stops you make. You can redeem frequent flyer miles and rewards points for these tickets, making it an inexpensive way to cover great distances.
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Cuisine. Watch enough cable TV, and you’ll become envious of travelers roaming the globe to find the perfect meal. Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown” shows you exotic dishes consumed around the world. From Vietnam to Ethiopia, through Italy and Mexico, cuisines are varied and delicious in their own way. Though eating at ethnic restaurants in your city can make for some entertaining evenings, sampling the foods of the world where they originated is an unparalleled dining experience.
Not-so-beautiful destinations. For good reason, the earth’s most beautiful sites get most of the attention. But to truly appreciate our planet, the less desirable parts may be worth a visit too. The book “Visit Sunny Chernobyl” by Andrew Blackwell highlights some of the planet’s uglier destinations, such as the famous nuclear accident site in Ukraine and the Darvaza natural gas crater in Turkmenistan. These sites may not be your cup of tea, especially if your time is limited and you prefer a nice beach or ski mountain, but they are certainly unique in their own way.
War history. The wars of modern history were devastating for the countries involved and to the land and cultures in which they were fought. But the history of war makes for interesting tourist destinations. For an eye-opening experience from the opponent’s perspective, visit the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam. Exhibits include American warplanes and tanks, as well as photographs and documents covering the use of agent orange and napalm. In Europe, Americans may be interested in visiting the beaches and numerous museums dedicated to the Allied Invasion of Normandy, a critical turning point of World War II.
Giant bells. A quest to visit the world’s largest bells would take you to some unexpected corners of the globe. Start at the Kremlin in Moscow to see the Tsar Bell, the largest non-functioning bell in the world. The 200-ton behemoth cracked in a fire in 1737, and a giant slab broke off before its first ring. The second largest functioning bell today is the Mingun Bell, weighing 97 tons and located outside of Mandalay, Myanmar. It was surpassed in size in 2000 by the current largest functioning bell in the world, the Bell of Good Luck in Pingdingshan, Henan, China, weighing in at 127 tons.
Literary destinations. Many great stories are inspired by the physical setting. “The Sun Also Rises” is the Ernest Hemingway classic that introduced the world to bullfighting and the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. For more modern ideas, read Alex Garland’s “The Beach” and head to southern Thailand or follow in the footprints of author Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love” to find whatever you’re looking for in India or Bali, Indonesia. Better yet, retrace the steps of the protagonist in your favorite novel to create the adventure of a lifetime.
Game of Thrones. Fans of the HBO TV show “Game of Thrones” marvel at the stunning scenery throughout the series, which can be as important as the characters. Filming takes place in multiple locations to create the various lands and topographies of the landmasses Westeros and Essos. Some of the primary filming locations include Northern Ireland (Winterfell) and Dubrovnik, Croatia (King’s Landing). Other countries where filming takes place include Morocco, Iceland, Spain and Malta.
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Luxury hotels and resorts. If money is not an object, book yourself a few nights in the world’s more luxurious hotels. You’ll find no shortage of the world’s best hotels lists, so choose the region of the world you want to visit and find the resorts and hotels that cater to your personal preferences. Hotels that appear frequently on the lists include Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, La Residence in Franschhoek, South Africa, Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, India, and The Lodge and Spa at Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga, Wyoming.
Volunteer travel. Travel doesn’t have to be about pampering yourself. Rather, you may find more fulfillment in service to others in need. Volunteer opportunities are available around the world focusing on conservation, teaching, building homes, archaeology and cultural and community projects. Most volunteer travel opportunities will cost as much as a more traditional vacation, but lodging and food are usually included. Since many opportunities are in poorly developed nations, expect hardships and a lack of amenities. Maybe you’ll forget about the absence of comfort knowing that you’re making a difference in a community.
Craig Stephens is a blogger at Retire Before Dad.
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15 Travel Themes to Explore in Retirement originally appeared on usnews.com
