Authored by Maria Angelova
Travel is an incredible experience, though when you engage your creative genius it’s possible that it becomes even better!
You already know where you’re going next, you’ve researched your destinations, you’ve seen all the attractions online and you know everything about them. It’s so hard to be surprised nowadays! But if you pose a few creative challenges to yourself, then the fun element will stay intact.
Here are five ideas for a start, you can continue your own travel challenges list.
Go to a Sculpture Park … Underwater
Telling someone you plan to spend your next holiday in the company of sculptures probably won’t impress them much. If, however, after a few seconds of silence you add… “underwater”. Bam!
We have three destinations for this challenge depending on where you can find the cheapest flights.
Where to complete the challenge:
➠ Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park, Grenada, created by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor with the idea of engaging locals and increasing awareness of the surrounding environment.
➠ Archaeological Park of Baiae, Naples, Italy – Once the ancient Romans’ Las Vegas, today an ancient town below sea level.
➠ Cancun Marine Park, Mexico – a coral reef and more than 470 sculptures by Jason deCaires Taylor.
Walk on Water & in the Clouds … at the Same Time
Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is one of the most emblematic places that inspires people to travel thousands of kilometers just for a photo.
This is the world’s biggest salt flat. When it rains, a thin layer of water covers the flat and turns it into a huge mirror, reflecting the sky. This makes it possible to walk on water and in the clouds (their reflection) at the same time. An out-of-this-world experience!
Desert Bike … to the Pyramids of Giza
Many travelers organize quad bike activities during their vacations, but if you want a truly unique challenge, Egypt’s deserts are the best place to get fast and furious!
With endless sand, dunes, and incredible scenery, join the annual Cross Egypt Challenge, where participants ride motorcycles or scooters from Alexandria to Marsa Allam, ending at the Pyramids of Giza.
This event goes for nine days across 3,000 km, and is the ultimate chance to freely explore vast golden deserts at wild speeds. It’s open to all skill levels, and motorbikes are always available to rent; motorbiking is one of the most popular activities in the country. The national airline for flights is Egypt Air.
Discover a Beach in the Middle of the City
Life is better in flip-flops, they say. If the first thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions the beach is a solitary bungalow on a remote island, we challenge you to find some of the best city beaches in the world.
Where to complete the challenge:
➠ Venice Beach, Los Angeles, USA.
➠ Bruxelles Les Bains (Brussel Bad)
➠ Belgium at Beco quay (Quai de Beco) – every year for a month a real beach appears with huge sand sets, palm-trees, exotic plants…
➠ Brygge Islands, Copenhagen, Denmark.
➠ Paris Plages (Paris Beaches), France – The closest sea coast is 200 km (124 mi) from Paris but that can’t stop the French – for four weeks from late July, several tons of sand are pumped onto the Seine’s banks in the French capital.
Visit a Destination Where 90% of the Wildlife and Plants are Unique
A long time ago Madagascar moved away from its surrounding continents and decided to start a new life on its own. It did just that.
Today some scientists call it the Eighth Continent because almost 90% of animals and plants are endemic (they can be found only here and nowhere else on Earth).
Look for lemurs, many types of chameleons (including the smallest known to zoologists ) and walk along the Avenue of the Baobabs.
203 More Challenges
“203 Travel Challenges” is now out and is different from any travel book you’ve read before. It’s not just for reading, it’s for taking action; a book to inspire you to transform every trip into your very own personal adventure!
Who is this book for? For anyone who thinks they have tried everything. For anyone who thinks they just can’t. For any ordinary person who loves traveling, the new things in life as well as life itself. For any tired, busy, serious, conservative, disappointed or sad person – you’re the person who needs a little change of scenery the most!
Maria’s book will challenge you to change the way you travel in at least 203 different ways.
Buy 203 Travel Challenges on Amazon
MORE TRAVEL INSPIRATION IN BOOK FORM! CLICK PHOTO ↓
|
|
|
INSPIRED?! PIN THIS TO YOUR TRAVEL PINTEREST BOARDS ↓
If You Liked This Post You May Also Like:
Photo credits: Underwater Sculpture Museum by Ratha Grimes. Motorbiking the desert by HIMOINSA Racing Team (Merzouga Rally 2017). The Avenue of the Baobabs by Ralph Kränzlein. Madagascar Lemur by Mathias Appel.
28 Comments
great article! unique activities really make a trip!
x
Glad you enjoyed the post Stephanie! Totally agree, the unique adventures are the most memorable!
I am inspired!
Awesome Kandas! Happy travels!
The underwater sculpture park in Molinere Bay has been on my radar for a while, I would love to see it, though I don’t yet scuba dive so some lessons are on the cards first. I am making a note of the other two places!
Likewise, Madagascar is definitely on my list, for both the flora and the fauna. I’ve done many safaris in Southern and East Africa but not yet managed to get to Madagascar, so must do that one soon!
Scuba lessons are one of those things which open up a completely new world, one which is so fascinating and incredible to see! I love the creativity of creating sculpture parks underwater, and using them as a way to illustrate how the sea takes over. Hope you have the chance to organize lessons / a visit soon!
And likewise on Madagascar – probably the most unique place in Africa!
I love seeing bucket lists, it provides a new set of inspirations. At least for me anyway.The diving experience with the statues underwater! It looks so incredible! Thank you for sharing this inspiring post.
So glad we could inspire and extend your bucketlist Katherine! Have an amazing time at the underwater sculpture parks!
Great ideas. I would love to see the salt flats aka the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and also everything about Madagascar. The Flora and Fauna of that island look so amazing to me and cant wait to cross that one off.
Thanks Eric, I’m glad you enjoyed the post :) Can highly recommend both Bolivia and Madagascar – hope you have the chance to travel soon!
Ok Challenge accepted…but now got to do them! he he. Not sure on the scuba diving one, I struggled last time with this but I am sure Claire will do this as she passed out as a diver last year in Thailand. :D Love to do the motocross in the desert.
Excellent! A lot of people struggle with Scuba Diving, but if you’ve got a spouse you can live vicariously through! Hope you have the chance to register for the Cross Egypt Challenge soon :)
Madagascar looks incredible! I would love to go one day. I’ll be going to Bolivia next year so I can check that one off! I now also want to visit the underwater sculpture park!
Bolivia is incredible, we traveled without any expectations and it truly blew us away. Have an amazing trip!
YASSS I <3 doing weird stuff :)
Keeps life interesting right!
This is so true! It’s tough to feel that “wow” factor when you’ve seen so may pictures and read so much about a place, so I love these creative suggestions. Experiences like desert biking across Egypt and seeing the wildlife in Madagascar in person would still be so incredible though! The salt flats of Bolivia are definitely on my list too. Thanks for this inspiration!
Glad we could inspire a couple of out of the ordinary ideas Jen! Hope you have a blast living them out!
This list is amazing! Underwater sculpture park, the concept itself boggles the mind. We are going for our first dive in September. Salar de Uyuni is another bucketlist item for me! How I wish south america was not so far away.
Hope you have an incredible first dive! Underwater sculpture parks are waiting for you after you get your cert!
South America is a pretty long way for me from Australia too – we actually tacked Bolivia onto a trip which already saw us traveling to the continent, maybe you could hold out for a similar situation and combine a couple of trips into one :)
This list is incredible and it offers a different way to experience travel. What a unique range of activities that break the typical routine. The sculpture park underwater has definitively captured my attention. This is something I would not have thought of. This is a great book to keep life interesting :)
So glad you found the post fun Rosemary! Yes, we can definitely recommend Maria’s book if you’re interested in further reading – she’s put some great travel challenges together, something inspiring and exciting on every page!
Finding the most random adventure which few or hopefully no one has done before is the ultimate travellers quest. This sounds like an awesome list to get started on. Stoked that we’ve done diving at the Molinere sculpture park (also awesome to find a big air pocket in a sunken wreck on that dive) and seen the Salar de Uyuni (still one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen). Think I would like the Egyptian desert bike next. Sounds ace!
Totally agree – it’s difficult these days, as we’re living in an age where almost everything has already been done, but there are still many experiences which only a handful of people in the world can claim!
Kind of cool to know your among a very small club who’s completed or experienced something :) Sounds like you’ve already completed a pretty decent amount of our list. Hope to bump into you in Egypt soon!
Great review! These are definitely some interesting challenges! I love adventure travel, but have a huge fear of the ocean, so I know going to the underwater sculpture park is out, but I love the other suggestions you let us preview. I also love the phrasing of certain things. It makes them sound EVEN MORE adventurous. Like walking on the clouds and water. I’ve heard visiting that place a million times, but now it sounds like a real adventure. Great writing! It sounds like Maria wrote a phenomenal book of ideas, even if I haven’t “seen it all” yet, I may want to add some challenges in along the way!
So glad you enjoyed the book preview – so many more incredible ideas where these come from if you’re inspired :) Yes, Bolivia is an incredible country, and the salt flats are quite the adventure by just being there!
Happy travels Paige! I hope you do manage to work in a couple of challenges along the way :)
Great review! These are definitely some interesting challenges! I love adventure travel, but have a huge fear of the ocean, so I know going to the underwater sculpture park is out https://www.mappingmegan.com/travel-challenges/
Glad you enjoyed the ideas here Roman! Happy adventuring!