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8 moments travellers should never forget

Image: Lachlan Gardiner
Image: Lachlan Gardiner

There is something magical about an adventure. The heightened sense of connection and curiosity that makes you feel fully alive and engaged. Even though you might not experience the comforts of home, challenging yourself and leaping out of your comfort zone creates moments you'll never forget.

Having days without a proper shower, moving in rain or shine with shaky legs from hours on the trail and feeling sore muscles you didn’t even know existed!

How can we feel so connected to ourselves and to nature when things we enjoy in our daily life are missing? Maybe those things aren’t really that important... After all, it's the little things that you experience when travelling that make it special: waving to a local, making lifelong friends, appreciating a hot shower or experiencing the bright stars in the outback.

Travel has the power to transform, invigorate, test limits and open up a world of knowledge and understanding. Here are eight special travel moments that add up to an album of unforgettable memories you can look back and smile about.

1. Watching the sky full of stars, on a pitch-black night, as you reflected on the where you had been and where you were headed next.
 

The stars of the desert sky on the Larapinta Trail |  <i>Graham Michael Freeman</i>

2. You smiled and waved, or at least noticed, everybody that was passing your way, and so did they.
 

Local boys in West Mongolia give a friendly greeting |  <i>Cam Cope</i>

3. Washing yourself, even with just baby wipes and a hot water bucket, was a blissful moment.
 

Heating up some water at camp |  <i>Caroline Crick</i>

4. Removing your hiking boots and socks and feeling like putting your feet in a river is the best thing you’ve ever done, ever!

Shoes off on a river crossing, hiking in Madagascar |  <i>Janet Oldham</i>

5. Trying to speak with someone who did not understand a word you just said was a challenge but you surely could overcome with some sort of sign language.
 

Meeting pilgrims at Shah-i-Zinda, the avenue of mausoleums, in Samarkand |  <i>Richard I'Anson</i>


6. Staring at a blossoming flower, a towering tree or a small bird and wondering how its colour could be so bright.

 

Cyclists push bikes through lupin lined trail near Lindis Pass, Mackenzie Country |  <i>Colin Monteath</i>

7. Developing long-lasting friendships with people you would have never got to know in ‘real life’.
 

Trekking in spectacular alpine conditions on the Bhutan Snowman Trek |  <i>Soren Kruse Ledet</i>

8. Not worrying about what you were wearing. If items mis-matched or the colours clash, it didn't seem all that important on an outdoor adventure. You didn't seem to care that you've worn the same pants three days in a row. What mattered at the time was that you were comfortable. There was something nice about forgetting what was fashionable!

A group of trekkers enjoying some down time and having a laugh |  <i>Sally Imber</i>

There are certainly more than eight special moments when on an adventure, maybe you have one or two in mind? Let us know some of your unforgettable travel moments in the comments below.

Adventure Travel, Community

Comments (2)

Neville Fenn

In 2008, leaving Kharga Oasis in the desert in Egypt heading to Luxor on the Nile and asked the tour leader could we make a detour before turning off the road we were on and visit Paris (Baris) a little further on and then come back to the turnoff. Not a problem he said. Carried on down the road with desert all around us. We went around a corner to see what I never expected to see in the desert, a railway track. We followed the railway track for several kilometres and came across a fairly new looking railway station with a diesel locomotive and a passenger carriage waiting which appeared to been a fairly long wait. Opened the carriage door to look inside and a flock of pigeons flew out of open windows and doors at other end. Have tried to check out details but no one was able to help. Do have photos if you would like.

5 years ago
Jenny

The kindness, generosity and happiness of people who have so little in contrast to what it's like back home...

8 years ago
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