What’s life without a little adventure? Be it unusual travel destinations or quirky adventures it’s always good to try something a little different.
The world is full of great adventures from road-tripping on the Great Ocean Road, to exploring the jungles of Ecuador, or swimming with turtles in the Caribbean.
But the world has many quirky adventures for those looking for something unusual.
So we’ve collected some quirky activities and adventures, many in unusual holiday destinations, to help enrich your travels.
Here are seven quirky adventures to get your travel plans flowing, from unusual hotel stays to learning new skills.
If you have been somewhere on the road less travelled, or taken part in a bizarre activity while on your travels, share your experiences with us at the end of the story.
Unusual travel destinations and adventures
1. Spend a night in a lighthouse
Lighthouses have long been associated with romance and sea-faring tales from a bygone era.
Scotland’s Corsewall Lighthouse Hotel is home to an award-winning restaurant and is well-located for exploring the region of Dumfries and Galloway. Extensive restorations provide guests with all the latest and most modern facilities.
With two king size suites, the hotel is a historic luxury hideaway for two and offers stunning sea views, naturally.
The Corsewall Lighthouse hotel is a very relaxed stay. And at the Corsewell, the hotel and restaurant exude charm and it even has a certain romance to it, very much in keeping with a building dating from 1815.
Corsewall is still a working lighthouse and to this day its light continues to beam a warning for shipping.
We think it would make a great wedding venue, not that we are hinting or anything………
Quirky and unusual holiday destinations
2. Do time in an old US prison
A number of disused prisons around the world have been converted into plush hotels.
The Liberty Hotel in Boston, in the US is one such place. Previously Charles Street Jail, also known as the Suffolk County Jail, the views of the lobby in the hotel reveal its past, with prison-esque landings.
Originally built in 1851, it is now listed in the state and national Registers of Historic Places.
Its location on Beacon Hill and close to the Charles River Esplanade, as well as shops and restaurants, makes the Liberty Hotel an ideal place when visiting Boston
Most of the hotel’s rooms are now based in a new wing so not everyone gets to sleep in the slammer. But if you want to, be sure to request a jail room.
Now a Starwood hotel featuring luxe soft lighting, and dark leather and wood interiors, you probably won’t mind being doing time here.
3. A good deed for your holiday in Asia
If you like to feel enriched from your travels, volunteering could offer a great experience.
There are a variety of projects you can get involved in around the world. Some don’t necessarily require a lot of time on the ground, but you can play your part within the confines of a two-week visit. For example, you can assist with rainforest conservation initiatives, or teach children English in the Caribbean. These are just two of many possibilities.
Research volunteer activities carefully to identify responsible projects which leave a positive impact. The Volunteer Traveller’s Handbook is a good place to start for useful tips and advice. People and Places is one award-winning organisation recognised for its ethical practices. Also, look into the work of the Sandals Foundation which allows you to combine work on voluntary programmes with beach breaks in the Caribbean.
4. Learn to salsa in Cuba
Cuba’s music has always had a distinct romance and passion about it, from the hip-swaying rhythms of the melody to the sensual energy of the beat.
So why not learn to salsa in between seeing the glorious Cuban sights, attractions and magnificent beaches. Santiago de Cuba is the birthplace of salsa, and lessons with professional dancers are combined with nights out to put your new moves into practice. Caledonia Holidays offers two-week trips from £1,345 per person.
Alternatively, if you should require a salsa dance partner it is possible to hire one. Available through local dance schools you can find what is locally called a ‘taxi dancer’.
Yes, your very own experienced salsa teacher who will take you through the moves at local salsa clubs to improve your skills. One place to hire a taxi dancer in Havana is from the salsa school of Salsabor a Cuba https://www.salsaborcuba.com/
If you are unfortunately unable to travel to Cuba there will be dance schools closer to your home. The popularity of salsa is a worldwide phenomenon and is taught wherever good music and dance is appreciated.
5. Stay on your own private island
Enjoy the soft sounds of the sea, a tropical breeze, clear skies and best of all no-one else to share it with except your travelling companions with a stay on a private island resort in Fiji.
Mantangi Private Island Resort offers beachfront villas from £650 per couple, per night.
How about Thanda Island, located in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Tanzania, it is an exclusive private island getaway.
Thanda Island has its own marine reserve, a private one km long beach and here you can even watch sea turtles nesting. Available from Private Islands Inc.
Yet another private option is the Pink Pearl Island, a tropical Caribbean island three miles of the coast of Nicaragua.
Pink Pearl Island is perfect for snorkelling and diving as it is located amid a group of coral islands. More details can be found at HomeAway.
There are many private islands to choose from, so enjoy your lovely dilemma.
6. Take part in a food fight
The Battle of the Oranges in Ivrea, Piedmont is a popular event in Italy, as well as one of the oldest in the world.
Established in 1808, the event is held as part of a parade, which re-enacts the Italian Civil War. It was a war that broke out between the people of Ivrea and Royal Napoleonic Troops after the murder of hated tyrant Raineri di Biandrate.
Filling the city with fantastic colours and fruity aromas, the battle features squads of orange throwers on foot – representing the people of Ivrea – with the ‘Napoleonic Troops’ defending their piazzas from carts.
If you like the prospect of a tomato fight then Buñol near Valencia, Spain in August is your go-to place. La Tomatina, sees visitors and locals alike hurling squashed tomatoes at each other.
The good-natured tomato toss La Tomatina is a ticketed event so get in early as the numbers for participants are limited. You can get your tickets here at La Tomatina 2019.
There are more unusual holiday destinations around the globe where you can take part in food fights. For me, I’d rather eat the food, but it takes all sorts to make up this crazy world of ours.
7. Mess about on the water in the Netherlands
Giethoorn in the Netherlands is a rather enchanting place and one of the world’s more unusual holiday destinations. Here roads are replaced by canals. Touring the waterways you pass chocolate box houses worthy of a fairytale, and your tour guide will regale you with stories from the region’s past.
Giethoorn is translated as goat horn, owing to the discovery of goat skulls when the area was excavated for development many years ago. As well as the village’s origins you will learn about the local way of life, and its previous residents. Sit back, relax and enjoy the tranquillity.
‘t Zwaantje offer a range of boat packages and tours.
8. An Ecuador Rainforest Lodge
If you are looking for truly unusual travel destinations then why not consider a rainforest.
Around the world, there are many rainforests. However, in the Ecuador rainforest of Mashpi, there’s the Mashpi Lodge Hotel, and this rainforest lodge offers an environmentally friendly four-star hotel amid the pristine virgin forest.
Mashpi Lodge opened in 2012 and the owners are dedicated to sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. A visit to this wilderness will only enhance and not detract from the natural environment.
The hotel’s water supply is from local rivers and is filtered and biologically treated before being returned to the forest. Guests are asked not to use their own soaps and shower gels, but to make use of the hotel’s freely available eco-friendly version.
During guided walks, you will see an abundance of flora and fauna. And be immersed in a remarkable world of the wildlife of falcons, toucans, hummingbirds, monkeys, giant locusts, moths, spiders and critters of every description.
Visitors here can also swim in the rainforest’s waterfalls and pools, there is even a sky bike where you can cycle amid the tree-top canopy.
Ecuador’s Mashpi rainforest is one of the world’s great untouched wildernesses.
Some images here are licensed under Creative Commons 2.0: andy muir, Sunghwan Yoon, George Lu, SteveR-, Claire Gribbin and piotr iłowiecki
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