Path Less Traveled

"If you're not careful in today's social media-crazed world, travel can start to feel like a competition. Once you've finished checking into all the trendiest spots and snapping photos in all the right places, you might just realize you've forgotten why you booked that plane ticket in the first place. The only surefire way to avoid this modern-day traveler's burnout is by taking the path less traveled."

"It wasn't on my lengthy must-do list, but that was the beauty of it. After a day of hiking unmarked trails, stumbling upon tiny fishing villages, and diving into natural swimming holes, we found ourselves truly relaxed, sitting around a campfire in the middle of a forest I still couldn't pinpoint on a map-never mind geotag on Instagram. We made a pact right then to add one off-our-radar destination to our travels every year."

Social-media-driven travel can become performative and exhausting, turning trips into competitions that cause travelers to forget why they booked tickets. Spontaneous, off-the-radar trips restore relaxation and authenticity. An example trip involved mushroom foraging in Estonia with hiking unmarked trails, discovering tiny fishing villages, swimming in natural holes, and sitting around a forest campfire without geotags. Making a pact to add one off-the-radar destination per year helps prevent travel burnout. A curated collection of unexpected experiences includes insider itineraries in uncrowded cities, lesser-known train journeys, isolated beaches, and quiet mountain towns. Choosing the road less traveled can change travel experiences.

Read at Travel + Leisure