traveling abroad essay

Essay On Travel

500 words essay on travel.

Travelling is an amazing way to learn a lot of things in life. A lot of people around the world travel every year to many places. Moreover, it is important to travel to humans. Some travel to learn more while some travel to take a break from their life. No matter the reason, travelling opens a big door for us to explore the world beyond our imagination and indulge in many things. Therefore, through this Essay on Travel, we will go through everything that makes travelling great.

Why Do We Travel?

There are a lot of reasons to travel. Some people travel for fun while some do it for education purposes. Similarly, others have business reasons to travel. In order to travel, one must first get an idea of their financial situation and then proceed.

Understanding your own reality helps people make good travel decisions. If people gave enough opportunities to travel, they set out on the journey. People going on educational tours get a first-hand experience of everything they’ve read in the text.

Similarly, people who travel for fun get to experience and indulge in refreshing things which may serve as a stress reducer in their lives. The culture, architecture, cuisine and more of the place can open our mind to new things.

The Benefits of Travelling

There are numerous benefits to travelling if we think about it. The first one being, we get to meet new people. When you meet new people, you get the opportunity to make new friends. It may be a fellow traveller or the local you asked for directions.

Moreover, new age technology has made it easier to keep in touch with them. Thus, it offers not only a great way to understand human nature but also explore new places with those friends to make your trip easy.

Similar to this benefit, travelling makes it easier to understand people. You will learn how other people eat, speak, live and more. When you get out of your comfort zone, you will become more sensitive towards other cultures and the people.

Another important factor which we learn when we travel is learning new skills. When you go to hilly areas, you will most likely trek and thus, trekking will be a new skill added to your list.

Similarly, scuba diving or more can also be learned while travelling. A very important thing which travelling teaches us is to enjoy nature. It helps us appreciate the true beauty of the earth .

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Conclusion of the Essay on Travel

All in all, it is no less than a blessing to be able to travel. Many people are not privileged enough to do that. Those who do get the chance, it brings excitement in their lives and teaches them new things. No matter how a travelling experience may go, whether good or bad, it will definitely help you learn.

FAQ on Essay on Travel

Question 1: Why is it advantageous to travel?

Answer 1: Real experiences always have better value. When we travel to a city, in a different country, it allows us to learn about a new culture, new language, new lifestyle, and new peoples. Sometimes, it is the best teacher to understand the world.

Question 2: Why is travelling essential?

Answer 2: Travelling is an incredibly vital part of life. It is the best way to break your monotonous routine and experience life in different ways. Moreover, it is also a good remedy for stress, anxiety and depression.

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✍️Essay on Travelling: Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Nov 2, 2023

Did you know the tourism industry accounted for $2 Trillion in 2022? Every year, people travel around the world to take a break from their busy routines. This in turn helps them to come back more rejuvenated and more focused. But do you know the importance of travelling and how it helps one mentally and physically? Well, don’t worry as we have got you covered. Here we will give you details on an essay on travelling, which you can use at school, college and other academic levels. 

This Blog Includes:

Importance of travelling , essay on travelling in 100 words, essay on travelling in 200 words, essay on travelling in 300 words.

Travelling is a vital facet of personal development and cultural enrichment. Travelling broadens one’s horizons, and fosters tolerance and understanding of diverse cultures. On the positive side of travelling is that it allows one to break free from their routine, and travel and stimulates creativity and problem-solving skills. 

One should make sure they travel at least once a year. By doing so, it will act as a motivation for self-discovery, building confidence and allowing one to navigate several unfamiliar territories.  Moreover, it creates long-lasting memories as well as bonds with friends or other people.

Travelling to new places and exploring nature’s wonders, historical landmarks, or vibrant cities imbues us with valuable experiences. It also promotes lifelong learning as well as appreciation for the beauty and diversity of our world. All in all, travelling to new places acts as an investment in both personal development and in terms of creating connections with new people.

Also Read: Career in Travel and Tourism

People love to travel around the world for leisure while there are people who travel for educational purposes. At the same time, some people travel for work-related reasons. All those people who love to travel for educational purposes get the opportunity to their classroom learning into practical use as well. 

On the other hand, some people travel only for pleasure and to get a break from their busy schedules. We can extend our horizons by experiencing the location’s food, culture, architecture, and other characteristics. Experiences from real life are always more valuable. We can learn about a different culture, language, way of life, and population by visiting a city in a foreign country. It is occasionally the best teacher for learning about the outside world.

Travelling is a captivating and enriching experience that broadens horizons, fosters personal growth, and connects individuals with diverse cultures and landscapes. It is a journey of discovery, both of the world and oneself.

One of the most profound aspects of travelling is the opportunity to explore new cultures. Immersing oneself in different traditions, cuisines, and languages opens one’s mind to the rich tapestry of humanity. It fosters tolerance, empathy, and a deeper understanding of global interconnectedness.

Moreover, travel provides a break from daily routine and offers a chance to escape the demands of daily life. It allows individuals to recharge, relax, and rejuvenate. Whether it’s lounging on a pristine beach, hiking in majestic mountains, or exploring bustling urban centres, travel offers diverse experiences for every taste and preference.

Furthermore, travelling encourages personal growth. It challenges individuals to step out of their comfort zones, adapt to unfamiliar environments, and solve problems on the go. It promotes self-confidence, independence, and resilience.

At last, travelling is not just a leisure activity; it is a transformative journey that enriches the mind, nourishes the soul, and leaves lasting memories. It is an essential part of the human experience, reminding us that the world is vast, diverse, and waiting to be explored. So, pack your bags and embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Your next great discovery may be just around the corner.

Also Read: Career in Travel Photography

Travelling is a transformative experience that opens up a world of possibilities and enriches our lives in countless ways. Whether it’s a weekend getaway to a nearby town or an adventure across continents, the act of travelling transcends mere movement; it’s a journey of self-discovery and exploration.

One of the best aspects of travelling is the exposure to diverse cultures. When we venture beyond our familiar surroundings, we encounter people with different traditions, languages, and perspectives. This exposure fosters empathy and a deeper understanding of the global community. It allows us to break down stereotypes and prejudices, promoting a more interconnected and peaceful world.

Travelling also provides an opportunity for personal growth. It challenges us to step out of our comfort zones and adapt to new situations. Whether it’s navigating through a bustling market in Marrakech or communicating with locals in Tokyo, these experiences build resilience and self-confidence. We also learn problem-solving skills, become more adaptable, and develop a greater sense of independence.

Furthermore, travel offers a chance to connect with nature. Travelling is a gateway to history and art. Visiting ancient ruins, museums, and historical sites immerses us in the rich tapestry of human civilization. It deepens our appreciation for the accomplishments and struggles of those who came before us, fostering a sense of heritage and a connection to our shared past.

In conclusion, travelling is not just about going from one place to another; it’s a journey of self-discovery, cultural immersion, personal growth, and appreciation for the world we inhabit. It broadens our horizons, challenges our assumptions, and enriches our lives in ways that few other experiences can. So, whether you’re exploring a distant land or simply taking a road trip to a neighbouring town, embrace the opportunity to travel and let it transform you.

Related Articles 

Travelling Gives You a Whole New Perspective on the World. Exploring new cultures and ideas while abroad can fundamentally alter how you perceive and engage with the rest of the world.

When you travel, you encounter new people, cultures, experiences, and adventures (both good and terrible), and you may even come to a new understanding of what life is all about.

A new language, cuisine, culture, and even new ways of thinking and living are introduced to the people. Travel also helps one realise that you need to pay attention to the various viewpoints, ideologies, and values that are all around you.

We hope this essay on travelling gave you all the information about the importance and benefits of travelling. For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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Essays About Traveling: Top 5 Examples and 10 Prompts

Discover our guide with essays about traveling, including topic prompts that will make you write about traveling and hit the road for your next adventure. 

Traveling is a much-loved activity by many; exploring the world and seeing new and beautiful places can be a great way to unwind and recharge. Many fond memories are created during holidays abroad, and we carry these precious times with us. But for those who only travel for official business purposes and never really get to explore destinations fully, travel can be a more stressful experience. 

Beyond the anxieties one endures in planning a travel or boarding flights, traveling can do wonders for mental health, open our eyes to new experiences, help us be closer to nature, and allows us to reflect on our progress and accomplishments in life.

5 Essay Examples 

1. rebooting the economy: restoring travel and tourism in the covid-19 era by patrick l. osewe, 2.  humans may dream of traveling to mars, but our bodies aren’t built for it by charles wohlforth and amanda hendrix, 3. what’s sustainable about soaring private jet use by terry slavin, 4. instagram travel bragging is killing the family vacation by meagan francis, 5.  pre-travel stress by sally black, 1. travel bucket list, 2. your first solo travel , 3. travel to ghost towns, 4. how technology transformed travel, 5. how movies influence our travel preference, 6. learning cultures from traveling, 7. earn from travel vlogging, 8. traveling through time, 9. your most memorable travel experience, 10. benefits of traveling while working .

“Even as travel restrictions and lockdowns have relaxed, cautious return-to-travel behavior among travelers—due in part to lingering health and safety concerns—suggests that the recovery process for the industry will be long and slow.”

The travel industry was one of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. With its importance to the economy, especially in Asia, where the industry could easily account for 80% of the GDP, a fast recovery is imperative. To make this goal more attainable, multisectoral coordination in planning and implementing safety rules will be essential. You might also be interested in these essays about holidays with family and essays about journeys .

“Even a short, sortie mission to Mars and back would be extremely hazardous to human health. A Mars colony is out of the question. Living long-term on its surface is beyond the capacity of our bodies to survive.”

Amid the excitement over sending humans to travel to Mars, there has been emerging research that highlights the dangers of such missions. The space between the Earth and Mars already poses many obstacles. And even if, by rare luck, man reaches Mars, staying will be the next paramount challenge as consequences could mean a halt in blood circulation or blindness. 

“When it comes to the carbon footprint of travel, there is nothing worse than traveling by private jet… Yet despite all the net-zero rhetoric from the corporate sector, and pressure from the flight-shame movement, private jet use is booming.”

As private jet use is starting to burgeon, society is demanding greater accountability from the ultra-rich and the commitment to invest in sustainable technologies for air travel. This could compensate for their use of private jets, a single one of which is estimated to ​​be several times more polluting than commercial planes.

“What, I wonder, does the financial strain of planning a trip you can’t really afford do to your expectation level — and how much can you enjoy your vacation once there? When the bill arrives, do most find that the experience was worth the stress after all?”

The culture of bragging on Instagram is destroying the true meaning of family vacations. Where such experiences used to be for relaxation, fun, and strengthening of family bonds, family travels are now a ticket for boasting, requiring ridiculous expenses for which some families are willing to be in debt. 

“While a vacation maybe me one of the highlights of your entire year, the days leading up to departure can be stressful. For some people, this stress can bubble over into a full-blown anxiety or panic attack complete with physical symptoms.”

Pre-travel stress is a common symptom for many. Worries often stem from hoping for the vacation to be smooth sailing. However, unpleasant incidents may always occur. On our part, we must focus on those we have control of, such as how we pack and how we address our ultimate pre-travel concerns.

10 Topic Prompts To Help With Your essays about traveling

How far have you progressed in completing your travel bucket list? Take this essay to share your experiences in traveling to your dream destinations. If you haven’t started ticking anything from your travel bucket list, you can simply enumerate these places and explain what drove your attraction. For example, you may visit Italy for tasty authentic Italian food and drink.

If you’ve traveled solo, this is the essay prompt for you. Turn this essay into a guide for helping people travel solo. So, provide tips on planning a solo trip and making the proper arrangements. Share the places you’ve gone to and travel hacks that helped ensure your safety, especially as safety is a chief concern when traveling solo. Finally, don’t forget to write down what made you bold enough to try a solo flight and how it has benefitted you.

For seekers of thrilling adventures, ghost towns are the best place to travel. First, find a ghost city that allows tourists. Then take on a story-telling essay by narrating the town’s story from its birth to its abandonment. Finally, ensure to provide your readers with a list of what they must do to enter the ghost town’s premises.

Efficiency and convenience in travel are the best gifts technology has given modern generations. Gone were the days when you still had to scout for a hotel upon arriving at your destination. For this writing prompt, compare today’s travel experience with the days before the computer. You may extend your essay by adding what more digital advancements the tourism industry has in store for travel lovers.

Almost always, the setting of a favorite movie becomes a part of your travel bucket list. This desire stems from the longing to connect with your favorite characters and mentally relive your favorite movie scenes, this time with yourself in the picture. For your essay, write about film-induced tourism becoming a key strategy for marketing travel destinations. 

Traveling is the best way to immerse in cultures and better understand the many worlds beyond your own. Share your experience traveling has helped open your mind to new cultures, practices, languages, and beliefs. To help your readers appreciate your trip, write a few paragraphs about the place, starting from its main point of attraction and its economic and socio-cultural statures. You can also interview other travel enthusiasts for this cultural essay. 

Travel vlogging is one of the best ways to earn money while having the best time. First, give a short overview of the travel vlog industry to entice your readers into travel vlogging. Next, gather reports that inform how one can generate money from this venture and how much they can expect in time with quality content. Then, provide a list of recommendations. You can use tips from other successful travel vloggers as well. 

Movies that tinker with time travel machines always appeal to many of us. This is certainly true for those thrilled over the possibility of visiting an era we can only imagine through our history books. If you were to time-travel, what historical period would you like to visit? Reveal this in your essay and explain why.

Share the most memorable travel experience with your readers and help them picture it with adjectives and vivid detailing. Your story doesn’t have to be a luxurious experience. It can be as simple as a scenic drive around the lake, a tan from a sunny beach, or your first travel by plane or boat.

Looking for more? Check out our guide on how to write a postcard .

The COVID-19 pandemic has made us realize that work can be done from a distance, pushing the telecommuting trends higher and fulfilling people’s travel vengeance. This essay cites the physical and mental health benefits of traveling while working. Share your opinion on whether companies should incentivize arrangements that allow work while traveling.  For more help with your writing, read our guide explaining persuasive writing . If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips .

Yna Lim is a communications specialist currently focused on policy advocacy. In her eight years of writing, she has been exposed to a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency, web hosting, agriculture, marketing, intellectual property, data privacy and international trade. A former journalist in one of the top business papers in the Philippines, Yna is currently pursuing her master's degree in economics and business.

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Editor’s Note: We know that many of you are looking for help writing travel experience essays for school or simply writing about a trip for your friends or family. To inspire you and help you write your next trip essay—whether it’s an essay about a trip with family or simply a way to remember your best trip ever (so far)—we enlisted the help of Professor Kathleen Boardman, whose decades of teaching have helped many college students learn the fine art of autobiography and life writing. Here’s advice on how to turn a simple “my best trip” essay into a story that will inspire others to explore the world.

Welcome home! Now that you’re back from your trip, you’d like to share it with others in a travel essay. You’re a good writer and a good editor of your work, but you’ve never tried travel writing before. As your potential reader, I have some advice and some requests for you as you write your travel experience essay.

Trip Essays: What to Avoid

Please don’t tell me everything about your trip. I don’t want to know your travel schedule or the names of all the castles or restaurants you visited. I don’t care about the plane trip that got you there (unless, of course, that trip is the story).

I have a friend who, when I return from a trip, never asks me, “How was your trip?” She knows that I would give her a long, rambling answer: “… and then … and then … and then.” So instead, she says, “Tell me about one thing that really stood out for you.” That’s what I’d like you to do in this travel essay you’re writing.

The Power of Compelling Scenes

One or two “snapshots” are enough—but make them great. Many good writers jump right into the middle of their account with a vivid written “snapshot” of an important scene. Then, having aroused their readers’ interest or curiosity, they fill in the story or background. I think this technique works great for travel writing; at least, I would rather enjoy a vivid snapshot than read through a day-to-day summary of somebody’s travel journal.

Write About a Trip Using Vivid Descriptions

Take your time. Tell a story. So what if you saw things that were “incredible,” did things that were “amazing,” observed actions that you thought “weird”? These words don’t mean anything to me unless you show me, in a story or a vivid description, the experience that made you want to use those adjectives.

I’d like to see the place, the people, or the journey through your eyes, not someone else’s. Please don’t rewrite someone else’s account of visiting the place. Please don’t try to imitate a travel guide or travelogue or someone’s blog or Facebook entry. You are not writing a real travel essay unless you are describing, as clearly and honestly as possible, yourself in the place you visited. What did you see, hear, taste, say? Don’t worry if your “take” on your experience doesn’t match what everyone else says about it. (I’ve already read what THEY have to say.)

The Importance of Self-Editing Your Trip Essay

Don’t give me your first draft to read. Instead, set it aside and then reread it. Reread it again. Where might I need more explanation? What parts of your account are likely to confuse me? (After all, I wasn’t there.) Where might you be wasting my time by repeating or rambling on about something you’ve already told me?

Make me feel, make me laugh, help me learn something. But don’t overdo it: Please don’t preach to me about broadening my horizons or understanding other cultures. Instead, let me in on your feelings, your change of heart and mind, even your fear and uncertainty, as you confronted something you’d never experienced before. If you can, surprise me with something I didn’t know or couldn’t have suspected.

You Can Do It: Turning Your Trip into a Great Travel Experience Essay

I hope you will take yourself seriously as a traveler and as a writer. Through what—and how—you write about just a small portion of your travel experience, show me that you are an interesting, thoughtful, observant person. I will come back to you, begging for more of your travel essays.

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27 Surprising Benefits of Traveling Abroad: How Traveling Changed My Life

Personal growth might not be one of the first things that comes to mind when you think about traveling abroad, but perhaps it should. When you leave the comfort and familiarity of life in your home country, you turn every day into an opportunity to learn, discover, explore, and grow. But the lessons you learn may not be what you always expect. Here are 27 surprising benefits of traveling abroad that have transformed my life for the better.

Benefits of Traveling Abroad

1. you regain your curiosity..

As children, we all have an innate sense of wonder. We view the world as a magical place to explore using our favorite two words: ‘how’ and ‘why’.

Unfortunately, as we grow up too many of us are taught to stop questioning things and to instead do as we are told. Whether at school, at home, or in the workplace, we are led to believe that following directions is the primary means to success and happiness. And over time, we simply stop asking how or why.

Travel is the perfect opportunity to regain one’s curiosity. Leaving the banalities of everyday life behind and instead surrounding yourself with the new and exciting reignites the flame of exploration . You’re not only allowed to ask questions, you’re encouraged. How do the locals live? Why is a particular custom followed?

When you travel, being curious becomes a way of life. You get accustomed to asking questions about everything you see, do, and feel. And when you return home these habits follow. With curiosity, a trip to the neighborhood grocery store can be as interesting as a walk through the bazaar of Marrakech. It’s all mindset.

2. You gain confidence.

Travel isn’t always easy. Spend enough time on the road and you’ll have your share of mental and physical challenges. But these obstacles are almost always less intense or consequential than those you face at home.

The culture shock you get arriving in Japan for the first time or the strain your put yourself through hiking to Machu Picchu might seem intense in the moment, but these pale in comparison to the challenges you’ll have starting a business, raising a child, or battling a serious illness.

The challenges you face on the road rarely compare to those you face at home. But in this way, it makes for the perfect training ground.

Travel provides the perfect opportunity —i n a fun and relatively safe environment — to overcome obstacles and build confidence. Whether your future challenges are mental or physical, research indicates that believing in yourself is the most important thing you do to succeed.

3. You learn to take things slowly.

How often do you slow down and simply enjoy the moment in your daily life? Be honest.

If you’re like most people, it’s not very often. We live in a time where, despite--or perhaps because of--all the advances in technology, we feel as though we must constantly rush from thing to thing, accomplishing goal after goal.

This is not a good way to live. You miss out on so many incredible things when your not focused on the present moment. All too often we fail to notice the warmth of a friend’s hug or the joy passed on through a stranger’s smile because we’re thinking of something entirely unrelated to our current circumstances.

Many novice travelers pack this habit with them on vacation. They try to see the whole Louvre in one day, or all of Europe in two weeks. Invariably, they return home exhausted, stressed, and disappointed, wondering why their hurried experiences didn’t live up to their lofty expectations.

Fortunately, one of the benefits of traveling abroad is that you realize how counterproductive this is. You decide to either do less or travel for longer. And you discover that slowing down actually allows you to experience more.

For a single day spent living in the moment—fully focusing on people and places you encounter—will provide infinitely richer feelings and insights than a whole month of rushed travel.

It pays to slow down when traveling.

And while it’s not always possible to go through life at home with the same leisurely pace we have on the road, the memories of your travels inspire you to regularly slow down—even if just for a few moments.

4. You realize it’s OK to fail.

Anyone who honestly looks back at their past travels recognizes that they are often filled with failure. From butchering the pronunciation of the local language, to getting lost in a foreign subway system, to wrongly guessing which of the menu items won’t come with eyeballs, travelers are always making mistakes.

The wrong guess was made.

And yet, 99% of the time, everything works out just fine. We learn something new about the way things are done in whatever corner of the world we’re in, and we move on. Often, such minor failures are so common that we simply overlook them.

This is in stark contrast to how many people live at home, where they treat failure not as a useful tool to be embraced but rather as something to be avoided at all costs.

I used to feel this same way. I thought that one C on an exam was a disaster or that a mess up at work would instantly result in a pink slip. Somewhat unsurprisingly, this made me incredibly risk adverse. I avoided situations where failure was a possibility, and always tried to take the safe route.

All this changed once I began traveling. I saw how travel mistakes mostly make for a good laugh or a minor inconvenience. Sometimes they even turn out for the better.

Mispronounce Chianti at a Florentine wine bar and the bartender might snicker. Get off at the wrong stop in the Paris Metro and you might have to walk 30 minutes back to your hotel. Grab the train to Ljubljana rather than Lisbon and you might meet the love of your life

Sometime failure to take the correct exit on the highway leads to unexpected discoveries, like this hidden valley in Iceland, which I had all to myself.

By seeing firsthand through travel that failure can be a valuable learning tool—perhaps the most valuable—rather than something to be feared, you return home eager to make mistakes, to learn, and to grow.

5. You have better stories to tell.

Mark Twain once said that “Truth is stranger than fiction.” Traveling only supports this.

The absurd mishaps, random occurrences, and incredible adventures that occur while traveling make for fascination stories that almost no one—save perhaps the Most Interesting Man In the World—can top. So regardless of whether your audience is your family, your friends, or a hot date, the traveler is able to entertain and (often) inspire simply by sharing a few stories from the road.

Locals dancing in Kargi, Kenya.

6. You learn to focus on what you can control — your responses.

One of the most appealing aspects of travel is that you never quite know what will happen next. Most of the time, this means that life on the road is filled with surprise and novelty, but sometimes it results in unexpected setbacks. 

Missed flights, closed museums, or minor illnesses; almost every traveler has dealt with these issues at one point or another, and there’s little you can do to prevent them.

However, one thing travelers can always do is control their responses. When things go south, it’s up to you to decide quickly whether you react with annoyance and anxiety, or strength and strategy.

Rather quickly, travelers realize that the best way—and sometimes the only way—out of difficult circumstances is to focus on what they can do to improve their situation rather than on what’s gone wrong.

Ask politely for a spot on the next departure when you’re flights been cancelled, and you’ll usually get whatever spots are available. Lash out in anger, and you might be spending the night sleeping on the airport floor.

Whether at home or on the road, we all experience setbacks like this at some point. As travel teaches you, what ultimately determines your future is how we react to these challenges.

7. You better appreciate what you have at home.

It’s easy to take what you have at home for granted. While I don’t believe that you can easily say that one country or city is clearly better than another, when you visit somewhere that doesn’t have the same things that you’re used to it helps you to better appreciate what you have at home.

Of course, not all the things you learn to appreciate about your home while traveling are as serious. A trip abroad can inspire a newfound gratitude for family, friends, certain foods, and even your local weather (nothing quite makes you appreciate the winters in Wisconsin like a January trip to Antarctica).

8. But you also gain humility and perspective.

Of course, traveling isn’t just about reinforcing the good aspects of life at home. Rather, it shows you different ways of doing things, some of which may actually be superior to what you’re used to.

Example: in Japan, you shower before you bathe, which makes sense. Who wants to swim in their own filth?

This process can be somewhat humbling, especially if you’ve been raised to think that your culture and society does everything the best. In the long run, however, having a realistic perspective on things allows you to identify problems and to take the necessary steps to correct them.

Furthermore, once you acknowledge that you may have been wrong (or at least less-correct) on one thing, you become more accepting of new ideas and possibilities in general--something that will help you in all aspects of life.

9. You become a better communicator.

Travel is a great tool for developing your communication skills. While traveling, you encounter all sorts of people, many of whom will share neither your language nor culture. In these circumstances, it can be difficult to convey even the simplest of ideas. Such challenges makes you use ingenuity and creativity to exchange information.

Learning to use tools like Google Translate, point books, hand gestures, and even sketch pads to express your ideas, you begin to think of communication in entirely new ways. And in dealing with people from disparate backgrounds, it becomes clear how the same thing can be intercepted very differently depending on your life experiences.

This process ultimately forces you to think more carefully about how and what you say and do, making you both a more nuanced and more adaptive communicator.

10. You become friends with people around the world.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have met and befriended people from around the world while traveling. Whether they were fellow adventurers or amicable locals, these relationships have enriched my life both on the road and at home.

The same can happen for you with the right attitude and initiative. If you keep an open mind and are willing to speak with strangers, you’ll discover a world filled with interesting and engaging people.

Who wouldn't want friends in Paris?

Naturally, the more you travel, the more people you meet. Over time, you’ll develop a personalized, global network of like-minded individuals with whom you can share ideas, discuss international events from a local perspective, and plan future experiences.

Often, you’ll find yourself taking turns visiting your new friends in their hometown, such as when I went to Dublin ,  Warsaw , or   Skopje . And when you decide to travel somewhere different, you can reach out to this network for advice and to connect you with other like-minded locals. What’s not to love?

11. You learn to trust your gut.

Of course, not everyone you meet while traveling has your best intentions at heart. Because of this, it’s common for less-experienced travelers to feel as though they need to be on constant high alert.

Unfortunately, this can cloud their whole travel experience in negativity and fear, which in turn can lead to unnecessarily mental and physical strain.

Seasoned travelers recognize this problem. Instead of constantly sizing up everyone and everything, they rely on their gut to keep them safe or to make a decision—a practice back ed up by science .

Our sub-conscious minds are incredibly adept at noticing the subtle indicators that suggest that something is off. Because of this, in general you only need to react as if there is danger if you feel something is off.

If your gut says it's not safe, don't risk it.

Experienced travelers don’t worry if acting on their gut makes them appear rude or cowardly; they know that this feeling is there for a reason, and that being safe is only smart.

They also use these gut feelings to assist in less-serious matters. Whether they are trying to decide what restaurant to eat at or which city to travel to next, they discover over time that trusting their instincts often leads to better outcomes. [Check out my article on How to Overcome Your Fear of Flying (And Change Your Life in the Process) .]

12. You see that nobody’s life is perfect.

We live in an age where perfection in life seems not only attainable but common. On television, in the movies, and on the internet, we are bombarded with examples of people whose lives seem to have no flaws. They are happy, healthy, and wealthy.

Making matters worse, social media allows everyone to publish their daily highlight reels, where the only things we do are drink, laugh, fall in love, and travel.

Even if you rationally know that this is an illusion, you subconsciously hold it to be true. And so you begin to ask yourself why—-despite all your efforts—you are not seeing the same results that so many others have achieved. This often leads to stress, self-doubt, and sometimes, even despair.

Travel helps to kills this fantasy. On the road, people tend to let their guard down. They expose more of themselves to the world than they otherwise would.

And so you see that everyone—regardless of personal or professional success—has more to their story than what they share.

You don't often see people sharing the moments where they're exhausted, sick, or sad.

Recognizing that nobody’s life is perfect—that no one is happy, healthy, or successful all the time—allows you better empathize with the plight of others and to stop feeling guilty for being human.

You accept sadness as an everyday part of life. You see failure as inevitable aspect of learning. You stop obsessing over artificial standards of beauty.

This is not to say that you don’t keep trying to improve yourself. If anything, knowing that perfection is not the goal motivates you even more because you can actually see the finish line.

13. You become more creative.

History is filled with writers, inventors, and thinkers whose work has seemingly been invigorated by time abroad. Think Ernst Hemingway, Nikola Tesla, Mary Shelley, or Thomas Jefferson.

Research   has now proven why this is; traveling abroad leads to greater creativity levels. Visiting a different country—and experiencing all the novelty that entails—encourages the development of new ideas by making it easier to change thoughts quickly and to create connections between seemingly unrelated topics (think: sharks + tornados = Sharknados).

What creative thoughts will travel inspire you to have?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the more you immerse yourself in the local culture, the greater the benefits.

Travelers who spend their days interacting with locals—eating as they eat, drinking as they drink, and (attempting) to think as they think—will become more creative than visitors who merely observe native culture from afar.

To be creative, you need to think outside of your normal horizons. To develop new thoughts and create new things, you need to be open to different ideas and activities. Travel teaches you to do all these things.

14. You uncover new passions.

So much of what we do—whether it be the food we drink, the thoughts we have, or the activities we pick in our free time—are a result of our surroundings. Our actions and habits are often copied from our parents, our friends, and our neighbors.

When you travel abroad, you’re able to escape the confines of social pressure and routine of home.

On the road, things that you never would have dreamed of trying at home—either because they go against social expectations or because they’re not easily available—seem to present themselves at every turn. And if you’re willing to take the risk and try, you often uncover new, life-long passions.

Another surprising benefit of traveling abroad: you uncover new passions, such as hot air ballooning.

A farm boy from Kansas may realize they love mountain climbing while backpacking through Austria. An architect from Johannesburg may discover an unknown obsession with baseball during a summer in Chicago. A body builder from London might embrace veganism while in Tibet.

You never know what hidden passions you will find when traveling abroad.

15. You start to see the beauty in small, everyday occurrences.

As travelers we often fetishize the people and places we discover abroad. It’s part of the mindset we develop. When on the road, we’re regularly enchanted by everyday occurrences that we completely ignore when at home.

I still remember how charmed I was the first time I noticed the scent of fresh bread from a neighborhood bakery in small-town France, something to which I’d normally paid no attention.

If you travel enough, this way of looking at the world follows you home. You begin to see the beauty in small, everyday occurrences , like the rustle of leaves on your lawn in autumn or the daily calls of songbirds in the morning.

And in this way, you discover a whole world of simple pleasures.

16. You gain confidence.

When you travel abroad, you inevitably face challenges. Whether these are as minor as driving on the left side of the road (on second thought, that’s actually quite hard!) or as major as learning to live without running water, your confidence grows when you handle new and difficult circumstances.

And the more you travel—and the greater the challenges you face—the more confidence you gain.

Overcoming obstacles results in greater confidence.

Returning home, everything seems easier and more manageable than before. Since you’ve handled adversity on the road—usually without the support systems you have at home (think family, friends, and routines)—you can confront challenges knowing that you’ve got what it takes to succeed, regardless of the circumstances.

17. You find love (even if just temporarily).

As almost any world traveler will tell you, no matter if you're looking for it or not, love seems to find you on the road.

Whether it’s with an amorous local, an intriguing sightseer, your fellow travel parter, or something less human—like Spanish siestas, pistacchio gelato, or Japanese Kit Kats—you’ll feel your heart strings tugged at some point or another.

And though the risk of heartbreak is real (Kit Kat does retire flavors occasionally), the immeasurable joy that comes from deep passion is always worth it.

Love is in the air when you travel abroad.

18. You realize that experiences are way more valuable than objects.

Growing up, I was convinced that the key to happiness was having lots of nice things. At various points in my life, I told myself that I’d be happy forever if I only had a room full of legos or a fancy new car or the latest smart phone.

Traveling the world helps you to see how absurd this is. Yes, you may gain some temporary joy from getting a cool toy, but it won't last long. Soon, you’ll be looking for that next fix.

Experiences (such as exploring the salt flats in Bolivia) > things.

In contrast, the happiness one gains from experiences lasts a lifetime. Memories of an evening spent hanging out with friends on the beach don’t become less enjoyable with time, they become even more precious.

19. You stop watching so much TV.

It’s rare to sit down and watch TV for any extended amount of time while traveling, save perhaps for a big soccer match or news event. Frankly, there’s no time nor need. During the day you’re usually running around seeing things, and at night there’s almost always something more entertaining and exciting going on.

The longer you go without television, the less you feel the need for it.

Spend enough time traveling, and you’ll return home actively wanting to avoid TV, instead preferring to spend your free time doing the same type of things you did while on the road. Chats with friends, live music, walks in nature, reading books—these all instinctually get prioritized over TV watching.

20. You better appreciate the internet, but realize that you must limit its use.

As any traveler can attest, the internet is a godsend.

It allows you to do research quickly, connect to family and friends easily, and even earn a living remotely.

But it’s also a major time suck and a diversion from real life. You can easily get stuck looking up obscure facts on Wikipedia instead of exploring the local Mayan ruins, or distracted by your Instagram feed while out with friends in Bangkok. So experienced travelers learn to limit their use of the internet, opting to look at the world rather than a screen.

Don't miss sunrise at Angkor Wat because you were too busy swiping right.

21. You become painfully aware that you cannot please everyone.

Growing up in the Midwest, I was told that if I only tried hard enough I could indeed make everyone happy. Well, traveling the world has convinced me otherwise.

No matter how friendly or accepting you may be, there will always be someone that doesn’t care for you simply because of who you are, where you’re from, or what you represent. It’s not a large number, but they exist. Once you realize this, it’s as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

You’re free to stop worrying about what others think and simply be yourself.

22. You become more employable.

Yet another of the unexpected benefits of traveling abroad: you become more employable.

Traveling abroad helps you develop and enhance a number of skills that are incredibly important in today’s creativity-based economy. These include:

-Adaptability : Travel is practice in quickly and easily adjusting to new customs and cultures, handling unforeseen adversity, and making the most of unexpected opportunities—all useful when starting a new job.

-Creativity : Travel—especially when it’s immersive—has been shown to help you create fresh ideas and develop new solutions to old problems. What employer wouldn’t like that?

-Patience : On the road, the world doesn’t always move at the pace you would like. Whether due to delays, cancellations, or a cultural emphasis on ‘taking one’s time’, travelers learn fast that sometimes you have no choice but to wait patiently.

-Curiosity : Surrounding yourself with new and exciting ideas inspires you to explore and learn as much as you can, something that bosses always love.

-Communication : Traveling to faraway places, where you often don’t share the same language nor the same cultural references, forces you to uncover new ways to express ideas based upon your audience.

-Time Management : Faced with only limited days to see and do everything you want, you have to be smart with your time while traveling. You become an expert prioritizer, and experienced time-estimator, and adept at knowing when to say ‘it’s time to stop’—all incredibly valuable skills when facing deadlines.

-Organization : Travelers, especially those that change locations a lot, have to be well- organized. To have a trip run smoothly—and to keep yourself from losing passports and sim cards—you quickly realize that you need planing and systems.

-Self-Responsibility : When you travel abroad—especially if alone—you take complete responsibility for yourself. Your friends and family aren’t right there to help if something goes wrong; you need to solve your own problems. Employers love to hire people who aren’t afraid to fix things when they are broken.

23. But you also set yourself up to be your own boss.

Perhaps you can see why the digital nomad lifestyle is so appealing.

These same skills also can be used to be your own boss.

The spirit of independence and adventure that travel promotes often inspires people to start their own businesses or to become freelance.

Self-discipline, organization, resiliency, the ability to accept and learn from failure—these are all essential traits for any entrepreneur. There’s a reason so many world travelers become successful digital nomads, working for themselves remotely from all corners of the globe.

24. You realize that almost everyone wants the same things.

The more you travel, the clearer it is that almost everyone wants the same things. Whether you’re in Bangladesh or Bermuda, surrounded by Berbers or Bushmen, deep down the locals you meet are all just looking for some combination of love, security, meaning, validation, and a better future.

Smiling locals in Termi, Ethiopia.

We usually focus on our differences—skin color, religion, economic status—but there’s something quite comforting in realizing how much you have in common with the rest of the world. In fact, it may be the greatest lesson I’ve learned from traveling.

25. You also see that people are very different—and that’s OK (for the most part).

At the same time, there are clear differences between cultures. The ways in which people try to achieve these basic human desires varies greatly from person to person and country to country.

In Japan for instance, the emphasis is almost always placed on the group rather than the individual. As a result, what you want matters much less than what is best for the group.

Sometimes, the way local people decide to live their lives and organize their society might confuse or upset you. When this happens, try and figure out why things are they way they are. Often there’s a logical reason. And if there isn’t, or the reason is something you find morally repugnant, that’s OK.

You don’t have to accept or agree with everything you encounter while on the road.

26. You see that money is not the solution to all of life’s problems.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned while traveling is that money is not the solution to all of life’s problems. Growing up in the U.S., I was convinced that happiness was only dollars away, whether they were spent on the latest video game system, a fancy car, or a massive home.

Local children in Chư Păh District, Vietnam.

Yet while traveling, the happiest people I have met have been those who worked just enough so that they could afford food, shelter, and health care (if it wasn’t already provided for them by the government—a shocking concept, right?!). Unless their profession was something that brought them great joy or directly helps others, to work anymore than necessary would have been silly to them, as that would have taken away time from the things that really mattered to them: family and friends.

They might not have the cash to buy a yacht or a month’s stay at the Ritz Carlton, but their wealthy in so many non-material ways.

27. You understand what it means to be truly generous.

Growing up I thought being über generous meant to tip 20%, donate old clothes to Goodwill, and to occasionally share the nachos at sporting events.

I only learned what it meant to be truly generous after traveling abroad. Without fail, I consistently found that those with the least material goods to give—people who lived paycheck to paycheck, if there even was a paycheck at all—were the most likely to offer me a   a place to stay, a meal to eat, or even just a heartfelt smile.

While I’m not suggesting that you should give up everything you have—after all, generosity deals with more things than just money and things—it does put into perspective the sacrifices I’d been making (or not making) up until then.

Bonus benefit: you realize how lucky you are.

It’s easier than ever before to travel abroad—at least for some people. The majority of the world still has neither the money nor the freedom to leave home. Whether due to personal and professional commitments, health concerns, or a lack of rights, many would-be adventurers cannot travel at all.

When you visit places where the locals rarely travel, you truly see how lucky you are. Not only are you getting to experience a new culture, but you also become a window to the outside world for those you meet. You may indeed be the first American, Canadian, or Australian they’ve ever seen in person, and they might have lots of questions.

Having the ability to share your insights and shape the perspectives of others is a powerful and unique opportunity. You never know what your words will inspire—happiness, curiosity, anger, or perhaps change.

As you can see, the benefits of traveling abroad are numerous.

When we leave our homes, we enter into a world of personal growth, education, and adventure. We develop new skills, uncover new passions, and learn lessons that last alifetime. In these ways travel transforms you, enhancing and changing your life in the process.

And though your journey eventually comes to an end, you’re never quite the same. 

You may also enjoy:

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• THE BIG IDEA

Why travel should be considered an essential human activity

Travel is not rational, but it’s in our genes. Here’s why you should start planning a trip now.

In 1961, legendary National Geographic photographer Volkmar Wentzel captured two women gazing at the surf off Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. This and all the other images in this story come from the National Geographic image collection.

I’ve been putting my passport to good use lately. I use it as a coaster and to level wobbly table legs. It makes an excellent cat toy.

Welcome to the pandemic of disappointments. Canceled trips, or ones never planned lest they be canceled. Family reunions, study-abroad years, lazy beach vacations. Poof. Gone. Obliterated by a tiny virus, and the long list of countries where United States passports are not welcome.

Only a third of Americans say they have traveled overnight for leisure since March, and only slightly more, 38 percent, say they are likely to do so by the end of the year, according to one report. Only a quarter of us plan on leaving home for Thanksgiving, typically the busiest travel time. The numbers paint a grim picture of our stilled lives.

It is not natural for us to be this sedentary. Travel is in our genes. For most of the time our species has existed, “we’ve lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers moving about in small bands of 150 or fewer people,” writes Christopher Ryan in Civilized to Death . This nomadic life was no accident. It was useful. “Moving to a neighboring band is always an option to avoid brewing conflict or just for a change in social scenery,” says Ryan. Robert Louis Stevenson put it more succinctly: “The great affair is to move.”

What if we can’t move, though? What if we’re unable to hunt or gather? What’s a traveler to do? There are many ways to answer that question. “Despair,” though, is not one of them.

In this aerial view from 1967, wall-to-wall seaside sunbathers relax under umbrellas or on beach towels in Ocean City, Maryland .

A 1967 fall festival in Guadalajara, Mexico , starred traditionally costumed musicians and dancers.

We are an adaptive species. We can tolerate brief periods of forced sedentariness. A dash of self-delusion helps. We’re not grounded, we tell ourselves. We’re merely between trips, like the unemployed salesman in between opportunities. We pass the days thumbing though old travel journals and Instagram feeds. We gaze at souvenirs. All this helps. For a while.

We put on brave faces. “Staycation Nation,” the cover of the current issue of Canadian Traveller magazine declares cheerfully, as if it were a choice, not a consolation.

Today, the U.S. Travel Association, the industry trade organization, is launching a national recovery campaign called “ Let’s Go There .” Backed by a coalition of businesses related to tourism—hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, airlines—the initiative’s goal is to encourage Americans to turn idle wanderlust into actual itineraries.

The travel industry is hurting. So are travelers. “I dwelled so much on my disappointment that it almost physically hurt,” Paris -based journalist Joelle Diderich told me recently, after canceling five trips last spring.

(Related: How hard has the coronavirus hit the travel industry? These charts tell us.)

My friend James Hopkins is a Buddhist living in Kathmandu . You’d think he’d thrive during the lockdown, a sort-of mandatory meditation retreat. For a while he did.

But during a recent Skype call, James looked haggard and dejected. He was growing restless, he confessed, and longed “for the old 10-countries-a-year schedule.” Nothing seemed to help, he told me. “No matter how many candles I lit, or how much incense I burned, and in spite of living in one of the most sacred places in South Asia, I just couldn’t change my habits.”

When we ended our call, I felt relieved, my grumpiness validated. It’s not me; it’s the pandemic. But I also worried. If a Buddhist in Kathmandu is going nuts, what hope do the rest of us stilled souls have?

I think hope lies in the very nature of travel. Travel entails wishful thinking. It demands a leap of faith, and of imagination, to board a plane for some faraway land, hoping, wishing, for a taste of the ineffable. Travel is one of the few activities we engage in not knowing the outcome and reveling in that uncertainty. Nothing is more forgettable than the trip that goes exactly as planned.

Related: Vintage photos of the glamour of travel

Travel is not a rational activity. It makes no sense to squeeze yourself into an alleged seat only to be hurled at frightening speed to a distant place where you don’t speak the language or know the customs. All at great expense. If we stopped to do the cost-benefit analysis, we’d never go anywhere. Yet we do.

That’s one reason why I’m bullish on travel’s future. In fact, I’d argue travel is an essential industry, an essential activity. It’s not essential the way hospitals and grocery stores are essential. Travel is essential the way books and hugs are essential. Food for the soul. Right now, we’re between courses, savoring where we’ve been, anticipating where we’ll go. Maybe it’s Zanzibar and maybe it’s the campground down the road that you’ve always wanted to visit.

(Related: Going camping this fall? Here’s how to get started.)

James Oglethorpe, a seasoned traveler, is happy to sit still for a while, and gaze at “the slow change of light and clouds on the Blue Ridge Mountains” in Virginia, where he lives. “My mind can take me the rest of the way around this world and beyond it.”

It’s not the place that is special but what we bring to it and, crucially, how we interact with it. Travel is not about the destination, or the journey. It is about stumbling across “a new way of looking at things,” as writer Henry Miller observed. We need not travel far to gain a fresh perspective.

No one knew this better than Henry David Thoreau , who lived nearly all of his too-short life in Concord, Massachusetts. There he observed Walden Pond from every conceivable vantage point: from a hilltop, on its shores, underwater. Sometimes he’d even bend over and peer through his legs, marveling at the inverted world. “From the right point of view, every storm and every drop in it is a rainbow,” he wrote.

Thoreau never tired of gazing at his beloved pond, nor have we outgrown the quiet beauty of our frumpy, analog world. If anything, the pandemic has rekindled our affection for it. We’ve seen what an atomized, digital existence looks like, and we (most of us anyway) don’t care for it. The bleachers at Chicago ’s Wrigley Field; the orchestra section at New York City ’s Lincoln Center; the alleyways of Tokyo . We miss these places. We are creatures of place, and always will be.

After the attacks of September 11, many predicted the end of air travel, or at least a dramatic reduction. Yet the airlines rebounded steadily and by 2017 flew a record four billion passengers. Briefly deprived of the miracle of flight, we appreciated it more and today tolerate the inconvenience of body scans and pat-downs for the privilege of transporting our flesh-and-bone selves to far-flung locations, where we break bread with other incarnate beings.

Landscape architects work in their Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , studio in 1955.

A tourist photographs a towering century plant in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, in 1956.

In our rush to return to the world, we should be mindful of the impact of mass tourism on the planet. Now is the time to embrace the fundamental values of sustainable tourism and let them guide your future journeys. Go off the beaten path. Linger longer in destinations. Travel in the off-season. Connect with communities and spend your money in ways that support locals. Consider purchasing carbon offsets. And remember that the whole point of getting out there is to embrace the differences that make the world so colorful.

“One of the great benefits of travel is meeting new people and coming into contact with different points of view,” says Pauline Frommer, travel expert and radio host.

So go ahead and plan that trip. It’s good for you, scientists say . Plotting a trip is nearly as enjoyable as actually taking one. Merely thinking about a pleasurable experience is itself pleasurable. Anticipation is its own reward.

I’ve witnessed first-hand the frisson of anticipatory travel. My wife, not usually a fan of travel photography, now spends hours on Instagram, gazing longingly at photos of Alpine lodges and Balinese rice fields. “What’s going on?” I asked one day. “They’re just absolutely captivating,” she replied. “They make me remember that there is a big, beautiful world out there.”

Many of us, myself included, have taken travel for granted. We grew lazy and entitled, and that is never good. Tom Swick, a friend and travel writer, tells me he used to view travel as a given. Now, he says, “I look forward to experiencing it as a gift.”

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How To Write a Good Travel Essay

Home / Blog / How To Write A Good Travel Essay - Guide With Examples

Introduction

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

-Gustav Flaubert

Packing the duffel with the bare essentials and hopping into the car, getting behind the steering wheel and driving with no perfect destination in mind – we all dream to live such a life, don't we? Travelling to unseen places and exploring what it has to offer can be an enriching experience. However beautiful can travel be as an experience, writing a travelling essay can be quite a challenge. It may seem easy to come up with the ideas that you want to include in the essay but putting them into coherent sentences can be difficult. Your words should be impactful enough to be able to sweep the readers off their feet and take them on the cliff or make them feel the saline breeze on a beach.  

A perfect travel essay must reflect the journey and highlight the little-known facts about the region. It should be infused with the character and culture of the place. If you are feeling stymied while writing a travel essay, then we have some brilliant tips for you that can make the task considerably easy for you.

8 tips for an outstanding essay on travelling

Here are 8 tips that you can cash on to produce a winning travelling essay:

• Be specific with the destination

Before you choose a topic for your travel essay, keep the time spent in the location in mind. If your trip is just for a couple of days, then do not make the mistake of writing about an entire city. Think it out practically – is it possible to travel through a city in just a few days? Take for instance your essay is about London. It is quite an insurmountable task to be able to cover all the distance even in a week. So stick to a particular destination so that you can include the nuances and minutest details of the place to paint a picture in the reader’s mind with your words. 

• Less guide, more exploring

Also, the destination need not be about an exotic locale. It can be a story about an idyllic rustic location in the suburb of the teeming city. It can be about a cottage up on the hills with just the view of snowy valleys and iced peaks. Your words should give the sense of exploring and not touring. The essay should not be like a guide. It should be a view of the location through your lens.

• Know the location like the back of your hand

Before starting to write a travel essay, do your research. A travel essay isn’t a made-up story so there should not be any fake information. Readers will be looking for more than just the necessary information about the must-visit tourist attractions. So you need to go beyond the surface and include more about the history of the place. Just do not write about the restaurants – talk about the cuisine of the place and the story behind it, if any. To get into the innermost recesses of the location, you can speak to the residents of the area. To bring richness in your travel essay, you must reveal another side of the destination.

• Include the nitty-gritty

The key to an impressive travel essay is to be able to break down the location into kernels and write the core details about them. As mentioned earlier, so not just write about the tourist attractions and restaurants in the destination. Write about the lesser talked streets and unknown landmarks and the history behind them. If the place is known for its delicacies, write about how the cuisine has evolved and who had started it. From quaint bookstores to ice cream parlours to run-down shabby pubs – shed light to such nuances to bring your essay to life. You can even mention the negative things that you have faced in the place – like irregular transport modes or impolite locals. These little details will help you make your essay more impactful.

• Be creative with the writing style

Since a travel essay is more like an anecdote, there is no specific format to write it. Therefore, a travel essay gives you the scope of setting your foot into the unchartered areas of creativity. You have got the creative freedom to write what you want. You can study how the natives of the locale speak and learn some of the basic words and phrases they use. To put them into writing you can read the local newspaper to get the pulse of the city you are in. Using the colloquial lingo can help the reader get a closer peek into the lives of the people living in the place. It will reflect a slice of how they live their way of life. Your words should be simple and yet impactful to portray and not just merely narrate. Touch every bit of the rust in the roof to make the reader feel like they are on the same journey with you.

• Make it personal

The travel essay is your story. So add some personal experience in the story and at the same time do not make it self-indulgent. Include stories that can resonate with all your readers. Your experiences should be able to bring the reader back to the travel destination and connect him with the place. It should be the perfect blend of narration of the experiences you had while on the trip along with a vivid description of the place. To achieve the balance, write your essay in first person perspective to give a real touch to the story. Include the most interesting bits that will help the reader connect with you. You can even include the quotes of natives living in the area you had visited.

• Start with a captivating catch

Like every essay, the introduction is the key to make it an impressive read. The opening should be capturing enough to attract the reader’s attention. It should leave an impact and should make them want to go on reading the piece. Start with an unknown fact about the place and leave it hanging from the cliff. Use a tone of suspense to excite the readers to keep them guessing about the contents of the essay.

• Make it vivid with images

For certain places, words may fall short in being able to explain the exact description of a place. You cannot describe how the sky looked with the mountains seemingly touching the clouds or the horizon fading beyond the sea. Certain things cannot be explained in words – like the color of the sky or the water! This is where pictures come in! Providing real images of the place in between can help the readers stay connected. Vivid photos can also make the readers understand the story better by bringing them closer to it. So make sure you take breathtaking pictures of the place you are writing about. The images will help your essay stay in the readers’ mind longer.

With the above tips, we are sure you will be able to write an excellent travelling essay  that will impress your professor and fetch you a good grade.

And if you are still unsure about putting these to use, then below is a winning sample to show you how it is done!

Travelling essay sample

I have visited London several times, and yet it is amazing how I find something new to explore every time I visit the capital city. My visit last autumn too did not fail to surprise me. With the hustle and bustle and the rich royal history, London city has a lot to offer. Since I just had a few days to spare, I wanted to make the best out of this trip.

Although vast and sprawling, I decided to visit most of the city on foot this time. Now since in my previous visits I had seen most of the tourist-y attractions already, I wanted to take the path less travelled this time to discover the hidden gems of the city. The last time I had been to London, I had missed out on the chance to visit the chock full of literature and history that awaited me in the Shakespeare Globe Theatre. Being a student of literature, visiting the place where the Bard of Avon once enacted the plays he wrote was a spellbinding moment. And guess what? I also caught a staging of the Macbeth before I left the place. Before heading towards the Hyde Park tube station, I grabbed some of London’s famous Fish ‘n’ Chips from the oldest food market of the city, the Borough Market. From Hyde Park to Tower Hill in under fifteen minutes by Tube, I began exploring the Tower of London. It was there that I heard a guard speaking about where he hailed from. A quick conversation with Peter, I had gotten intrigued to know more about his village – Suffolk in Lavenham. I asked him how to get there and Peter, being the quintessential helping guide that Londoners are known to be, told me that I could either take a car from central London. Or I could wait for the next day and take the train from Liverpool to Sudbury and then take the bus route 753 and reach in around two hours. Having nothing to do, I spent that day in the British Museum and walking on Oxford Street.

The next morning, I started my journey to the quaint village of Suffolk. I had picked up a book about the village where I learned that the village had once housed Henry III in 1257. And a bonus for all the Harry Potter fans – the village also starred in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ as Godric’s Hollow where Hermoine and Harry are seen to be visiting Bathilda Bagshot. On reaching the village, the first thing that grabbed my attention was the picture-perfect silhouette of prosperous medieval England with all the half-timbered houses. The lime-washed and brightly coloured buildings added an idyllic element to the village with the De Vere House standing out from the rest. Adding to the rustic touch was the fifteenth-century St Peter Church with its soaring height of a 141ft tower. The autumn breeze welcomed me as I walked on the leaf-covered high streets. I saw some young guns cycling around in a park and called out to them for directions. My stay for the trip was an Air BnB home-stay where I had to put up with an elderly couple – the Havishams. I still remember how on reaching the gate of the house, I had caught a waft of crumpets and hot scones. After an exchange of banalities followed by me gorging on the scones, I had found out about the hidden gems from Mr Havisham who happened to be quite a cheerful talker. He told me what a must-visit Hadley’s was when in Suffolk. I had then set out with a local map to find the hidden gem. On reaching I had found that Hadley’s was a cutesy ice cream shop, almost run down, run by an old lady. Here Rebecca told me how the ice cream parlour was opened back in the 1850s and was still known for their hand-made sorbets.

Like the sorbet, my stay in Suffolk had been a sweet experience – a trip of revelation. The tour – with all the lonely walks – had in an inexplicable way helped me to get my perspectives right. It isn’t the exotic locales and the flight above the clouds that make travelling my drug. Rather, it is little but beautiful discoveries like Suffolk that feed my wanderlust. Thank you, London. Thank you for being a wonderful experience, once again.   

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Essay 277 – Travelling abroad is a valuable experience for young people

Gt writing task 2 / essay sample # 277.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people think travelling abroad is a valuable experience for young people. Others think that it is a waste of time and money.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer:

It is argued that young adults can bring a wealth of experience to them by travelling overseas. Yet, others believe that they are just squandering their time and money by visiting abroad. This essay will expound on both viewpoints, and I think that travelling often cost time and money to youngsters.

There are many reasons why travelling abroad at an early age is crucial. For a start, it is the proper time to make life choices. Put simply, travelling is one of the ways that young adults can transform their lives. As the youngsters travel, they are exposed to experience new things, thus enhancing many essential life skills as well as the ability to adapt to new perspectives. Through this, they can shape their future. But this brings forth only when an individual is still young. The elderly, on the other hand, can seldom transform themselves by travelling. Therefore, the adolescent years are the high time for travelling abroad because it helps young people to mould their future.

Having said that, travelling abroad is a waste of money and time as well. From the moment one embarks on a journey, he needs to keep spending money. He has to pay for transportation, accommodation, meals, tourist destinations, and so forth. In return for all effort, one reaches his destination and visits a tourist attraction which he could also explore virtually by watching a documentary on television. Moreover, tourist spots and things that a young person watches on TV are all free of cost, yet exploring them in person costs money. Likewise, it is also time-consuming. Young people have to spend a substantial amount of time sitting on the plane, on the bus, or waiting at the train station or the airports. Each journey, in fact, takes considerable time. In contrast, any virtual expedition saves them a lot of time.

To conclude, in my opinion, travelling abroad at a young age is vastly overrated. There are many reasonable ways to visit and learn about the destinations without spending much time and money. In lieu of wasting time on planes or buses, young adults can gain almost the same experience by watching documentaries or browsing travel blogs. They can travel virtually but still enjoy it.

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Student Essay: 4 Reasons Why Traveling Is So Important

This article was written by Connor Edward McGrane upon his return from Greece and Italy this spring. He writes about how his trip abroad changed his perspective and helped him gain a global perspective.

Last week I was incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Greece and Italy. While traveling through these two beautiful countries, I learned many things. I learned the ancient city of Pompeii had a brothel, that the word “gymnasium” comes from the Greek word “gymnós” which means nude, and that the Romans used to fill up the coliseum with water in order to have naval battles. However, what I will take with me for the rest of my life from this trip did not come from a guided tour.

1. It Opens Your Mind

Traveling opens your mind because you begin to see how people do things differently than you and still get by. We become so accustomed to how we do things that we believe it is the only way, and that anyone who acts differently is inferior. Traveling changes this. From big things such as religious practices to small things such as how you order your food, traveling opens you up to all types of changes.

These changes can get frustrating at times. For example, if you ask for water in Italy you will most likely still get bottled water and be charged for it. When ordering gelato, you have to pay first before telling them what you want. You take these changes and apply them to everyday life. You realize that if someone does things differently than you, it’s ok. Maybe that kid acts differently than you, talks differently than you. Traveling makes you realize that’s alright because there are other people in the world that would think your way of doing things is “weird.”

2. You Get to Experience Different Cultures

The most fun part of traveling is experiencing different cultures. New food, new music, new language, it’s so amazing how different it can be from ours. One feature of Roman culture I found interesting was that they air dry their clothes. In the United States, we would find this as a hassle since we like to get things done fast. However, the Italians value tradition. Neither is right, neither is wrong. Another interesting thing was how superstitious the Italians are.

Our tour guide provided us with a lesson on hand gestures not to make, as the Italians will take it as if you are casting the “evil eye” on them. Anti-evil spirit jewelry and decorations were sold throughout Greece. In the United States, we aren’t that superstitious, so it was amazing to see this. Trying different food was amazing as well. In the United States, we seem to think we are accustomed to all different types of food since it’s very easy to find a Mexican, Italian, Chinese, or Greek restaurant. However, these foods are quite different when made in their home countries. The true Greek Gyro had a much different sauce than the yogurt sauce used here and Gelato made in the states tastes like ice milk.

3. You Are Able to See New Scenery

One of the most amazing aspects of traveling to Europe is how different everything looks. Cobblestone streets, narrow roads, and tiny apartment buildings are all so different from what we have here in the U.S. Especially in New York City where the roads are long and wide, it was amazing to see streets where barely one car can pass through. The cars themselves were so much smaller. In the U.S., it’s quite common to see big SUV’s or minivans…not in Europe. Even the cities themselves were so much different. In the U.S. when we think of a city we think of something like New York City, huge skyscrapers, and buildings made out of glass.

This is what I expected to see when I traveled to Europe for the first time. Rome and Athens were nothing like that. There wasn’t a skyscraper in sight, and most of the buildings were extremely old. Here in the United States, everything seems so new compared to Europe. There was a piazza in Rome literally sitting on top of an ancient stadium. Our tour guide took us into one home in Athens where a man redid his basement to find a huge pot which was over 2,000 years old. The mountain ranges were also beautiful. Coming from Long Island, I have only seen a few mountains in my lifetime. Being in Delphi, a city in the mountains of Greece, was breathtaking. The mountains and valleys looked like they went on forever. They made the 4-hour bus journeys more enjoyable.

4. How Fortunate You Are to Live in the United States

If there is one thing I will never forget from this trip, it’s something the tour guide said to us. On our last day in Rome when saying goodbye to us, she began to talk about how important traveling is and how she hopes this trip has given us an urge to want to explore the world more. At the end of her farewell, she said “Even if you decide that you never want to travel again…Remember what you saw, and that you are all so lucky to have been born in the United States of America. America truly is the land of opportunity, a meritocracy. If you work hard, you will succeed. Never forget that.” This truly stuck with me and made me realize how lucky I am. How fortunate I am to live in an economic system that rewards hard work and innovation and encourages people to succeed.

A country which believes in individual rights and fights to defend them. A country where even our poor people can afford their own apartments, unlike the Romans, where the average person can only afford to rent a room in an apartment. I loved the look on people’s faces after I told them I was American. One woman asked me to take a picture for her, and upon hearing my accent asked if I was American. I said yes, and her response was “Wow!! You’re beautiful!” Afterward, I heard her say to her daughter, “He’s from the United States!!” It made realize how fortunate I am to come from such a great country.

Traveling is truly an amazing experience. I have learned a lot from the four European countries I have traveled to, and will continue to learn more as I further explore the world. Traveling doesn’t have to mean going all over the world, however. You can learn so much just from traveling to another part of the United States. The way people live in the south can be very different and interesting compared to here in the North. Even exploring the different boroughs in New York City will open your eyes to different cultures. As Ibn Battuta once said, “Traveling—It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”

Do you or one of your students have a story you’d like to contribute to the ACIS blog? We’re always looking for contributors, so let us know in the comments section below!

Read the first-hand accounts of students and teachers experience traveling with ACIS and how it’s shaped their lives as students and professionals.

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63 Study Abroad Essay Examples & Topics

Looking for study abroad topics to write about? Studying in another country is one of the most beneficial experiences for students.

• 🏆 Best Essay Examples
• 📌 Research Titles
• 🗺 Topics to Write about

❓ Questions About Studying Abroad

In your studying abroad essay, you might want to write about advantages and disadvantages of being an international student. Another option is to describe the process of making application for a scholarship. One more idea is to share your personal experience. Whether you’re planning to write an argumentative, descriptive, or persuasive essay, our article will be helpful. Here we’ve collected top studying abroad essay samples and research titles ‍‍‍‍for scholarship papers.

🏆 Best Studying Abroad Essay Examples

• Why Studying Abroad Results in Better Education For most people, especially in developing nations, the only way to gain an education that will satisfy the demands of the international job market is by studying abroad.
• Should Students Study Abroad? Studying abroad offers students an opportunity to travel to new countries and have new experiences that expand their perceptions of the world.
• Specifics of Studying Abroad The purpose of this paper is to discuss the most common benefits and drawbacks, as well as overall outcomes that are related to studying abroad and to recommend the ways to handle the drawbacks.
• Challenges of Studying Abroad A closer look at the information provided by the majority of the companies specializing in student transfer and the related services will reveal that a range of essential data, especially the information concerning the financial […]
• Declining Direct Public Support for Higher Education in USA Partisanship interest in the debate for renewal of the Higher Education Act and a Senate inquiry to validate the governance of the non-profit economic sectors of the United States has demonstrated the complexity of public […]
• The Social Role of Higher Education in UK In addition to this, higher education provides a set of values that changes the students to face the existing and the future problems facing the society and the various sectors of work that they operate […]
• International Education in Australia China is a good market for Australian education and in the year 2010 a sum of 284700 students from China left the country to further their studies most of them on their own expenses.
• The Criteria and Benefits That Allow Students to Work Abroad The most direct experience that a person gets while studying abroad is the understanding of the business world and economics. There is no doubt that the environments and culture of a country are the major […]
• Education in Australia as a Tool of Promoting Equality of Opportunity The main objective of vocational education and training is to promote the people, the society, and the economy and to upgrade the labor market.
• A Benefits of Education Abroad One of the qualitative aspects of the educational reality in today’s world is the fact that, as time goes on, the number of students who decide in favor of studying abroad increases rather exponentially.

📌 Research Titles about Studying Abroad

• Do Study Abroad Programs Enhance the Employability of Graduates
• The Effect Of Study Abroad On Studying Abroad
• Culture and Study Abroad and Some Drawbacks
• How Does Study Abroad Affect A Student ‘s View Of Professional
• Analysis Of Some Of The Benefits Of Study Abroad
• Do People Who Study Abroad Become More Successful
• Increasing Number Of Worldwide People Go Study Abroad
• The Lowering Ages of Students Who Study Abroad
• Colleges Should Make It Mandatory: For Students To Study Abroad For Specific Major’s
• Should Students Spend Lots Of Money For Study Abroad

🗺 Study Abroad Topics to Write about

• The Cultural Shock That Students Face When They Study Abroad
• Advantages and Dis Advantages of Further Study Abroad
• Interlanguage Pragmatic Competence in the Study Abroad
• The Study Abroad Trip On Australia
• History Of Study Abroad And Exchange Programs
• An Analysis of Many Students Wishing to Study Abroad
• Most Study Abroad Program Should Be Rename Party Abroad They Are Waste of Time
• Why College Students Should Study Abroad
• Analysis Of Michelle Obama ‘s Reasons For Study Abroad
• Study Abroad Is Beneficial For All College Students
• The Journey of Traveling and The Study Abroad
• Analysis: Why Student Chose to Study Abroad
• The Benefits of Choosing to Study Abroad
• How Is Studying Abroad Helps Improve Language Skills?
• Which Country Are More Successful for Studying Abroad?
• Is Studying Abroad a Good Idea?
• Does Studying Abroad Induce a Brain Drain?
• Why Is Studying Abroad Beneficial?
• How Is the Studying Abroad Effects Learning About Different Cultures?
• What Are the Cons of Studying Abroad?
• Is Studying Abroad a Waste of Time?
• Does Studying Abroad Enhance Employability?
• What Are the Positive and Negative Influences of Studying Abroad?
• How Capital Accumulation Through Studying Abroad and Return Migration?
• Which Country Is Best for Studying Abroad?
• What Is Culture Shock When Studying Abroad?
• What Is the Impact of Studying Abroad on Global Awareness?
• What Are the Disadvantages of Studying Abroad?
• Which Country Is Cheapest for Studying Abroad?
• Is Studying Abroad Expensive?
• What Are Important Reasons for Studying Abroad?
• Is It Difficult to Studying Abroad?
• What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Studying Abroad?
• Which Country Is Hard for Studying Abroad In?
• What Is the Impact of Studying Abroad?
• What Are the Effects of Studying Abroad on College Students?
• What Are Main Hardships While Studying Abroad?
• Is It Better to Studying Abroad or Locally?
• Does Studying Abroad Help Academic Achievement?
• Does Studying Abroad Cause International Labor Mobility?
• What Are the Differences Between Studying Locally and Studying Abroad?
• Do Students Who Studying Abroad Achieve Tremendous Success?
• What Are the Pros and Cons of Studying Abroad?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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IELTS Band 9 essay, topic: Many people nowadays travel abroad for their university education (discuss)

• IELTS Essays - Band 9

This is a model response to a Writing Task 2 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is likely to score IELTS Band 9.

Set 1 General Training book, Practice Test 5

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Many people nowadays travel abroad for their university education.

Why do people do this? Would you consider doing this yourself and why?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

You should write at least 250 words.

In recent years it has become normal for high school graduates to travel abroad for their university education. There are numerous positive aspects to studying in a foreign country, such as the discovery of new cultures, the possibility of learning more about oneself and the chance of learning a new language.

By travelling to a foreign country, it is certain that one will be confronted with foreign customs and traditions. Experiencing and understanding these customs and their origins provides students with an interesting chance to develop a more open-minded attitude towards others. Additionally, it is also extremely stimulating to learn more about the reasons behind certain traditions and practices.

A prime reason for students studying abroad is the prospect of finding oneself and growing as an individual. When living in a foreign country, students have to become increasingly independent and they are confronted with their strengths and weaknesses. Typically students develop increased self-esteem and also acquire or improve upon their skills of housekeeping and cooking, which are important for living independently later on in life.

When living in a foreign country students are exposed to a new language and in most cases attempt to learn it. If they already possess some knowledge about the language, they have the possibility of advancing and improving upon these skills with the native population. The ability to speak multiple languages offers students a higher chance of being successful on the international job market, which makes studying abroad an attractive choice.

Personally, I would like to study abroad in either Scotland or France, because I would like to experience the life and customs in these countries. Additionally, I would like to become more fluent in French, as I believe this will be beneficial for me later in life.

In conclusion, studying abroad offers the possibility for students to grow and develop as individuals and to acquire valuable skills that will be useful in adult life.

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5 thoughts on “IELTS Band 9 essay, topic: Many people nowadays travel abroad for their university education (discuss)”

Can we use active and passive voice in the same sentence.for instance :

when police arrived to arrest theif, but he had killed by the public.

The correct sentence would be “When the police arrived to arrest the thief, he had already been killed by the public.”

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Essay About Traveling: Why Should You Start Travelling Today?

Traveling is an extraordinary experience every person needs to try. It reveals a whole new and exciting world out there, opens out your inner strength, and presents with unforgettable adventures. Read an example of essay about traveling to learn more and get inspired.

Traveling – The First Thing on Your To-Do List

There is nothing quite like traveling, like seeing a new place for the first time or returning to a favorite one. People of all ages, from all around the world, go to foreign places for different reasons – mainly, for work, family, and leisure. Whether by plane, train, ship or by automobile, traveling is generally a pleasurable experience, at least for the people who can financially afford comfortable and safe methods of travel. But it has more benefits than satisfying one’s need to make money, like, for example, to see loved ones and enjoy oneself on vacation. There are other benefits of traveling worth mentioning and trying out.

HOW DIETING AND EXERCISING CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

One of the significant benefits of traveling is finding and keeping inner balance. Too often, people get wrapped up in their lives, their daily routine of working, sleeping, eating, and living. They become self-absorbed to the point when their fatigue affects their health, their happiness , and their future.

It’s a great, big world out there with billions and billions of people, who each day live their life and have their own unique experiences.

Traveling is a humbling experience. It is merely a superior feeling: to go to another country, and to see people live differently, speak differently, look differently. This is how one comes to understand how big and crazy our world is.

Another benefit to traveling is coming to see one’s native country in a different light, in a different way. It is possible through making a comparison of your home and a foreign location. Sure, this is impossible without traveling. Going to unknown places create new perspectives and inspiration.

Away from home, one comes to understand what “home” actually is and what it means.

Perhaps their native country is not as free as they had been told or initially thought it to be, for example. One does not understand what it means to be a citizen of their native country until they have seen it from a distance, from another, completely different country. When traveling elsewhere and having to live according to a foreign place’s laws and social norms, one immediately thinks of how things are done in their own country and culture and begins to favor one way or another. This changes how one feels about their native land, whether in a better or a worse way. This notion can be applied to various characteristics, such as women’s rights, human rights, customs and traditions, beliefs, a trust for government, etc. Traveling is always beneficial for the individual experiencing it.

Another great benefit of traveling is a life experience. Many people do not have the luxury of going to another country, or even to another city of their own country.

Traveling gets a person out of their comfort zone, away from all their ordinary pleasures and comforts and way of doing things.

This forces them to be adventurous, to live life to the fullest, to make the most of this precious gift and use the time they have to discover new things, and meet new people. This is similar to what people experience when reading a fictional story. They get to become whoever they are reading about, just like when traveling, they get to become the citizens of the country they are visiting, even if it is only for a short time. They live outside their life.

To conclude, traveling is the perfect entertainment for a person of any age. On the one hand, it helps people to form a better understanding of themselves, their beliefs, and their lives. On the other, it also provides people with a better understanding of the world they live in, even if it’s beyond their immediate environment. Moreover, it may even help a person to feel connected to the many people living in the world. Nevertheless that their lives may never meet or they are so utterly different that they may as well be from different planets.

There are no hesitations. Go and explore the world. In the meantime, Privatewriting.com will take care of your academic success from homework help to harvard format essay . Just place an order and get ready for the trip without a second thought.

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The primary purpose of persuasive essay is to persuade or convince the reader that a certain claim or viewpoint is right. A persuasive essay can be written from either a subjective or an objective point of view simply because persuasion is found in a variety…

Full list of the most trending argumentative essay topics

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• Solar Eclipse 2024

Meet the Eclipse Chasers Traveling Thousands of Miles for the Astronomical Event

A mong ancient civilizations who regarded solar eclipses as an evil omen , the sight of the cosmic phenomenon would have been cause for despair. But for many enthusiasts traveling thousands of miles to see the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, the opposite is true.

“I'm not in any way religious at all. But [the eclipse is] almost as close to a religious moment as I think you can get,” says Sarah Marwick, a 51-year-old doctor based in the U.K. “It makes you feel enormous and tiny at the same time.”

Marwick—who has seen six eclipses in the last 25 years in the Arctic Circle, China, France, Libya, the U.S., and Zimbabwe—is an eclipse chaser, or umbraphile. The neologism cannot be found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, but the word, meaning shadow lover, is used to describe the people who flock across the globe for a chance to see the moon obscure the sun. Eclipses happen anywhere from four to seven times a year, according to NASA . But solar eclipses are a much rarer phenomenon to see than lunar eclipses because they are only visible from a small area of the Earth each time they occur. 

“If it's 10 seconds or several minutes, it doesn’t matter. It's always too short for you,” says Tunç Tezel, a 46-year-old civil engineer from Turkey who has seen 13 solar eclipses and three lunar eclipses since 1999. He is traveling more than 6,000 miles from Istanbul to Houston this April. “The light comes back, and then you start to think, ‘When's the next one? Where's the next one? I think I need to see another one.’” 

For many, the obsession with eclipses began in childhood. “Growing up in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, one of the big things that I remember seeing were the two great comets we had,” says 35-year-old Aditya Madhavan, who has been chasing eclipses since he saw the “great American solar eclipse” in 2017. Others credit science teachers who inspired their love of space. But for most, the eclipse bug bit soon after they saw their first. 

Read More : How Astrologists Are Preparing for the 2024 Solar Eclipse

It’s hard to say how many people identify as an umbraphile. On Facebook, a public solar eclipse chasing group has nearly 21,000 members—an increase of about 13% since March. Not all of them are enthusiasts—some join to advertise their product or offer accommodations to see the eclipse—but filmmaker Nelson Quan, a member, says he noticed an explosion in interest after the 2017 eclipse. “Because these eclipses are in these narrow paths and certain places in the world, you kind of meet the same people,” says Quan, who directed a documentary about eclipse chasing called Chasing Shadows . 

In 2023, for instance, some 20,000 people traveled to Exmouth, Australia for the eclipse. That town had a population of 2,800. “Take a place like Australia. You think, ‘Australia is a big country?’ Well, yes, it is. But when the eclipse only hits the tip of it in Exmouth, it becomes a very small country,” says Mandie Adams, a 59-year-old landlord working in real estate.

Quan says the first online umbraphile community he remembers was a group on Yahoo called “the solar eclipse mailing list,” which included leaders of the previous generation of eclipse chasers, like astrophysicist Fred Espenak, otherwise known as “Mr. Eclipse;” cartographer Michael Zeiler, creator of GreatAmericanEclipse.com; and Xavier Jubier, the mastermind behind an interactive Google Maps site that details the timing and phases of an eclipse.  

Now that the community has grown , amateurs and newly-identifying eclipse chasers are using online platforms to share lodging plans, ask for tips, and recount tales of past trips abroad. Of the ten eclipse chasers TIME spoke to for this story, two traveled only in the U.S. for the 2017 eclipse and for this year’s astronomical event, six are traveling from other countries to see the April 8 eclipse in the U.S., and many already had plans to see the next total solar eclipse in 2026, with the most popular destination being Spain. “We are trying to do anything we can to see these eclipses as long as it's possible,” says Tezel, a moderator of the Facebook group. “Maybe we are a bit more dedicated or a bit crazy. You decide.”

The most significant barrier to becoming an eclipse chaser might be the cost. Atlanta-based Madhavan paid $14,000 to travel to Antarctica via ship for an eclipse in 2021—and wasn’t able to see that eclipse due to cloud cover . The eclipse tourism industry is gaining traction. This year, Delta Air Lines is marketing flights for eclipse chasers to see the event from the sky and a $1.5 billion economic boom is expected to impact states in the 115-mile wide path of totality. 

Read More : Why These Passengers Are Flying up to 30 Hours to See Four Minutes of the Eclipse

Olivier Steiger, 65, says he strategically plans his eclipse trips to save costs. To maximize his time for his buck, Steiger plans on spotting other natural phenomena on this trip: he’s going to follow the northern lights for a few nights before heading to the U.S. for the eclipse, and hopefully do some storm chasing and see a tornado in Texas afterwards. Steiger says it's cheaper to travel within Europe, and he can usually spot deals depending on where he wants to go. For this trip, he is driving down from Switzerland to Milan to take a cheaper flight to Iceland, before flying to Denver and then driving down south. 

Marwick, a mother to two children, says the cost of traveling with her family dictates her destination, accommodations, and length of time away from work. “If you've got a family, there's a difference between taking a flight to Toronto that costs $400, or one that's, you know, going to be $3,000 to Texas, and much longer time,” she says. 

Read More : Helpful Tips for Planning Your Solar Eclipse Trip

Being frugal has allowed Adams, based in England, to backpack through Chicago, Nashville, Austin, and Fort Worth during the four weeks leading up to the eclipse. “I don't go for luxuries back home. I don't go out and buy handbags and expensive clothes,” she says. “I want my money to be for experiences like the eclipse.”

For many umbraphiles, traveling for an eclipse will be their one extended vacation of the year. “It kind of is an excuse for us to get out of the country and go to places that maybe we wouldn't have been before,” says Madhavan. Tunzel, who has a copy of the Fifty Year Canon of Solar Eclipses, which has maps of eclipse paths through 2035, jokingly refers to his catalog as his vacation planner. 

This year, Madhavan is traveling to Torreon, Mexico for the first time, but has also gone to countries like Australia in 2023 for an eclipse that only lasted for around a minute. “We traveled halfway around the world for [about] 56 seconds of totality, which makes it sound really crazy,” he says, “but the sun itself and the phenomena that we saw around this eclipse were just beautiful.”

That moment is never guaranteed, but the anticipation is worth it. “It's like a calling,” says Tezel. “We drop everything, meet… that eclipse happens, and then we go back to what we are doing in our normal lives.” And then the cycle begins again.

More Must-Reads From TIME

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