How To Face Your Fears Through Travel

by Jessica Festa on

For many people, traveling is about trying new things and making inner discoveries. It’s a great primer for getting your mind ready for an adventure. While you’re having these unique experiences, why not take the opportunity to conquer a fear, as well? Here are some ideas on how travel can help you face your anxieties head-on.

Flying

Being afraid to fly is very common, and the best way to overcome your fear is to face it. While simply going to an overseas destination is a step in the right direction, why not go all out and try skydiving? Some of the best places for skydiving are the Fox Glacier in New Zealand, Mount Everest in Nepal, Cairns in Australia and Seville in Spain. If you’d like to start out smaller, zip lining can also provide an aerial adventure. You’ll be able to attach yourself to a harness, which is connected to a wire, and fly over tall trees and beautiful landscapes.The Ocean

This is a big one for me. During a trip to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, I sat on the boat shaking as my guide fitted me for scuba gear. I watched jealously as my friends jumped into the ocean without a care in the world. However, my fears slowly drifted away as the instructor showed us step-by-step how to safely navigate the water. It ended up being one of the best experiences of my life. Some other great diving areas to explore on your travels are East Java, Madagascar, Raja Ampat and the Galapagos Islands.

Spiders

For those who are afraid of spiders and other creepy crawlers, a trip to the jungle or rainforest will be just what you need. In places like the Amazon Jungle in South America, where you can see the world’s largest species, the Goliath Tarantula, you’ll find enormous spiders and unique insects you can’t find anywhere else in the world. And after you face these bugs, the average house spider will seem as harmless as a kitten.

The Unknown

For many people, not having a set schedule or itinerary can be terrifying. I actually used to be the kind of person who constantly planned out every detail of a trip and would get anxiety if something went off course. Help free your mind on your travels and try not making a plan. Simply pack a bag, buy a plane ticket and show up at your destination. Not only is it liberating to travel with a blank itinerary of endless opportunities, it’s a lot harder for things to go wrong when you had no plan to begin with.

Commitment

Are you the type of person that shakes at the thought of committing to something for longer than the afternoon? Get over your fear and sign up for a volunteer project abroad. There’s usually a two-week minimum commitment, but to get the most out of the project I’d recommend going for a month or longer. Volunteer at an orphanage, teach English, coach sports, provide medical help or work with animals and help another community. You’ll not only get over your fear of commitment, you’ll also grow as a person.

The Dark

It’s unfortunate that so many people are afraid of the dark, as there are so many great things that happen when the sun’s not around. One great experience to have is camping. You’ll be able to roast marshmallows over an open fire, sing songs, go on night hikes and feel how small the Earth really is through stargazing. One tip: it’s probably best to skip the scary campfire stories the first time around. Some great camping destinations include The Outback in Australia, the Inca Trail in Peru and Torres del Paine in Chile. Another fun adventure to have in the dark is black water rafting, or cave tubing. While it doesn’t need to be nighttime, you’ll be rafting through dark caves where anything is possible. It’s a lot of fun, and a very different experience from white water rafting in the sunlight.

Eating New Foods

While being afraid to try new foods isn’t too serious, tasting unique and “scary” dishes can open you up to new things and lead you to say “yes” to more opportunities. For some people, eating a food they’ve never had can be terrifying. The best remedy for this is immersing yourself in a unique food culture, ordering something unknown and asking what it is only after you’ve tasted it. In my opinion, the best place to do this is Asia, where they have some of the most unimaginable foods ever created. Some unique dishes to try include tarantulas, durian, smelly tofu and white ant eggs.

Death

Death can be a hard thing for anyone to face; however, it’s also a part of life. Many dark tourism sites offer a look into the more morbid part of history, and usually leave you with an important takeaway point. Some of these sites include Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany, Napoleonland in France, and the slave castles of Cape Coast, Ghana. There are also less intense ways to explore death through travel. For example, there are some beautiful cemeteries you can visit like Recoleta in Buenos Aires, St. Louis #1 in New Orleans and Woodlawn Cemetery in New York.

Heights

There are many ways to overcome your fear of heights when traveling: high-altitude hikes, zip lining, hang gliding, parasailing and, my personal favorite, bungee jumping. The first time I bungee jumped was in Cairns, Australia, and I was scared out of my mind. After the jump was complete, however, I found myself laughing hysterically and asking to do it again. Some of my favorite destinations for the activity include Interlaken, Switzerland, Queenstown, New Zealand, and Puerta Vallarta, Mexico.

Ghosts

To really face your fears of the walking dead, the best thing you can do is visit a haunted site. There are tons of haunted houses, haunted castles, haunted hotels and creepy abandoned cities to explore. For your next trip, why not find out for yourself just how these sites got their reputation?

[photos via Alexander Savin, cheetah100, Jessie on a Journey, Jessie on a Journey, LIN HSIN YAO]

Mindo: A Nature-Inspired Day Trip From Quito, Ecuador

by Jessica Festa on

Quito, Ecuador, is a big, bustling city that can sometimes be overwhelming. For those who need a change of pace, one great day trip idea is to head to nearby Mindo, a tranquil town filled with nature-inspired activities. Located in the Los Bancos canton of the Pichincha province, the area is renowned for its dedication to ecotourism, plentiful bird watching and breathtaking cloud forest.

Getting In

From Quito, you can catch a bus from the Terminal Terrestre Norte, La Ofelia. The bus to Mindo takes about 80 minutes and is $2.50 each way, although you can’t buy your return ticket until you get to the destination. Because the buses can get crowded, it is wise to purchase your return ticket immediately upon arrival into Mindo. Moreover, I would recommend taking the very first bus of the day from Quito, and the very last bus of the day from Mindo to ensure you have a lot of time. In fact, many people spend the night in the town because there’s so much to do.

Quito To Mindo Bus Schedule:

Monday To Friday: 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 7:40 a.m., 8:20 a.m., 9:20 a.m., 4:00 p.m.
Sunday: 7:40 a.m., 8:20 a.m., 9:20 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.

Mindo To Quito Bus Schedule:

Monday To Friday: 6:30 a.m., 1:45 p.m., 3:00 p.m.
Saturday: 6:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 6:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.

Renting a car or hiring a taxi is another pricier, but more convenient option.To Do

Waterfall Sanctuary And Tarabita

This was the first thing I did in Mindo, and it was a really great start to the day. For $5 including the tarabita, or cable car, you’ll get access to picturesque hiking trails that take you to seven different waterfalls. Each one is completely unique to the others, making the trek worth it. Bring your bathing suit and a picnic. To get to the trailhead, a taxi costs $8; however, to save money you can take a $4 cab to the canopy area and walk about 1.5 miles to the start.

Canopy

To explore the cloud forest and farmland from a different point of view, Mindo Canopy Adventure offers an excellent option. Ten dollars gives you access to 13 ziplines, and the course takes about an hour. The highest cable is over 1,300 feet, so it will definitely get your adrenaline going. You’ll not only get great scenery, but also a chance to see many beautiful birds, like toucans and hummingbirds. It’s also possible to bring your camera while flying, to get great shots from midair.

Mariposas de Mindo

While I expected Mariposas de Mindo to be nothing more than looking at a few butterflies, I was completely wrong. There are 1,200 butterflies living in the garden – making it the largest butterfly exhibit in Ecuador – featuring different colors, sizes and species. You get a short tour and see really tiny butterfly eggs and caterpillars. Furthermore, the guide will bring you to something that looks like a jewelry display, but is actually a wall of butterfly pupae. Depending where a butterfly lives in nature, its pupae could look like a leaf, stick, green stone or shiny piece of metal (shown right). The best part of the trip was getting to hand feed the butterflies some banana, which I never knew they ate. The admission cost was $5.

El Descanso

When visiting Mindo, don’t be upset if you can’t get there before 10 a.m. While you won’t see any birds on the trails in the afternoon, it doesn’t matter because they all come to El Descanso. I went at 11 a.m. and for $2 was able to see myriad bird species like hummingbirds, toucans, parrots and Golden-Headed Quetzals. The word descanso means “to relax” or “be calm,” and there is no better place to do this than in this tranquil setting, lounging on a hammock surrounded by the music of nature.

El Quetzal

Chocolate-lovers will love Mindo’s signature chocolate hub, El Quetzal. Not only can you eat gourmet chocolate – they use the rare process of making their product from “the cocoa bean to the bar” – you can also get a tour of their facilities where they grow a variety of fruits, vegetables and beans like cacao, bananas, ginger, tomatoes and other natural produce. The guide also takes you through the process of picking the cacao beans, fermenting them, separating the shell from the “nibs,” and making the paste. At the end, you’ll get to sample chili chocolate, ginger honey chocolate, cocoa honey, barbecue sauce and a brownie. The tour and tasting is $5.

Tubing

To get off land and in the water, tubing on the Mindo River is a fun way to explore nature. When you get into Mindo there are a bunch of tour and adventure companies offering the activity, so shop around and see who offers the best package.

The Yellow House Trails & Lodge

The Yellow House Trails & Lodge – which has been in use since the early 1800s – is one of the best places to go for hiking, butterfly spotting, bird watching and discovering wild flora and fauna. Some examples of unique natural sights include vibrant Emerald Glass Frogs, huge Dock Spiders, red Slime Mold Mushrooms, long-nosed lizards, Spectacled Bears and translucent butterflies. It also offers one of the best views in town of the mountains and surrounding forest. What’s really unique about The Yellow House is there are over 470 species of birds, more than any other location in western Ecuador.

Introducing The Swagon, Australia’s New Take On Glamping

by Jessica Festa on

We’ve all seen the pimped-out safari tents and palace-style camping retreats used for glamping; however, Gawler Ranges Wildness Safaris has taken luxurious camping to the next level with the introduction of the Swagon. The 100-year-old, Aussie-style wagon is “part swag, part wagon.” And for those who don’t know, swag refers to a queen-sized double mattress, used for extra comfort when roughing it in the Outback of South Australia.

Also known as the “Galaxy Suite,” the Swagon features a private shower and toilet, as well as a bed canopied by canvas to pull back for stargazing. Glampers won’t even need to cook, as meals are served at the camp’s outdoor dining room with complimentary drinks.

“The Swagon was built to offer single travellers accommodation without a single supplement. The tents have two bedrooms, so a single person could displace four people,” explains Geoff Scholz, Director of Gawler Ranges Wilderness Safaris. “The wagon was in a dilapidated state parked in the bush, covered in rusty wire when I noticed it and saw the potential to achieve what I wanted. A Swag in a wagon? Yep, Swagon.”

Swagons can be found at Kangaluna Camp, a small wilderness campground on the Eyre Peninsula. Surrounded by salt lakes, volcanic rock and wildlife, the area makes for an excellent destination to get in touch with nature and sleep under the stars.

National Parks Are Fee-Free June 9 To Celebrate Get Outdoors Day

by Kraig Becker on

America’s national parks will once again waive all entry fees next Saturday, June 9, in celebration of National Get Outdoors Day. Visitors to any one of the more than 397 national parks, memorials and monuments across the U.S. will be granted free entrance all day long.

National Get Outdoors Day was created five years ago as an effort to encourage more Americans to go outside and enjoy nature. The event has become a collaboration between federal agencies, nonprofit organizations and the recreation industry who all work together to promote a variety of outdoor experiences. While these efforts are aimed at the U.S. population as a whole, the focus is on getting first time visitors to take advantage of public lands, as well as reconnecting young people to the outdoors.

In addition to fee-free entry to the national parks, there are 122 official National Get Outdoors Day locations spread out across the U.S. Each of these locations will play host to a number of scheduled events throughout the day and they offer further opportunities to celebrate the occasion. For instance, those living near Highlands Ranch, Colorado, can join the First Annual Backcountry Community Campout, while residents of New Jersey may want to visit Field Station: Dinosaurs to get in on the fun.

Even if you aren’t able to visit a national park or take advantage of one of these events, remind yourself to get outside on June 9. Summer is here and it’s the weekend, so there are no excuses for not participating.

This is the last fee-free day at the national parks until September 29, so take advantage of it while you can. For a complete list of the parks that will waive the entry fee on June 9 click here.

Traveling Cat Back On The Road, With Friends

by Chris Owen on

Traveling across the United States, Canada and Mexico, Ted Brady is raising money to support local animal shelters. Biking through a variety of terrains and weather conditions along with his cat, he stays with families or camps along the way. Already traveling more than 1,000 miles through a variety of conditions, happy times and disappointments, the journey is far from over.

The cross-country cycling trip started last October in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to raise money and awareness for the ASPCA and local shelters. Ted bikes, while his cat Pikachu (“Pika” to his friends) rides behind in a covered, secure cat shelter. The pair travels, meets people and engages a growing online following, posting videos of their adventure as it unfolds.




Last December, when Pika went missing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, followers and local residents joined in the search, eventually finding Pika and reuniting the two weeks later.

“He’s my best buddy and we go everywhere together. The bond that you share with your pet, it’s more than just a pet. It’s your best friend,” Brady told LifeWithCats at the time.

Back on the road this month, Ted and Pika will make their way with the help of friends, old and new. Just a few days ago via Instagram, Ted posted a map and an upbeat plea for shelter on the road. “Do you know anyone along this route? This is the path I’m taking north into Colorado, if you know anyone I could stay with on the way, hit me up!”


Follow Ted and Pika on their journey via Facebook, Instagram or on their website The Traveling Kitty.

[Photo and videos by Ted Brady]