Travel By Design
Design your own travel experience by exploring many travel niches on this Travel by Design page.
Whether you are an adventurer or arm-chair traveler you will find stories on this page that will pique your interest and curiosity. Nearly any hobby, interest or experience can be the very essence of a travel niche and you’ll find many of them below.
Perhaps you are looking for the best LGBTQ destinations or you’re interested in different experiences, volunteer travel (voluntourism) or health and wellness opportunities there are many travel niches to experience. We have several stories that showcase a traveler’s insights and there are other stories that illuminate the outdoors and beautiful landscapes. We have stories of varied experiences from far and wide. The experiences are unique and quite interesting and come from various places across the globe. Our stories will give you a wide coverage of places from around the world.
Whatever travel experience you’re interesting in learning about or designing for your future travels you can find something here. As new travel trends evolve we will continue to add new content that addresses new travel niches.
Go through the interesting stories listed below on this Travel by Design page.
Imagine it—you’re standing on a precipice, stepping onto a boarding ramp, or diving into depths unknown. How do you feel? Do any of those circumstances conjure a lump in your throat or butterflies in your stomach? When we feel fear, we tend to hold back, to confine ourselves to the safety of the familiar. But the very act of traveling possesses a unique power to push us beyond our limits and help us confront our deepest fears head-on. If you’re willing to tiptoe outside of your comfort zone, you might meet a more fearless version of yourself like I did.
Utah beckons nature lovers from around the globe with its five national parks: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, and Zion. From towering hoodoos to deep canyons and otherworldly landscapes, each park offers something unique. While Utah's capital, Salt Lake City is often considered an ideal basecamp for exploring the state's abundance of natural wonders, the city itself enjoys its own treasures of nature. Ideally situated between the spectacular Wasatch Mountains to the east and the glistening waters of the Great Salt Lake to the west, nature surrounds the city. With plentiful parks, hiking and biking trails, and the Great Salt Lake folded into the city, outdoor pursuits abound.
For many people, travel consists of marking off a checklist of famous places. I can’t count the number of times I’ve observed people driving up to a beautiful or thought-provoking site, snapping a photo, and driving away. I’ve done that myself a few times.
Experience the extraordinary stories of children who have made and are making a difference in this world at the Power of Children exhibit in the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.
When I arrive at Healing Farm, I have an overwhelming sense that I’ve come home. This 18-acre organic farm on Vancouver Island’s Saanich Peninsula is everything I love about this part of the world, where I grew up.
With oceanfront suites, a hammam-anchored spa, and an intimate rum room, Anguilla's Zemi Beach House has five stars — and nearly 3,000 solar panels. Installed this past winter, a solar farm runs adjacent to the Caribbean resort and powers the property from dawn until dusk. The resort ranks as Anguilla’s first five-star hotel that’s completely solar during the day, indicating a bright future for green travel.
Every day is a new day that offers many new travel opportunities so before you start packing for your next trip take a look at these budget-friendly travel essentials we’ve found. Each of these travel accessories—most $15 or less—can save you time, money and help make your travel more comfortable.
When Allen Bartimioli planned a trip to his ancestors’ homeland, he never imagined he would find himself face-to-face with a cousin he didn’t know he had. Like many Americans, the Arizona pastor and his wife, Ellen, had done some genealogical research and had taken a 23andMe DNA test. Allen’s showed Italian and Sicilian ancestry—no surprise, given the family stories. According to Bartimioli lore, Allen’s paternal grandfather returned to his roots in Italy after World War II.
Being well traveled doesn’t prepare you to live in another country and/or study abroad. In addition to learning a new language there is subtle cultural differences that require some adjustment.
As travelers, one of the most exciting aspects of visiting another country is experiencing a new culture. We get the opportunity to learn about the history of places around the globe, participate in local events, and experience traditions and cultural practices first-hand. But, we also have a responsibility as global citizens to travel ethically and only participate in socially responsible tourism.
Someone who hits the trails with my uber-fit husband (nine years my junior) to embrace all that nature has to offer. As you read this description, I can’t help but wonder how you would picture me. Perhaps, if you’ve never met me, you’d assume I’m fit and ready for anything. Well, if that’s your perception of me, you’re wrong. Although I may exude confidence on the outside, on the inside I struggle with self-doubt and body image every single day.
I marvel at the cavernous interiors of the room, chiseled from the soft tuff rock, formed millions of years ago by the eruption of the volcanoes that once dominated the landscape of Cappadocia. The lava flows formed tuff rock, which the wind and the rain sculpted into winding valleys of craggy cliffs and conical fairy chimneys dotted with pockmarked caves and towering ravines. The earliest settlers in this part of Central Anatolia curved their humble homes in these caves – a tradition followed to date. And many of the Cappadocian homes, like that of my host Okhtai, have been converted into boutique cave hotels. For my 3-day sojourn in Cappadocia, I am staying at such a cavern hotel in the small town of Goreme, which has a history that is as fascinating as its landscape.
