Meet your new soulmate

(Spoiler: it’s not actually a person) ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

This is your free-spirit calling

With September on the horizon, it’s a perfect time to reset and reflect on what truly feeds your soul. Because, while the daily grind is a very necessary part of life, “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard” is also one of our biggest deathbed regrets. With the start of a new term, perhaps the question we need to be asking is not, “How can I advance my career?” but “What is it that I want and need from life?”

It’s not a straight-forward ask, of course, but – whether you’re feeling rundown or just a bit “meh” – adventure travel can help. Below, we’ve pulled together some potential soulmate trips to build new-season purpose. Plus, personal stories from folks who’ve done exactly that, using escapism as their cue…

Reclaim your joy

Sometimes the simplest cures are the best. You can’t beat a week of sunshine and dreamy, off-radar beaches; but our whistle stop trip to the Albanian Riviera is no ordinary fly-and-flop. Instead you get to dive headlong into local Balkans culture, with waterfall hikes, private boat trips and mussels foraging in Butrint lagoon. Joyful indeed.

HELLO SUNSHINE

Carve out headspace

“This is the first time in ages I feel like I can let go, breathe and relax.” That was Flashpacker Gretchen Arneson’s verdict, having chosen to reconnect with nature and herself in the lush jungle landscapes of Thailand. In a destination that combines laid-back party vibes with ancient Buddhist ritual – and breathtaking rainforest/island scenery – the Land of Smiles is a tonic for those seeking space to just be.

GOODBYE STRESS

Learn to play

As children, purposeless play came easy. As adults… not so much. But you too can retap this vital life force via fun, in-the-moment activities. Things like tango classes, speedboat thrills, waterfall abseiling or sunset caipirinhas. All available in Argentina and Brazil, as we hop between some of the world’s most vivid, fun-loving cities. As solo traveller Pooja Gupta recalls, “Brazil was such a warm, friendly place – you can be whoever you want to be.”

ROLL ON PLAYTIME

Stretch your limits

It’s amazing what getting out of your comfort zone can do to revive your outlook on life. And with an adventure that covers everything from blowpipe hunting to jungle caving and nocturnal safaris, brilliant Borneo will stretch you in many different ways. Perhaps its biggest draw is the chance to stay off-grid in a tribal longhouse, for an experience that’s entirely removed from everyday life.

COMFORT ZONE, BE GONE

Channel some awe

“To be in India is to be part of a very noisy, chaotic world,” says photographer Charles Fréger. “Wherever you go there are lots of people, along with a feeling of constant movement.” But, he says, its folklore traditions and landscapes are “brimming with depth and beauty”. It’s exactly this contrast that makes Northern India (think Jaipur palaces and Taj Mahal at sunrise) so awe-inspiring. And awe, in turn, can transform how you see the world.

GET YOUR AWE ON

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