When planning a vacation, the temptation to head to the more famous sights and places is unavoidable and rightly so. But more and more people are willingly gravitating towards offbeat travel. Hard to say if this is due to genuine desire or simply a need to post something different on social media. Offbeat travel is typically defined as travel to places not normally frequented by tourists. Attractions may be great and there is hardly any crowd but on the flip side, accessibility and tourist infrastructure may be lacking. There are plenty of such places in India and around the world. But all in all, it is hard to say a particular country need not be visited merely because not many go there. There is possibly something to see and admire in every country of the world.
Offbeat travel is not for everyone
Offbeat travel can also include activities that are not part of normal travel itinerary. Over the years, I have come across several options and the ones that I have considered are by no means comprehensive. But all of them will invariably require lot more time and few may not feel like being on a vacation! So all the options are not for everyone. Besides, given the strong ‘pull’, unless one has visited few of the traditional, popular tourist places, it is unlikely a tourist will consider offbeat ideas.
1. Volunteer travel
As the name itself suggests, volunteer travel combines tourism and voluntary activity. There are several organisations around the world offering voluntary travel options. The breadth of activities available is huge- teaching languages, childcare, community development, environment conservation, wildlife and animal care, health care and so on. The programs are offered in many countries across all continents (except Antarctica). Most of the projects do not require any domain knowledge and are available across age groups. The time commitment depends on the project and can vary from 1 week to several weeks and months. Some projects are open through out the year while many run for limited periods of time.
Wide variety of projects are available
To give a few examples of the projects one can consider – Forest conversation in Madagascar, Beach cleaning in Bilbao, Spain, Food waste management in Lisbon, Turtle conservation in Galle, Sri Lanka, Bear conservation project in Borneo, Construction and community development in Uganda and so on.
A great number of programs are targeted at students(high school, college, undergraduate, post graduate, diploma). But there are quite a few programs available for seniors as also families.
Volunteering is not free but very fulfilling
But there is a catch. One needs to pay to volunteer. In return, the organization takes care of costs such as accommodation and meals. Most of these organisations depend on contributions and fees paid by volunteers to run their programs.
Voluntary travel can be a very fulfilling and enriching experience. Check out the following websites which are global. You will find lot more options online doing a simple search.
https://over50andoverseas.com/programs/
https://www.volunteeringsolutions.com/
https://www.volunteerworld.com/en/
I am not sure if, for example, an Indian can register with an organization based in US for voluntary work in Costa Rica. Needs to be confirmed. Volunteering Solutions appears to have an office in New Delhi.
Volunteering in India
Apart from the global organisations that have programs in India or have a local tie up, there are plenty of other local organisations in India you can volunteer with, including NGOs, temple kitchens, monasteries and so on. Best to decide on a location you wish to visit and then search for opportunities. I did not come across any single website that provides a comprehensive list of organisations in India that routinely invite volunteers. So a little more effort is needed.
2. Freighter voyages
In my childhood, I had a friend whose father was in merchant navy. He would tell me stories of the various exotic places his father travelled to and display fancy gifts. Enough to whet my appetite and dream of joining merchant navy after growing up!. That childhood dream has remained a dream but did you know one can travel as a passenger in a Cargo or Container or a Merchant ship? This is what freighter voyage is all about. The trips can last from few days to few weeks and months. There was a time when passenger freighters that carried cargo as well as thousands of passengers were common but they are almost extinct now.
Plethora of choices
The choices available in terms of routes are huge – Transatlantic, Transpacific, European, South Seas, Around the world. No region is untouched. Most freighters carry limited passengers, often in single digits, sometimes up to a dozen. The halt time at ports will vary but gives you some time to explore the area. Visas will normally have to be obtained in advance, and you will have to make local travel arrangements.
Don’t expect luxury
All sounds good but what is the catch? The facilities on board will be basic, don’t expect luxury. Special dietary needs may not be met and medical help on board may be limited. There will hardly be any entertainment options like on a regular cruise. Costs will generally be lower but don’t expect steep discounts to normal cruise ship fares. And yes, bookings may need to be done well in advance.
Consider freighter voyages only if you wish to enjoy the journey more than the destination(s). Interested? Check out the following websites for more details.
https://www.langsamreisen.de/en/
https://www.freightercruises.com/
Again, a simple online check may give more options.
A container ship 
Illustrative cabin in a cargo ship
3. Volcano tourism
A rare combination of danger and beauty, active volcanoes can provide a thrilling and a sobering experience. Sobering because volcanic eruptions remind us of how insignificant we are before nature. The very sight of red hot lava flows can keep one enthralled for long, long time. Few of the active volcanoes that are accessible to tourists for the time being include the following.
–Mount Aso, Japan
–Mount Etna, Italy
–Mount Vesuvius, Italy
–Kilauea, Hawaii
–Mount Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of Congo
–Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland
–Pacaya, Guatemala
–Cotopaxi, Equador
–Mount Merapi, Indonesia
Mount Etna, Italy 
Mount Aso, Japan 
Kilauea, Hawaii
Exercise caution given the risks
Depending on the place, tourists can take helicopter rides, lava boat tours, walk to the edge of the crater or lava lake. There are obvious risks like gas inhalation and sudden eruptions. Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand, rated as among the top one day treks, passes through volcanic areas. When I trekked there few years back, I saw warning signs everywhere but never could comprehend the danger. Everything appeared peaceful. And that must have been the case in White Island, New Zealand as well before the volcano suddenly erupted in 2019 resulting in tourist fatalities. Now I understand the hidden danger. It will be wise to abide by the local rules and regulations and choose the tour operator carefully.
4. Long train journeys
As the saying goes, there is something romantic and magical about train journeys. Other than a cruise, there is no better way to relax while travelling. Given the natural inclination towards time saving air travel, I don’t even recollect when I last took a leisurely train ride lasting beyond a day and a night. While there are plenty of train journeys that take 2 days, there are only a handful across the world that last 3 days or more.
Options include regular trains with sleeper coaches/cabins and luxury trains with lavishly furnished cabins. Both options are worth trying though the latter will burn a big hole in your pocket.
Regular passenger trains
Most of well known long distance(4000+ kms) regular trains run in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The most famous and longest being The Trans Siberian Express. The journey from Moscow to Vladivostok in Russia covers a distance of 9250kms in 7 days. When I visited Russia few years ago, I wanted to take the train to Baikal Lake from Moscow but you guessed right, I could not fit the 3 day one way train journey into the available time!
Trans Siberian Express, Russia 
First class in Trans Siberian Express, Russia
Other long distance trains to try include Indian Pacific(Australia), The Canadian(Canada), Vivek Express(India) and The California Zephyr(USA)
Most train journeys provide options to break the journey on the way. So next time you plan a vacation, ditch the airline and try to fit in a train journey for a more relaxing time.
Luxury trains
Travelling aboard a luxury train is a vacation by itself. The costs will be high but it may be possible to reduce the overall cost by opting for less number of nights. Some of the choices:
Europe – Venice Simplon-Orient Express from Venice to London
Peru – The Andean Explorer
South Africa – Rovos Rail
Japan – Seven Stars
India – Palace on Wheels, Deccan Odyssey, Maharaja’s Express, Golden Chariot
Russia – Golden Eagle Trans Siberian Express
The website of Golden Eagle Luxury Trains lists some of the luxury train journeys across the world.
Check this out for the world’s top 25 luxury trains.
Luxury trains in India
India has its share of luxury trains. No doubt expensive and cost varies across trains – from ~50k per night per adult to well over INR 1 lakh per night per adult for Indians. Check out the respective websites for more details.
Golden Chariot luxury train, India 
Inside Golden Chariot luxury train, India 
Golden Chariot luxury train dining, India 
Inside Palace on Wheels luxury train, India
5. Long cruises
Not many Indians plan for a cruise only vacations. Typically, we add on a shorter cruise to a ‘regular’ vacation. While most of us would have done 2-3 day cruises but 7 days, 10 days, 105 days, 180 days, 274 days cruise? Yes, there are more than 10 round the world cruises available that can take 100 days and more, depending on the number of places being visited. At first sight, that may appear to be an overkill so maybe it is a good idea to get comfortable with a 10 day or 15 day cruise before checking in on a 100+ days journey. Bulk of these cruises start or end in US or Europe and while most of them pass through Asia, hardly any touches India.
Ships vary in size
Cruise ships have got bigger and bigger over the years. Cruise lines are categorized into small(less than 500 passengers), medium(500-2500 passengers, large(2500-4000 passengers) and mega (over 4000 passengers). Depending on the size, the facilities, food and entertainment options on board will also vary.
Ocean cruise travel is very popular globally. In 2019, the number of ocean cruise passengers touched ~30million. Owing to covid pandemic, it dropped to under 5 million in 2021.
Cruise ship in the Bahamas 
Upper deck in a cruise ship
Few popular choices
The choices available are mind boggling and includes Mediterranean, Caribbean, Alaskan, Scandinavian, Artic and Antarctican. Best to start looking at the available options on some of the popular cruise liners listed below:
Norwegian (https://www.ncl.com/in/en/),
Carnival (https://www.carnival.com/),
Royal Caribbean (https://www.royalcaribbean.com/),
Hurtigruten Expeditions (https://www.hurtigruten.com/en-gb/expeditions/)
6. Vacation around an activity
As tourists, most of us engage in certain activities while travelling. It could be skiing, sky diving, scuba diving, star gazing, learning to make pottery, watching local artisans and so on. These are more of a time pass and enjoying the experience rather than a desire to learn a new activity. But why not plan the travel around actually learning an activity or indulging in the learnt activity? The beauty is, if you do not enjoy one activity, you can always try another activity.
So the next time you head to Maldives or Phuket or Andamans, why not spend a week learning or doing scuba diving? Or skiing in Gulmarg, Auli, Switzerland or Colorado? And if you are fond of photography, why not join a ‘photography tour’? The possibilities are endless.
Art and hobbies
If you are keen on Art and hobbies,you have options. For example, through Vacation with an Artist – Vawaa, you can book short apprenticeship with artists around the world. Both online and in person. Calligraphy, street art, ceramics, jewellery, leather work, sculpture …the list is long.
Many of the travel portals too offer local experiences as above.
Culture, sports
And finally, something that even I am looking forward to doing in the future– travel during major cultural festivals (Octoberfest, Rio Carnival, La Tomatina, Mardi Gras….) or sporting events(Soccer, Cricket, Formula One…). No doubt it will be more crowded and lot more expensive than travelling during lean season but I am sure the experience will be worth the additional cost.
There was a time when taking a decision on where to go to for the next vacation was a simple decision. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. And it does not look like it will get any better in the future. Makes sense to prepare a tentative bucket list, maybe 2-3-5 years at a time, without being too rigid about it.
