Why People Love To Travel

why people love to travel

Do you love to travel? Me too and if you’re serious about getting more travel and adventure in your life then you’ll love our free newsletter – click here to get it emailed to you weekly now.

Thanks to being listed in the “101 Most Awesome Adventure & Travel Twitterers You Should Be Following,” I now have heaps of new readers who love to travel looking for travel articles.  I came in at number 42 and still can’t believe Lance Armstrong beat me at number 9. He’s not really in my league but never mind…

Seriously though, I was honored, and it reminded me that one of the main things people like about my blog is the travel angle and my undying love of travel. So I decided to write a long overdue travel article. If you love travel and want to do more of it don’t forget to check out how to get free flights too for the latest travel hacking techniques.

Since we’re all self-described travel nuts I thought it would be interesting to explore why we love to travel. Great idea, I thought, and, even better, I can probably knock out an article on that in under an hour. But then my mind started ticking over and I knew I owed it to my delightful readers to live up to my promise to inform, inspire and entertain you. So I decided to put up some travel photos to illustrate my thoughts and raise a smile. Then I had to scan them all in, crop them, optimise them, embed them etc and that quick travel article ended up taking ages. But I think it was worth it. I hope you do too.

What Is It About Travel People Love?

For some travel’s a dream that comes true once a year for the annual vacation. Often people yearn of a greater travel adventure like a year in Africa (me) or selling everything and bumming off to Central America for 18 months with the kids like we did in 2007. For some, travel is a sweet plan for retirement on a boat, a housebus, with a backpack or by train. I haven’t quite decided yet and might have to run with all of those travel plans in my golden years.

For me travel has been an all-consuming passion, my first love. My whole life’s been geared towards travel. I trained to teach english as a foreign language so I could travel and get paid for it, and I did just that for years. I worked in exotic locations like Zimbabwe, Laos and France then saved up so I could travel extensively in Europe, Africa, South East Asia and Australasia. It’s been grand.

Why Do People Travel?

These are my ideas in no particular order.

1. To challenge yourself

why do people love to travel My toilet and bathroom when I worked in rural Zimbabwe in 1992. I shared it with seven other teachers and their families.

No running water, just a hole in the ground loo and no lock on the door either. The towel hanging on the door indicates the bathroom is occupied.

2. To enjoy new experiences

Northern Thailand travel
Looks as if my husband, Rich, had fun hanging out with this monkey. Rich is the one on the right.

This photo was taken in 2006 at a monkey sanctuary in northern Thailand. You can’t experience that in England can you?

3. To find yourself

dsfsafFollowing in the footsteps of the Beatles, many people travel to India to find themselves but this traveler looks as if she lost herself.

Do you laugh when travelers dress like a local? I do.

Here a young hippy chick in India dons the local garb. Okay, I confess, it’s me in 1996. I still claim that I’m the only person to ever put on weight while traveling in India, but seeing this photo it’s hard to believe.

I look even slimmer than the palm tree I’m propping up.

4. To learn a new language

dssNo sooner had our daughter started speaking, aged 18 months, than we whisked her off to Vanuatu to learn bislama with the natives.

Sometimes called pidgin english  you can probably guess what ‘allo’, ‘tata’ and ‘tank u tumas’ mean in Bislama.

I love speaking in foreign tongues when I travel, it gives you a whole new outlook on life.

5. To experience new cultures

dfdfadsThis man earned a tidy sum by loitering outside our son’s school in Costa Rica selling fresh coconuts and deep fried plantains chips with lime juice and chili.

The kids called him Senor Pipa – Mr. Young Coconut.

I’m pretty sure he’d be moved on quickly if he set up camp outside the kid’s school here in Australia. The kids loved him though.

6. To party or just to have fun

fadssfTravel is fun and lots of people travel with the sole purpose of enjoyment, wild partying or just because the funniest things happen when you’re traveling.

Silly little things like spotting this sign about a bizarrely-named traditional story from Paama Island in Vanuatu.

It especially amused our 4 year old son, Max.

7. To see new things

dfdasfdasI’ve seen the Taj Mahal, climbed the Eiffel Tower and the Twin Towers, and spied sloths, tapirs, lions and elephants in the wild, but I can never travel within a 50km radius of a waterfall without checking it out.

I love the noise, the spray, the constant rush of sparkling water. I was raised in a watermill and we had two waterfalls in our garden so maybe that’s where my love of them comes from. I recommend New Zealand and Costa Rica for waterfall lovers.

Here I am with the kids at a fairly decent cascade in Costa Rica. I don’t think I could ever tire of visiting new waterfalls!

8. To eat new food

dffdfadsI like to try new stuff but I draw the line at some things like the crispy fried giant centipedes offered as bar snacks in Zimbabwe.

My husband is a more adventurous travel eater and enjoyed a breakfast of roasted squirrel with a side order of toasted maggots for breakfast during a trek in Thailand. I went hungry that day.

I have eaten kangaroo though but don’t love it. It’s quite popular here in Australia, but even more widely eaten in Belgium of all places.

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60 Comments

  1. Steven October 27, 2009 at 4:31 pm - Reply

    Nice idea for a post Annabel! And thanks again for putting me in your “reader’s list”, maybe I should have one on my too…hm…maybe in a couple of months lol.

    anyways, this post seriously reminds me that I need to travel since I’m still young, and I thank you for giving me that reminder. The reason I want to travel simply because…I am amazed by human creation/civilizations and nature itself.

    I want to see the vast variety and possibilities that can be enabled here on Earth, and traveling allows me to extract that experience from different places.

    I remember I went to Switzerland last year, and it was just the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It was so magnificent that simple language just CANNOT describe it. Maybe i’m going overboard with it, but the feeling it evoked me was just unbelievable and indescribable…lol

    So there, that is the reason why I want to go travel Annabel lol, I want to experience the unbelievable and the indescribable. :D

    • Annabel Candy October 27, 2009 at 5:08 pm - Reply

      Steven – Definitely agree on the human need to witness all the amazing variety and possibilities you get from traveling. Not everyone is interested though, some would prefer to stay at home with a nice cup of tea maybe checking it out in a documentary. I just want to experience it all myself though. Well, as much as possible! I’ve certainly seen some unbelievable things on my travels including some that do defy description. I’m sure you’ll find the same when you hit the road yourself.

  2. Ideas With A Kick October 27, 2009 at 8:57 pm - Reply

    Nice post to read. I think the people who like to travel a lot are mostly learners and growers. People who love to discover new things, have all kind of experiences, and feel that they’re growing as persons, getting a better understanding of themselves, the word and other people.

    Me, I find the actual traveling itself exhausting. Especially if it’s something like 3 days by train. But being in a new place and experiencing it, I love it.

    Eduard

    • Annabel Candy October 28, 2009 at 10:25 am - Reply

      Molly – I agree, a rootless existence is no fun in the long run. So great to be able to nip off hither and thither and know you have a beautiful home and great friends to come back to. I’m hoping not to move anywhere else for a while but definitely want to keep traveling if you follow me:)

      Eduard – Yes, the getting there is a pain. I do love flying, even the crummy airline meals some people complain about I love. Buses are the biggest pain though and some of the worst moments of my life have been spent on one. I remember literally crying on one bus journey in Turkey because I was convinced the lunatic driving would make us all fall to our deaths over the edge of the rocky mountain path. Bus drivers in India also seem to have an unnerving death wish!

  3. Molly Kelash October 28, 2009 at 2:07 am - Reply

    Just got back from a weekend in NYC — been there many times, but I NEVER get sick of it. The weekend before that, we took the girls to Chicago. We all have the travel bug, which I was bitten by in utero, I believe, since my parents moved me and my sis all over the world until I was 12. One thing I will say now that I’ve lived in one place for 10 years (longest duration for me) — it’s great to travel, but it’s REALLY nice to have a real home and a community to come back to.

    • Annabel Candy September 14, 2011 at 2:54 pm - Reply

      Hi Molly, that is true for me now I’m older. It’s great to travel and see the world but wonderful to have a base to come back to.

  4. Eric October 29, 2009 at 1:02 am - Reply

    Fascinating post! I envy your travel experiences. They sound very fulfilling and rewarding. I like to travel, but have thus far confined my travel to locations within the United States. I find that my travel is often limited by vacation time and money. I am also fearful of traveling to places where I cannot speak the language. Looks like I have some things to overcome… time to update my list of goals.

    • Annabel Candy October 29, 2009 at 6:47 am - Reply

      Eric – You’re right, travel does take time and money, that’s why I designed my life to accommodate it. It was my number one priority for many years until I had kids and it’s still pretty high on my list. Don’t be scared of not speaking the language, just look forward to learning a new language and experimenting with a new side of your personality – the Arabic/Thai/Swahili you! In many places you go people will love it if you attempt to learn their lingo. Even if you can only say hello, goodbye and count to 10, they will rave about your linguistic abilities and make you glad for the small effort you made and keen to learn more.

  5. Connie October 29, 2009 at 1:05 pm - Reply

    I really love that outfit from India. What a remarkable life you’ve had, and who knows what the future holds…

    • Annabel Candy October 29, 2009 at 1:09 pm - Reply

      Connie – Re my Indian outfit: well, you know what they say… when in Rome:) That top was skin tight even then and yet various Indian me complained that it wasn’t tight enough for their liking! Yes, the future is exciting, it would be lovely to have a little snap shot of what awaits us but them again it would spoil the surprise!

  6. Cheryl from thatgirlisfunny October 29, 2009 at 1:52 pm - Reply

    People eat kangaroos? Learning what’s different and what’s the same is one of the things I love about visiting places that are foreign to me. Eating maggots and squirrels or little kangas…no, thank you. I have to draw the line somewhere. I’m only a little adventurous. haha!

    Just noticed that it’s still the 28th on my time zone. How odd, you’re already in your afternoon tomorrow. That’s the other good thing about traveling. Getting pulled out of our regular grooves.

    • Annabel Candy October 29, 2009 at 2:01 pm - Reply

      Cheryl – I guess that thanks to the Internet we can all travel a little bit with the help of our mouse. At some point though, you just have to get our there and do it though. I agree with you on the eating side, however! Yes, we’re always a little bit ahead of the rest of the world here – helps us meet overseas deadlines which is handy.

  7. CoralM October 29, 2009 at 3:44 pm - Reply

    I am totally addicted to travel for all the reasons you have given, but the greatest reason of all is ADVENTURE! Reading about those yummy centipedes(!) reminded me of a version of this snack we were offered in Cambodia…crispy fried giant spiders. Very scary! Needless to say, I went hungry that day too!

    • Annabel Candy October 29, 2009 at 3:47 pm - Reply

      CoralM – Thank heavens, for a moment I thought you were going to say they were yummy! Adventure is hard to beat:)

  8. teresa November 2, 2009 at 10:54 pm - Reply

    Oh Annabel how I do enjoy your travel blogs…. Please, please write a book in the style of this blog…come on guys…let’s get her to do it! DO IT ANI!!!!!! for me!

    • Annabel Candy November 3, 2009 at 8:54 am - Reply

      Teresa – Hopefully I will one day! But first I have to nail this blogging thing:) So glad you enjoyed that one. It was fun to get back to writing about travel – my first love:)

  9. Randall November 16, 2009 at 1:59 pm - Reply

    I think I just found a new hero! All the reasons you mentioned about travel sound like they came right from my heart! It’s about people, new experiences, the food! I love exploring other cultures and assimilating to new enviornments.
    I am also impressed with your blog, just basically starting on mine! Love your content! Thanks

  10. elmono enbici March 17, 2010 at 10:45 am - Reply

    I like to travel to get inspired by people and how the live!

  11. Bimal Shivaji April 5, 2010 at 3:35 am - Reply

    Hi,
    I envy you. Your experience is quite something. I stumbled upon your blog from your guest post @ problogger.com. I do love travelling. Wish it would become a full time affair
    Regards.

    • Annabel Candy September 14, 2011 at 2:53 pm - Reply

      Hi Bimal, lovely to see you here. I’m so interested in exploring why people travel because I love it so much. I’ve managed to travel heaps by working abroad, often teaching english:)

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  14. Randall June 10, 2010 at 12:44 pm - Reply

    Travel is the one activity that could bring the world together.

    If world leaders would do more travel (and really get close to the culture on the ground), we would have government officals that look through a completely different lens.

    I always say “Travel changes People”. I know it has in my life.

    The only problem is that it is so addictive.

    If we would throw off some of the “Western Values” and stop spending so much we would have more money to travel!

    Nice Pictures Annabell!

    • Annabel Candy September 14, 2011 at 2:50 pm - Reply

      Hi Randall, glad you enjoyed the pics:) Travel has changed my life for the better too. I think it allows both the visitor and the visited to learn about each other’s lives. That’s why I travel!

  15. LADY CUTE August 5, 2010 at 7:51 pm - Reply

    IT IS SO VERY INTERESTED. AND I REALLY LOVE IT SO MUCH… SO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK…GOD BLESS!!!!

  16. Hossein November 13, 2010 at 5:55 pm - Reply

    You have had an amazing experience earth.
    Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

  17. Michael Goreng April 10, 2011 at 4:41 pm - Reply

    I learn that everyne should travel and I want to travel too!
    Thanks for telling the things we can learn when we travel.
    And I love the picture you took with your child and the kangaroo.

  18. 9 People Travel Sites | Holiday and Travel August 27, 2011 at 2:22 am - Reply

    […] Why Do People Love To Travel?Apr 10, 2011 Why do people love to travel? 8 reasons why people all over the world love travel and exactly what it is […]

  19. luminescent September 1, 2011 at 7:26 am - Reply

    I think one of the primary reasons people travel is to perpetuate status. Not true of everybody, not the writer I would guess. But the motivation for a 2 week trip to China or to Eygpt is often the same for many as buying a luxury handbag or car. Very unpopular view, I know.

    • Annabel Candy September 14, 2011 at 2:48 pm - Reply

      Hi Luminescent, I was just speaking to a friend and she said the same thing. It shocked me but I guess it’s true that image is a reason why some people travel. For me the cultural exchange and growth opportunities are so much more rewarding:)

  20. 6 People Travel Sites | Holiday and Travel September 30, 2011 at 12:22 pm - Reply

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  21. Timothy Dean November 16, 2011 at 6:49 am - Reply

    Hi Annabel – I’m the founder of a page called “Worlders – A Tribe of Wanderers” on FB. There are a lot of us who were born on wheels internationally, and have kept traveling since – and more who simply like to experience other places and cultures. If you’d like, please feel invited to like the page, and when you have a new post, write a one sentence tease and include the link. Thanks for this – there’s a link posted on Worlders!

  22. 7 People Travel Sites | Holiday and Travel November 20, 2011 at 3:50 am - Reply

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  23. AnitaMac January 12, 2012 at 11:54 pm - Reply

    So true – so many reasons why travel is so great! I am hooked. It is like you read my mind! Looking forward to more travel in 2012. It is so amazing to get out there, explore, experience and I love the constant learning. Great way to meet fascinating people too! Safe and happy travels.

  24. aubrey January 26, 2012 at 2:16 am - Reply

    Just found your blog! :) I’ve just recently in the last few years started traveling and I don’t think I will ever stop. I love seeing new things, trying new foods, languages, and meeting new people.

  25. TJ February 9, 2012 at 11:40 pm - Reply

    I love traveling also, it’s amazing going out and seeing the world. If you are all still paying wholesale instead of retail on travel, I’m asking WHY!?! I just joined an amazing company that’s based on travel and get vacations for cheap!!! They took the idea of Sams Club and applied it to traveling. It’s a phenomenal product. And there’s a way to make money in it too!!! If you want to know some more, email me back, and I can get you more info on it and getting you sumbitted into a drawing for an all inclusive trip to Cancun for free– paid air and hotel plus $750 resort credit! It’s absolutely amazing.

  26. Tara February 18, 2012 at 6:44 pm - Reply

    I just browsing web, and randomly got through your blog. It’s really fascinating and thanks you share your own experience with others.
    Good luck
    Tara

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  28. hulli b. ceesay March 20, 2012 at 12:19 am - Reply

    traveling is another experience in life and people who love to travel from one destination to another see and learn a lot of things.

  29. […] people love to travel. A travel blog writer, Annabel Candy suggests eight reasons of why people love to travel. They love to travel to challenge themselves; […]

  30. J k mahapatra June 17, 2012 at 10:50 pm - Reply

    traveling bring the people under one tree and all they enjoy its shade if life is a summer.

  31. Prince Bright June 27, 2012 at 8:01 am - Reply

    I appreciate the good work you are doing candy. no aspect of accademic curriculum that teach about life like travel.

  32. James July 16, 2012 at 3:05 pm - Reply

    Everyone has some pressure in his or her life whether it is in their business, or their studies or their personal life. Each person must work hard from day to day. To rejuvenate and relax it is essential that people take a break or a holiday.
    The world offers such a vast variation of landscapes to enjoy. There are many beautiful places you can choose to travel to; some of them are famous for their tradition, some for their natural region, and others for their digital techniques etc. It is important to enjoy your holiday to its full potential. To get the peace and quiet you need it is important that you plan your trip very carefully. And to enjoy holiday it is must know how we take care of our belongings.

  33. Louie Naymik August 21, 2012 at 11:40 am - Reply

    Hi Annbel!!!

    Where do I email something that I would want you to see regarding traveling?

  34. Dee November 13, 2012 at 4:58 pm - Reply

    I knew from a very young age that i loved traveling. i grew up reading lots of novels, and would love the experience of imagining myself in those places, and told myself that i would make it my mission in life to try and see the rest of the world to get a broader perspective on how individuals in the world deal with everyday problems in different enviornments and circumsatnces. I became a flight attendant for a while and just could not get enough of the thrill of being somewhere else, and making it back safely to the country where i have citizenship! I have been to almost every state in the U.S. and explored Mexico the carribean, and recently got back from Africa, which is amazing. the only thing i regret is not taking pictures. Loved seeing all the pics of the funny things you have been through in your travels. Traveling is the best and im glad there are a lot of people like me who love it and don’t just think its weird!

  35. Dee November 13, 2012 at 5:03 pm - Reply

    I knew from a very young age that I loved traveling. I grew up reading lots of novels, and would love the experience of imagining myself in those places, and told myself that I would make it my mission in life to try and see the rest of the world to get a broader perspective on how individuals in other countries deal with everyday problems in different enviornments and circumsatnces. I became a flight attendant for a while and just could not get enough of the thrill of being somewhere else, and making it back safely to the country where I have citizenship! I have been to almost every state in the U.S. and explored Mexico the carribean, and recently got back from Africa, which is amazing. the only thing i regret is not taking enough pictures. Loved seeing all the pics of the funny things you have been through in your travels. Traveling is the best and im glad there are a lot of people like me who love it and don’t just think its weird!

  36. D. Cleveland November 12, 2013 at 11:19 am - Reply

    Traveling is a way to escape our mundane lives, to get out of the ordinary and experience something new. Also, because of technology, we find ourselves easily able to communicate with people who live on the other side of the planet. Next thing you know, you’re traveling; either visiting them for business or for pleasure.

  37. William S. January 15, 2014 at 12:15 pm - Reply

    Great article Anna! Those who do not want to travel must read this, so they will love and they’ll go travel. Thank you for sharing your ideas!

  38. Jake April 2, 2014 at 10:46 am - Reply

    I used to like to travel to unwind from my stressful work. Now, I am dreading to travel knowing that when I come back, I will be facing the same dreaded routine, the hundreds of emails awaiting answers. I am not sure what the answer is.

  39. Lina FEinga April 4, 2014 at 10:07 am - Reply

    Tourism is the process of travelling or moving from a place or being transfer for several reasons. like visiting a friend and relatives, intresting on various place also historical sites.

  40. me August 29, 2014 at 10:41 pm - Reply

    Well done, Annabel! My biggest passion are languages: I’d like to be able to speak all the languages in the world! Yes, I can study all day a new language, I’m very motivated! I can perfectly speak chinese and italian, which I speak every day. But, my big desire at the moment is improving my english, as I still have some difficulties to communicate. At school, sometimes I get bored, althought my notes are always very well. I always study hard, but I think grammar is not necessary when you start to learn a new language..when you begin to understand it, to approach witg it, then you can learn the grammar notions, and you? What do you think. So, loving languages, I love travelling too. I can practise what I studied, and of course I can meet different cultures and lifestyles. Now I’m here to share my passions with you all, hoping I can also improve my english in this way

  41. NotATraveler February 10, 2015 at 5:23 am - Reply

    I some time wonder why people love traveling so much. What is it that keeps them going. People travel to great distances. May be they are curious. May be they want to look different and not because they love traveling or want to experience new cultures.

    • Jinghang December 20, 2015 at 7:50 pm - Reply

      I wonder about that too. I am a curious person. I have traveled a few times, some were quite good, but some were not enjoyable, to the extent that I thought that my time and money would be better spent elsewhere.

      So I adjusted my mindset: If I don’t travel, I can still satisfy my curiosity by reading online forums, or watching documentaries on TV, or exploring places within the country. There’s so much I can explore. Like looking forward to countdown in Singapore this christmas eve and new year’s eve!

      Hence my point is to say that curiosity can still be satisfied without traveling. I am going across the border to Malaysia tomorrow (yay!), though I would call it a day-trip rather than traveling. Though I might still try traveling one day to learn why many people like it a lot.

  42. ko phyo February 18, 2015 at 4:08 pm - Reply

    I never wanna be a traveler this way as in last two you wrote. I just wanna be a environmental friendly and never let hurt to everything I experienced. I loved the rest though.

  43. ARJ July 25, 2015 at 10:42 am - Reply

    Traveling builds character, exposes us to new ideas and possibilities and experiences. No two travel experiences are the same even if we visit the same location.

  44. [email protected] November 23, 2015 at 11:31 pm - Reply

    I respectfully dis agree. People have no business traveling away from home unless it is for sheer necesity. Travel is a waste of money, time and resources. Anyone else who travels is a snob or just stupid.

    • Annabel Candy November 24, 2015 at 8:37 am - Reply

      Hi Canlady,

      I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one! Sure travel is a luxury in many ways but it’s also essential in so many more.

  45. Lauren Huddlestone February 19, 2016 at 11:01 pm - Reply

    WOW! It sounds like you have had one exciting life! I am a photographer working very hard to achieve my goals to travel around the world! reading your blog had made me all the more excited and encourages me to succeed them! I see that not everyone is as well forward of getting the most out of life and seeing what the world has to offer but I am very glad that i am one of the many people like your self that enjoys an adventure.

  46. muzammil October 14, 2016 at 7:16 pm - Reply

    Because travel’s awesome!

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