With Covid 19 putting the brakes on foreign travel people are staying at home and planning local adventures. In these tips for active holidays at home we look at how to plan an adventure staycation.
A staycation, also known as a holistay, is time off from work when you stay at home but treat it as a holiday/vacation. What makes it an adventure is entirely up to you.
For some people it is trying a new action sport, for others it is go for a walk somewhere they have not been before. Ultimately an adventure is getting out of your comfort zone, doing something new or pushing yourself to improve at a particular activity.
So, an adventure staycation is getting out to do action sports, enjoy the outdoors and being active while on holiday/vacation at home. Ultimately it is making the most of what is on your doorstep while pushing yourself to do something exciting.
When it comes to planning active holidays at home the first thing to do is figure out what is available. From there you can decide what to do.
Now you might want to dedicate your adventure staycation to a particular sport. Perhaps you want to learn to kite or windsurf, take up paragliding or have some scuba diving lessons. If you are learning something new it will probably take most of the week.
Alternatively, you might want to fit many different things into your active holidays at home. You can do a different kind of activity each day, or visit different areas throughout the week. Imagine a week where you skydive, kayak, sail, rock climb and surf…
If you want to plan an adventure staycation then read through the tips below. If you have any tips of your own let us know in the comments – those we like will get added to the article.
You may think you know what is available locally, but you’ll probably be surprised. It is amazing how often we hear ‘I had no idea this was available on my doorstep’. So do your…
The more research you do the better. Use tourist board and national park websites, they are excellent resources for finding out what you can do in your area. Even better visit their offices and speak to someone. Talking of which…
Your local friends and neighbours will probably all have favourite spots to visit and activities to do. So ask them! Tell them you are planning an adventure staycation and you are looking for recommendations.
Figure out how far you would be happy to travel and have a look at some maps, do it online on Google maps if you want – satellite mode is best. Check out the nearby coast and lakes, hills and mountains, national parks and nature reserves. There are fun activities to be had everywhere so…
What is in that patch of woodland near your home? Chances are there are footpaths through it. Go and explore. You might find rope swings, spot local wildlife and reconnect with nature. You’ll probably also find stinging nettles, with that in mind know what a dock leaf is to counteract the sting.
Exploring always feels like an adventure. Whether it is climbing a hill you often pass but have never been up, or following the course of a stream there is fun to be had. Remember not all paths are on maps, and not knowing where one leads makes it more exciting.
Holidays are all about doing new things in new places. So make active holidays at home memorable by doing something different. Try a new activity, learn a sport or visit a place you have never been before.
If you want to learn a new action sport or join in with a group activity then book in advance. Covid 19 means many activity centres and action sport providers will be running at reduced capacity. So book adventure day trips and extreme experiences to avoid disappointment.
If you are not planning to learn a new activity then a good way to motivate yourself is to invest in some gear. A new bike, kayak, paddle board or even different hiking boots will motivate you, as you want a return on your investment.
This is a tough one and really comes down to your own preference. But if the thought of driving an hour each way to visit something two days in a row fills you with dread then don’t do it! After all it is your holiday.
Perhaps consider how much time you usually spend relaxing when on holiday and replicate it. If you are typically active from dawn to dusk every day of a holiday then do the same. Alternatively plan activities at home there are plenty of great less active staycation ideas at Porch.com.
This is a great tip for families. To make your adventure staycation seem more real put a family tent up in the garden and sleep outside. Even better let the kids sleep in the garden while you tuck up in bed. Just make sure they have breakfast for the morning or they’ll wake you when the sun comes up.
Don’t try to combine your active holidays at home with DIY, gardening or any long overdue jobs. You are on holiday so treat it like one! Of course still feed your pets, water the garden and wash up etc.
Let’s face it, a bit part of the holiday experience is food. Trying new dishes, not cooking yourself and eating lots of less healthy treats are all part of the experience. Well there is nothing stopping you from eating out and getting take away at home during your adventure staycation.
Get up early to watch the sunrise at a local beauty spot. Or stay on the beach until sunset. It is so rare that we get to do these things in everyday life that we really appreciate them when on holiday. So do them during your staycation – BBC Weather tells you time the sun rises and falls.
An adventure is always (OK nearly always) better shared. So when you plan an adventure staycation factor in a couple of days doing things with friends. What with Covid 19 you’ll need to do that in a responsible way. But a day with friends in the outdoors or doing something extreme will add to the experience.
OK so you might be a tourist in your own backyard, but still document it. Taking holiday snaps is all part of the experience and in the future they will remind you of the fun you can have not far from home.
Of all the tips for active holidays at home this is the best advice to plan an adventure staycation: Treat it like a holiday/vacation. Actually there is one thing that is even more important…
With all of the above don’t make the easy choice, or do the same thing you would normally do. Mix things up, try something new and be adventurous.
Even if it is just walking somewhere different, riding a different route or having a change of dish from your local Indian. Being adventurous begins with you, so be the person your are on holiday rather than the one you are in everyday life.
We hope you found these 17 tips for active holidays at home useful. So now you know how to plan an adventure staycation start your research at AWE365.com