Travel has always existed as much in our imagination as in reality. Part of the pleasure of travel is the thrill of anticipation, the dorky delight of researching destinations, the thrill of the hunt for the best hotel or tour operator, the daydreams about what to wear and where to go. And we love being part of your pre-journey journey, offering inspiration, useful information, guidance and deals.
Which is why we feel it’s still important to venture outdoors in our minds, and to remain travellers at heart, even while we stay indoors.
Right now the travel industry has ground to a halt, along with the livelihoods of millions of people. But for travel obsessives like us and our readers, exploring the world is our greatest pleasure, passion and privilege. And as soon as it becomes advisable and appropriate to do so, we’ll want to reconnect with other cultures, see far-flung sights, immerse ourselves in nature, and support the hotels, restaurants and cultural institutions that have sweetened our lives so far.
Take our quiz to find out what sort of traveller you are, and allow us to point you in the direction of your dream trip.
What sort of traveller are you?
In your Facebook profile pic you are:
- A Sipping a beverage in an infinity pool
- B Grinning through the chaos, a child dangling off every limb
- C White-water rafting, drenched but happy
- D Downward-dogging on a beach
- E Photobombing the Mona Lisa
A hotel breakfast is not a satisfactory hotel breakfast without:
- A White tablecloth and silver toast rack
- B An exotic new fruit
- C An unpronounceable local dish you simply have to order
- D Oat milk
- E A copy of the local broadsheet
Which of the below is the first item that goes into your suitcase?
- A Cashmere loungewear
- B An SLR camera to capture precious family memories
- C Hiking boots
- D Your Hydro Flask water bottle
- E A local history and phrase book
Global pandemics aside, your worst nightmare on holiday is:
- A Un-Instagrammable hotel decor
- B Bored kids and uninspired adults
- C Other tourists milling around
- D The sinking feeling that tourism has had a negative impact on your destination
- E Being stuck in a generic resort that could be situated anywhere
When you tell your friends about a forthcoming trip, the typical response is:
- A ‘How much did that cost, then?’
- B ‘I can’t imagine having the energy for that, but good for you.’
- C ‘You’re doing what?’
- D ‘Oh, I’ve wanted to go there too, where should I stay?’
- E ‘I can’t wait to hear all about it.’
The thing you worry you’ll miss most about travel in coming months is:
- A That delightful sensation of indulging yourself and those you love
- B The inspiration and stimulation travel gives you as a family
- C The thrill of the new
- D Being able to support communities and businesses that deserve to thrive
- E The joy of learning from a different culture
The last souvenir you bought was:
- A Nothing; you have everything you need already
- B A local musical instrument
- C A small lump of volcanic rock to join the collection on your mantlepiece
- D A handwoven book in which you wrote a journal every morning. (OK, just for the first three mornings)
- E A carefully chosen piece of artwork by an emerging local artist you visited
Gather your answers and discover what kind of a traveller you are
Mostly A: Luxe-Lovers
Hey, big spender! Travel is your ultimate delight, and you believe in getting it right. There’s nothing you’d rather spend your hard-earned funds on than a lavish holiday in the Caribbean or a trip-of-a-lifetime cruise in the Galapagos. You take genuine delight in the details of a luxury hotel, the note-perfect service, or an engaging guide. You’re a connoisseur of infinity pools. You’ll willingly name travel as your biggest extravagance. Every holiday’s a honeymoon!
Mostly B: Happy Families
The way you see it, travel is the best thing you can do as a family, the ultimate investment in your kids’ education, and reward for the hard graft of parenthood. Travel isn’t an indulgence, but an absolute necessity. You always book the most intriguing family travel packages, or intrepid independent trips. Because if there’s one thing more magical than seeing Angkor Wat, it’s seeing Angkor Wat through your 10-year-old’s eyes.
Mostly C: Ageless Adventurers
You have a childlike thirst for adventure and an unfettered delight in the new. Perhaps you’re an 18-year-old solo traveller plotting your gap year in Bolivia, or an 80-year-old couple addicted to African safaris. At heart you’re all the same, and the only travel that counts is travel that quickens the pulse. It might be a physical challenge like trekking the Norwegian fjords, a wildlife encounter like gorilla-spotting in Rwanda or a galvanising jolt of culture shock immersing yourself in a city like Havana or Lima. You believe in saving up, researching hard and setting off on a ‘trip-of-a-lifetime’. Except ideally you’d have a trip-of-a-lifetime every year of your life.
Mostly D: New Bohemians
But what does it all mean? Travel, for you, is more of a personal mission than a place to flop in the sun. Perhaps you’re a wellness warrior on a path to self-improvement through yoga or Muay Thai (boxing), a meaning-craving millennial hoping to learn from a new culture, or a flight-free rucksacked railroader dedicated to ethical travel by train. You crave change within, whether that’s mastering vegan cooking or finding enlightenment with a Peruvian shaman. And the trip you choose has to say something about you; why you’ve chosen to support this particular ecolodge over another. You consider travel an art form, and you want to get creative with it. Shine on, you crazy diamond.
Mostly E: Culture Crammers
Travel is what furnishes your mind. You can reel off the list of galleries and museums and archaeological sites you’ve longed to see for years, and you know more than the average tour guide. You’ve never understood people who travel purely in search of snow or sun. Whether it’s an expedition through the archaeological wonders of Egypt, a road trip to a weird and wonderful art destination like Marfa in Texas, or a culture-dense city break in Seville, you’re determined to get under the skin of your chosen destination, and absorb every last drop of this cultural immersion.