{"id":2886,"date":"2017-02-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-07T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wotif-blog-staging-lb-1978096533.ap-southeast-2.elb.amazonaws.com\/vc\/blog\/tips\/nine-reasons-to-make-2017-the-year-you-travel-more\/"},"modified":"2020-04-02T05:33:20","modified_gmt":"2020-04-01T19:33:20","slug":"nine-reasons-to-make-2017-the-year-you-travel-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/trending\/nine-reasons-to-make-2017-the-year-you-travel-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine reasons to make 2017 the year you travel more"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Monica McInnes<\/em><\/p>\n

With the new year already in full swing, it\u2019s time to get serious about your plans for 2017.  Forget the standard \u2018lose weight\u2019 and \u2018save more money\u2019. Instead, resolve to \u2018travel more\u2019 in 2017. Here are nine reasons why.<\/p>\n

1.     Time to reconnect<\/strong><\/p>\n

Breaking the work, eat, sleep, repeat cycle is soul-gratifying gold and travel is the perfect antidote. Leave everyday life stresses at home, recharge and reconnect.<\/p>\n

Hot tip:<\/em> Unleash your inner child and head to Disneyland, Paris<\/a> to partake in its 25th anniversary celebrations. Book early and you might just snag a bargain deal.<\/p>\n

2.     #makingmemories<\/strong><\/p>\n

Join the popular #makingmemories phenomenon and make some of your own moments to remember.<\/p>\n

Hot tip:<\/em> Make memories in County Kerry, Ireland<\/a> where filming took place on this year\u2019s blockbuster \u2013 Star Wars: Episode VIII. Ahead of its December 2017 release fans of the movie will take plenty of selfies complete with rolling green hills and sheer seaside cliffs in the background, while secretly wishing they\u2019d packed their Darth Vader costume.  Posting your travel photos and exploits on social media for all and sundry to view green-eyed is, of course, optional #sorrynotsorry #maytheforcebewithyou.<\/p>\n

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3.     Push the boundaries<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is no need to sign up for the New York Marathon, unless of course that\u2019s your kind of thing \u2013 but holidays are a great way to release those endorphins. Stretch yourself, go outside your comfort zone, and fight your inner fears. You never know, you might discover a new passion for stand up paddle boarding or yoga that you can bring back into your day-to-day life.<\/p>\n

Hot tip:<\/em> Get a group of friends together now and start training for the gruelling 96-kilometre Kokoda Trail to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the campaign.<\/p>\n

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4.      Mental wellbeing<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s called vacation for a reason \u2013 so you can vacate your mind, and your home, for a short while. In the process new perspectives are made. Holidays are a kind of therapy \u2013 a place where you can see more clearly and focus more on what\u2019s important in life.<\/p>\n

Hot tip:<\/em> A good place to start is by visiting critically acclaimed international artist Bruce Munro\u2019s Field of Light installation<\/a> in Australia\u2019s Red Centre. With Uluru as your backdrop, you can\u2019t help but refresh your mind and your senses viewing this award-winning, 2016 sell-out exhibition. It has been extended for 2017, with lights turned off for good in off March 2018.<\/p>\n

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5.     Cultural awareness<\/strong><\/p>\n

Immerse yourself in a destination and live like a local for a deeper appreciation and understanding of another culture. Try a local delicacy, take a local art class, learn a local dance, and chat to the locals.<\/p>\n

Hot tip:<\/em> For a big dose of culture close to home, look out for Aboriginal spiritual tours and activities, which is increasing in popularity across the country. Overseas, consider participating in Mexico City\u2019s Day of the Dead Festival, made famous by the most recent James Bond movie. After last year\u2019s successful inaugural event, it\u2019s on again this year so be sure to visit before the masses discover its appeal.
<\/p>\n

6.     Long weekend rejuvenation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Take advantage of public holiday long weekends and make 2017 the year you plan mini-breaks for the long weekends in your state. There\u2019s at least three nationally, while state and territory specific holidays can see you jetting off even more. It\u2019s a fail-safe way to recharge the batteries and keep you soldiering on and kicking goals without denting your annual leave balance.<\/p>\n

Hot tip:<\/em> Plan ahead and book these stays before everyone else does.<\/p>\n

7.     Do a deal<\/strong><\/p>\n

With plenty of travel deals<\/a> kicking about cyberspace, snag yourself a bargain holiday and keep your bank manager happy. It also means you can order a cocktail instead of a mocktail \u2013 winning!<\/p>\n

Hot tip:<\/em> Destinations touted to release penny-pincher deals this year are those hosting major international events as the country builds its tourism marketing ahead of game day. Try South Korea<\/a>, the 2018 Winter Olympics host, or Russia<\/a>, host of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n

8.     Get back in touch<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day-to-day life makes it easy to lose touch with friends and family you don\u2019t live close to. Make 2017 the year you visit an old mate or relative interstate that you rarely see. It\u2019s the perfect excuse for a getaway and you\u2019ll earn serous brownie points too.<\/p>\n

Hot tip:<\/em> Mix it up and also invite people to visit you. You get to play tour guide and be a tourist in your own town.  <\/p>\n

9.     Planning magic<\/strong><\/p>\n

Half the fun of holidays is the careful planning and research you do along the way. Finding out where to wake-up with the best coffee, the best walking trails, the must-see sights and attractions. And, the magic happens when you share your excitement with your fellow travellers. Seriously, planning is almost as good as the journey itself!<\/p>\n

Hot tip:<\/em> For a real planning feast turn your Google searches to Canada<\/a>. The country is celebrating its 150th birthday, so there will be year-round holiday treasures like events, deals, and cultural and historical displays.<\/p>\n

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Feeling inspired? Book your next trip:<\/p>\n

Hotels<\/a><\/p>\n

Flights<\/a><\/p>\n

Packages<\/a><\/p>\n

Activities<\/a><\/p>\n

Car Hire<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Monica McInnes With the new year already in full swing, it\u2019s time to get serious about your plans for 2017.  Forget the standard \u2018lose weight\u2019 and \u2018save more money\u2019. Instead, resolve to \u2018travel more\u2019 in 2017. Here are nine reasons why. 1.     Time to reconnect Breaking the work, eat, sleep, repeat cycle is …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2887,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[765],"tags":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2886"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2886"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3004,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2886\/revisions\/3004"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}