What kind of traveler are you? I don’t mean how experienced you are or if you prefer to travel locally or internationally. I’m interested in what activities and experiences make travel special for you.
Recently, I got to thinking about this after I received two very different reviews of my memoir, Wherever the Road Leads, A Memoir of Love, Travel, and a Van.
In a Recommended Review for US Review of Books, Nicole Yurcaba, states: “This book explores the rich cultures of mainstream travel destinations while also celebrating the bucolic settings of countries like Yugoslavia (now Serbia and Montenegro) and Afghanistan. In heartwarming portrayals of locals willing to help strangers and a young couple ready to learn the nuances of a variety of cultures, this work debunks the myths and stereotypes surrounding “nomadic” travel, unfriendly local populations, and the “ugly American. . . .”
More recently Jaycee Allen, in a 3 star review for Readers’ Favorite, wrote, “[this] is not a travel book. . . . . The couple seems to have spent their time roaring down highways or along dirt tracks, caught in their honeymoon bubble and safe in their vehicle. . . . Where are the characters, the encounters with people who are different? What is taking place in the countries they visit? Travelers need to be curious about what they see, they want to know, investigate, and travel books must give us an insight into another world.”
In spite of this reviewer’s opinion, Wherever the Road Leads received a Benjamin Franklin Silver Award in the Travel category (2021) from the Independent Publishers Association. Winners: Travel | IBPA Book Award (ibpabenjaminfranklinaward.com)
It almost seems that Nicole Yurcaba and Jaycee Allen were reading different books. Yet, obviously, that is not the case. I think the real difference is every reader understands what they read through the spectrum of their personal experience and values. These two reviewers simply have different opinions about what makes a great travel book. . . . or a good memoir.
This led me to contemplate what makes travel satisfying for me and how others often seek totally different experiences. I have identified seven main travel types. Do you recognize your travel style in one or more of them?
Bucket-Listers: These travelers are often first-timers. They want to be sure and see all the important sights and famous places at their destination. They line up to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building. A visit to the Louvre is mandatory even if they have no real interest in art. As they become more travel savvy, these travelers may expand their interests, but they still like to notch their travel belts with new places. In 1972, Tom was willing to drive several hours out of the way to San Marino so he could get another visa stamp in his passport. One of my friends journeyed to Antarctica in order say she had been to every continent.
Adventurers: High adrenaline activities lure this type of traveler. Usually, but not always, they are young. If not young, they must at least be in good physical shape and willing to experience fear. These adrenaline-junkies bungie-jump off high bridges in New Zealand, go trekking in Nepal, surf the big waves in Hawaii, or scuba dive in the Caribbean. They stand on the top of high pinnacles or sleep in hammocks suspended from the face of Half-Dome in Yosemite. The pictures they post on Instagram or Facebook make others think them a little crazy.
Vacationers: These travelers simply want to relax. Travel offers them a way to get away from stress and urban congestion. They go where they can sip on pina coladas or laze by the pool. Room service, restaurants, and a balcony with a view are their idea of a vacation. You’ll find these travelers at all-inclusive resorts or on cruises. For vacationers with a more restricted budget, camping or staying in a home exchange offering can provide the requisite relaxation and pleasant surroundings.
Soul-seekers: These travelers seek spiritual enlightenment when they travel. If they visit India, it’s to spend a month at an ashram. Think the “Pray” section of Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. Soul-seekers may choose a monastery or a Buddhist retreat over a hotel. This type of traveler made the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, popular with counter culture types in the 1970s and ‘80s. Perched on cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Esalen has focused on humanistic alternative education since 1962 and is still welcoming guests today (under rigorous Covid guidelines).
Art Lovers and Creators: Artists often look at the world through an individual lens—one that feeds directly into their creative spirit. When they go to the Louvre or walk through a sculpture park, they study and analyze the work. Opera lovers may travel to Milan in the winter for the season at Teatro alla Scala. Dance aficionados may visit New York for a performance by the American Dance Theater. Painters often travel to find new locations and set up their easels for an hour of en plein air (painting outdoors) or they may take photos to use for later inspiration in their studio.
Naturalists: The natural world is the main attraction for these travelers. Whether it is the sands of the Gobi
Desert, the jungles of South America, the spectacular waterfalls of Iceland and Norway, or the wild-life of the African Savannah or Antarctica, nature lovers travel great distances to witness animals and natural phenomena of all kinds. They may participate in ecological projects like the Leatherback Turtle volunteer vacations in Costa Rica where participants walk the nesting beaches to protect the eggs and hatchlings. Or they may simply love sighting a rare wild creature on a whale-watching trip or from a jeep on the Maasai Mara Reserve in Kenya.
Anthropologists: These travelers are interested in human society. They want to know more about how people around the world live and interact. They tend to visit cities and towns and like to talk with the locals. There are four subgroups of anthropological travelers—related, but each with its own particular emphasis.
- History and Archeology: The mystery of what was, the history of the place visited, fascinates these travelers. They like museums, especially living history museums, ancient artifacts, and ruins.
- Socio-political: These travelers are interested in the social structure of a new place—they want to learn about the government, social programs, education, how individual people feel about their leaders, and how locals interact with each other.
- Cultural: These travelers seek out the arts, crafts, and activities of the people in a new place. They enjoy buying traditional clothing, tasting what the locals eat and cook, visiting native markets, learning folk crafts and folk dance, talking to people about their social traditions and ceremonies. Foodies, especially those who love the open markets, “hole-in-the-wall” neighborhood restaurants, and local cooking classes, fit in this group.
- Linguists: The center of any journey for these travelers is learning the language or the dialect of the place they visit.
These are my groupings, formulated entirely from my personal observations. Do you agree with them? Have I missed any important group? Many travelers probably fit into more than one group. I began my travel life as a Bucket Lister. By the early 70s, I had evolved into a Cultural Anthropologist, though I also travel as an Art Lover and a Historical Anthropologist. I sometimes enjoy a short time as a Vacationer, though of the low budget variety. What type of traveler are you?
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