As traveling itself is one of the best ways to learn and become a better version of yourself, a Buddhist mentality can only add to the experience.

Here are 10 Buddhist beliefs that you can use while you’re traveling to feel calmer in the face of difficulties, immerse yourself in your journey and simply feel happier on the road.

1. Live fully in the now

It’s no surprise there’s so much fuss about mindfulness and meditation nowadays. In this high-tech age, our minds are constantly bombarded with flashes of information, social media updates and seemingly endless cat videos, making it almost impossible to stay anchored to the present moment. Buddhists believe that neither reminiscing about the past nor dreaming of the future will make you happy; the right way is to fully savor the present.

On the road: While traveling, take time to stop and try to remember smells, notice shapes and colors, and – perhaps most importantly – don’t scroll through your phone while eating. It’s a reminder to taste every bite of food and immerse yourself full in every moment while you’re traveling. By the way, this is something you could incorporate in your everyday life too.

2. Learn to let go

“You only lose what you cling to,” said the Buddha. If you don’t try to possess a thing, you cannot lose it and it makes it forever yours. To let go is an art that will improve your whole life, whether it be with relationships, friends, possessions or jobs.

On the road: Embrace minimalism and learn to pack only the basics (here’s how to do it). We don’t encourage you to voluntarily let go of your wallet, but if it happens to get stolen, it’s no use making a drama out of it – that won’t help you. Just move on and accept your new conditions.

3. Empty your mind of expectations

There’s a famous Zen story that explains this best:

A university professor once visited a Zen teacher in search of more information about Buddhism. The teacher offered him a cup of tea, which the professor willingly accepted. Then the teacher started pouring tea in the cup, continuing to pour even after the tea started overflowing. “Why don’t you stop when the tea is overflowing?” the professor asked, worried. The teacher answered: “Your mind is just like this cup – overflowing with your expectations and opinions. I can’t give you any new information until you don’t come with an empty cup.”

On the road: Don’t believe what others say about the Russians, the Chinese or the South Africans, for example. Go and see these places for yourself and make up your own mind. The moment you cross a border, forget all your preconceived notions about the country and enter with an empty cup.

4. Don’t label things as “good” or “bad”

One of the basic pillars of Buddhism is non-judgement. You usually tend to qualify events as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but can you remember a moment when something that seemed like the end of the world turned out to be a great piece of luck? If you maintain a non-judgemental attitude, a potential disaster can turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

On the road: Every time you miss a flight or encounter some other traveler’s ‘misfortune’, just remind yourself that it might turn out to the best part of your trip. Encountering troubles on the road (and finding creative solutions to them) can often lead you to meet great people or regain faith in humanity.

5. Feel and express gratitude

There are hundred of books discussing all the advantages of gratefulness, and we’re going to add to that list by reminding you to take a moment to be grateful for what you have when you’re feeling low.

On the road: The very fact you can afford to travel is reason enough to feel thankful, because millions of people around the world can’t even dream of that luxury for various reasons (poverty, war, political restrictions etc.). Take a minute before going to sleep to feel gratitude for all the amazing things that happened to you during the day.

6. All that we are is the result of what we have thought

How is it possible that John hates Thailand, yet Jack considers it the best place in the world? Did they go to the same country? Of course they did, but John and Jack are different people absorbing different information according to their inner image of the world, and that affects their perceptions.

On the road: If you don’t like a place the first time you visit it, consider what conditions might have created that negative attitude – maybe it was raining or your travel companion was grumpy. Challenge yourself to visit the place again and see if your impression is more positive the second time around.

7. When you share your happiness, it doesn’t decrease

If your happiness is a candle and you share the light with others, your light doesn’t decrease.

On the road: Share happy moments on the road with the local people you meet along the way, as well as friends and family back home. Take the time to send news back home – your loved ones will be happy to know you’re safe and having fun.

8. Everything constantly changes

Impermanence is a core Buddhist concept, one that will help you feel at peace even during the most tense moments on the road. According to the belief, everything comes into being and dissolves – good and bad things alike.

On the road: Once you accept that nothing is eternal, it will be easier to appreciate what you have and to realize that all bad things pass eventually.

9. Get to know yourself

“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles.”

On the road: Even though traveling might seem like little more than a leisure activity, it actually changes you in a subtle way, no matter how you travel. Regardless of whether you go on short trips or year-long journeys, you will come back a changed – and in many ways better-rounded – person. We get to know ourselves when we face situations that take us out of our comfort zone.

10. It is better to travel well than to arrive

What matters the most is not the final destination but the journey itself. We’re sure you’ve heard this thousands of times before, and you’ll hear it many more times throughout your travels because it’s true.

On the road: Enjoy every step of the journey. Don’t spend all your time on board a bus or a plane just waiting to arrive. Instead, use the time to talk to people, read with ravenous anticipation about your destination or listen to some local music from the place you’re visiting (which you have downloaded in advance because you already know this music habit will change your trips).

Pin it for later:

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#1 Before going on a trip together, compile a themed playlist

It’s a proven fact that music tends to remind us of the places we heard it for the first time. 

How to do it: If you’re going abroad, find the Top 40 most popular current songs as well as some evergreen classics. When you arrive, listen to a local radio station in the car or on your smartphone. Use song recognizing apps (like Shazam) to see the artist and the name of the songs you like on the local radio. Later they will bring you back to your trip.

#2 Trust a friend to organize your trip

Set a budget and leave all the organization to a close friend. It could be a surprise – you simply receive an envelope with reservations, GPS coordinates, and a list of the necessary luggage. You can in turn organize the next trip for a friend.

#3 Sunrise and a morning picnic

Get in your car and drive at night. Go to the beach or another beautiful place to watch the sunrise. Watch the sun coming up with friends. Have a picnic in the morning and then take a short nap on the blanket.

Discover more: 9 fun picnic ideas for an unforgettable day

#4 Spend a day at a theme park

Try everything, no exceptions – from cotton candy to a merry-go-round and shooting games.

#5 Enthuse a friend with your hobbies

If you’re into rock climbing, take a friend to a beginner’s class. If you like skiing, invite a friend to the slopes for a weekend to show them the first moves. If you enjoy traveling alone, get on the train with a friend and sit in different compartments. When you arrive, each of you can see the city on their own for an hour (or two, or three). After that you can meet and discuss your separate experiences.

If you like running, you can invite friends over for a recent long-distance running race. 5K, 10K, and even a marathon are fine. Running allows us to temporarily let go of the pressure of reality and feel the joy of our bodies and minds.
You can start with a relatively easy 5K competition, persevere in running, and work hard towards first place. If you both get 5K medals, that’s something to brag about too.

Read more: Why everyone must travel alone at least once a year

#6 Come up with new names to use while you’re abroad

Stephanie and John become Stefana and Johann in the Netherlands, then Stefania and Ion in Romania, and Stefania and Giovanni in Italy. The names could be completely different from your own. For example, after passing the border, Peter automatically becomes Stewart, Ana is now Martha – only the customs officers checking your passports will know the truth.

If you’re camping or in the mountains, come up with funny scout names according to your personality – The Big Berry, The Quick Hatchet, The Eagle Eye, etc.

#7 Print a photo of the person who can’t join you on the trip

If someone in the group can’t come on the long-planned weekend trip… well, you’ve got nothing else to do but print their head on a piece of cardboard and glue it to a stick. Then take a picture of the friend who stayed behind (of their hapless printed head, that is) in front of every attraction and beer, and send them the pictures in real time.

#8 Do a good deed together

The world is full of people and animals who need help, and the Internet is full of information about them. Choose a cause that is important to you, get organized and visit a place where you can do a good deed. You will see a new place, meet new people and feel satisfied all at once. The people you’re helping will feel refreshed and optimistic to see not one but a whole group of people willing to help out. 

#9 Hitchhike to see who will arrive first

Choose a final destination and split up to hitchhike alone or in teams. The first to arrive wins, the rest – well, their treat.

#10 Vote the best pizza (steak, burger)

Include an important mission in your trip – to find the most delicious pizza, steak, burger, etc.

How to do it: You can create a strict evaluation system including different criteria (taste, aroma, service) and everyone gives a score from 1 to 10. You can divide Rome into neighborhoods and split up to look for the best gelato (ice-cream) until you find it – or catch a cold.

#11 Ask a friend to challenge you to do something at the place you’re going to

Make your trip even more interesting by asking your friends to come up with a challenge. In Brazil – play football with the locals on the beach, take a picture with a toucan, drink coconut water with a straw right from the coconut; in Cuba – have a cigar at the sea boulevard Malecon… Take the list of challenges with you and don’t come back until you’ve completed them all. Trying to fulfill them will introduce you to interesting people and will put you in unexpected situations (tested on a number of occasions by the author of this post).

#12 Take a picture at the same place every year

It’s a wonderful tradition which maintains friendships, reminds you to travel and gives you a reason to see your friends more regularly (even when different things in your life separate you for longer periods). You can pick a day that is important to everyone – somebody’s birthday, New Year’s Eve, etc.

#13 Take a friend on a surprise trip

Organize an unforgettable trip for a friend – for their birthday or just because! Here’s my elaborate guide How to plan a surprise (birthday) trip in less than 30 minutes.

#14 Visit a friend without being invited

Bring something to drink and the ingredients for a recipe to cook together. It’s enough to call and check if your friend is home and if they have a couple of free hours. The rest is a surprise.

#15 Travel by unusual means of transport

Choose a means of transport you haven’t traveled with before and see the world differently. You don’t have to buy anything, just hire it for a day. Travel in a group. And for a truly unique experience, consider exploring the picturesque landscapes on horseback. You can find some of the best places for horse riding at https://www.thailandnomads.com/best-places-for-horse-riding-chiang-mai/.

A couple of ideas: A bike, electric bike, scooter (you can see scooter guide here), motorcycle, convertible, carriage, boat.

#16 Create a short movie from your trip

Make videos of yourself, of landscapes or of interesting people you’ve met. Then compile all the videos in one short movie. If you’re very much into it, add the songs you listened to on the road. There are plenty of free and easy to use programs to help you compile movies.

#17 Send a paper postcard by post

Do you enjoy receiving postcards? One of those old-time cardboard postcards you need a stamp for, not an internet connection. The next time you travel to another city or abroad, send a real paper postcard from a real post office.

How to do it: Write down your friends’ and relatives’ addresses in advance. Sign the postcards and send them by post. Even if they arrive after you’ve already come back, the gesture will be appreciated.

Pin this amazing list of ideas to your travel board:

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Talking about “traveling”, for some people a “vacation” means lying on a tropical beach or staying in an expensive hotel and there is nothing wrong with that.  As the saying goes:

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us”.

But now, we challenge you to think outside the box and look closely into these trip ideas. They will help you relax and grow as a person at the same time.

1. Travel back to your roots

You are always looking forward to the next trip in your calendar. What if you look back in time for once? Do you know what part of the world your ancestors come from? In order to move on with your life, you should find out where you started from. What’s more, you never know what secrets you will discover. You might be the heir of a royal family or an ancient kin! Take your parents or grandparents along. Traveling through places where they grew up may prove to be an emotional experience.

2. A long-distance trek

You love the outdoors and staying active or you would like to complete a pilgrim trek because of religion. Whatever the reasons, to conquer hundreds of miles on foot or by horse is an impressive accomplishment!

A long-distance trek offers you the chance to tune off, detach and clear your head. Surrounded by nature, you will be rewarded with plenty of time alone to figure out where you’re at in your life. An open mind and a backpack is all you need to start.

Here are some worldwide trek ideas:

Camino de Santiago or just El Camino  for short is a pilgrimage that begins in France and ends in front of the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Northern Spain. For many years now, pilgrims from around the world take part in the 500-mile/800-km picturesque trek.

When in the United States, you might get inspired by the story of Cheryl Strayed, (author of Wild). She took on a 1000-mile self-discovery hike following the Pacific Crest Trail all the way from Mexico to Canada. Cheryl set out on her journey all alone with barely any hiking experience, but we recommend you gear up well and fully prepare before you go.

Following the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru is on top of my bucket list. Even though this site has become Peru’s most popular attraction and one of the most visited in the world, I still believe it is worth it to see the 15th-century archaeological ruins. There are a few options for hiking to Machu Picchu. Just bear in mind there is a 200-people daily limit on the trail for conservation reasons. Find out more here.

>>> Read more: 8 Unique Things to Do in Peru for First-Time Visitors

3. Live with locals

You might have planned the perfect trip abroad – to use a map, wander around the streets, get lost, and eat a local dish. Yet there is something missing. What you really need is a local who will spend some time with you. A local who will tell you about history, show you all the off the beaten track spots or just have an interesting conversation with you over coffee or beer. You can meet up with locals through emerging social platforms like Courchsurfing and GlobalGreeters or you could simply join a free tour.

>>> Read more: 7 Free Travel Tools You May Not Be Using (Other Than Couchsurfing)

I have lots of experience with locals. My favorite one so far was during an university exchange program in Portugal. I shared an apartment with 3 Portuguese girls for 6 months and had the best time of my life!

4. Become a volunteer

You want to do something valuable with your time? Become a volunteer! You just need a cause that suits you. Volunteering as a way of travel allows you to spend from a few weeks up to a couple of months in a foreign country. You will have the chance to improve small communities, interact with locals, gain priceless experience and make new friends at the same time. You can even become a volunteer in your hometown – plant trees, clean up parks or organize music festivals. Whatever you choose, remember that an act of kindness made for someone else will immediately boost your happiness.

You will find good volunteer trip ideas almost anywhere in the world. Building houses in Costa Rica, teaching English in Nepal or caring for abused elephants in an Elephant Nature Park in Thailand. There are endless possibilities. I personally have the latter on my bucket list. If you’re also against riding elephants as a tourist attraction, visit the Park’s website and learn more here.

5. Go on a big road trip

One of the most beautiful and picturesque roads in the world are also the curviest ones. But they are totally worth it! Going on a big road trip without a specific travel plan is somewhat liberating and challenging even for experienced travelers. To have an authentic experience, you could eat in diners and sleep in motels along the way!

A few road trip ideas:

US Route 66 is probably the most famous road you can take. Established in the early 20th century, it originally ran from Chicago all the way to Santa Monica, California, covering a little less than 4000 km (2500 miles).

Another scenic road in the USA is the Pacific Coast Highway also known as Highway 1. It runs for 1000 km along the Californian coast passing attractions such as Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Monterey, San Francisco Bay Area. What’s more, Highway 1 connects two of the largest cities in the state – Los Angeles and San Francisco. Get ready for rocky cliffs, wild nature and stunning views.

You can find similar scenery of the ocean, clear blue skies and green fields on the Southern coast of Australia where the Great Ocean Road stretches for as long as 243 km (151 miles).

>>> Read more: 13 Useful Tips Before You Head on a Road Trip in Australia

6. Overcome your fears

Do something that scares you! Skydive, bungee jump, scuba dive, rock climb, talk to foreigners or ride a bicycle. Whatever gives you the creeps, face it! The first and most important step is to give it a try.

When it comes to traveling, adventures and extreme sports, people have this common “What if something happens…” fear. What if, what if… but what if nothing happens? It’s natural to be afraid of something you have never done before. You are afraid not because it is scary, but because you have no idea what to expect. If that is the case, just remind yourself there are thousands of people around the world who have done it before you. And they are normal people, just like you!

Fear means you are about to do something mind-blowing! After you do it and the adrenaline rush kicks in, you will feel silly for previously being afraid.

7. Find out where your food comes from

In the time of GMOs, altered foods and artificial products, we challenge you to find local venues where you can see for yourself where our food comes from. It could be a winery or a brewery where you could get acquainted with the production process – from picking up grapes through fermentation to bottling. When in South America, be sure to visit a coffee plantation and do a coffee tour. Pick up, dry, roast and grind coffee beans for your own cup of coffee.

A challenge for advanced travelers would be to visit a farm or a ranch and do some volunteer work. Once you learn what it takes to make cheese and butter out of milk, you will definitely appreciate food more. Wherever you travel, do as the locals do – drink wine in Tuscany or Provence, whiskey in Ireland, espresso in Italy. And simply enjoy every bite!

8. Travel solo

Travel solo at least once per year

At least once a year set out on a trip planned especially to fulfill you and you only. Solo travel enriches you in a way companion travel cannot. Make sure you choose an activity or a destination where you feel safe enough, but still outside your comfort zone. It could be a week in a foreign city abroad, a digital detox or a camping weekend. Be ready to feel the self-confidence, creativity and clear mind that will come along.

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Use free offline maps and navigation

In the past, using your smartphone for navigation abroad could easily cost as much as a month’s rent, but now you don’t need to pay for roaming fees and paper maps, because you can get it all free and offline. Apps like Google Maps (download the offline area you want to use in advance) and Maps.me are making the life of the traveler easier and cheaper. I’ve found that Maps.me takes less memory, works faster and has offline maps for countries where Google Maps doesn’t work well (Thailand, for example). Both apps have perfect offline navigation – I’ve used them to navigate while walking, cycling and driving.

Use Google Translate offline for free

No more will you have to spend money on a local guide only because you don’t understand the local language! Since 2016, Google Translate has been available offline for both Android and iOS. You can use it to translate text to text, speech to text, text to speech, and even draw letters or characters on the screen with your finger. The ultra-useful Word Lens lets you hold your camera over a menu, sign or other item with foreign writing and instantly read the translation (all available languages are here).

Meet a free local guide

Global Greeters is one of my favorite online platforms, offering you the chance to see the city accompanied by a local volunteer. You usually have to book a guide in advance, and it’s worth searching at least two weeks ahead to make sure you find someone who’s available. You are paired with a local based on your interests, and your guide will craft a walk around the city specifically for you. Unlike those organized free tours you see around most cities these days, no tips are expected at the end. It’s a good idea to stock up on good karma and become a volunteer guide in your home city.

Find free accommodation

There are several ways to find free accommodation around the world. One option is to use sites like Couchsurfing and Hospitality Club, where millions of hospitable users from all over the world will offer you their homes while you visit their city or village. In exchange, you give them your friendship, nice conversations and – usually – a cooked meal from your country. You can also register on one of the many home exchange, house-sitting and pet-sitting websites, which give you the chance to exchange your home for somebody else’s.

Another option: if you’re traveling from one city to another, take the night train/bus. You’ll save money on a night’s accommodation and will have more time to walk around the city the next day.

You can also swap your expertise or an item you no longer need for a night at a B&B. Every fall in Italy, during Barter Week, you can exchange goods and services for your stay in a vast number of Italian bed & breakfasts.

Join a free walking/food/cultural tour

Free tours are now available all over the world and are a great way to discover a new city and mingle with the current community of travelers there. Free walking tours are most common, but there are also free food tours, free hiking tours, free roller-blade tours, etc. Just type “free tour [city]” into Google and read the details. Although they’re labeled ‘free’, these tours usually end up with an invitation to leave a tip for the guide. Given they usually last two to three hours, we reckon that’s fair enough.

Work for free accommodation and food

This is a popular means of not only surviving but actually having the time of your life abroad. Workaway, WWOOF and many more websites offer you the opportunity to work as a volunteer in exchange for a bed and food. These programs rarely involve a 40-hour working week, so you’ll have plenty of time to explore your surroundings.

See museums for free

Almost every museum in the world has a free admission day (for example, every second Thursday of the month). Check it out and take the opportunity, if possible.

Some of the most popular attractions in the world are free. Like, always free. The Staten Island Ferry in New York is the perfect way to enjoy the panorama of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Hudson River and Manhattan. The British Museum in London not only displays some of the world’s greatest treasures, but is also free and allows photography inside. The Berlin Wall Memorial in Berlin, the Berardo Museum in Lisbon (with works by Dali, Picasso and Andy Warhol), the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London are also on the list. 

>>> A list of the best free museums and galleries in London (they are more than 20!)

Since 2015, on every first Sunday of the month all public museums and galleries in Italy are free, including the Colosseum, Uffizi Gallery and Pompeii Ruins. Of course, you’ll have to wait in longer than usual lines on these free days.

Apply for exchange programs

Every country has a bunch of exchange programs that let you live (and usually study) in another country for a certain period of time without having to pay for anything. The countries of the EU, for example, have Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus, Leonardo, EVS and smaller-scale projects that can take you to any part of the world, offering decent grants to help you get by while you’re over there.

Take advantage of your birthday

Traveling on your birthday is worth it. Wherever you go, many sights of interest around the world offer special birthday discounts. For example: you can ride the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway to Table Mountain above Cape Town for free. Even if you can’t see an advertised birthday offer at the attraction you’re visiting, it’s worth asking if they can do anything to make your special day that little bit more special.

Eat for free (but pay for the drinks)

There are several places in Paris that will gladly serve your drink with free food (like couscous, fried clams or a tapas-style snack) – bar La Cordonnerie, bar Le Grenier and the oriental Le Tribal Cafe to name a few. Bars in Milan and many cities in northern Italy offer the so-called ‘aperitivo hour’ (look for the sign). Usually after 7 pm when you order a cocktail in a bar, you’ll get free access to a buffet table with bites.

Hitchhike (including on a bike)

So much has been said about hitchhiking as a free transport tool that the only relevant thing here is to point to people like Tomislav Perko (and his 50,000 km of hitchhiking around the world) as inspiration. Oh, and you might not know this: as a tourist in Amsterdam, you can hitchhike on a local’s bicycle (just look for the ‘Yellow Backie’). If you’re a newbie looking to grab a ride on the hitchhiking bandwagon, read our Beginner’s guide to hitchhiking. 

Sail for free

Register at Findacrew and browse through all the boats and yachts searching for crew members to join your next sea adventure.

>>> Discover more free things to do around the world!

Read more: 7 free travel tools you may not be using (other then Couchsurfing)

You know what else is free? Our travel quiz:

Pin it to your travel board:

You can use some translation and legalization compny if you need it for your trip.

The post How to travel for free (without feeling like a tramp) appeared first on 203Challenges.

High, panoramic spots along the Bulgarian banks of the Danube River – those places that give a wide view across the river with all its flows, sandspits and islands – are hard to find. You can find them in just a few places, such as Nikopol, Batin (Батин) and Tutrakan. But you will best understanding this feeling of infinity only while kayaking along the Danube River. The vast water has its own climate, scent and charm.

The islands near Ruse

Kayaking on the Danube, Bulgaria | © Maria Angelova/ 203challenges

The river islands, created by natural sand silt or silted sunken ships, are countless. Near the town of Ruse (Русе) there are 10, divided into 4 bigger island groups – Batin, Lyulyaka, Aleko and Mishka. They can be reached by tourist kayaks, fishing boats, yachts or small ships, as well as rafts (rafts are best organized in Tutrakan). The islands are the perfect nesting place for water birds, such as white and grey herons, cormorants, sea eagle. In summer, when the level of the river drops, the sand silt, which forms the islands, comes to the surface. Wide beaches of fine sand appear, creating a unique view. The next year those peculiar dunes will be somewhere else – they move and travel along this truly living river.  

Kayaking on the Danube, Bulgaria | © Maria Angelova/ 203challenges

Adventure with a kayak and a cause

The Danube, however, carries not only sand. It carries also slime and garbage. The slime is a natural product and settles down, but the garbage gets stuck to the islands. When the water level rises, plastic bottles, pieces of styrofoam and other garbage litters the islands until someone comes to remove them.

The Tourist Society of Prista decided to do something about the problem. In a series of water campaigns, volunteers with kayaks and motorboats clean the river and transport the garbage, but also sail, become part of the unique landscape of the big river, and actually create a real adventure. In fact, for many of the project’s participants, this is their first time kayaking. After the adventure, the collected garbage is transported and recycled.

Kayaking on the Danube, Bulgaria | © Maria Angelova/ 203challenges

Useful information

If you start from Ruse, contact the Tourist Society of Prista. You can take part in one of the cleaning sessions, water campaigns and interesting guided tours, or simply receive information about the routes in the region, as well as the possibility to hire a guide, kayak, life jacket, oars and other equipment. Contact details: islandsproject@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/DanubeIslands.

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