20+ tips for adventurous travel

If you can't do this, it becomes difficult to enjoy a micro adventure. If you do manage to change your way of thinking, happy moments are guaranteed. Reset your expectations, look at the world with the eyes of a child, appreciate and enjoy the small, deviate from the beaten path. The journey is more important than the destination. A common cliché but oh so true. And to quote another cliché, "Just do it!"

Creative ways of determining your destination, not inspired by travel guides, Instagram photos or your bucket list, but determined by chance:

1. Pick a destination at random or pin the map of the Netherlands to the wall and let a dart decide where you’re going. Check out our destination guides and hidden gems, or download the Honeyguide app for information about that place, then set off to discover your chance destination. Or, for an even greater adventure: don’t plan a thing – just go.
   
2. Draw a radius of let's say 10 km around your house with a compass and explore a different wind direction every day (or week) to the edge of the perimeter.

1. Look for a taste of abroad right here in our own little country. Head to the highest hills in our predominantly flat landscape and imagine yourself in Austria for a moment. Take a road trip past castles – not in the Loire Valley in France, but in your own province. Honeyguide Yalou has already been there for you on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. Or go wildlife spotting just as you would in Africa. Or explore towns, villages, hamlets and nature reserves that bear the names of foreign destinations. That way, you can travel from America (Limburg) to Turkeye (Zeeland) and from Borneo (Brabant) to Palestine (Utrecht) without boarding a plane or crossing a border!
   
2. Let a famous painter or writer be your 'guide' and visit the places the artist or author recorded or wrote about. For example, Vincent van Gogh showed me the way past beautiful landscapes in my province of Brabant. Another option: visit the places described in your favourite novel or film. Think "Back to Oegstgeest" by Jan Wolkers or "The Dining Club" by Saskia Soort set in Bergen. Or go to the Deventer of 'A bridge too far'.

1. Take a sketchbook outside and have a go at drawing or painting. Look for beautiful details. Or try to capture the emotion you feel when you’re in that specific place. Don’t judge the result; just enjoy the process. Another creative way to observe your surroundings is through writing. Buy a diary and describe what you see: both the beautiful things and the ugly ones. Be open to conversations with strangers who pass by; ask about their stories and write them down. Do you love music? Go to a place that’s new to you and write song lyrics about your first impression or the feelings it evokes.
   
2. Collect little treasures from nature, dry them and frame them. Look for pretty stones, attach a label with the name of the place where you found them, and give them a special spot in your home.
   
3. Pick up rubbish and make art with it. It's good for your creativity and the environment.

1. Try a different mode of transport than usual: if you normally set off on foot, why not hire a mountain bike this time? Jump into an Asian tuk-tuk (as I did in Vlieland) or a canoe and watch the cows ruminating as they look up at you from high above. Never ridden a horse before? Now’s your chance to go on a (guided) horse ride and explore dunes you’ve never been to before. Hire a classic car and go on a road trip to picturesque villages. Don’t forget to dress as if you were living in the decade when the classic car was built. Think Jackie Kennedy-style headscarves, for example. Now you’ll have some brilliant photo opportunities and cinematic scenes to capture!
   
2. Hike or cycle a long-distance trail from border to border; for example, alongside the well-known Pieterpad, there’s also the Gelukkigerwijspad and The Walk of Wisdom. Honeyguide’s Brigitte recently wrote a blog about her favourite day’s walks on long-distance hiking trails in the Netherlands.
   
3. Follow the water in your local area (a stream, canal or river) and see where it takes you. You can even wade or swim through it if possible. Two years ago, I swam 5 km through the canals of Amsterdam, which was an unforgettable experience. Not least because it allowed me to see my capital city in a completely different light.
   
4. Try navigating differently from your usual sat-nav or Google Maps: for example, by letting your children plan a cycle route with random instructions such as ‘right-right-left-right-right-left’ and seeing where you end up. Or let your dog show you the way. Go on a road trip and set your sat-nav to ‘avoid motorways’, drive at a leisurely pace and enjoy the journey.
   
5. Detect the no man's land between the city and the motorway and explore those areas. Or follow the most boring path you can think of and walk (safely) along the highway, just like Alastair Humphreys once did. Dealing with the discomfort and displeasure is the journey and challenge.

1. Go exploring at times other than those you’re used to: take a walk late in the evening or even at night. Set your alarm for 3 o’clock, meet a friend and go for a walk. I once went for a night-time walk through the dunes on Schiermonnikoog. We couldn’t see a thing, just the landscape being briefly illuminated by the lighthouse. With the sound of the waves in the background. We sat on a bench and gazed at the Milky Way. It’s an experience we still talk about to this day.
   
2. Visit the well-known summer spots in winter and the well-known winter spots in summer. For instance, I prefer to visit the Wadden Islands in autumn or winter. There is hardly anyone there then. You then have the islands practically to yourself, whereas in summer it is much busier.

1. Book a B&B, cottage or hotel within a 10-kilometre radius of your home and explore your neighbourhood with the curiosity of a tourist. By literally looking through someone else’s window, you’ll see your own surroundings in a different light. And you’re sure to discover new spots. For example, during the spring half-term, I walked with my son from home to the boutique hotel Lytel Blue, 7 km away. We took a lovely walking route there and returned via a different route the next day. It was an experience we’ll never forget – precisely because the trip was so different from the usual and we discovered some lovely new spots in the neighbourhood.
   
2. Ask permission to camp in a stranger’s back garden or book a back-garden campsite through communities that facilitate this, such as Campspace. Honeyguide Yalou tells you more in this blog.
   
3. Swap homes with a friend who lives in another part of your country and ask him/her for tips regarding hidden gems. Especially if you work from home and are not otherwise tied to family or location, this is a great way to experience a part of our country differently. And that even for free!

The (micro) adventure guru is Alastair Humphreys. Read his book: Microadventures or scroll through his website for more inspiration. Then you're already on a bit of an adventure. The Honeyguide expert on microadventures is Brigitte Ars. With her platform for adventurous women, Alice Goes Wild you are sure to pick up even more ideas for your microadventures.

Well, I hope this blog encourages you to find little adventures in the Netherlands. The above list is by no means exhaustive, but mainly meant to boost your creativity and motivate you to go out and explore your immediate surroundings.

Let us know via Instagram which tip you are going to try out or which tip you would like to add. You can do so via private message, with the #heyhoneyguide or tag us during your adventures.

Have fun and be surprised!

Love,
Simone