Photo by FinEngr
Last time we covered how to Slash Your Travel Bill in Half, now we’ll look at another trick to trend-spotting hot spot destinations.
Now, this tip only really applies to tropical destinations since divers and surfers aren’t clamoring to see the interiors of mountainous countries. It’s also limited since there’s a finite amount of places to explore. But that doesn’t mean that new won’t become old and old can’t become new again.
So why did I suggest divers or surfers? Because these two are part of a small group of modern-day explorers. Did you know surfing was apparently imported to SoCal from Hawaii in the early 1900s? If you do either of these, and understand the culture, then you know the only travel concerns you have are:
- Priority #1: great dives/surfs
- Somewhere to repair gear
- Somewhere to sleep
- Somewhere to drink (beer)
- No gimmicky tourists
And that’s about it. There’s no mention of: political climate, ease of transportation, available guided tours, spa packages at 5-star hotels, or occasional, stray scorpions! These guys and girls are LITERALLY “testing the waters” for the rest of us.
The sought after recreation trumps all of these other inhibitors. Once they arrive, the raw beauty of their surroundings, goodwill of locals, & cheap conversion rates keep them coming back. This is why Ryan @ Planting Dollars left for Waikiki and put the cold weather behind him to pursue his diving passion.
While there’s a range of travel magazines out there, we’re targeting the more commercial name-brands. Not going to name any specifically, but you know the ones. Tailored less to the seasoned traveler, they can focus more on amenities than attractions. Or maybe it’s that the surfing/diving enthusiasts are more in-tune with what’s really important as Bytta notes:
- Randomness
- Connected to the world
- Disconnected from their lives
- Up for culture shock
- Physically adventurous
Doubt they’d be liable (at least entirely), but can you imagine the bad publicity if a tourist got injured at the behest of some travel magazine recommendation? Yikes. That could be why they perform their role in the journalistic sense, but are more near-sighted and uncreative in their recommendations. These sources need those adventurous souls to act as guinea pigs. And it may not be a quick process – it could take years for a destination to catch on.
That time span between first explorers & mainstream media is when you should capitalize on the best traveling conditions.
I just know Oahu really. I wish I was a better surfer, but I do have the bug now, hence why I go to Hawaii so often.
Hope you catch the bug too!
Best, Sam
.-= Financial Samurai´s last blog ..The List of Jobs I’d Do For Free Baby! =-.
@ Sam:
Remember my $350k in 1 minute challenge? Going somewhere for a surfing vacation is (and will be) a dream of mine. I’ve had a few “attempts”, had a few “teachers”, but nothing to really build on.
Wow, thanks for the citation, mate.
There’s a hot up-and-coming diving spot in West Papua, Indonesia and thankfully not many people find out yet.
Another niche travel trend I like to find out (and do) more is ethical travel. It includes not only volunteering, but also staying in a community-based resort where all of the profit will go to build the community instead of to the international hotel chains. Some examples include Treasure beach in Jamaica and staying in a desert tent in Merzouga, Morocco.
I think staying in a community with an extremely unusual environment (like desert) will expand your horizon more than your typical holiday. It definitely ticks all of my boxes :)
.-= Bytta@151DaysOff´s last blog ..Yakezie Carnival #11: The Ultimate Travel Edition =-.
@ Bytta:
It was a great wrap-up – I really liked the list, hope you don’t mind me using it verbatim. Ethical travel eh? Is this the same as working vacations? I think the idea is you help a community build something or work in their fields and stay in the community.
I agree about getting more profits into the hands of the residents. Otherwise, it could be construed as exploitation.
Hey,
Thanks for the mention, endless niche possibilities because the big players can’t get as detailed with their information or provide as much of an opinion.
.-= Ryan @ Planting Dollars´s last blog ..Stop Thinking About Money! =-.
@ Ryan:
From what I’ve learned, “professional” writers seem to be fairly limited with their scope. Definitely – there are millions of niche possibilities. I’ve started to notice a shift in traditionally product-based businesses to start offering services as well (REI is a good example).
If I found a great place that I thuoght would eventually become a hot spot, I would look into buying some property there. My girlfriend’s dad bought some land in Trinidad a while ago, now he is sitting on millions because he bought a future hot spot.
@ MFO:
Whoa – better lock that down! ;) Is the g/f & dad natives? I’ve heard lots of good things about Trinidad & Tobago. Funny – because I bet when he first bought it, he wasn’t thinking millions – he was thinking “now I own a small sliver of paradise”.
I recently went to Dahab in Egypt (just 9 hours from Cairo where I live right now) and it was stunning, not too busy and as diving goes pretty cheap. Plus….. it has one of the most magnificent dive spots on the Planet, The Blue Hole.
.-= Forest´s last blog ..Does A Minimalist Lifestyle Breed Laziness? =-.
@ Forest:
Very cool. Luckily not many people read this site – so you’re secret is safe with me ;)
Similar to investments (and life in general) the biggest returns can come from taking the biggest “risks”. Glad you had a good trip.
Ha ha! Sadly there is a Hilton there already so the masses are already on their way…
.-= Forest´s last blog ..Does A Minimalist Lifestyle Breed Laziness? =-.
@ Forest:
Could be okay for a little longer. If it’s only one hotel – doesn’t seem to get the same onslaught as been there’s several. There’s safety in numbers right? ;)
I love the following statement.
“That time span between first explorers & mainstream media is when you should capitalize
on the best traveling conditions.”
I guess I am still hesitant to be a guinea pig. So far, we haven’t had a bad vacation, but of course there is a premium to going with “tried and true.”
.-= Roshawn @ Watson Inc´s last blog ..Do The Rich Pay Their Fair Share Of Taxes? =-.
@ Roshawn:
Hey gotta start somewhere! You don’t need to take a big plunge, there’s always ways to ease into it. If you like the “tried and true” you should check out my other article about traveling off-season.
Traveling off season: If one likes the Surfing/Diving Scene, just think about it …. snow birds fly south for the winter. And what do people do when it’s hot outside? They go north (for the most part. Soooo, the best deals I find are in summer months to places like the caribbean or mexico. We’re heading to Cozumel (diving/snorkling) for 2 weeks. Why? Because it’s much cheaper in the summertime (late-July inparticular). Just an FYI really as I’m sure it’s similar for other “hot spots/climates” too. We also save money by going economically, instead of full blown all-inclusive resorts too. In Cozumel, stay “In-Town” and you save 1/2 price. Beer and Booze is cheap there, as are the off-the-tourista’s-path paces to eat. (I’ve been there many times in the past). And the Yucatan of Mexico isn’t the gang war, gun toting, anti-American kind of places that the media talk about lately. That’s the west coast (Pacific side). Rent a villa for cheap, or a hotel in town. It’s half the cost and you can spend the excess on other stuff .. or, like us, spend 2 weeks (14-16 days) there for what some pay for a 5 night stay.
Surfers and Divers like to enjoy the place they are going to … the earth elements. They like to do it cheaply too, and I enjoy luxury like the next one, but don’t/won’t have to pay the price.
My 2 pesos. :)
@ ODWO:
Awesome! Have a great time in Cozumel – sounds like you’re a psuedo local? Wow – 2 weeks and getting your money’s worth. Now that’s the type of money-saving strategy I like to hear! I’ll also be taking a Central American Summer trip and we snagged a great deal as well.
Yes, people falsely believe they “save” money with all-inclusive, but they never consider that those “free” benefits are already packaged into the total price.
Really liked the way you put that “earth elements”. You can lose the beauty of the place you’re visiting if the focus is on your amenities!