A Lifetime of Trips

There are a few enduring phrases that have become permanently etched in our collective consciousness when we talk about or plan travel to places remote and often exotic. And the one phrase that must surely be at top of anyone’s list is just five words. But oh my, the power of those words: once-in-a-lifetime-trip.

I must confess I have always had a big problem with that phrase. And frankly, I hope you do, too. Why? Because it implies one trip, a singular one-time experience. Now maybe it’s just me being too literal, but I think we should all bid adieu to the word “once”. And change the whole thing to read: one-of-my-lifetime-trips. Ahhh…doesn’t that feel so much better? It’s still just five words. But the ‘s’ tacked onto the word trip is huge. It takes the pressure off; it’s not like you and I have to make the perfect choice and that if we don’t we’ll end up regretting it for the rest of our lives.

And even if you somehow truly know you have just taken the so-called trip-of-a-lifetime, if you are like most adventure travelers chances are you’ve still got lots of places on the globe you want to go and will go. The world awaits you…so let’s get started.

Just in case you need a little inspiration, here are some of the key findings from a recent survey titled “The Trip of a Lifetime Travel Report 2010″. Ugghh, there’s that pesky phrase again. But the goal of the study, conducted by GeckoGo, iExplore and Lasso Communications, was to obtain a snapshot of consumer attitudes from travelers worldwide about taking “lifetime” trips, what destinations are considered, the importance of travel companions, price and duration.

So where do most people want to go and what do they want to do? 70% of the respondents said they are most interested in visiting natural and man-made wonders such as the Pyramids, Machu Picchu or Victoria Falls. Beyond that, 53% want to go on safari and 42% want a rainforest expedition. The top ten destinations:

1. Around-the-world
2. Australia/New Zealand
3. Africa (overland)
4. Antarctica
5. Egypt
6. Italy
7. Peru
8. India
9. South Africa
10. Greece

And what do you think is considered THE most important consideration in planning a lifetime trip? Yep, it’s who you go with. 50% said “who I travel with” is very important, followed by “being able to fulfill a personal goal (45%). The length of the trip and how challenging it is were of only moderate importance.

If you’re one of those who thinks a lifetime trip has to be costly, you might want to reconsider. Nearly 30% of the respondents reported they are willing to spend between $2,000-$3,999 (excluding airfare) and 25% are willing to spend between $4,000-$5,999. The survey reveals planned trips tend to both longer and more costly than actual trips, reflecting the obvious constraints of time and money. But do you really need an over-the-top uber-luxury safari camp? There are literally hundreds of amazing lodges and camps that are affordable and quite honestly provide a much more authentic and often intimate Africa experience.

So where will you go next? And next? And next after that? We all have our life list and I’d love to hear from you with your trips-of-a-lifetime list. Me? I’m still at the very beginning of the alphabet with places that end in “a” – the Atacama & Bolivia, Cuba, Zambia, Mongolia, Petra, Slovenia and Sri Lanka. Guess I better get packing.

About the author: Proof that following your passion is always a good road to travel, Mark has been blessed to work for some of the world’s best travel & hospitality companies including Mountain Travel Sobek, Virtuoso, TCS Expeditions and Kimpton Hotels. As the founder of Solaia Consulting he now offers marketing, branding, operations and general management expertise to his clients. He resides in Seattle with his wife, two boys and their Bernese Mountain Dog.

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