All for the love of travel | Our first steps

Introduction

Wherever you travel, albeit 5 miles from home or to the other side of the world, there are many joys to be had, least of all the discovery of something new and a break from routine. For many of us, you could also add the establishment of new relationships and emotional connections, a heightened awareness of differing cultures and an appreciation of home.

Travel can be an individual and a shared pursuit, that is one of its charms. You can be standing side-by-side with someone and yet both have a different focus and experience different emotions; you can travel with your nearest and dearest and yet both have a unique wish list of sites to see and activities to try. Travel highlights our individualities and our similarities. In our latest blog we discuss the first steps the Sunvil team take when exploring a new destination. We'd love to hear about your own routine.

Anticipation:

Your airline tickets and hotel vouchers have arrived... the days are counting down... and shortly you'll be leaving home in search of the unknown. For many of the Sunvil team it appears that the next step is a journey to the local bookshop to purchase a pocket guide and a map of the destination. For both Lloyd and Dudley guidebooks allow them to highlight the sites they do not want to miss in advance. Karolina and Rosanna opt for online blogs for their research, whereas Rachel loves to study a map - something she has carried forward from her family holidays as a child; along with a highlighter pen she enjoys identifying scenic drives and plotting her route away from arterial roads.

On arrival:

On arrival the Sunvil team split into two camps. Some take their time to peruse the local information available to them and to speak to their hosts, making a plan of action for the coming days. For others it is a case of dropping off their bags and heading straight to the pool, beach or into the city/resort for a walk. Rosanna comments "I usually walk around the town aimlessly to find my bearings. I like to discover it on my own and seek out where the local bakery is for breakfast, possible good restaurants for the evening and viewpoints for photo opportunities". Brett likes to find the highest point and venture up to find the best vantage, he says "normally during these adventures you can find little gems such as independent coffee shops and cosy bars."

First day:

It appears that the Sunvil team are early birds with Chris, Jonathan and Jackie all choosing to start the day with an early morning walk or run. Chris comments that it is in the early hours that "you tend to bump into locals and that they are more likely to speak to you when they are having their morning coffee". 

We appear to also enjoy being tourists with the team using hop-on hop-off buses, boat tours and locally-guided cycle or walking tours to find their bearings and to decide on the areas and sites they wish to concentrate on. Rachel will also pick-up the local newspaper to find out about events taking place - free concerts, food markets etc.

Welcome meetings such as those offered by our overseas representative team also provide insight to the city/resort imparting local knowledge and tips. 

Local tips

Regardless of the first steps we take, we all have something in common and that is a desire to learn from those who live and work within the destination we find ourselves. We talk to our hosts; we purposefully head out early in the morning to mingle with local residents and to share a coffee with them; we place ourselves amongst them - following recommended running routes, joining locally-guided walks or cycle tours, and visiting markets for our provisions.

What about you? How do you take your first tentative steps in a new place?