4 Tips to Find Off the Beaten Path Adventures

I love discovering off the beaten path adventures. Regardless of the destination, you can usually find a few activities that do not involve crowds or tour buses. You just need to know where to look. I am sharing 4 tips to help you find off the beaten path adventures that have worked great for me over the years.

Talk to the Locals

Often, the easiest way to discover unique, off the beaten path excursions is to ask around once you have arrived at your destination. Talk to the locals, your server at dinner, or your hotel or accommodation host. We always get great recommendations- from a great restaurant to a secret beach or snorkel location. If you ask questions, you will undoubtedly discover a thing or two.

We traveled to Exuma a few years ago. While we had heard of Exuma, our conversation with local paddle board shop owner Kenny in St. John, USVI, is what sparked our interest. He spoke of the remoteness of the Exuma islands and shared his desire to retire there perhaps one day. He sold it without realizing it- a year later, we found ourselves in Exuma.

Search the Internet and Read Blogs

We decided to take the kids on a cruise when they were little. We honestly do not care for the crowds that come along with a cruise experience, which we knew in advance. I searched and read through blogs and forums in the port cities we would be visiting, looking for activities off the ship. Could we have gone on a pre-arranged tour through the cruise line? Yes, but those too can be crowded, so we wanted to do our own thing.

Low and behold, I found Chad. A private tour operator in Freeport, Bahamas, offering day tours. He had a Facebook page with an email address, and that is how we made arrangements for the tour. It was amazing!

Chad promptly picked us up at the cruise ship and we were off on our adventure. We spent a day kayaking, snorkeling a blue hole, visiting a movie site from Pirates of the Caribbean, and enjoying lunch and a cold beer at a local pub. A total of eight people were on the excursion, and guest what? No crowds. A local expert treated us to all the unique spots on the island. We all still fondly remember that day spent with “Uncle Chad,” as he instructed the kids to call him. In all honesty, that was one of our first times to venture off the beaten path and a highlight of our trip.

Research Tripadvisor Reviews

To this day, Tripadvisor is still one of my favorite and most trusted review sites and favorite ways to discover great places to stay and things to do. A little secret, I never simply search and go with the top-ranked activities or hotels. The Tripadvisor ranking algorithm factors the number of reviews received, so a new excursion, restaurant, hotel (or even a small property with a few rooms) may not be highly ranked. Look for a high rating instead! The Tripadvisor forums are also a great place to search through comments and suggestions based on your travel destination.

Over the years, we have discovered so many wonderful activities and places with Tripadvisor and my research process. Take for example the One Love Bus Tour in Negril, Jamaica. I heard about Lenbert and his One Love Bus Tour through Tripadvisor forums. Someone had asked for recommended things to do outside of the resort in Negril, and several people referred to the One Love Bus. By the way, if you are in Jamaica, I highly recommend this local pub crawl.

Another great excursion we enjoyed was the Kilkee Cliff walk in Kilkee, Ireland, which we discovered through an internet search and Tripadvisor. A short drive from the Shannon airport, Kilkee was the first place we stopped to grab a bite to eat and stretch our legs after a nine-hour flight, and if you find yourself in the area, I highly recommend it. Kilkee’s Cliff Walk offers stunning cliffs and breathtaking panoramic views, minus the crowds and tour buses you find further north at the Cliffs of Moher.

If you happen to love off the beaten path adventures as much as I do, I certainly hope you find my tips to be helpful and that they inspire you to start planning your adventures. And remember, whether you are close to home or far away, there is always something new to explore.