William Coleman
2019 is here and before you know it the new holiday season will be too. January is a month of kicking out the bad habits and doing your very best to stick to those all important New Year’s Resolutions. As we speedily approach the 2019 season we have vowed to make a few changes to our touring habits in 2019.
I am a self confessed creature of habit, I know what I like and I tend to stick to that. But this year will be a year of change for me and I urge everyone to jump on board and broaden your holiday horizons. I am going to list some new things I will be trying in 2019 and why they are, for me, the way forward.
So if you are doing the dreaded Dry January or cutting carbs, cakes and cookies to drop the extra few pounds you may have put on over Christmas why not extend that mentality to your leisure time and change the way you holiday?
Spend More Time In Scotland
I have gone out of my way to avoid caravanning in Scotland. The one and only reason for this is the time it takes to get there with a caravan attached.
Living in the South of London means that I am pretty much as far away from Scotland as possible. Yes I have been quite a few times, but always as a passenger never behind the wheel. The drive for me takes roughly 10+ hours when towing, a lot less if driving a motorhome, which means you need to pretty much add another day or so just for the travel time.
This year that will change! Scotland has some of the most beautiful scenery the UK has to offer and the people are always so friendly, certainly more friendly than the average Londoner.
I have been to Scotland a handful of times and really love it, especially the countryside. For the sake of adding an extra day to your travel time really will pale in comparison to the holiday experience.
Loch Ness, Loch Lomond, Edinburgh Castle or even a hike up Ben Nevis, there is just so much to do and see all across Scotland and this is one of my “go to” destinations for 2019.
Be More Active On Holiday
I do consider myself quite an active person in my day to day life but when it comes to my leisure time I am very much guilty of staying very stationary and becoming a bit indulgent when it comes to snacking. One 10 day trip away I managed put on a good few pounds due to some of the onsite homemade baked good and local public house.
As part of the health kick we all go through in the New Year I want to push it through and actually make being active part of my holiday time.
There are so many sites out there that are surrounded by walking trails, wildlife parks and forests that should be taken full advantage of. What is the worst that can happen? You become more healthy and see more of the world? Win win in my book.
No matter where you are during your holiday time you should be able to find bike trails, canoeing locations or even the mountain walks all of which are good fun and great for your well being.
One activity I am desperate to try, once the weather warms up, is some river system canoeing. I dabbled last year during the heatwave when I stayed at a CL site in Catley Cross and really cannot wait to try it again.
Pick 5 New Sites To Visit In 5 New Locations
As I said I am a bit of a creature of habit so to break my biggest trend I have set myself the target of visiting 5 new locations and staying at 5 new sites that I have never stayed in before.
As of yet I have not picked the 5 locations but I do have a rough idea of what areas I want to visit. Scotland being at the very top of the list and Wales coming in at a close second, it’s the next 3 I am struggling to choose.
The amount of variety out there is astonishing, almost too much to choose from. One idea I had was to use a compass type idea: Somewhere north (Scotland), Somewhere East, Somewhere South, Somewhere West (Wales) and finally somewhere bang in the middle. This is a lot easier said than done that’s for sure.
It is just finding the ideal site with enough near it to keep me and the family active while we are away. This way I get to tick 3 of my resolutions in 1 trip, smart thinking if I do say so myself.
Try A Different Outdoor Holiday
Being in the warm comfort of a caravan with your feet up and a nice cup of tea is what I tend to think about on a daily basis. But what else can be done with your holiday time?
Last year I did push the boat out a little bit by trying some glamping, yes it was still inside an Airstream caravan but it still counts. One thing I am keen to try is some wild off grid camping!
A lot of people opt to camp onsite where there are set pitches, washing facilities and a toilet block. I have done this but I want to challenge myself and see how well I can cope and channel my inner Ray Mers out in the wilds of the UK.
Camping in the wild is a totally different kettle of fish to your normal on site tent holidays. No gas, running water, electricity or heating. Just you, a tent and whatever kit you have packed in the back pack.
One of the main reasons for wanting to try this is to see just how easy, or hard, making a fire from scratch is. You see the experts like Bear Grylls set up a fire in seconds but those shows are edited to make it look super simple. I was given a fire lighting set for Christmas that came with some cotton wool, a magnesium flint striking stick, oh and a whistle?
Now I have set myself the challenge of cooking dinner on a fire I made from scratch with my own two hands. So there’s a new holiday with some new experiences which I am sure I will regret as soon as I have to wait for my fire making skills to kick in before I can have my tea or coffee.
What new challenges are you setting yourself this year? New van? New holiday? Let us know what you’re most excited for this holiday season.
