Walking holiday activities

Most walkers don’t just want to just ‘bag’ a mountain, or race from one valley to the next. Unless they are in search of complete solitude, most walkers enjoy getting off the beaten track on holiday to help them get in touch with the real country and its culture. Not the one laid on for tourists. A lot of walking holidays cater for this craving for cultural exchange, staying in traditional rural accommodation such as ryokans in the mountains of Japan, mountain auberges in the French Alps, or pensions in the Taurus Mountains of Turkey. Or by visiting important cultural sites en route, such as nunneries in Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains or Muslim shrines in Kashmir. As you walk past Laos’ paddy fields, you can stop and learn about the traditional rice farming methods or pause for lunch in an olive grove with local community members as you take on amazing walking trails in Palestine. That is one of the most wonderful things about walking holidays in remote spots. Hosts rarely feel threatened or ‘invaded’ by walkers. Turn up with a coachload of camera slinging tourists, however, and it’s a different story.

If you want to include wildlife watching as part of your walking holiday, you want to choose your destination carefully, and spend some time with an expert local guide if you can. Such as on a walking safari in Africa where, of course, you need full safety supervision while you walk. And if you didn’t think you were a wildlife fan Scotland will convert you, especially as there are great wildlife guides there to help you spot a golden eagle or red deer. Watch out for wild goats in Sierra de Gredos in Spain, or combine a night trek on a walking holiday in Madagascar to spot the various species of lemur. The secret is to read up on the country’s wildlife a little before you go, bring binoculars, keep your voice down and your eyes peeled. And don’t forget to just stop and listen.