🌎 Experiential gifting for 💕 & local travel, an under appreciated Mediterranean coast, plus the latest travel contests & news
Vol. 6
Welcome to The Weekly Traveller, Vol. 6!
I’ve been at home working away and packing where I can before taking off on my next trip later this week. Not only am I excited about the destination I’m visiting, but the theme and activities should be so much fun, too. It’s a secret for now, but you’ll know more next week! (But if you’re following me on Instagram or TikTok, you’ll likely find out sooner.)
On the business side, I had such a nice time speaking at the Central Counties Tourism Symposium on Monday. They’re a local tourism organization here in the Greater Toronto Area with a beautiful region filled with incredible small towns, local businesses and unique experiences.
My talk was about “Telling Your Story Digitally”, and focused on offering tips to industry members about storytelling, and how to work with content creators. It was great to be able to share my strategies, and learn from industry members, too!
In this edition ⬇️
Experience gifts perfect for Valentine’s Day 💝
Destination inspiration spotlight for the week: The Turkish Mediterranean Coast 💙🧿
Travel deals and contests of the week 🏆
Travel news of the week 🗞️
Experience gifts perfect for Valentine’s Day
Whether you’re in a romantic partnership or not, it’s always a treat to give the gift of an experience. No matter the occasion, more and more people are shifting away from buying “things” for gifts and focusing on buying experiences.
Experience gifts are a more sustainable way to give, and when they fit into a travel lens, they often include experiences you maybe hadn’t realized existed before. Like on my recent trip to Tulum, I went to several cenotes (which is an excellent experience day trip in its own right—my friend Charmaine actually wrote a great article about visiting them), but I had no idea some cenotes have zipline courses that go over the water, which offers a new way to experience these memorable places.
I also recently put together a post all about cute experience gifts to give this Valentine’s Day in Ontario. Whether you’re focused on more local or international travel experience gifts, if you’re still on the hunt for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, experience gifts are the way to go.
Experience gift ideas for Valentine’s Day
Getaway to a Popular Destination in the Off-Season. This is an excellent time to enjoy places that can be crowded in busier seasons, especially in the northern hemisphere.
It’s a good time of year to think about visiting destinations like Italy (except maybe not Rome, since this year, since it’s the Jubilee year), Portugal, Banff & Jasper National Parks in Canada, or New York City, to name a few.
You can also think about popular places more local to you that tend to be busier other times of year, that you could visit in the low season.
Tickets to a Show. Concerts, musicals, live theatre, comedy and special events are happening all of the time, especially in the nearest major city to you. If you need to travel a little further for a show, you can make a short trip or weekend out of it.
Take a Tour. Whether you’re looking for a fun way to get to know a place local to you, or you’re looking to book something a little more full-on like a multi-day safari or guided experience, this makes a great gift. Winery tours, history tours, food tours, boat tours and walking tours are some of my favourite ways to experience a destination.
Book a Unique Stay. These are some of my favourite experiences to either turn into the focus of a destination in their own right, or to pair with another experience. There’s nothing more fun than staying at a local glamping retreat and booking a local winery tour for an outing. Some of my favourite unique stays include:
tiny cabins, like this local stay near Toronto in Keene
farm stays, like this farm and cidery that now offers overnight accommodations
homestays with a local host family
unique accommodations
think grain barrels, shipping containers, or Costa Verde Hotel in Costa Rica—located inside an airplane, which has been on my must-visit list for quite some time.
Take a Class Together. This can be an amazing experience to enjoy local to you, or in an international destination—cooking classes or artisan classes (like taking a tile making class in Portugal!) are a great way to get to know the culture and tastes of a place better. But there are also other types of classes and lessons you can take, like surfing, yoga, or foraging hikes, too.
The amazing thing about experience gifts is you don’t need to feel pressured to have the physical tickets or passes ready on the actual day you gift them. If you can buy a voucher for an experience, that’s great, but if you want to sit down and plan a time for a larger commitment, my favourite thing is to write in a personalized card what the gift will be, and let the planning begin!
Destination inspiration spotlight for the week: the Turkish Mediterranean Coast 💙🧿
This destination just so happens to be the most recent experience gift I was a part of, so it just makes sense to feature it here.
As some of you may already know, Turkiye (formerly Turkey) is a very special destination for me. Chris and I lived in Istanbul for 3 years, and we welcome any opportunity to return to that city and this country.
While we most recently returned for a travel writing conference, we both agreed that this trip to Turkiye (and subsequently the Netherlands and England) would be our Christmas gift to each other.
Since we’d spent so much time in Turkiye already and had an endless list of places we wanted to return to, it was really difficult to choose where we wanted to go. But we landed on revisiting the Turkish Mediterranean Coast.
The Turkish Mediterranean Coastal Region
This region makes up a large part of the southwestern and southern coast of Turkiye, approximately between Mersin to the east and Marmaris to the west. You may recognize cities and towns like Alanya, Side, Kas and Fethiye, all of which can be found along this coast.
This region is often referred to as the “Turquoise Coast”, and has incredible historical sites, steep cliffs and mountains and bright blue coves and water views along the route.
Highlights Along The Coast
Unfortunately I haven’t been able to visit all places along the Turkish Mediterranean, but I’ve spent a fair amount of time in and around Antalya all the way over the Fethiye.
Since these are the places I’ve been to, I’ll recommend stops through here but would definitely recommend looking into the areas further east, too. I’d definitely recommend renting a car to visit this part of Turkiye, and driving along this stretch is straightforward.
Some of my favourite highlights include:
Stopping at ancient sites. This stretch of Turkiye is home to the famous Lycian Way, which is a long-distance hiking trail taking you along the coast of ancient Lycia. You can also see ruins like the famous UNESCO site Xanthos, or just situate yourself in the old town of Antalya. There are honestly so many sites too that you may just see a sign and stop off at one as you’re making your way along the route.
Indulging in fresh foods and seafood. Turkiye is home to meze: small dishes of so many different flavours that will keep you satiated throughout the trip. You can start your day enjoying Turkish breakfast (I outlined how breakfast works in this article) and finish the day with a glass of Raki and a meyhane dinner with local grilled octopus and fresh fish.
Getting out on the water. One of the most famous activities in this part of the country is to go paragliding over the Blue Lagoon in Oludeniz, but you can also spend the day on a boat sailing through sunken ruins of Kekova, or take a multi-day trip on a Turkish gulet (a traditional sailboat).
Hit the beaches. I love the chance to relax on a Turkish pestemal (cotton woven towel, often found in bright colours) with a book in hand, sitting under the warm Mediterranean sun and going in and out of the sea. From quiet, small pebbly beaches to boutique hotels and larger resorts near Antalya, there are so many options along the coast.
Deals and Contests of the Week
There are a lot of regulations and restrictions when it comes to rafting through The Grand Canyon. For thrill seekers interested in entering the annual rafting lottery, it’s now officially open for rafting spots for 2026. Details can be found here, and you have to apply by Feb. 25, 2025.
Win a golf holiday to Mauritius! The grand prize is a 7-night, half-board stay at the 5-star Anahita Golf & Spa Resort. It includes unlimited rounds of on-site golf on Ile aux Cerfs and Anahita Golf Club, private transfers, and return flights from the UK. Open to UK residents only, and entries close Feb 28.
Win a Valentine’s Day Sweepstakes trip for two to Bermuda with BermudAir! Prize includes a 2-night stay at The Loren hotel and airfare. Contest closes February 13.
Travel News of the Week
After reopening its borders in December 2022, Fiji has been welcoming travellers and consistently rebuilding its tourism sector. It’s aiming to reach pre-pandemic levels of travel this year, which is great to hear.
One travel prediction for the year from Going.com is that since airlines are adding transatlantic routes and increasing competition, travelers may be able to expect more affordable flight options to Europe in 2025.
And that’s it for now! I’ll share more in next Wednesday’s edition. Don’t forget to subscribe and share for the latest in travel.
🫶 Bri