How travelling makes you happy

March 20, 2017

“Happiness,” according to the Dalai Lama, “is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” In 2011, the United Nations recognized happiness as a fundamental goal, and, every year since, has called for people around the world to observe an International Day of Happiness on March 20. To celebrate, we asked individuals who have taken a trip with G Adventures to tell us, on Facebook, how the act of travelling has made their lives happier. Here are five of our favourite stories.

Travelling can fortify lifelong friendships.

Travelling can fortify lifelong friendships.

Lyndsay Serett from Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

Lyndsay took a trip during a time in her life when happiness was a bit harder to come by: “I went on my first G Adventures trip to Costa Rica a few months after I separated from my husband,” she says. “That trip was the first time I had felt truly happy since the breakup.” Lyndsay met a group of people on the trip who she says became like family to her, and is still in touch with many of the friends she made on the trip.

Our Central America tours offer a range of itineraries and activities to satisfy any travel style. Check them out here.

Barney Peterson, Eugene, Oregon, U.S.

A little while ago, Barney celebrated his birthday along the Tambotava River in the Amazon jungle. The occasion wasn’t just notable because Barney was turning 71 years young: “It is the first birthday party I have ever had,” he says, “and it could not have been better.” Less than a week later, Barney and his travel mates — and new friends — celebrated once more, enjoying Christmas Day together on the trail to Machu Picchu, all of them decked out in in Santa hats. Since returning from the trip, Barney has kept in contact with many of the friends along the way, making the tour, according to him, "the gift that keeps on giving.”

Our Machu Pichu and the Amazon tour is 10 days of scenery, hiking, and history. Sound like something that might make you happy? Check it out.

Sarah Saunders, London, England

Sometimes, a trip abroad can alter your course forever. For Sarah, it was a 21-day journey to hike the Inca Trail in 2011, on which she met the love of her life — and future husband. Sarah is from the U.S., but has since relocated to London, England (her husband is British). “That tour literally changed my life,” she says.

G Adventures offers a number of treks to Peru that visit the Inca Trail and beyond. Take a look.

Steve King and Kate Harper, Queensland, Australia

Tales of love on the road are common. For Steve, a hike to the top of Machu Picchu was the perfect opportunity to pop the question to Kate — and, on top of the world, she said yes. “Definitely the HIGHlight of my life,” Steve says.

Prefer your travel on the active side? G Adventures offers trips around the world where hiking, cycling, and keeping in motion are on the itinerary. Check out our Active travel options here.

Tom and Zoe Milner, London, England

First comes love, then comes marriage… . For Tom and Zoe, the most unforgettable part of their trip to Vietnam was discovering that they’d soon be welcoming their first baby. Zoe learned she was pregnant just three days into the couple’s 10-day trip to Vietnam in November 2016. The couple were planning to set out on one of their tour’s optional excursions, which involved a beach party with some alcohol on offer, and Zoe was worried she shouldn’t be drinking, because she suspected she was pregnant. “We had to find a pregnancy test at a Vietnamese pharmacy,” Tom recalls. “They didn’t speak any English, so we had to sort of use sign language to explain what we wanted.” Their G Adventures guide was the first person to learn the great news.

The baby — which Tom and Zoe recently learned is a boy — is due on the fourth of July, so Tom says a trip to the U.S. may be on the horizon. “As soon as we’ve got ourselves a bit settled down,” he says — perhaps with baby decked out in the onesie presented to the couple as a gift after they finished their trip, which reads "travelling with G Adventures since before I was born.”

From amazing food to breathtaking scenery, our trips to Vietnam cover so much of what this beautiful country has to offer. Check out our small group tours to the region here.

Getting There

G Adventures believes in making the world a better place through travel. We're excited to show you this big, beautiful world we live in; check out our small group tours and unique itineraries here.

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