7 Things to do on Rainy Days During your Travels
For two days the rain thrashed down outside sideways, pushed by the howling wind on the glassed window. The grey overcast sky and chilly temperatures added to the bleakness of the mood.
I felt like a ship marooned out to sea, nowhere to go, no rays of sunshine on the horizon.
Kalyra, despite spending the morning throwing up, piked up in the afternoon and convinced us to go to the coffee shop. We braved the rain, ready for an adventure to break the cabin fever that had enveloped us.
Cabin fever
There’s no controlling or escaping the weather. You just have to deal with the thunder when it decides to clap.
Over coffee, I began to think of lazy days of travel forced upon by the rain. What did we used to do?
6 Things to do on Rainy Days during your Travels
Go Hiking
Why not?
Believe it or not we spent plenty of days on our travels hiking in the rain.
Your hike is planned, and sometimes you have booked and paid for a local guide. Time does not allow for you to wait for a few days to see if it passes.
Throw on the boots, put on your hiking rain jacket and go slip sliding in the mud.
Hiking in the rain, can be great fun and brings a new perspective to your outdoor adventure. Besides it makes a great story to tell.
Spend the day Reading and Writing
Grab a hammock, or a comfy chair in your hostel lounge area, and chill out for a day of reading or writing.
These can be some of your most relaxing days. Catch up on some journal writing, emailing and entertaining or informative reading. Surround yourself with chill out music, delicious food, and green tea.
Get to Know other Travellers
Instead of just reading and writing, rainy days are perfect for getting to know your fellow travellers. They’ll be just as bored as you and keen for some stimulating conversation and a few laughs.
Having fun with other travellers in the raiin
Grab a few beers and start socializing.
Why not? Nothing else to do so you might as well party.
Throw some music on, pull out the universal card games, get someone to strum a guitar and you are in for some memorable moments.
Watch Movies
Either at the cinema, or the hostel room, the local restaurant or on your lap top you can waste the day away watching movies.
I rarely watch movies as I have too many other things to do; too many real life things that I prefer to do. Rainy days present the perfect excuse to get me to stop and get lost in someone else’s world for a change and enjoy a different side to life.
Watch the Rain Lash Down
The rain lashes down in Etosha
On our last evening in Nkhata Bay, Malawi, the heavens opened up above the lake and lashed down in a electric display of thunder and lighting.
It was magical sitting on the porch of our bungalow perched above the rocks watching this incredible display of nature in front of us. Make sure you are sitting in a safe spot while voyeuring and allow yourself to become mesmerized for an hour.
We sat in the safety of our car in Etosha National Park for hours watching the torrential rain and how the animals reacted to it. Frozen, they remained standing the entire time, enjoying the cool refreshing water run in torrents over their bodies, showing us how rain should be appreciated.
Get loved Up
Travel is always so busy and full of sightseeing, activities, socializing and cramped living spaces. It’s always awkward to find the time and space with your honey for some good old lovin’. Allow the rain to give you the excuse you need to shut the bungalow door and reconnect.
What do you like to do on rainy days during your travels?
Caz
Caz Makepeace is the co-founder of y Travel Blog and has been traveling and living around the world since 1997, first solo, then with her husband, and now with her two daughters. Don't miss her 9 best tips to help you travel more. Follow her on Google+
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15 comments on “7 Things to do on Rainy Days During your Travels”
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Hi! We’re Caz and Craig…
Our blog is about helping you to get inspired & informed to go travel, & travel more often Read On
Great ideas! I’m expecting some rainy travels next week
Are your children the result of rainy days then? hehe! There’s a reason behind the term ‘baby-making-weather’ afterall!
If that is the case then that activity is off the list for us from now on!!! Two is plenty!!
Craig better take up scrabble or something
I love to watch the rain when there is a huge thinderstorm. Quite often Ant and I will have a tea (or beer) and sit and watch the downpour and lightning.
That’s the thing I love about travelling-I can just sit and watch the rain if I want to- I don’t have anything else I really need to do!
You have some wonderful ideas! Sometimes on a rainy day I just like to sleep longer in the morning.
It’s my time to catch up on my blog and photography editing. No guilt about staying in all day working on my computer if it’s raining.
Guilt gets you no where. Enjoy doing nothing, well work.
I loved this list, and loved it even more when you threw out that last tip. Any excuse, eh?
I’ve got to say that I really don’t enjoy hiking in the wet. I’m a bit of a sissy that way. I loathe being out on a rainy day unless I’m swimming or on a run.
Any excuse for sure!
We would add take advantage of any indoor display you can find,that you might normally pass on..Last March we were in Madrid and there was a plentiful amount of rain in Spain that day. Nowhere to sit down for a quick break/map reading etc. because all benches, church steps etc etc were soaked. While at the Botanical Gardens we wander into a building for the sole purpose of finding a place to rest after 5 hours of sightseeing. There was a display celebrating the Canary Islands which included a 15 minute video showcasing all the Canary Islands had to offer, they had throw pillows on the floor and on a few futons and it looked soooo inviting. We grabbed a comfy spot and watched the video 2x. The Canary Island weren’t really on our radar. In fact we were planning that in 2012 it was time to begin our immersion in South America for the next couple of years. However, we were mesmerized by this video!!!!! It’s amazing how the desire to just get out the rain for a few minutes ended up changing the course of our travel plans! We have now postponed South America until 2013 and will be incorporating one more trip to Europe which will include time in the Canary Islands!
Wow! That is a cool story. Look what the rain can do. Create children or unexpected travel itineraries!!
Great list! It’s easy to rule out having fun just because of the rain. I especially like the idea of hiking in the rain. Not the first thought on my mind on rainy days but now I’ll definitely add it to the top of my list
IT brings a different perspective to it, but its fun and gives you a good story to tell
Great post guys! I hole myself up with a few snacks, some trashy TV shows and Facebook on rainy days! Or I’ll get myself to a coffee shop and just spend hours there people watching, writing and re-connecting with Judge Judy.
I just can’t agree with you about the hiking though – I’m not a big fan to begin with, so the rain only compounds my general misery haha!
Waegook Tom recently posted..Why You Can’t Bulletpoint Gay Travel
Oh yeah, if you don’t like hiking then scrap it on a rainy day- you’ll be miserable. The coffee shop is a winner especially if they have a fire