Last year, I marked my 50th birthday by going on my first safari. It was a proper bucket-list experience, up there with my other most extraordinary trips, such as riding the trans-Siberian railway, galloping a spirited Marwari horse across Rajasthan, diving in Indonesia’s Banda Sea and watching the Northern Lights after a spectacular day’s heli-skiing in Iceland.
Hitting mid-life has brought even more sharply into focus an urgency to travel and experience those “always wanted to” moments. Yet by 50, we often have more demands than ever, from ageing parents and tricky teenagers, to big mortgages and busy careers. It makes getting on a plane, and leaving the house for even a week, more heavily weighted than ever before.
At this mid-life stage, the way we travel has begun to shift. We might, if we’re lucky, have more to spend than when we were young, and while seeking adventure, are less inclined to want to rough it. Some of us might not be as fit as we once were (hampered by five knee operations, in my case). We’ve also started to ponder our heritage, and the deeper meaning of life.
With all this in mind, I’ve compiled my pick of the best travel experience to have after reaching mid-life, including how to do them.
