The Wandering Hart

Most people when they think of international travel dream of seeing the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall, but seeing only these items might mean missing out on some cool experiences! From hiking out to Machu Picchu to planning a short trail outside Taipei, fitting a hike in when traveling internationally can give you a greater appreciation for the beauty each country you see has to offer.

It’s not easy or worth it to fit in a hike on every trip, but here are some tips for determining when it might be worthwhile and how to manage it when you decide to make it happen!

1. Do. Your. RESEARCH! Like with any major excursion, research will always help but this is particularly important for hiking. You’d hate to drive 30 min outside your destination city only to find that the National Park system in the country requires a reservation for entry, right? Researching “hiking in [country/state/province]” will also give you an idea of what areas or hikes people recommend and you can decide if the travel and hiking time others have listed is worth it. Also, don’t forget to check in on cultural rules around hiking in case there are any particular rules/expectations around noise, fees/donations, disposal of waste, etc.
2. Pack Accordingly. Packing is one of the biggest challenges for fitting in a hike — especially if this isn’t a hiking-focused trip. It’s hard to pack for a wedding in Kuala Lumpur and a hike in Penang in one carry-on, right? My recommendation is to invest in versatile gear and use your research to decide how necessary certain items really are. At times I’ve decided to hike in sneakers or even the flats I packed for a business trip! Be willing to compromise on less-than-perfect gear or reduce the intensity of the hike you go on if packing space will be an issue.
3. Even more research! Once you’ve decided to add a hike into your travels you need to make sure you know: the park’s rules & restrictions, weather concerns, and how you’ll get there and back. This last piece in particular is key! Often getting to a hike can be done via Uber but once you’re there and potentially outside of cell service range…how are you getting back to the hotel?! Often past tourists or locals will have posted recommendations so look closely for this and keep an eye out for cool forms of transit, too — for example, we found that in Penang we could take a group boat back to the city from the endpoint of our hike which was an awesome way to cap the experience.
4. Make a list of things to see. One of my favorite things about hiking in a new country is you’ll see entirely new flora and fauna. But, of course, you’ll be without cell service so you can’t look up what things are or what to be on the lookout for on the fly. I’ve found saving a few images of things I’d like to spot on my hike helps me appreciate things more.
5. Pre-Save Info! Speaking of saving things on your phone, be sure to store any maps or other info you’ll need offline before leaving the hotel for the day! Trail maps, trail signs, etc won’t always be translated into multiple languages (although I have lucked out in quite a few places!) so if you’ll need maps you should make sure you’ve stored them locally in your native language so you can access them while on the trail. The same goes for any instructions you’ll need to remember about getting to and from the trail.