Travel is food for the soul and is something that everyone should consider at some point in their lives. Not only does travel allow you to see some of the most awe inspiring sights in the world, but it gets you out of your comfort zone, forces you to try new things and broadens your cultural awareness.
Island hopping in Asia, hitchhiking in Australia and volunteering in Africa are well known pursuits of travellers, but what about doing something different? Don't take yourself of to a far flung country just to do the same thing as every other traveller who came before you.
Go somewhere off the beaten track, try something wildly out of your comfort zone and take in things you wouldn't normally even entertain. Take a look below at some of the best 'weird' things to do on your travels.
Clown about
Every year at the end of March the Ukrainian city of Odessa hosts the Comediada festival which welcomes a host of clowns and mimes under the motto 'Laugh to the World'. The annual get together was designed to create peace and mutual laughter amongst people of the world.
Every year guests from all over the globe travel to Odessa to dress up as their favourite clown characters and parade through the streets on massive flotillas. In Jack Whitehall's Netflix travel show, he took his father Michael to the festival who managed to overcome his fear of clowns!
Extreme Sports in an offbeat location
Bogota, Cartagena and Medellin are the main destinations for backpackers in Colombia looking for history, sun and tales of Pablo Escobar. However one of the best places to head to is San Gil, close to the Venezuelan border.
It's an incredibly small town focused on the main square and there are only two hostels available, Sams VIP is your best bet for social interaction and relative luxury. Once there you can book onto a whole host of adrenaline filled activities.
Paragliding over Chichamocha Canyon (the second largest in the world), kayaking or rafting down the notoriously wild Rio Suares or repelling down some insanely high waterfalls and swimming in gloriously blue natural pools.
As you're in rural Colombia the prices will be cheaper than the other main hotspots in the country meaning you'll get more bang for your buck. There's also tonnes of tasty local food available from street vendors.
Admire in awe the world's largest ice and snow sculptures
The Harbin international ice and snow sculpture festival is an annual winter event in China that has since gone from a local festival to one that attracts visitors from all around the world. In 2017 alone 18 million tourists descended on the small town of Harbin to check out the amazing attractions.
Frozen ice and snow is taken from the nearby Songhua River to carve out the large ice sculptures on display. In 2010 an intricate recreation of the Sphinx was erected with walkways underneath and internal lights covering the sculpture in an enticing purple colour.
The festival runs from Christmas Eve to mid-February each year so there's plenty of time to get down and admire the icy artwork.
Mark your card at Aspers, London
Poker is fast becoming one of the most popular games in the world and this year one of the card games biggest events is happening in London. From 22nd November to 3rd December Aspers Casino will play host to the 888poker live festival.
Some of the world's biggest poker names such as Scott Blumstein, Joe Cada and Martin Jacobson will be there testing their skills, and you can get involved as well with low buy-ins for novices.
It's also a chance to visit Britain's one and only super casino, which rivals some of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas.
Climb to heaven in County Fermanagh
Cuilcagh Mountain in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland is home to an ancient peat bog and a summit that offers terrific views of the nearby landscape. Omagh council recently took the decision to install a 5km walkway allowing tourists to climb to the top of the mountain without affecting the stability of the peat bog.
The walk takes you to the 666m summit of Cuilcagh Mountain and is perfect for all levels of climbers. Opened in 2015, the Stairway to Heaven has brought in tourists from wide and far and has become a social media sensation with users posting pictures of the excellent views.
Sip Montepulciano in the rugged Abruzzo countryside
There are much more famous destinations in Italy than Abruzzo, like Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Venice and Sicily. But none will offer you the same level of satisfaction as the trip to the hills of Abruzzo.
The region is famed for its laid-back attitude and the production of one of the world's best ever wines, Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. A must visit in Abruzzo is Masciarelli's vineyard, run by the enigmatic Rocco Cippollone.
Here you will taste some of the best food in the region and undoubtedly the best wine that Italy has to offer. Masciarelli own several vineyards located around the region to make the most out of the regions various micro climates, so you'll be able to tour most of the Abruzzo.
Nearby is the town of Pescara which is a perfect seaside retreat with pristine beaches and some of the most sumptuous seafood Europe has to offer.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader