Be Curious: Travel Better and See the World Differently
There is a special moment that I hope you’ve experienced in your travels. You've wandered down an unfamiliar street, perhaps heading towards an interesting building or the sounds of a crowd or music. Your itinerary is forgotten and something much more powerful and interesting takes over. Suddenly, there it is—a hidden courtyard, an underground passageway, a local event or simply an open door. In this moment, you face a choice: backtrack to your preplanned route or surrender to curiosity.
Curiosity is, perhaps, the most undervalued intention in travel. While relaxation beckons us to luxury escapes and adventure pulls us toward adrenaline-fueled experiences, curiosity operates with subtle power. It's the gentle invitation that says, "I wonder what's around that corner?" or "Why do they prepare the dish that way?" or “What’s the backstory here?” Travel curiosity helps transform us from passive observers to engaged participants.
Curious Minds Travel Better
When we travel with curiosity as our intention, our journey deepens. No longer are we merely collecting photographs or checking destinations and “must-sees” off a list. Instead, we become learners of culture, students of humanity, and apprentices to whatever wisdom is embedded in places both ancient and new.
I love to pop into churches, though I’ve only attended services when travelling with my mother. One warm summer evening, my husband and I were lingering in the square outside our apartment in Bruges, Belgium, when we noticed a steady stream of people heading into a charming old church. We hesitated—unsure about joining them, not wanting to treat a church service like a tourist attraction. But curiosity got the better of us, and we decided to peek inside.
To our surprise, a poster near the entrance announced a free Baroque concert that evening. Following that small spark of curiosity led us to an exquisite evening—listening to a string quartet perform in a breathtaking Gothic church. It was magical!
Curiosity is Good for You
Beyond being a powerful travel intention, curiosity is also good for you! Scott Shigeoka, author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World, describes curiosity as a superpower!
Neurologically, curiosity activates our brain's reward system, releasing dopamine. Dopamine, the feel-good hormone, enhances memory formation, motivation and enjoyment of learning. Fun fact - this is why memories fuelled by curiosity often remain vivid years later, while the details of luxury accommodations might fade.
Psychologically, curiosity builds our tolerance for uncertainty. Even travel mishaps fuelled by curiosity become stories of resilience and adaptation rather than disappointments. (Read about some of my travel mishaps here!) Mario Livio, author of Why? What Makes Us Curious suggests that curiosity is, in fact, the best remedy for fear. A decade-long study from the Netherlands found that people with lower curiosity experience more anxiety and depression.
Curiosity was the driving force behind my first solo travel journey. After hearing other women rave about how empowering solo travel could be, I felt compelled to find out for myself. My first solo walking trip sparked by a willingness to embrace the unknown has become a yearly “experiment.” From venturing out on my own to explore the quiet woods of Vancouver Island, to navigating a bustling city break in Seattle, and even spending a week wandering Versailles and the streets of Paris solo! Each trip has strengthened my ability to handle uncertainty, proving that curiosity isn’t just about discovery—it’s also a powerful tool for building resilience.
Culturally, curiosity fosters genuine connections across differences, building bridges instead of barriers. Shigeoka uses the term Deep Curiosity which invites us to be courageous as we reach out to build bridges. His use of this term applies to efforts to make someone feel heard, seen and validated even when there are differences.
After an eye-opening tour of Belfast with a not-so-neutral guide, I became deeply curious about how The Troubles - the decades-long conflict in Northern Ireland dating back to the 1960s - continue to shape people’s lives and communities today.
Later, an unexpected visit to a hospital (a long story for another time) gave me the opportunity to explore the perspectives of residents. We spent some time with a friendly hospital employee who was very open to our questions about life in Northern Ireland. I asked if the divisions we learned about on our tour still affected her life. She shared that her spouse was Catholic while she was Protestant—a reality that still influences family dynamics and decisions, including which schools to choose for their children. While she believed things were improving, the legacy of The Troubles remains deeply felt.
How To Be A More Curious Traveller
To travel with curiosity is to wear a different lens—one that sees questions before answers, and possibilities before limitations. It means leaving space in your itinerary for serendipity, preparing questions alongside packing lists, and measuring your journey's success not by what you saw, but by what you came to understand.
A curious traveller might sit longer at the local café, asking questions that reveal the barista's cultural traditions. They might learn a few phrases in a new language rather than expecting the world to speak theirs. They might wander through markets asking about unfamiliar foods, or join impromptu street games in a neighbourhood park.
10 Practical Ways to Cultivate Your Curiosity - especially when you travel
Don’t limit curiosity to a simple intellectual exercise—instead, think of it as an ongoing practice. The goal isn’t just to know something, but to understand it. Research suggests that when we seek information out of genuine interest—rather than simply to fill a knowledge gap—it has a particularly positive impact on our wellbeing. Additionally, the process of figuring things out through trial and error, rather than being handed the answer, leaves a deeper and more lasting impression.
We can actively cultivate curiosity by paying attention to what sparks our interest. This practice involves developing skills like observation, asking thoughtful questions, experimenting, and staying open to being surprised—and even filled with wonder!
Linger longer. Slow down and give yourself time to notice the details.
Shake up your routine. Try unexpected things and see where they lead.
Ask to understand. Be curious about people’s experiences and perspectives.
Step out of your comfort zone. Try new languages, taste unfamiliar foods, or join in local activities. (Here are a few tips to survive a comfort zone challenge!)
Engage all your senses. Pay attention to sounds, smells, textures, and everything in between.
Explore beyond the guidebooks. Seek out hidden spots and local gems.
Make time to reflect. Journal your thoughts or share reflections with your travel companions.
Embrace the unexpected. When things don’t go as planned, stay open—and roll up your sleeves to figure it out.
Take micro-adventures. Find small, spontaneous adventures within your trip or even at home. (What’s a micro-adventure?)
Research with curiosity. Dive into something that intrigues you—local wildlife, history, place names, or regional foods.
Take a look at the list. Which idea is easy for you? Which is a harder stretch (that will strengthen your curiosity)? Which idea has already led to an amazing travel story? I’d love to hear in the comments below! I value my curiosity practice as it has resulted in many “off-itinerary” travel memories. A few of these include:
“What’s that music in the street? Let’s throw on some shoes and see if we can find it!” - led to being swept along with a religious procession in Seville, Spain.
“Can we join you?” - led to hopping aboard a boat heading to the volcano in Greece to celebrate a festival with Santorini locals.
“The bus will be a wait, shall we walk towards the next town and see what’s there?” - led to visiting a Blue Lagoon in Malta!
Curiosity can also guide your trip before it even happens! Use a curiosity mindset to shape where you stay, how you travel, and what you do. Read books, watch movies, talk to people! And then while you’re away, allow your curiosity to attract opportunities you could never have planned.
Begin your next journey with curiosity. Pack light on expectations and heavy on questions, and be prepared to bring home more than souvenirs and photographs. Instead, you will carry new perspectives, unexpected friendships, and a humble recognition that the world is infinitely more complex and beautiful than any preconception could capture. Most importantly, you’ll likely return home with a curiosity that continues to unfold in daily life, transforming not just how you travel, but how you live.
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I hope this article helps you to plan your next adventure! Looking for more guidance?
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