Travel Tips: Road Trips - Where to Go, What to Bring

Ever thought about going on a road trip just the two of you, or even with friends? Jump in a car, throw the backpacks in the boot, snacks in the front, and head off into the horizon? It's not for everybody; the close quarters, generally loose plans on where to stay each night, sometimes paired with camping in case you're really in the wilderness...and for many, those are the exact reasons they love a good road trip. In the #TRLT (The Road Less Traveled) Chat, a group very enthusiastic about road trips, was asked via @touristexclusiv:

​"What is the best region on The Road Less Traveled to do a road trip and for how long? Share a photo!"
People were only too happy to oblige:

Road Trip Idea #1: The Karoo in South Africa

@AFKTravel: The Karoo in South Africa for a week - it's beautiful & has amazing accommodation like @BloemhofKaroo

The Karoo in South Africa is a semi-desert natural region perfect for a road trip. To quote SouthAfrica.net: 
"Spanning nearly 400,000km squared in the geographic midriff of South Africa, the Great Karoo must be one of the quietest places on Earth.

It is a place of immense spaces, wide-angle horizons, craggy mountain ranges, conical hills, an ancient inland seabed, and a sky so big that at night it feels like you can touch the stars.

The Great Karoo stands proudly with other desert tourism regions like the Australian Outback and Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and makes for a memorable road-trip.

It seems you could travel for months in and about the towns of the Great Karoo and have a different experience in each one."

Road Trip Idea #2: Sacred Valley, Peru

@tryingbrevity: I just fell in love with Sacred Valley in Peru. You could roadtrip there like crazy.

The Sacred Valley is a region spanning about 60km in Peru's Andean highlands, perfect size for exploring by car:

To quote Lonely Planet: 
"Tucked under the tawny skirts of formidable foothills, the beautiful Río Urubamba Valley, known as El Valle Sagrado (The Sacred Valley), is about 15km north of Cuzco as the condor flies, via a narrow road of hairpin turns. Long the home of attractive colonial towns and isolated weaving villages, in recent years it has become a destination in its own right. Star attractions are the markets and the lofty Inca citadels of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, but the valley is also packed with other Inca sites. Trekking routes are deservedly gaining in popularity. Adrenaline activities range from rafting to rock climbing."

'Road' Trip Idea #3: Island Hopping in the Caribbean! 

@WyndhamReef: You can cross #GrandCayman in a day with island hopping included = perks of the #Caribbean

This is my favourite idea of them all - replace the car for a sailboat or yacht (I wish), the road for crystal blue waters of the Caribbean and campsites for white sand beach hotels! I've just been lost right now for ages gazing at images of Grand Cayman and surrounding islands...
Many people visit Grand Cayman island and never see the two smaller islands; Little Cayman, secluded and lightly populated only a mile wide & 10 miles long, and Cayman Brac, about 90 miles from GC popular with hikers and rock climbers. Definitely my kind of 'road' trip :) Cheers @WyndhamReef for the suggestion!

Road Trip Idea #4: Guatemala

@TryTheSky: What about road tripping through Guatemala from #Antigua to #Tikal visiting Livingston and Rio Dulce?

One of my best bud's family is from Guatemala (hey Sonny San!) and he heads there with a group of friends to eat some home cooked food, drink some drinks (ok, lots) and generally have an amazing time in good company. It's the perfect place to hit the road and explore the landscape and villages tucked away in the mountains or along the coast. 

Check out this Wandering Educators article submitted by Wandering Girl that describes the best, most scenic road trip to take from Antigua to Lago de Atitlan: 
A quote that will convince you:
"[Lago de Atitlan is] Nestled between three volcanoes, at an altitude of 5,125 ft., this lake is truly unique. It happens to be the deepest lake in Central America, drawing divers from all over the world...Go swimming in the lake, or kayak from town to town for just a few dollars an hour. Don’t miss out on exhilarating adventures like cliff diving, waterskiing, horse rides through scenic coffee plantations, or scaling a volcano! If you’re here to relax, sit back and enjoy a break from the world at the spa, learn to paint traditional market scenes, or participate in a yoga class."

Now that you're all ready to jump in the car and take off, here are some Road Trip Travel Tips from the travel community listing their essential items for a trip:

• Hard copy maps (does anyone even know where to find these anymore?)
• Great music playlists
• Nuts & snacks
• Water, water, water
• Extra fuel
• Portable charger
• A working knowledge of what's under your bonnet - otherwise decent breakdown cover (good one @CarolineMills99!)
• ​Swiss army knife
• Camera (in addition to your phone camera)

Many thanks to @junkkDNA & @backroadvagrant for their contributions. I hope you all now feel more prepared for your future road trips - bon voyage!

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