Being depressed has become a thing of public knowledge these days and almost everybody is aware of this state and what it is capable of doing to a person suffering from it.

Depression is literally the state of being depressed. However, in psychotherapy, depression has been defined as a period of happiness or low morale which lasts longer than several weeks and may include thoughts of self-inflicted injury or suicide. Depression is really a terrible thing to experience and people who suffer from it (who are way more than we think by the way) try different healing techniques to help cure them of the state.

However, did you know you could easily get rid of depression by travelling? Yeah, you read that right! There are ways in which travelling helps one get rid of depression and below are 5 of those ways:

1. Gets You Out and Moving.

The spirit of being enthusiastic and/or motivated to keep one moving is one of the biggest challenges that comes depression. Sometimes, it may even feel like blocks of cement on one’s feet. Fortunately, travelling has a really amazing way of turning those heavy blocks to nothing but feathers in most situations, and at times, you’ll even feel totally free without anything holding you down.

2. No Judgement.

Regardless of whatever you want to do, be it curling up and just hanging out in a hotel room with a book or, you decide to take some time to yourself by enjoying the gentle ocean breeze and watching the waves; traveling relieves you of your obligations; thereby allowing you to do, feel, think, and feel whatever you want without being judged.

3. Lets You Recharge and Reflect.

Laying on the beach listening to sound of the waves? Hiking a great trail? Rock climbing? Traveling gives you the ability to do whatever you want at yourown convenient time and this includes relaxing fully and taking time to figure out everything that makes you happy and brings tranquillity to you. The best times for one to reflect and make decisions is when one is free of stress.

4. Takes You Away From The Things That Stress You Externally.

Traveling allows us to fully remove ourselves from our comfort zone, natural environment and our external stressors especially. A complete change of environment provides a sense of relief to a great extent and this can help free the mind to help you find what you need for yourself, be it physically or emotionally, traveling allows you to pay attention to what your body or mind truly needs.

5. You Get to “Just Be”.

We tend to pay less attention to our health and not even have time for ourselves if we have a really busy schedule. The feeling of guilt, the adrenaline rush, or obligation are like the tourniquets that we use to cover up the pain. When you travel, you give room for peace of mind to have a place in your mind.

So, when you think you are suffering from depression, just pack your bags and travel somewhere! However, if travelling doesn’t help you get rid of your depression, please endeavour to visit the doctor.

From the East of Africa, home to the Massai tribe, we bring to you the country of Kenya and the fabulous beauty and adventures that await you here. You may be more familiar with the fact that some of the World’s best and strongest marathon runners have Kenyan origins, but that is not all that there is to Kenya. It’s a country of extensive wildlife, beautiful vegetation, wonderful hills, and generally mind blowing sights. As is normal with most African countries, Kenya also provides the side attraction of interesting cultures and traditions alongside delectable local cuisines. Let’s get cracking and convince you to visit Jomo Kenyatta’s country of birth.

• Lakes: The popular Lake Victoria is a beauty to visit any time of the year. Spanning about three countries (Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania), Lake Victoria is known to be the largest tropical lake in the world and it pours out into the river Nile which you definitely know as the world’s longest river. Either you go on a boat tour or just savor the view from the shore, you are sure to have your sense of beauty tickled by this aquatic vastness. Lake Victoria is, of course, not the only lake that Kenya has to offer. There are some other nice lakes to check out too such as Lake Nakaru, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Bogoria among others.
• Parks: Another interesting feature of Kenya is the abundance of national and natural parks where tourists can enjoy themselves and have a fabulous time. The Amboseli national park where you can view elephants, antelopes and other animals while positioned over the Rift Valley is a good place to start, the beautiful savannah vegetation here and the exotic woods will definitely give you maximum value for every cent you spend. Others are the Tsavo East National Park (there’s also a Tsavo West National Park), the Bufallo springs National reserves, Samburu national reserves, and the Nairobi national park which will surely be a highlight of your visit with its rhinos and other such animals. The hell’s gate national park is another treat you don’t want to miss with its array of wild birds, antelopes, zebras and geysers, there are also fun activities to partake in like mountain hiking and cycling.
• Safaris: It’s safe to say that going on a Safari is one of the most underrated activities in the world. And there’s no better place to confirm the veracity of this statement than in the grasslands and savannah of Kenya. One of your best bets for a wonderful experience is the Masai Mara, a completely natural savannah territory for wildlife. With plenty camping options and efficient operators, you can be sure of a good time and fond memories of your time in Kenya. You can also decide to take this tour by air instead, opting for the hot air balloon ride which is another wonderful experience on its own.

A lot of us only know Australia as the ‘the land down under’. Many others also cringe at the thought of travelling to Australia because of the vast distance that has to be travelled by air to get there. All of these are true, Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere and it is at the same time quite distant from most countries. But that’s not where the story ends. There’s more, Australia is beautiful! This may actually even be an understatement in describing a very aesthetically attractive country whose picturesque scenes will make all the hours spent in transit worth it. Below are three breath taking locations all over Australia (apart from the popular capital Sydney) that will blow your mind.

Alice Springs

Hello outdoor lovers, get in here! Alice Springs is somewhere you really need to check out; there’s a lot to see and walk through here. You can choose to start from the parks: West MacDonnell National Park featuring beautiful trails for you to hike through, beautiful landscape and other wonderful attractions. You can then head to Alice Springs Desert Park where there’s an abundance of nice plants and beautiful animals for you to view, from here, your next stop may be the Finke Gorge National Park where you may even set up camp and follow some more exciting trail. And for the more adventurous types, the Larapinta trail calls. Hiking trails through scenic hills and also more opportunity for camping. Alice Springs provides you with an Alice in Wonderland experience. Pun intended.

Uluru

Remember some sand rock wall papers in the desert that were common on the Windows Vista OS? Well, Uluru in Australia is to see them- or something very similar- in real life. Visit the Uluru- Kata Tjuta National park and allow yourself get awed by the smashing gorgeousness of nature. Uluru lies just 280 miles from Alice Springs, and so you can decide to cap your hiking/camping adventure with a silent contemplation of the giant Uluru red rocks.

The Great Barrier Reef
A collection of 3000 coral reefs, spanning 900 islands and home to some over 1000 exotic species of fish and other aquatic life, the Great Barrier Reef is a must visit for any nature enthusiast. You’ll arrive first at the city of Cairns from where you proceed on the journey to the reef proper. Beyond just enjoying the view, you can also learn a lot from visiting the Great Barrier Reef. If you do not already know how to SCUBA dive, you could take a few lessons from experts already present. However, for those not interested in sharing the blue waters with aquatic life, you can still get a good view of the reef from helicopter rides, giving you an amazing view from the top.

These are just three of the countless natural attractions present in Australia. You can’t afford to cheat yourself by missing out on these. The experience will be worth the cost and time spent on the journey.  Details

Port Douglas has undergone a transformation from a fishing village into a famous vacation spot full of adventures and activities to undergo. Two very special destinations are very close to Port Douglas namely the Daintree Rain forest which is classified as a World Heritage Site and the Great Barrier Reef. The town of Port Douglas itself is unique in the sense that it is covered in mango trees and has multiple art galleries and cafes. The Sunday Market is a great place to shop for snacks and crafts. Four Mile Beach is another lovely spot but unfortunately no one is allowed to swim there between November and June as it’s the mariner stinger season, however; it’s still a lovely place to take a walk or sit and enjoy the view. The best time to visit Port Douglas is between May and September because it’s not as hot as other times of the year.

Port Douglas Horse Riding gives you the opportunity to discover the city on horseback. The horses there are super friendly and very well trained. In order to guarantee an even lesser risk of any mishaps they match horses according to the riding ability of the person. Of course this means they also have horses for beginners so parents don’t need to worry about their children. Another fun activity is snorkeling as local business such as Reef Sprinter can take you out into the water so you can jump straight in and snorkel observing the beauty hidden in the water.

The best breakfast at Port Douglas is at Betty’s Bohemian Beach Café. The food there is fresh and delicious and of course the coffee will blow your mind away. The interior design of the place is lovely and cozy too. You’ll find yourself going for breakfast there on more than one occasion.

Since we already covered breakfast, now it’s time to cover sunset. For amazing sunsets in Port Douglas, Rex Smeal Park is the place to go. The park includes a beach and the view as the sunsets and spreads the spectrum of light over the water and palm trees is truly stunning. Another great beach is Palm Cove which is a 40 minute drive from Port Douglas. If you have the time and resources you should definitely take a trip to it.

Australia is such a magical country. From the opera house in Sydney to horseback riding in Port Douglas a long trip to Australia will have you experiencing everything.  air conditioning clearwater