It may not be a grand expedition on the scale of Tin Tin or Indiana Jones even, but it happens to be that UK holiday makers actually find getting lost to be one of the best moments when they are on holiday. So ignore climbing vacations or biking holidays, it appears that the latest pass time of choice could be leaving your map in the villa and going off in whichever direction takes your fancy.
A recent survey conducted unearthed that 50% of those asked announced that turning to local help for guidance or directions has lead to house calls, dinners, drinks and then eventually directions back home. So it does seem that rather than intentional misdirection - losing oneself, getting out of your comfort zone results in exploration far away from what most would typically expect.
Many unplanned change of directions or getting rid of guide books or tourist advise are often the best ways to see landmarks and pockets of culture that would have otherwise not been found, the survey argued. Whilst holidaymakers seem to think this is because of well honed noses for travel, the likelihood is that happy accident and being relatively watchful prove to be a good way of seeing local scenery.
Not all changes of direction are a beneficial however, throwing caution to the wind in every way is ill-advised, at least that is if one tale from a traveler is to be heeded. One unlucky tourist stumbled upon a "short cut" home resulting in a relaxing run for her life across a Reykjavik runway "daring spirit or just absent of any sense of navigation? Your choice.
The majority of these detours, it seems, end up in happening upon something far more interesting than they'd actually set out for a lovely cafe, pub, gallery or festival that would have been otherwise ignored. The general kindness and goodwill of the locals goes a long way though, many have said that they wouldn't have been put back in the right direction without a little bit of home-grown information and kindness.
What's more it seems that tourists often consider technology to be more of a hindrance than any form of help. Sat Navs or GPS without up-to-date software or incorrect maps leading unsuspecting holiday makers down wrong lanes, into dead ends, similarly named towns kms away and almost in the deep end of a harbour. It appears that no matter how well you plan or how well equipped you are, sometimes you just cannot beat a little local knowledge.
The result of this is that many tourists actually want to live like the locals, to get closer to the "colour" of a region and find hidden gems that most would pass by. So whatever your vacation from a holiday flat in a large park, a villa or cottage in the country, perhaps leaving the tour guide at home might result in a much more memorable short break.
James Howson is a timeshare and fractional ownership expert with over 10 years of experience buying timeshares and selling timeshares.