Take the Scenic Route

There’s a quiet pleasure in travelling by road as a passenger, watching the world unfold beyond the window with nothing to do but take it all in. It gives us time to observe without distraction, to reflect, and really absorb the essence of a place – the colours and contours of its landscapes, the rhythms of local life, and how it makes us feel.

Sometimes, the journey itself adds something meaningful to the overall experience. It can heighten our anticipation or deepen our appreciation of the destination at the end. At Distant Journeys, we thoughtfully consider the routes our tours take, balancing the practicalities of getting from one destination to the next with opportunities to discover more along the way.

In New Zealand, as we travel from Dunedin towards Milford Sound, the scenery around us undergoes a dramatic transformation. Lush green farmland gives way to beech forests and vast glacier-carved valleys, before soaring mountains rise around us as we ascend Milford Road. Waterfalls tumble down the mountainsides; rivers wind through the valleys as another breathtaking view emerges – making the journey itself part of the adventure.

On our Very Best of Sri Lanka tour, the drive from Nuwara Eliya to Yala offers us fleeting glimpses into the lives of local communities. Children play outside colourful homes in hillside villages, women buy fruit at roadside stalls, vibrant tuk-tuks wind along the mountain roads, and tea pickers dot the steep, rolling slopes of the tea plantations we pass. It’s a chance to see a different side of Sri Lanka, beyond the places we set out to visit.

In India, the steep and twisting roads through the Western Ghats mountain range towards Munnar immerse us in South India’s tea culture. Around each corner, misty valleys and a sprawling patchwork of tea plantations unfold beneath a rugged mountain backdrop. Rather than admiring the landscape from afar, we travel through its very heart. And, on our Highlights of Southern India tour, the experience continues with a walk around a plantation and tea tasting.

In California, Monterey’s 17-Mile Drive is an attraction in its own right. Here, every twist and turn in the road reveals another sweeping view of the Pacific, stretching towards the horizon beyond a rugged coastline of rocky coves. Along the way, we pass the famous Lone Cypress, clinging stubbornly to its rocky perch above Pebble Beach for more than 250 years, and search for sea lions basking on Bird Rock.

Machu Picchu is a place many travellers have dreamed of seeing, and the drive from the foot of Machu Picchu only heightens the anticipation. As we follow the zigzagging road ever higher through lush cloud forest, dramatic panoramas unfold below as we draw closer to this remarkable citadel steeped in history.

Travelling by road reveals more of a country’s character, from changing landscapes to glimpses of everyday life. Sometimes the route itself is a highlight – at other times, it simply gives us the space to notice unexpected details that can create lasting memories.

It is a reminder that the joy of a great journey lies not only in where it takes us, but in everything we discover along the way – because sometimes, the most memorable moments are found between the places we set out to see.