Top 10 Fun Transportation Experiences
Follow along as Bethany explores her top 10 fun transportation experiences from her seven river and ocean cruises.
To date, I have had the pleasure of taking five river cruises and two ocean cruises in Europe, Asia, and South America. Along the way, I have done several excursions with fun and unusual transportation. Here is the top 10 list of my favorite fun transportation experiences.
At the end of each section is a button(s) with a link to the blog post(s) that cover the full experience. The buttons are color-coded to represent the cruise where the experience occurred:
1. Speedboat, Iguazu Falls
What I Did
I wrapped up my Northern Cities Voyage cruise on Azamara in June 2022 with a few days post-cruise at Iguazu Falls. Part of the tour of the Argentina side was an excursion on a speedboat. We first hopped onto a large 4×4 vehicle for a 20-minute drive through the heart of the rainforest to get down to the water’s edge. Once at the shore we were given a large dry bag and a life jacket before boarding the speedboat. The boat gave us some fantastic views of the falls from the bottom up. We alternated between a leisurely sail along the shore to some high-speed zipping through the water as we made our way to the bottom of some of the largest falls in the park. Once at the bottom of the falls we then sailed directly in and under the falls…it was very, very intense!
Why I Loved It
This one was an adrenaline rush for sure! After spending two days exploring both the Brazilian and the Argentinian sides of the falls, it was amazing to spend a little time actually IN the falls. The speedboat offers some fantastic views along the way. But the best part, for sure, is the time spent actually UNDER the falls. It’s cool and crazy and a very unique adventure.
2. Canoe, Visegrad
What I Did
During my Active & Discovery on the Danube cruise on Avalon in August 2018, I enjoyed a fun excursion in Visegrad, Hungary. We met our canoe guides on the banks of the Danube. They got us set up with life jackets, paddles, and a quick tutorial before we headed out for our adventure. We canoed down the Danube Bend, a beautiful branch of the Danube where larger boats do not go so it is very peaceful. It was a LOT of hard work to paddle about 8 miles, but the views along the way were amazing!
Why I Loved It
Having an opportunity to paddle a canoe on the Danube is something that just doesn’t come up very often, so I was glad I chose to do this excursion. While it was definitely very hard work and very tiring, the amazing views along the way were definitely worth it. This was also done on a smaller, quieter part of the Danube, so it was very tranquil and peaceful along the way.
3. Ox Cart, Kampong Tralach
What I Did
On my Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River cruise on Avalon in February 2020, I enjoyed a wide variety of fun transportation options (many of the others also made this list!). My favorite of these was the ox cart ride in Kampong Tralach, Cambodia. Our local guide, Chanta, loved calling these “Cambodian Limos.” Chantha explained to us that the carts are “10-wheel drive” – the four legs on each of the two oxen, plus the two wheels of the cart itself! It was a unique and fun way to see the village. Once everyone was settled into their carts, we took a slow ride through the small village of Kampong Tralach. Along the way, we got a wonderful view of daily life in a small Cambodian village.
Why I Loved It
This is a perfect example of, “how many other times am I going to have an opportunity to ride on an ox cart?” While I never would have even considered doing something like this before this cruise, I am absolutely delighted that I had the opportunity to experience it. It was a unique and fun way to see the village. I love any opportunity such as this to get out and really experience the local life while I am traveling.
4. 4×4, Parati
What I Did
Another fun day on my Northern Cities Voyage cruise on Azamara in June 2022 was a 4×4 tour in Parati, Brazil. My group and I met up with our drivers and guides for an adventure in rugged 4×4 Land Rovers. Each vehicle held 8 of us, so we split up into smaller groups and boarded our vehicles. We got a brief tour of the town as we headed out through the Serra da Bocaina National Park for our first stop of the day, the Pedra Branca Waterfalls. After enjoying time at the falls, our journey continued back through the National Park onto our next stop, the Engenho D’Ouro do Pedra Branca Cachaça Distillery. The last stop of the excursion was to the starting point of the famous Gold Trail and the Toboga Waterfall.
Why I Loved It
I enjoyed this entire excursion, from the transportation to the places we visited. The 4×4 vehicles added to the fun and excitement of the day. While it would have been a fun excursion if we had traveled to each location in a regular bus, having the 4×4 vehicles to ride in just added another level of enjoyment to it. I also enjoyed being in a smaller group within the larger excursion group, as it allowed me to spend a bit more time getting to know a few of my fellow passengers more than I would have in a larger group.
5. Tuk Tuk, Siem Reap
What I Did
Another fun transportation option on my Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River cruise on Avalon in February 2020 was a tuk tuk. We used tuk tuks to get all around Siem Reap as we visited several of the historic temples there. A tuk tuk is a motorcycle-driven open-air carriage. They are everywhere in Siem Reap, so they are an easy and inexpensive way to get around.
Why I Loved It
This is another perfect example of “living like the locals” while on vacation. The tuk tuks were both practical and fun, and they allowed me to get a better view of the area than I would have in a car or bus. They are also open-air, so getting to enjoy the breeze on my face after a few hot hours exploring a temple is a definite bonus!
6. Cyclo, Phnom Penh
What I Did
Yet another fun transportation option on my Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River cruise on Avalon in February 2020 was a cyclo in Phnom Penh. The passenger sits in the front seat, which has a retractable cover to use when the sun gets too hot. The driver expertly pedals the bicycle from behind. We took a cyclo tour through the city of Phnom Penh and saw some beautiful sights. Luckily this tour was early in the morning, before the true heat of the day kicked in. It was still a warm and steamy morning around the city, though.
Why I Loved It
I never even knew that cyclos existed before I got to ride in one in Phnom Penh. Having seen all of the traffic (both vehicular and pedestrian) within the very busy city, I quickly understood how practical these are. They also provide wonderful views of the city as you go from one location to another. The slower pace and open-air carriage allow you to really soak in the surroundings.
7. Canal Boat, Multiple (Strasbourg, Amsterdam, Ghent, Bruges)
What I Did
I have enjoyed several different canal boat tours on several of my river cruises with Avalon, including the Romantic Rhine cruise in June 2017 and the Tulip Time for Beer Enthusiasts cruise in March 2019. The canal boat tours were offered in places like Strasbourg, France; Amsterdam, Netherlands; and Ghent and Bruges, Belgium. Each tour is similar, using a glass-topped or open-air small canal boat to navigate through the area and get a unique view of the sights.
Why I Loved It
I love to do a canal boat tour whenever I get a chance to. There’s just something about being down at the water level and looking up at the surrounding sights that makes it a fun experience. There are so many things that you can see from a canal boat that you simply miss when walking or driving through a city. I mean, who doesn’t love getting up close and personal with a resident swan on a quiet morning?
8. Sampan, Vietnam
What I Did
A frequent transportation option on my Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River cruise on Avalon in February 2020 was a sampan. We used these in virtually every small village we visited in Vietnam. A sampan is essentially a tender, or a small boat used to ferry passengers from larger ships to shore and back again. In Vietnam, the smaller villages we visited did not have docks for our ship, so instead the ship would drop anchor in the river and a sampan would bring us to and from shore.
Why I Loved It
While these are very practical and necessary in these locations, the sampans are also a fun way to travel. Similar to some of the other items on this list, the sampans give you a more intimate and interesting view of the area. They also allow you to get in and out of areas that are not accessible by other means of transportation.
9. Cog Train, Mt. Pilatus and Santos
What I Did
My first cog train experience was on my Romantic Rhine cruise on Avalon in June 2017. On an excursion to Mt. Pilatus, our journey started by ascending in a series of cable cars to the summit of the mountain. Once at the top we had some free time to wander around (and enjoy the non-existent views on an extremely foggy day…lol!). We returned back down the mountain on the steepest cog-wheel train in the world. At one part of the journey down the mountain it is a 45-degree incline! It remained rather foggy at the top, but the fog started to clear as we got closer to the bottom.
I had another opportunity to ride a cog train on my Northern Cities Voyage cruise on Azamara in June 2022 in Santos, Brazil. While in Santos I enjoyed the “Highlights of Santos” excursion, which included a few different stops along the way. The first stop was to Monte Serrat, where we took the bright red funicular train up to the summit. There are also stairs that take you to the summit; luckily, we chose the far easier option!
Why I Loved It
I am fascinated by trains of all kinds, but these cog wheel trains always pique my interest. The experience of riding up and down a steep incline in one of these trains is always enjoyable. There are views to be seen from a cog train that cannot be found anywhere else.
10. Ranch Wagon, Montevideo
What I Did
I had fun on a ranch wagon on my Northern Cities Voyage cruise on Azamara in June 2022 in Montevideo, Uruguay. The day was spent at Estancia La Rabida, a private working ranch owned and operated by a local family. Our ride for the day, a traditional wagon with hay bales, met us by the ranch. Once on the wagon we got a rumbling tour through the fields of the large ranch. They have been suffering through a drought lately, so much of the land was pretty dry and dusty. But it was interesting to see the vastness of the ranch.
Why I Loved It
While this one was a bit more “rough and tumble” than some of the others that made this list, it was still a very enjoyable experience. It was not the smoothest, quietest, or cleanest ride I have ever taken, but I cannot think of a better way to tour a large working ranch than on a ranch wagon like this one. As we slowly meandered through the ranch, I had a wonderful opportunity to take in the sights and simply enjoy the scenery.
Conclusion
There is a wide variety of transportation options here on this list. The general theme running through all of them is simply the uniqueness of each one. While many of them could easily have been replaced with a more traditional car or bus, having these unique options definitely made each experience far more interesting and enjoyable. What I have learned over the years is that choosing something a bit more “off the beaten path,” regardless of what it is, almost always leads to something fun.
Links
Curious about what some of my other favorite experiences are? Click the button below to check out my other ‘Top 10’ lists:
Want to learn more about my experiences on each of the cruises covered in this post? Click the buttons below for the full pages for each of the cruises:
Interested in booking your own fabulous cruise? Click the buttons below for further information about Avalon and Azamara cruises:
