Not having plans to go somewhere for your vacation might seem like a bit of a bummer at first. However, don’t get discouraged - your vacation is what you make it, and you can definitely have a lot of fun taking some time off at home. Looking for some inspiration? Check out these 5 fun staycation ideas:
1. Have a Spa Day
We often associate spa days as the perfect way to relax, so why not treat yourself to a spa day during your staycation? You can easily book yourself into one of the local spas in your home city for the full experience. But if that’s not an option, you can do a DIY spa day at home as well. Grab some face masks, your favourite nail polish colour, a delicious smelling body scrub, and your favourite lotion. You can even make (or buy) a hair mask. Throw on some music or a movie you love and just pamper yourself. You deserve it.
2. Play Tourist in Your Hometown
Most of us tend to take our hometowns for granted. We have shops, cafes, and restaurants that we frequent on a regular basis but we often forget to explore and discover anything new.
Well, a staycation is the perfect opportunity to do just that. Forgo your usual haunts for a change and take a look at your city’a tourism board’s website to see what’s around. Follow local bloggers and instagrammers and see what’s new and different that you would like to try or see. From foodie finds to shops, photo stops to hikes, and even museums and galleries, I bet you’ll be surprised at how many new things you uncover in your hometown.
3. Backyard Camping
If you are someone who loves the outdoors, then why not get creative and turn your backyard into an outdoor getaway for a night or two? You can go as basic or as fancy as you like. Pitch a tent, cook yourself some typical camp food (hot dogs and s’mores are always a good choice!) and spend your time outside. If you are allowed to have a campfire, set one up and take turns telling spooky ghost stories and urban legends to give it a true camping feel.
If you are more into glamping than rustic camping, then you can make it a little classier with fairy lights hanging from trees/bushes/fences, or hang some paper lanterns. Plus, if you have the equipment, you can even set up your own backyard movie theatre with a projector.
4. Try Something New in the Kitchen
One of the best things about travel is trying the different types of foods - but you can still enjoy different dishes at home! Choose a country you plan to visit one day and do some research to find local recipes from that area. Pick out a few different recipes to try and get cooking! This can be a fun way to engage your family in cooking, or you can turn it into a dinner party and invite some friends over. To really keep the theme going, try to find wine or beer from that area as well, or even look up local drink recipes and see if you can recreate them with what you have at your home bar.
5. Stay in With Your Favourites
Sometimes the best part of a vacation is just the fact that you don’t have to do anything. For some people, the idea of just being able to stay in a hotel and order room service is a vacation in itself. If you can afford to, consider getting a hotel room in your hometown and doing just that. If that’s not really an option, do your best to recreate the experience at home.
Change your bedsheets so they are crisp and clean, spend the day in your pajamas or a robe, and make sure you have your room stocked with your favourite snacks, drinks, books, and movies. When it comes time for a meal, treat yourself and order delivery.
Just because you can’t go to Hawaii or Europe for your vacation, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take time off work. These staycation ideas prove that you don’t need to leave your city (or even your home!) to relax and have a fun time.
Hannah Logan is a Canadian travel writer who dreams of being just like Indiana Jones. You can follow her travels on her personal travel blog
Eat Sleep Breathe Travel where she shares her travel tales and (mis)adventures around the world.