A little bit of perspective can go a long way, and isn’t a change a perspective what travelling is all about? If you’re looking for a mind-altering adventure, consider these humbling experiences next time you plan a trip...

Stand at the foot of a Giant Redwood

You’ve probably seen pictures of the Giant Redwoods in California, USA. The trees are so enormous that a hole big enough for a car to pass through can be carved into the trunk. The trees can reach 280 feet (85.3 metres) tall and 23 feet (7 metres) in diameter.

You almost have to see the trees to believe just how high they can tower overhead. It’s an awesome experience (and a great photo op!). If you’re looking to jump into a metaphor for the man vs. nature conflict, visit the Avenue of Giants, a California highway in which car-sized hole have been bored into the base of a number of trees and turned into tourist attractions.

Whale watching

Most of the animals we encounter daily are small, domesticated creatures. There’s nothing like an encounter with a wild giant to make you reconsider your place in the world. The chance to see a whale swimming and playing in its own habitat is bound to take your breath away.

There are great places all over the world to go whale watching. Kaikoura, New Zealand; the St. Lawrence River in Quebec and Vava’u, Tonga are all popular spots. Tonga, it’s worth noting, is one of the only spots in the world where you can swim with the whales.

Glaciers

Glaciers are large, land-based bodies of ice that exist over years, often centuries. Massive, ancient and beautiful, some of the most accessible glaciers in the world are the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers in New Zealand.

These ancient ice floes are usually a shocking blue colour and seem stretch out endlessly. You can walk right up the edge of the glacier or book a heli-hike and get dropped off smack in the middle of glacier (after a scenic helicopter ride!). There’s no way to avoid the feeling of smallness that comes over you when you stare down the length of a mammoth glacier. The area has great West Coast luxury accommodation, as well as motel accommodation in Franz Josef, so plan to relax and stay long enough to spend some time at both glaciers.

Go to space

If you’re serious about taking in the grandeur of the earth, and have an extra $200,000 lying around, you can always go into space!

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic offers commercial flights into space for anyone who wants to go. Check out the planet from another atmosphere and you’re sure to be awestruck. It’s a little pricey, and maybe a little insane, but it’s definitely the ultimate in thought-provoking experiences!