Have you been eyeing that beautiful leather bag for a while now? Wouldn’t the latest smart watch look rad on your wrist? Yes, we all have those vices that will make us feel great for a few days, but totally break the bank! And in a year’s time it will probably be out of style and just end up tucked away in a drawer somewhere … But don’t despair, TravelGround will give you ten reasons why you should rather spend your hard-earned cash on travelling ─ it might just be the solution to long-term happiness!

1. You’ll become a formidable raconteur. If you’re not a huge fan of small talk, your travel adventures will give you plenty of material to avoid those awkward moments at the braai. And to be realistic, your grandkids won’t be that impressed by an ancient phablet one day, but they’ll rave about the time you came face to face with a lion.

2. Your mind will be blown and your creative juices will flow. When travelling, you’ll interact with people from all walks of life, experience different cultures and broaden your global knowledge in such a way not even Google can compete with.

3. You’ll have friends for life. Nothing can compare to the bond between friends who’ve travelled together, even if it’s just a short road trip ─ the shared adventures and spontaneous decisions will be invaluable and make your friendship last forever. It’s also a great opportunity to craft new friendships.

4. You’ll make your own dreams come true. There are so many wonderful places to explore, but when you finally get to that city you’ve been wanting to visit for ages, you’ll be completely content and the memory will last a lifetime.

5. You’ll satisfy your insatiable wanderlust. Owning that brand new SUV or flagship sound system might be marvellous, but you’ll still feel a bit unfulfilled. You’ll keep spending hours soaking up info on Travel Channel, but it still won’t seem to scratch that travel itch ─ you’re definitely in need of the real McCoy! When you’re experiencing different places for yourself, it will satisfy you in a way possessions never will.

6. Your soul will be healed. Travel gives you the opportunity to get far away from all of your daily worries. The amazing things you’ll see and experience along the way will whole-heartedly hit your negative thoughts out of the park!

7. You’ll become more independent. Nothing will make you grow up quite as fast as becoming an explorer and venturing into the unknown. You’ll learn to conquer unfamiliar public transport systems and deal with foreign languages. This will teach you to be more patient and resilient and you’ll be able to handle anything thereafter!

8. You’ll be a social media superstar. With all the awesome travel apps at your fingertips, you’ll have no problem sharing those breathtaking panoramas and silly selfies with your mates on Instagram and Facebook. It might annoy them to death, but it might also inspire them to build their own travel memories.

9. You’ll become more relaxed. When you’ve finally experienced the world outside of your comfort zone, you’ll realise the daily pressures you’re under are just a tiny dot in the universe and you’ll become more optimistic about everyday life.

10. You’ll never regret travelling. It enriches your life, and even the mishaps and setbacks contribute to the incredible adventure. Therefore, your only regret when looking back on your life will be the trips you didn’t take!

BONUS: You don’t even need to travel abroad to see lovely landscapes, visit world-renowned sites and have life changing experiences ─ you’ll find it all right on your doorstep. Simply click on the links and photos below and off you go!

Table Mountain (Western Cape)

Kruger National Park (Mpumalanga)

Drakensberg Mountains (KwaZulu-Natal)

Addo Elephant National Park (Eastern Cape)

Augrabies Falls National Park (Northern Cape)

TravelGround has a vast variety of accommodation options all across South Africa ─ from luxurious tents in the Kruger National Park, cosy cottages in the Karoo and beautiful beach homes on the East and West Coast, to stylish hotels in every city!

So, dare to dream, save up, pick a spot and spend a few well-earned bucks on a richly deserved getaway!

Feature image: BigStock