Every year, I get the urge to do something daring in my life. The thrill of adventure takes me to new places, pushes me to try exciting things, and challenges me in ways I never thought possible. But not all of these experiences are memorable or cherished. Sometimes, things don’t turn out quite as we expected and we end up regretting our choices, a classic case of “Expectations vs Reality.”

The concept of adventure is alluring, but the reality can be harsh for someone like me who hasn’t seen the sunrise in a while and considers carrying a laptop from one desk to another as physical activity.

Here are my top 5 instances where my travel expectations were vastly different from the reality, turning my world upside down.

River Rafting in Rishikesh

My first trip with friends and the absence of overly worried parents made us chose Rishikesh as our dream destination. We were  pumped up by the idea of diving in the Ganges without even the slightest knowledge of swimming. Quite daring actually. I wouldn’t say that the trip was bad, in fact we were quite relieved by the fact that we chose the shortest rafting tour. However, nobody mentioned things that we saw there.

Expectation: We expected the rafting experience to be fun and indeed it was. Before beginning the activity we were wishing to have more distance to cover and additional time to spend in the river.

 

Reality: Rowing that raft for three straight hours was exhausting. We couldn’t shirk our responsibilities, everyone had to do their fair share to keep the raft moving and avoid getting caught in the rapids. Those rapids were seriously frightening, especially when we witnessed a “titanic moment” right before our eyes. And don’t even get me started on the sore muscles we had for a whole week afterwards!

Cliff Jumping in Rishikesh

This is something that I was eagerly looking forward to on my Rishikesh trip until I attempted it. Watching people jumping off the cliff was easy. But as soon as I went on that cliff, my heart sunk before I did.

Expectation: I thought it was going to be a breeze and loads of fun, all I had to do was take a leap off a 12-foot cliff. Plus, I had no worries since I had my life jacket to keep me from sinking.

 

Reality: The sight of the water from the 12-foot cliff seriously froze me in my tracks. It was higher than I expected, and the fear of getting pushed off and hitting the water below was too overwhelming.

Roller Coaster in Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi

On my trip to Abu Dhabi, I visited the Ferrari World. Riding the world’s fastest roller coaster was a dream coming true. It was truly a “ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE” because I will never ride it again!

Expectation: Man, I was so hyped to ride that super fast roller coaster! I knew it was going to be a bragging right until they come up with something even faster. I was ready for the thrill and excitement, for sure.

Reality: For the first 10 seconds, the car’s slow ascent thrilled everyone, but the next 50 seconds filled everyone with fear, regret, and tears.

Rappelling in Rishikesh

I’ve always struggled with my weight and because of that, rappelling has never been my cup of tea. It’s not exactly a walk in the park to hurl yourself off a mountain while relying on just a rope tied around your waist to support your entire body weight.

Expectation: I assumed that pushing myself down the mountain would be easier than pulling myself up.

Reality: Let me tell you, I learned the hard way that rappelling wasn’t for me after I kept bumping into the terrain. Don’t get me wrong, experiencing it is thrilling, but it requires a lot of balance, otherwise, bruises will result. Just a heads up, you’ve been warned!

Flying Fox & Monkey crawl in Kufri

I will admit that flying fox is fun. It is an effortless and smooth activity that you can do without much strength applied or any physical movement. All you need is a little bit of courage to swing across the mountains. If you’re new to adventure sports, this is something that will surely boost your confidence. On the other hand, Monkey crawl requires real efforts to pull yourself across the rope, being upside down. I enjoyed this until I gained weight, causing me to tire and become stuck halfway.

 

Expectation: I thought crawling would be a piece of cake, just like swinging through the mountains.

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Reality: So, there I was, hanging halfway between two trees with my harness digging into my stomach, and I had a moment of realization. I was just hoping someone would come to my rescue.

But my heart yearns for more… If you’ve got some Expectation vs Reality stories to share, leave a comment below. 😊👇

Author

Meenakshi is a designer by profession and traveller by heart. Photography is something that she cherishes and goes on a Click! Click! Click! spree wherever she goes.

9 Comments

  1. Very nice article and very well written. I too have gone through such experiences during my visit to Rishikesh so could relate to it completely.

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