World's Strangest Tours and Cruises

As I’m sure you’ve discovered, sometimes the most memorable travel stories spring from the most unusual experiences. Often they’re accidental. But there’s nothing wrong with planning for the strange and curious, either…

It was with that in mind, in fact, that we put our latest e-book together: “110 of the World’s Strangest Tours and Cruises.”

Here are three of them:

** 1. Night Vision Penguin Tour – Penguins.org.au

Phillip Island, Australia, is home to the world’s smallest penguin species, the Little Penguin, or Fairy Penguin. With the “Ultimate Penguin Experience” tour, you’ll head down to the beach in the evening to watch them waddle up onto shore and head back to their sand dunes. Once night falls, you’ll be able to spy on the little penguins with night vision goggles.

Location: Phillip Island, Australia

Price: Adults: $49

Includes: Rain clothes, mat for sitting in the sand, night vision goggles

** 2. Jet Fighter Tour – Millionairesconcierge.com

Train for half a day, then take a flight in a real jet fighter, going at over 500 miles per hour. Add a dinner at a private island to your day’s itinerary, if you’d like.

Location: South Florida

Price: Contact for details

** 3. The NY Midnight Munchies Tour with Famous Fat Dave – FamousFatDave.com

With spots on NPR and interviews in Saveur, Voice, and Budget Travel, Famous Fat Dave’s New York food tours are creating a stir. One of them, the “Midnight Munchies Tour,” takes you through New York to the best “real New York” late-night food. On a typical Midnight Munchies tour, you’ll taste Famous Dave’s favorite Hot Bagel, Cuban Sandwich, Korean BBQ, Falafel, Biryani, Raw Oysters, Chimichurri, Pizza, Egg Cream, Taquito, Broccoli Rabe, and Hamburger. Other tours with Famous Fat Dave include the Five Boroughs Eating Tour, the Pickle Tour, the Phallic Foods Tour (for bachelorette parties), and the Garlic Tour.

Location: New York City

Price: $400 for 4 people over 4 hours

Includes: Food, soft drinks, gas, parking

The world is teeming with niche tours like these — interesting and quirky ways to discover a destination. And they’re all proof-positive that you can create a tour around anything — cooking, skydiving, knitting, hunting, spying on penguins in the night… you name it.

Plus, going on unusual niche tours can make great story fodder for your travel articles. Write about your trip and you can sell your story to places like this week’s featured publication, which pays $300 for stories: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/?p=585

The publication (like many others) pays for photos, too, so be sure to think about taking some saleable shots on your next trip.

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]