If you’ve ever read a travel article and been bamboozled by wacky terms describing holidays you never even knew existed, you’re not alone. These days there are a whole host of glitzy words to describe even the most mundane holiday terms like UK trips or short breaks. To help you get to grips with it all, here’s our lingo lowdown on the newest travel terms on the block.
Staycation – One of the most popular terms to have surfaced in recent years, indeed the very inspiration for this blog post. The word staycation has taken off quicker than Concorde (while it was in service obviously) and does what it says on the tin – it’s a holiday where holidaymakers stay put, generally used to describe the Great British holiday.
Awaycation – Popping up to rival the newly fledged staycation comes the aptly named awaycation, which – you guessed it – is just a fancy word for a holiday abroad.
Glamping – A cross between ‘camping’ and ‘glam’, this is the art of camping in style. To most people glamping just involves a designer tent, floral wellies and a kitsch sleeping bag on a blow up bed, within easy reach of a hot water supply and a flushable loo. To seasoned glampers, it’s all about tented lodges with four poster beds, tipis in swanky eco retreats or luxury tree houses in natural forest settings.
Nano break – Not something music related as its name might suggest, but a short, sweet 1-night break. It’s not long, it’s not short; it’s nano.
Voluntourism – The rewarding experience of visiting a place while doing good to greater mankind or the planet, usually with the added bonus of getting your accommodation and food thrown in. Examples include wildlife conservation projects in the Peruvian Amazon or helping endangered Orang-utans in Borneo.
Babymoon – Typically occurs after the honeymoon, before the baby. The babymoon is a relaxing, pre-birth break to enjoy those last precious weeks before the nappies and talcum powder descend.
Flashpacking – Backpacking, with all the mod cons of a (luxury) hotel. Katie Price and Alex Reid were accused of flashpacking on their Thailand honeymoon when they roughed it in a string of 5* hotels.
Mancation – Oh, please. Whoever came up with this term was really not thinking much outside the box. For a start it’s completely unimaginative, then there’s the glaring fact that it doesn’t even attempt to rhyme with ‘vacation’. Think lads taking part in male bonding activities, beating their chests and getting in touch with their male primal roots through lots of sports and booze and you get the picture.
Engagementcation – We’re not sure which is the worst offender – mancation or this. Breaking all the lingo rules (no rhyming or clever twist on its origin word), this mouthful of a word describes holidays to places in the world that are perfect for taking the plunge and popping the question. We could be wrong, but we can’t see it catching on. It hardly rolls off the tongue, does it?
What to expect next?
There are terms popping up all over the place, but we’ve come up with our own hot new predictions. Just remember, you heard them here first!
Maycation – A brief jaunt away over the May Bank Holiday.
Raycation – A holiday dedicated to the pursuit of catching some rays in sunny climes, generally involving a pool or beach. Swimwear mandatory.
Milli Break – Forget the mini break, this is the new, 2.0 equivalent. Sibling to the Nano Break, only one night longer – thus a 2 night break.
Bollyday – A little like a wine tasting break, dedicated solely to Champagne.
Mackpacking – Backpacking in monsoon season.
What’s your favourite term and what do you think will take off next?