Your Next Big Trip

Your Next Big Trip is a travel blog for adventurous and responsible travellers.

I’m Cliodhna Ryan, a teacher, turned development professional, turned travel consultant from Ireland, currently living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

I took my first “big trip” to Zambia in 2013 to volunteer as a course facilitator in a school. Since then I’ve witnessed lions on the hunt in Tanzania, celebrated the full moon in Zanzibar and almost been attacked by a baboon at Victoria Falls (it got my friend instead!)

To me, a big trip doesn’t have to be a round the world adventure. It doesn’t even have to be to another continent. It’s not about how long you go for or how many places you visit. It’s about taking those big ideas that float around your head at night and making them a reality.

I won’t tell you to quit your job and travel.

(Although if you hate your job you probably should.) I happily worked as a teacher for 4 years, travelling the world on every mid-term break and summer holiday. Now that I work a 9-5 office job, things require a little more planning, but it’s still possible.

I firmly believe that travel should help, not harm the planet.

I will never advise you to ride elephants, volunteer at orphanages or suggest activities that perpetuate stereotypes. When I travel I try to get ‘local’ experiences through locals. This might be cooking a traditional Swahili meal with some friends in Zanzibar, going clubbing in South Africa or driving through Slovenian countryside. It might not be what the guidebook suggests, but I’ve learned that often the most simple, everyday things make the most lasting memory of a really great trip.

Your Next Big Trip – the travel group

Since 2018, I have been organising group tours in Tanzania. Currently our group numbers 70 people – Tanzanians and foreign residents. We are a fun, dynamic group of people, from diverse backgrounds, who love to bond over the travel experience and discover new places. We usually travel on a monthly basis, so if you would like to partner with us,  please send an email to cliodhna@yournextbigtrip.com.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog (check the sidebar) to make sure you never miss a post.

Feel free to email, comment or message with any questions about where I’ve been. I’ll do my best to help.

Where I’ve been: 

Europe: Ireland, U.K, Spain, France (Paris), Beligum (Brussels) Germany, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia (Lake Bled), Czech Republic (Prague), Portugal, Crete, Greece, Netherlands.

U.S.A: Boston, Cape Cod, New York, Washington D.C.

Middle East: United Arab Emirates (Dubai).

Africa: Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls), Botswana (Chobe National Park), Uganda.

I hope you enjoy the journey. Experience the world, one big trip at a time.