What does travel smell like?

Posted on 14 May 2012

The other day we posed the question – “What smell most says ‘travel’ to you?” – to our Facebook community.

The response was great and we decided to compile a collection of the best and most unique responses. Well, I use the word ‘best’ loosely here as I have not been grading each comment on grammatical use and spelling errors but rather on its ability to be catch my attention for that magically-minute split-second just before the impromptu drag-of-the-mouse during the selection process.

What smell reminds me of travel I hear you ask? Well, it really has to be the smell of petrol during the early-morning fill-up. That or the musky scent of the interior of a car after a good couple hours of driving. You know, that mix of spilled cola and flatulence that just screams travel almost as much as your legs are screaming for a stretch. So without further ado and in no particular order, this is what travel smells like:

“The dust in my air-vents from previous trips. Fan on full blast, eyes closed, and I’m there… in the middle of nowhere.” – Adrian Potgieter

“The smell of freshly percolated coffee gently bubbling away on a little hardwood fire” – Lee Lewis

“Early morning crisp smells, exhaust fumes, rain on the tarmac after a blistering summers day, that steam that rises off the road, reminds me of school summer holidays.” – Nikola Holmes

“The burning grass smell that you smell continuously in Mozambique. When I smell that same smell at home it takes me straight back to Maputo” – Norman Tedder

“The smell of sandwiches when the ‘padkos’ box is opened!” – Vicki Wagner

“The cologne of adventure travellers – insect repellent…” – Backpacker Weekly

“A Wimpy burger. We always stopped at a Wimpy en route to our destination.” – Melissa Bailey

“The smell of aviation fuel first thing in the morning.” – Matthew Wilkinson

“The creosote wood smell as you walk down the boardwalk into Kumasinga hide, the smell of bat poo as you enter and then the smell of me farting with excitement when I see the animals.” – Norman Tedder

“The inside of my faithful Landy… I sometimes sit in her just to pretend I’m on the road somewhere.” – Matt Carter

“The smell of the Kalahari sands on a hot day” – Helma Coetzee

“Diesel & Wimpy coffee” – Louis Marx

“The smell of camping equipment, especially a tent…” – Liesel Lombard

“Any unfamiliar smell that makes you stop and notice. Could be anything – food, shoes, airport. You know you’re travelling when it smells different.” – Ingrid Sinclair

“The smell of the suitcase when I first open it to pack.” – Kerry Biddle-Chadwick

“Curry and coconut oil – weird?” – Ian McDonald

“My motorcycle’s exhaust fumes.” – Kobus van Rooyen

It has always fascinated me how smells can transport you instantly back in time or miles away. So when you next feel you need to escape go have a whiff of some leather or thatch and get your head back to your travels – or, you know, huff some gas and have a personal journey all on your own.

 

What does travel smell like to you?

 

Image courtesy of christophercjensen






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