Sensory travel experiences around Australia

It’s time to hit pause. Here are five ways to engage your senses and travel more mindfully.

There's nothing quite as tactile as a pottery class.

Rachel Gray
June 2019

Do you let sight, sound, taste, touch and smell carry you deeper into an experience when you travel? Whether it’s restaurants offering multi-sensory dining or city tours focusing on the acoustic, holiday experiences where you mindfully focus on and utilise the five senses are growing in popularity.

According to global futurist and innovation strategist Anders Sörman-Nilsson, “Going on a transformational journey may be the future of travel – whether you achieve that at an eye-opening festival or during a meditative retreat. If great sensory experiences are today’s luxury, it will be tomorrow’s expectation.”

But you don’t have to wait for the future to arrive. Try these unique experiences to connect with your senses in cities across Australia…

Touch: Sydney

Feel the texture and temperature of wet clay, allowing it to ooze between your fingers as you shape gummy mud into a smooth-edged mug, bowl or your own artistic masterpiece at a pottery class. The Pottery Shed opens in new window in Sydney’s Surry Hills holds classes every day of the week. Just don’t forget your Ghost soundtrack.

Taste: Perth

Take a bite and let the chocolate slowly melt in your mouth. Does it taste sweet or bitter? Are there hints of lemon myrtle, sea salt or Glenlivet whisky? Tease and tantalise your tastebuds with a chocolate-making class at Sue Lewis Chocolatier opens in new window in Perth’s CBD.

Indulge your sense of taste with chocolate.

Hear: Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney

Listen to healing gongs, crystal sound bowls and the didgeridoo as you perfect the art of “not doing” in a relaxing sound bath guided by gong master Leith James. Originally based in Brisbane, Leith is taking his sound therapy and meditation sessions opens in new window on the road and travelling in his bus around Australia. Sound therapy is said to ease anxiety, depression and soothe the soul with all those good vibrations.

Welcome the good vibrations at Gong Sound Meditation.

Smell: Adelaide, Sydney, Perth, Hobart and Melbourne

Let your nose do all the work as you create your signature fragrance in a masterclass with Liz Cook, the owner of the Adelaide-based One Seed opens in new window perfumery. The aromatic 75-minute or three-hour workshops teach you about natural perfumery and blending using plant essences.

Concoct your own plant-based fragrance at the One Seed perfumery.

See: Melbourne (and beyond)

Look at things differently and you’ll appreciate the sense of sight. Dialogue in the Dark opens in new window conducts hour-long tours in Melbourne. The catch? You need to keep your eyes shut and rely on your other senses, a white cane and your tour guide as you board trams, visit monuments and encounter crowds. These city tours are available in 21 locations, including Japan, China, Singapore and Thailand.