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All travel is adventure but when your purpose for traveling is the adventure awaiting you at your destination, it becomes Adventure Travel.

Maybe it’s your “bucket list”. Maybe it’s boredom. Maybe you just need the adrenalin rush. Whatever the reason, adventure travel has expanded far beyond the confines of the tired old safari vacation of bygone days. Now there are a plethora of things to do on your vacation, none of which include relaxing!

Let me give you some examples. Mountain climbing, white-water rafting, sky-diving, bungee jumping, zip-line tours, hiking Machu Picchu, hot-air ballooning, dog sledding and sub-orbital space flights just to mention a few.

Yes, I said space travel! Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic is in the lead with sub-orbital flights already being tested. There are other players. SapceX and Bigelow Aerospace are two well-known companies working on commercial space flight and there are others with projects in various stages of development.

So, did all this begin with timeless African Safari, or are the roots deeper still? Frankly, there hasn’t been much written on the topic. I am going to resist the temptation of saying it all started with Alexander the Great’s trip to Siwa, Egypt in 331BC to consult the Oracle of Amun. That’s too easy!

Let’s focus on the term in its modern context. Many attribute the early stirrings of adventure travel to Grand Circle Travel, when in 1958, they offered travel services geared to older Americans with an interest in discovering local peoples and cultures first hand. Not terribly adventuresome on the surface, but it was a case of traveling for the adventure waiting at your destination. Remember our definition!

Richard Bangs, the Yahoo adventure guru, probably has the best grasp of the adventure travel concept as defined here. I am in no way affiliated with him …

Quest Travel Adventures – When you go on vacation, are you the type of traveler that does all the touristy things, or do you like to get into the local flavor of things? I am a total tourist. I have never understood travelers who say that they do not want to do the touristy things when they go on vacation. I mean really, it was the touristy things that attracted you to the vacation spot in the first place, wasn’t it? The touristy things are there, because people who’ve gone on vacation have found that they enjoy them. As far as hanging out in “local” spots, do you think that the locals don’t hang out in the “tourist” spots?

So, when I go on vacation, I like to do the touristy things. My husband and I went to Ireland last year, and one of the things at the top of my list was kissing the Blarney Stone. I did not really know what was involved, but I knew that I wanted to do it. I had not really ever heard of how it was done, I just knew it was one of those “touristy” things that I wanted to do.

So we grabbed a car, and headed across Ireland. That in itself was an experience, but I’ll leave that for another article. Back to the Blarney Stone. The Blarney Stone, as I’m sure most of you know, is in Blarney Castle. If I really thought about it, I guess I would have thought that it was like the Blarney Stone on the side of Fitzgerald’s in Reno. You know, just a big stone in the side of the building that you walked up to and kissed. But that is not how it’s done in Ireland.

The Blarney Stone in Ireland …

This week my daughter came to me and announced that, it was time to start planning for a spring break vacation. I thought really. Already? She apparently needs a break from the rigors of school. Then it occurred to me that I too need a break from the rigors of work and a little R and R is just the ticket to rejuvenate the both of us. I asked her had she thought of a few destinations that might be interesting and to my dismay; she produced a list of places she’d like to go. I have to tell you I was impressed that a 15 year old would take such initiative and put together a well thought out and researched list of destinations. I guess she really is learning something in school!

We are a family of RVers and campers. We enjoy adventure travel and the great outdoors and to that end, most of the destinations on her list fell into the camping arena. Whether we rent a vacation home or RV, we like the homey feel of having our own things along with us. Not to mention if we left my daughters four legged BFF behind she’d have a fit! While my daughters list was extensive, I choose a few places that I thought would be a great deal of fun and thought I would share them with you.

Kissimmee and Orlando, FL

While we live in Miami Florida, we have never been to this part of the state. Like most children, my daughter was excited about going to Walt Disney World, Epcot Center and Universal Studios. After a little research of my own, I discovered that this part of Florida has some of the best RV parks in the country, all within a couple of miles from …

April Adventure Travel – Sometimes when you’re trying to organise a trip, it can be difficult to chose which city to visit. Here’s a quick guide to help you get the very best out of a trip to Mexico.

City guides

San Cristobal De Las Casas

A favourite among travellers, a hideout for Zapatista rebels, or just a beautiful setting to learn Spanish, San Cristobal is an unmissable stop on anyone’s trip to southern Mexico. Set in the Highlands of Chiapas at an altitude of 2100m and ringed by forested hills, it provides a refreshing change of climate if you’ve just come from the steaming jungles of Palenque. With picturesque cobbled streets, revolutionary-inspired bars and art shops, and colourful markets, a traveller could comfortably spend a few days exploring.

Ideally you need at least three days to enjoy the city, with one day exploring the shops, market and bars. On the second day take a guided trip to a local Chamula village, these are easily arranged at one of the local tour agencies and worth the small cost. On the third day take a transfer to the Sumidero Canyon for a speedboat ride through the crocodile infested waters. Keep an eye out for circling vultures and a camera out for those spectacularly steep canyon walls. You can build your own trip to include all these stopovers.

Playa del Carmen

A bustling town an hour south of Cancun, that serves as the starting point for many tours of the Yucatan peninsula. With white sands, a wide range of good quality restaurants and tacky tourist outlets, it draws visitors from all over the globe. While it benefits from being less-resort focussed than Cancun, Playa still has its fair share of all-inclusive options. While many of these have their own stretch of beach, …

Backpacking in South America is one of the most highly traveled continents on Earth with its vastly varied terrain and incredible natural wonders. From steep snow-covered mountains to dense tropical rainforests, it’s easy to see why adventure seekers enjoy traveling to South America.

Backpacking in South America is one of the best ways to experience all the sights, sounds, and culture of the country. With so many different regions, deciding where to take your backpacking trip can be a challenge. Below you will find a few of the most popular destinations for backpacking in South America:

Machu Picchu – Peru

Located on a mountainside overlooking the Urubamba Valley of Peru, Machu Picchu is one of the most traveled tourist destinations on Earth. Built around 1450 AD this iconic Incan estate was left abandoned less than 100 years later upon the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors to the region. It was largely unknown to the rest of the world until being discovered in 1911. It has been a highly traveled tourist destination ever since.

Backpacking to Machu Picchu will require a few different things, most importantly a permit if you plan to follow the Inca trail. Because of there sites popularity permits are limited to 500 per day for visits via the Inca trail. However, you may consider following the Lares Trek which doesn’t require permits and offers equally impressive sights along the way. No matter which path you plan to take, Machu Picchu is one place you don’t want to miss.

Igauzu Falls – Argentina & Brazil

Located on the border of Argentina and Brazil lies one of the most spectacular sights you will ever get the opportunity lay eyes on: IgauzuFalls. Considered a wonder of the natural world, Igauzu Falls is found in a perfectly preserved ecosystem protected by …

Best Adventure Travel Insurance – Taking out a travel insurance policy is something most travelers do before taking a trip. In most cases, travelers opt for a simple policy that will cover them in emergency medical situations while also addressing the possibility of theft, cancellations or missed flight connections. Another consideration to make, depending on the destination, is whether to take out travel insurance that includes an evacuation component. In this article, we will take a look at some of the things you should think about if you are planning on choosing a policy with this type of coverage.

To start with, you should be considering this type of coverage if you are traveling to a developing world area and if you are planning on spending significant time in rural areas away from adequate medical facilities. If you are traveling to a first world country and you plan on spending most of your time in cities, evacuation coverage is likely an expense that you do not need for your trip.

If you find yourself in the former category, as a traveler headed to the 3rd world or exclusively rural areas, there are a few things to look out for when it comes to actually selecting a policy. In many cases, travel insurance companies advertise evacuation insurance, but they can be a bit misleading about what exactly that means. In some cases, it means that you will be reimbursed for any costs in transport that are incurred when you are evacuated to an adequate medical facility. In other cases, the policy may actually involve provided transport.

In the latter case, a helicopter or plane may actually be available to come and pick you up. These policies generally have a higher premium and they should be considered if you are traveling to …

“Few if any states can match the variety of backcountry terrain that Arizona has to offer. From arid deserts to alpine tundra, Arizona has it all. This diversity translates into a vast and interesting array of backcountry excursions from which to choose from.” I think this quotation taken directly from one of my favorite resources, “100 Hikes in Arizona” by Scott S. Warren, really sums up perfectly what the amazing state of Arizona has to offer whether you’re a hiker, backpacker, rock climber, or just someone who enjoys getting out into nature and the outdoors. Arizona with its vast variety of topography and climate, really does have it all! Having lived in Arizona now for over half my lifetime, I am still amazed that there always seems to be someplace new to go, and during the winter months, it’s an excellent time to get out and explore the beautiful and rugged, Sonoran Desert region. So if you’re up for getting out and checking out someplace new and truly unique, an excellent “off roading” journey, that’s remote yet still close to Phoenix and a rugged, ridgeline trek and challenging workout with stunning panoramic scenery and wilderness views, then check out the Quartz Peak Trail and Adventure Hike, in the Estrella Mountain Wilderness, Arizona.

On an early March weekend morning I met my friends from the TLC Hiking Club, organized and led by Eric Kinneman, at a meet up location in Avondale, west of Phoenix. By 7:15 am once everyone had arrived, we set out for our hike out to a place I’d never heard of before called Quartz Peak, approximately 25 miles southwest of Phoenix, located in the Estrella Mountain Wilderness, a remote and extremely rugged mountain wilderness area comprised of 14,400 acres rising steeply and sharply from 1500 feet up …