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Not so many years ago, “adventure tours” was little more than a catch phrase and a name associated with a Mexican tour operator. Now, though, there’s a whole generation of vacationers who are looking for something more than your average laze-around the beach type of vacation. According to Wikipedia, “adventure tourism typically involves traveling into remote, inaccessible and possibly hostile areas. It may include the performance of acts that require significant effort and grit and may also involve some degree of risk.”
Clearly, then, adventure tourism is not your father’s family vacation...
With so much of the nations work force tied to desks and locked into cubicles for the majority of their adult lives, there’s a need to get out and “do” something. It’s almost like a form of expression. Austin, TX, one of the most wired places in the world, and home to several technical companies including Dell computers, boasts an extremely high number of avid road cyclists and mountain bikers, for example. Some tie this to the popularity of Lance Armstrong, the American bicycle racer, but other cite the high proportion of technical workers who need exercise and perhaps a dose of non-cerebral stimulation.
Whatever the reason, adventure vacations are gaining momentum among all ages because “adventure” can come in many forms. So-called “soft” adventure tours give vacationers the chance to participate in their chosen adventure safely, perhaps even peripherally. This type of tour is well suited for seniors who like to be active on their vacations but who may be tired of the same old escorted land tours. Soft adventure tours are also suited for families with older children who might be bored on a standard tour. Some of the more popular soft adventures include trips along the Antarctic coast in Zodiac boats for whale watching, jungle tours via ATV or Jeep, walking tours through historic cities like Prague or Budapest, or even simple shopping excursions where the goal is to immerse oneself in the local culture of a non-native city. Some cruises are also classified as soft adventure tours because of the routes they take and the types of land excursions that are included.
More “extreme” adventure tours run the entire spectrum from canyon bungee jumping to photo safaris to diving excursions. African bush safaris are gaining popularity every season, with new luxury hotels and rustic lodges popping up all over the landscape. Backpacking across Europe, once a simple off-year college student activity, is now considered a legitimate vacation classification, engaged in by 30-somethings who went from college straight into the dot com boom, and who are now taking their first vacation ever as adults and trying to reclaim some of their lost youth. If you look hard enough, you can find “backpackers” lodgings all over Europe as a result. Mountain and rock climbing is also a popular adventure sport, especially on foreign soil. Instead of national parks, many American mountaineers and rock climbers head for destinations like Ayers Rock in Australia, or Kilimanjaro in Africa.
Another offshoot of the adventure vacation is the “experiential” vacation, where the goal is to live an experience that one would not otherwise ever have. These types of trips often include visits of more social significance, such as volunteerism for relief work, or teaching English to children in another country. Also among these types of vacations, you’ll find options for working on a farm for room and board, or working in a shop - one luthier (guitar-maker) in Canada offers a three-week stay at his farm for a modest fee, but while you’re there, you will learn to select wood, use tools, and make your own guitar or harp. A popular type of room and board in Ireland has vacationers working on dairy farms in order to fully experience life in the Irish countryside. Many worldwide volunteer organizations are happy to accept volunteer help with preservation projects, archaeological projects, restoration and rebuilding, animal sanctuaries, children’s hospitals and schools, and other worthwhile endeavors.
If you’re looking to add a little adventure to your vacation, use our contact form and we’ll be happy to work with you and customize an adventure for you.
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