Adventure Travel
(from short weekend getaways to extended adventure
vacations)
The term "adventure" may mean different things to different people. To some it might mean
camping, simply enjoying the outdoors lifestyle and
exploring the natural beauty of the area. A weekend camping trip can be a great way to get away from it all.
To another, it might be staying in a park lodge, bed and breakfast or perhaps a 4 star hotel and
enjoying sports activities during the day rather than strictly sightseeing, coming back to
the comfort of a real bed at night. The sports enjoyed may be day hikes, biking, running, climbing, watersports,
etc. at sites within a radius of 25-50 miles. See adventure sports below.
It could also mean traveling by motorcycle which affords an even greater
sense of freedom. Taking two wheels to a winding two lane road can help you to escape the crowd rushing to their
destination and missing the beautiful scenery of remote areas. Read our new section on Getting There | by
MOTORCYCLEfor tips on how to find motorcycle-friendly routes, clothes that work well for packing into
the limited space of saddle bags, navigation tips, etc.
Adventure Travel - overseas adventure travel
Finally, an adventure vacation may be travel to a foreign land experiencing a
culture and environment very different from one's own. With little experience traveling out of the country, it can
be quite a comfort to travel with a group, leaving all the 'worrying' about the travel details to a tour operator.
If this is you, this is for you:
In deciding upon a destination(s), doing a little book research can be very enlightening. Be sure
to check out books in TravelUplan's SPECIAL INTEREST
Bookstore. After entering the bookstore, look to the category list to your right and click on "travel
guidebooks (general)" to find books like:
1,000 Places to See Before You Die
Journeys of a Lifetime
The Traveler's Atlas
Here are several more very useful resources for researching a trip overseas:
Trip Planning Books |
Maps
(Lonely Planet Guidebooks)
Tourism Offices Worldwide
Directory
World Heritage Sites
or if you wish to make arrangements on your own:
Travel Arrangements
Adventure Travel - adventure sports
An adventure vacation of a multi-sport variety can be self-organized, renting equipment as needed
locally or might be an all-inclusive multi-sport vacation organized by a tour operator who arranges everything:
itinerary, transportation from the gateway city to adventure site(s), lodging, meals and some equipment. They may
also contract with outfitters specialized in their particular area of expertise, e.g. rapelling (scaling down a
rock ledge on a rope), climbing, biking or kayaking, etc.
I have been on several of these vacations and they are extremely fun. Using a tour operator helps
to introduce you to this type of vacation so that if a time comes when finances are tight, you might be able to put
a vacation together yourself at a reduced cost. While you lose the expertise of the guides and the experience of
the company in knowing the best areas to visit, after doing some research you should be able to create a vacation
utilizing local sports outfitters that can be very enjoyable.
Here are quick links to areas in travelUplan that will be useful to you in planning for an
adventure sports vacation:
Sites
Frequently Used to Plan Trips (to locate State or National Parks)
Find a Sports Activity
(to locate trails, etc)
Trip Planning Books |
Maps (find interesting places to go)
5 | What to Do While There - Exercise
(for biking, hiking and running routes)
Stuff to Bring:
Travel Clothing
Outdoor Clothing | Active
Wear
Luggage | Packing Tips
(to look for a rolling duffel bag, backpacks)
and
Bags | Packing Aids (for packing
cubes, folders, duffel bags)
Sports and Outdoor Gear (for
remote areas, don't forget a personal GPS locator)
Outdoor Gear, Footwear (find any
outdoor gear or footwear you need)
Sports Equipment | Summer
Sports Equipment | Winter
Solar Chargers (now you can charge
anywhere!)
next page: Travel Information
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