Are you looking for that next exciting adventure in your life?
If so, following are a few things to help you find it.
With so many incredible options available it’s good to take a systematic approach that will save you time and help you find your adventure dream come true.
So, how to find an adventure?
First, we’ll cover some things for you to consider when choosing an adventure, then I’ll get more specific with some lists of adventure activities to get you thinking.
Here are three factors to look at when evaluating the adventure travel activities that will be the the best fit for you.
– The risk involved
– The skills needed and physical factors
– The fun factor
How to find an adventure
When wondering how to find an adventure that suits you, consider the below factors.
The risks of the adventure
When some people think of adventure travel experiences they get visions of paragliding around the Swiss Alps or swimming with sharks in the Bahamas. Yes, those activities have a certain amount of risk involved.
However, an adventure doesn’t have to be dangerous in order for you to have the time of your life. Walking and cultural tours are very popular, and you can find them all over the world. Wildlife watching is an incredible adventure and you can do it from the comfort of a boat (whale watching) or you can kick it up a notch and go to the Australian Outback or the Galapagos Islands.
Generally speaking, the higher the risk, the more adrenaline you get. So, if your middle name is “Danger,” and you love an adrenaline rush, you’re going to have to embrace the risks involved.
So ask yourself this question: How much risk are you willing to take on?
The skill and physical factors
Fortunately, many adventure activities come with training wheels.
For instance, if you want to try skydiving, you don’t have to jump out of a perfectly good airplane all by yourself. You can connect (literally) to an expert and let them guide you through the experience while you focus on the fun of it.
White water rafting runs have several grades of difficulty, trekking routes vary in their length (and the terrain) and many other popular adventure travel experiences offer a range in the degree of difficulty to suit most people.
If you’re in great shape, and have the experience needed, you can head off to Paarl Rock in South Africa for some grade-A rock climbing. However, even if you’re not the athletic type you can find thrilling adventures like zipline canopy tours, horseback riding and flying adventures that are sure to get your heart pumping.
The point is this: Don’t let a lack of expertise, or great physical conditioning, get in the way of adventure. You can try something that interests you in a safe environment and then pursue it on your own if you find you have the passion for it.
The fun factor
So, what do you like doing most? Will it be adventure on land, on (or in) the water or would you like to get airborne? It’s time to start narrowing down your options.
Here are some lists of the most popular adventure travel experiences out there.
Land adventures
- Backpacking (read our tips for backpacking in Australia)
- Bicycling (check out our adventure of cycling the Baltic Sea Route in Denmark)
- Bird watching (go bird watching in Costa Rica)
- Camel riding
- Camping (here’s how to do sustainable camping)
- Cultural holidays (like diving into the Spanish culture in Costa Brava)
- Dog sledding
- Eco tours (check out these EcoTourism destinations in Colombia)
- Hiking (try hiking The Path of Gods in Italy – check out our video below)
- Horseback riding
- Jungle exploring (try take on the Amazon Challenge)
- Motorcycling (check out our guide to backpacking by motorbike)
- Mountain biking (how about mountain biking in Morocco or joining an active biking holiday in Denmark)
- Mountain climbing (like tackling the Everest Base Camp trek)
- Orienteering
- Rock climbing
- Rogaining
- Safaris (go on an Okavango Delta safari)
- Snowmobiling (you can do this in Yellowstone National Park in winter)
- Snow skiing (learn cross-country skiing in St. Johann in Tirol)
- Survival skills training
- Trekking (go responsible trekking in Nepal or Gorilla trekking in Uganda)
- Walking Tours
- Wilderness training
- Wildlife watching
- Windsurfing (go windsurfing in Tarifa)
Water adventures
- Canoeing
- Fishing (here’s where to go trout and salmon fishing in North America)
- Sailing (check out these top sailing spots around the South Coast of England)
- Scuba diving (go scuba diving in Thailand)
- Sea kayaking
- Snorkeling (what what snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef or snorkeling in Costa Rica)
- Surfing (visit the surfers paradise of Sayulita in Mexico or check out these other destinations for surfing holidays)
- White water rafting
Air adventures
- Bungee jumping
- Flying Adventures
- Paragliding
- Skydiving (it’s one of the crazy things to do in Dubai)
- Zipline canopy tours (check out Hacienda Guachipelin Adventure Tours)
Before you make your final decision there are a few more things to think about.
Ask yourself some basic questions.
– How much time do you have?
– How much money are you willing to spend?
If you’re short on time and/or money then look to stay close to home. If you’re going to plan a great adventure you don’t want to rush it. Overseas adventure travel experiences are great, but for many of us there are fun and exciting excursions within easy driving distance as well. A quick search on Google using the name of the activity and a location should get you some quick and easy results to check out.
What interests you most?
Do you enjoy physical adventures? Then think about these: Hiking and trekking, mountain biking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, windsurfing, sea kayaking, scuba diving and paragliding.
If you’re looking for something a little less physical, and more mentally stimulating, then try these: walking tours, cultural tours, wildlife watching and eco tours.
For those looking for exotic exploits consider jungle exploring, flying adventures, camel and elephant riding, safaris, dog sledding and bungee jumping. You can also do a number of things in an exotic location like India, Thailand, Nepal, Brazil, China or the Galapagos Islands.
Luxury adventure travel experiences are extremely popular for those with the disposable income, and there are plenty of luxury accommodations for each of the following: safaris, golf vacations, cruises, resorts and spas (yes, some consider these an adventure), villas in exotic locations and romantic getaways.
If you’ve got family adventure travel on your mind then here’s a short list for you: bicycle tours, camping, fishing, nature trips, white water rafting, eco tours, wildlife watching and zipline canopy tours.
As Andre Gide once said,
“It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves – in finding themselves.”
So, now it’s up to you. Discover yourself in the adventures you choose to pursue.
