Adventure holidays
Top 10 Adventure holidays:
- River surfing, Queenstown, New Zealand
- Trekking, Nepal
- Heliskiing/snowboarding, Canada
- Horse touring, Mongolia
- Climbing and mountaineering, Scotland
- Adventure eco tour, Costa Rica
- White-water rafting, Australia
- Dog sledding, Greenland, and Alaska
- Mountain biking, United States
- Multi-activity holidays, Wales
River surfing, Queenstown, New Zealand
So maybe surfing the standing waves of the Kawarau River isn't everyone's idea of an adventure holiday. What is?Queenstown, on New Zealand's South Island, bills itself as the adventure capital of New Zealand, a country fast gaining a reputation as the adventure centre of the world.
From heliskiing to bungee jumping, hiking to expeditions in a four-wheel drive, Queenstown has an adventure to suit everyone.
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Trekking, Nepal
Home to eight of the 10 highest mountains in the world, including Mt Everest, Nepal is still the holy grail of trekking destinations. Summits over 8,000m come into the mountaineering category. Trekking peaks range from 5,587m to 6,654m and permits are required from the Nepal Mountaineering Association.
There are less ardous treks - so make sure you're hiking at the right level and that your equipment - and boots - are comfortable.
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Heliskiing/snowboarding, Canada
Most ski areas now offer day heliski trips and snowcat - giant, multipassenger snowmobiles - explorations into the backcountry.
Operators should provide equipment such as ice picks and radio transceivers to help locate skiers after an avalanche. Avalanche training should also be considered. However good your guide, however stable the snow conditions, skiing off-piste is risky, and ultimately each person's responsibility.
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Horse touring, Mongolia
Horses are an integral part of nomadic history and culture in Mongolia. It's a life where the horse is still the primary means of transportation and travellers are still welcome.
Follow in the hooves of Ghengis Khan across remote steppes and mountain passes, through deep forests and across wide open deserts. It's possible to spend nights in towns but the quintessential Mongolian trek involves camping in traditional yurts.
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Climbing and mountaineering, Scotland
Scotland is popular for 'Munro bagging' - summiting peaks over 3,000ft (915m). The towering crags on the Isle of Skye and the granite rocks of the Cairngorms are popular and the mountains around Glencoe offer dramatic views.
Glencoe is a good base for rock-climbing courses and mountaineering expeditions, with a number of guides based here and in neighbouring Fort William.
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Adventure eco tour, Costa Rica
Costa Rica has very strict conservation laws, which has encouraged the growth of environmentally-aware adventure tourism in the region. Near El Llano, daring souls can bungee jump all year from a 265-ft high bridge into a lush tropical canyon, with the Colorado River raging below.
Scramble up volcanos, go rock climbing and take a nature trek to explore the rainforest canopy.
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White-water rafting, Australia
The Franklin River runs through 78 miles of wilderness in the remote south-west region of Tasmania. You couldn't ask for a better stretch of river for a serious white-water rafting trip.
Paddle five to 11 days on challenging grade-four rapids, past cascading waterfalls and through deep gorges and thick rainforest. At night, make camp on rock ledges and in caves. Arrive at the Great Ravine with its 1,300-ft high walls.
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Dog sledding, Greenland, and Alaska
Mush, mush! Faster than you'd expect, a dog sled ride is an exhilarating rush through desolate Arctic landscapes. Forget the noisy snowmobile: a dog sled adventure takes you back in history and imbibes you with the spirit of past explorers.
It's an amazing experience to be out in the middle of nowhere, on top of the world, reliant on a pack of excitable dogs to take you back to civilisation.
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Mountain biking, United States
Make a pilgrimage to the birthplace of mountain biking, to the eucalyptus-scented trails of Marin County, California. Just north of San Francisco, the redwood forests around Mt Tamalpais lead up to rocky scrubland and towering cliffs bordering the Pacific Ocean.
Or head east to Moab, Utah, a mecca for hardcore mountain bikers. The entire town seems geared towards taking adrenaline junkies for a spin on the local slick rock, up dusty desert trails.
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Multi-activity holidays, Wales
Wales is particularly well endowed with activity centres. The Brecons, the Black Hills and the mountains around Snowdonia are great spots for caving, trekking, hill walking, mountaineering and white-water canoeing, while the nearby coast offers safe harbours for dinghy sailors and windsurfers.
The multi-activity holiday offers tasters of a wide variety of sports at a relatively low cost.
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