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|  | | | | | | | Please select an adventure: | | | | Introduction:
Adventure sports have grown with adventure travel and now more and more people spend their weekends at home as well as their holidays abroad participating in sports and activities that were only accessible to a few specialists as recently as ten years ago.
Adventure travel traditionally suggested physically challenging holidays for fearless sportsmen and women. As the industry grew the term became synonymous with the expression 'off the beaten track'. This encompassed everything under the travel umbrella, as opposed to the idea of tourism, now associated solely with sand and sea package holidays.
So before planning a trip an adventure traveller must first consider where to go and what to do. In general, adventure travel conjures up pictures of inaccessible regions of the globe characterised by natural beauty, ranging from the mountains of the Himalayas to the plains of South America, from the cold of the polar regions to the heat of the desert. Jeremy Irons has been quoted as saying, very aptly that somewhere off the beaten track '..includes a little danger and a good pinch of the unknown'.
Some people chose to base their trip around a particular activity while others base one or many activities around a specific location. Certain locations are traditionally associated with certain activities, for instance bungee jumping in New Zealand. Whatever your focus our well travelled and knowledgeable consultants at usit WORLD can help you plan your trip.
More than two thirds of the earth's surface is covered by water and beneath it is another world that we know very little about. Scuba diving gives you a glimpse of the different and varied flora and fauna of the world's oceans. The Great Barrier Reef, off Australia's east coast, is the world's largest reef and is considered the best location for sub aqua in the world.
Almost everyone can Scuba Dive , even non-swimmers and it is possible to do an introductory dive without first passing the PADI or BSAC course. These courses can be done in 4 days but usually take about a week and cost about the same in Australia as they do in the UK. It is possible to travel to Australia on a Round the World ticket, which allows you to stop in a variety of destinations on the way. A round the world ticket including a stop in Jakarta would also allow you to sample the scuba available in South East Asia. Although the reef formations are not as impressive as the Great Barrier Reef, the movements of water through the Indonesian islands stimulates sea life and attracts larger animals.
Fast becoming a number two scuba diving destination is Sinai and the Red Sea corals, offering a range of dives for beginners to experts. As a result this is a good place to learn to dive, particularly since both introductory dives and the PADI and BSAC courses are about half the price they are elsewhere. Sharm -el-Sheik and the younger, very relaxed Bedouin village of Dahab are the best places. These can be reached easily from Cairo and Israel.
Scuba is also popular in the warm, tropical waters around the Caribbean Islands. The Caribbean wildlife is incredible and you can dive by walking into the sea from a palm lined, golden sand beach.
Of course there are also great beaches and surfing all over Australia. The southern and south-western coasts are particularly good but if you want to combine surfing and scuba the eastern coast south of the great barrier reef is also good. America, primarily California is also famed for it's surf, sun and fun! While it is easy to join in by body-boarding, it is possible to have lessons in both OZ and the US.
Other adventure water sports include white water rafting ,canoeing and kayaking ,sailing and board sailing . White water rafting is available on just about every raging river that is large enough! It is becoming more and more popular on the Zambezi.
The activity responsible for the growth in adventure sports and travel is probably bungee jumping , started by A.J. Hackett and originating in Queenstown, New Zealand. It's a must do on every brave travellers itinerary, although unlike most other adventure sports it does not seem to be addictive! Again almost anyone can bungee jump so long as you are not pregnant and do not suffer from heart conditions. Bungee even seems to be popular amongst those trying to rid themselves of a fear of heights.
Introductory parachute jumps and tandem parachute jumps have also grown in popularity over the past decade, as have hang-gliding and paragliding . It is possible to paraglide with skis on in many ski resorts. Slightly more passive air travel is ballooning available over many of the world's great sites eg the Grand Canyon and balloon safaris in Kenya.
In response to the growing demand for adventure travel the number and size of adventure tour companies has grown hugely from the few that existed in Africa in the sixties. Each offers something different and it is worthwhile finding out about all your options to make sure that you end up on a tour that suits your needs. Contrary to popular belief that such trips are sedentary and do not deserve to be labelled adventure, anyone who has been on one will tell you that such trips can be very physical and off-roading through swamps, floods and forests is certainly adventurous. Many of these trips also offer you opportunities to partake in other adventure sports such as those mentioned above.
Many of these tour companies offer treks and safaris but if you are travelling independently it is easy to arrange these yourself. Safaris in Africa can be anything from a day to weeks in length as can bushwalking along the numerous tracks in Australia and New Zealand. If you are trekking in the Himalayas it is often useful and sensible to hire a guide, it is also a great way to find out about the scenery and the local people.
Another land based adventure sport, mountain biking has grown from it's home in the Rocky Mountains. Climbing, mountaineering and caving are also becoming more accessible with the many courses offered for beginners. The Alps, a popular destination for both winter and summer, are accessible in terms of both time and money.
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