Adventure travel around the world

While traveling solo for six months around the world things can sometimes get a little boring. One museum blurs into the next after a while. Solution? Scare yourself silly. Adventure travel is on the rise and I made my way through six continents seeking out the fun. I’m talking real no-theme-park-ride excitement, but also activities that allow you to enjoy the beautiful and diverse environments that surround the action. Here are some of the best.

Serengeti Safari, Tanzania - There is absolutely no better way to get the blood pumping than to tick off a napping lion. My camera’s clicks really got on the nerves of the grumpy King until he finally made a commanding roar and short leap at the Land Rover’s pop-up roof that still has my neck hairs standing at attention. Earlier we saw a Cheetah take down a Gazelle to feed her young so it was definitely a purrfect day. Even if you don’t actually experience the threat of being mauled a Serengeti safari will be one of the greatest thrills of your life. Guaranteed.

Abseiling the mystic limestone formations of Yangshou, China - All along the Li River valley jut the remains of an ancient sea. Jagged and surreal pinnacles dot the landscape like hundred meter high quills off a porcupine. The X-Climber guides know a short cut up one rock that only involved two feet and the occasional hand hold so up I went. Rock climbing requires a bit of skill but falling, I mean abseiling down needs only a stout heart and a strong rope. The key is to just swallow hard and take that first step off. After that the belay tool allows you to descend at whatever pace you are comfortable. Before long you’re bouncing yards at a time. Falling off a cliff was never this fun, unless of course you mastered that whole Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon flying thing.

Scuba diving WWII wrecks in Indonesia - Bali is known for world-class surf spots but there’s another way to get stoked in Indo, get under the waves. Just a across the channel lie the Gili Islands of Lombok. Smaller and less developed these serene isles host some serious adrenaline pumps for the underwater inclined. Blue Marlin Dive Center on Gili Trawangan caters to Tech divers with deep wrecks all over the Bali channel. Sounds great but 200 foot descents leave most of us recreational divers out of the fun. Here’s the fix. After a brief 2 hour Nitrox introduction course a recreational certified diver can descend 145 feet upon a Japanese patrol boat that was sunk in combat during WWII. This carefully planned and guided dive from Blue Marlin lets you experience the thrill of technical diving without serious risk and is an absolute blast. Scorpion fish and neon soft coral cover the 40 foot vessel and the shell hole that sunk her is still quite visible. So even if you can’t go big on a board you can go deep in Indo, very deep.

Motorcrossing the Sacred Valley, Peru - First thing you notice upon arrival in Cuzco is the air, or lack there of it. Once you acclimatize you realize there is a ridiculous amount of activities available. Of course you’re probably in town for the Inca trail trek to Machu Pichu, but Cuzco also offers more adventure based fun than any town this side of Queensland, New Zealand. Rapids, jungles, mountain bikes, horses, you name it they have it. What grabbed my attention was the off road motorcycles for hire. Nearby hill climbs, stream crossings and single track riding fill the adventure need quite nicely. Dirt roads and cow trails litter the nearby valley, letting you motocross your way up and through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It wasn’t just sacred because of the nearby ruins. The natural landscape is just breathtaking. As the shocks absorb the bumps and the tires spit mud in your wake you look up just in time to see a valley golden with the morning sun, and the caboose of a train packed with tourists that paid a mint to experience such grandeur from behind glass windows. Too bad for them.

Skiing the Andes - How do you end an around the world adventure based trip? Would skiing and snowboarding the Andes, on opening day at Portillo Chile after they just received four feet of fresh snow work? Yeah, I thought so too. Portillo Ski Resort has a great backpacker deal that makes it affordable to ski some adrenaline pumping chutes, bowls and massive snowfields amongst stunning Andes scenery. It was the perfect cherry atop a thrilling taste of the world’s best action spots. So keep traveling. It’s never boring if you find the right adventure.

Guest writer Bill Benson chronicled his travels around the world and continues to inspire us with his great adventures!

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