Many American travelers are demanding more adventure in their vacations. This ranges from exploring mainstream destinations in a non-ordinary way to thrill-seeking experiences. Whether you are a solo traveler, traveling as a couple, with friends or your family, all levels of adventure await you. A few considerations for soft adventures include:

• Exploring a city like Paris or Rome by bicycle or Segway instead of on foot or by a coach bus
• Tracing some of the Tour de France route on your own bicycle
• Multi-sport vacations involving a variety of active experiences such as hiking, biking and kayaking–Backroads makes this possible in a number of countries as well as in the US
• Exploring the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina on horseback–Austin Adventures offers great itineraries to this area
• Small ship cruising to explore the Galapagos Islands, Alaska or other destinations–tour operators such as G Adventures and Lindblad Expeditions offer both adult and family adventures
• Hiking from lodge to lodge, or by train then a one day hike to the top of Machu Picchu
• Expedition cruising to the Antarctic or Arctic Circle–even luxury cruises are available such as with Silversea
• An African safari by jeep or on foot
• Dog-sledding in Alaska or exploring Iceland’s tundra by snow mobile in summer

For those seeking more adventure, a few ideas include:

• White-water rafting the Grand Canyon
• Heli-skiing in North America and other parts of the world
• Swimming with sharks or cage-diving in such places as South Africa, Belize, Fiji and other areas
• Gorilla trekking in Rwanda, Uganda or the Republic of Congo–watch for my upcoming blog about Uganda soon!
• Hiking Kilimanjaro-possible even for families through Thomson Family Adventures
• Exploring Vietnam by Vespa
• Hiking and camping along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu–Austin Adventures can organize this with hot showers and gourmet cuisine

Looking for ideas for your next adventure? Call for a free 20-minute consultation, 602-923-1542.