Adventure: VIP adventure tours

There are thousands different adventure tours covering almost anything the thrill-seekers are able to imagine. Bungee jumping in South Africa, whitewater rafting in Colorado, caving in Wales ... these are all popular activities for the daredevils worldwide. Now, what about elephant riding in Thailand? Does it sound easy? See for yourself what fun and “adrenaline” this might be. VIP or not, these tours are designed for the ones with courage.

ARTICLES

Experience Adventure Tourism

Wayne M. Gore

Another term for you to get excited about! Adventure tourism is a type of niche tourism involving exploration or travel to remote areas, where one is about to experience the unexpected. Rapidly growing, adventure tourism experiences great competition from other outdoor industry types of tourism, but the most important feature, or what is referred to as its unique selling point, is the fact it offers to those seeking unusual vacating times, a radically different perspective from the typical beach...

Spas, Whales and Solitude

James Morris

These days there is more money sloshing around at the top end of the travel industry than ever before. The largest market for luxury travel continues to be the 50s and above, as the children leave the nest and couples find themselves with a large disposable income, but the younger generation is catching up fast. Jim Millward, marketing manager for tailor-made travel agency Audley Travel, says: "We're seeing 30-something professionals who have done the backpacking, who want to travel in comfort w...

Caving, Brecon South Wales

Kevin Eagan

So here we were, scrabbling around in a space that felt about 6 inches square when someone said, "Does this route have a 'grade' - like in climbing?" "Oh yes, it's grade two" replied our instructor Andrew. "And what do they go up to?" "Grade five". In which case I could only assume that the people who can manage a grade five route had a mole and an earthworm for parents. As well as scrabbling we were also, crawling, shuffling, scratching, creeping and butting our way along one of the labyrinth o...

Elephant Riding in Thailand...Is This Trip Necessary?

Pat Hyland

My trip was billed as "Bangkok and Beyond." A more suitable title would have been "Bangkok and WAY Beyond." Traveling in Thailand offers the dedicated traveler an unrivaled cultural experience in a land where the word exotic still means something. Thailand, which means "land of the free," is a country far removed from the Western world – a place whose culture and traditions have endured throughout centuries.

Scream Your Fears Away

Gary Diskin

South Africa has the highest bungee jumping and abseiling spots in the world. Here you can scream your fears away in some of the most spectacular sceneryon earth. Bungee the Bloukrans In the heart of the Garden Route, 40 kilometres east of Plettenberg Bay, is the world’s highest single span bridge over the Bloukrans River. Once a viewpoint for the Tsitsikamma forest 216 metres below, the Bloukrans Bridge is now a magnet for bungee junkies from around the globe. Because of the distance of...

Whitewater Rafting Forges Bonds Stronger than the Rapids

Vanderlei J. Pollack

Colorado River Rafting is a Trip Visualize the boats brow cutting through the swirling, surging water; the sun sparkling on the frothy waves, making tiny rainbows; the abrupt lurch of the craft, as the surging waves suddenly shift direction. The adrenalin is pumping, all senses alert, with nature working overtime to orchestrate a thrill you will never forget. That’s what most people think a raft trip entails, but there’s much more going on. Your connection with the other rafters forms a matchl...