Adventure travel is one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel business. If you would enjoy exploring the jungles of the Amazon rainforest, observing the wildlife of Yellowstone National Park, participating in a cattle drive on a huge Montana ranch, or traveling into outer space then adventure travel may be right for you.
Adventure travel is a type of tourism that involves travel to remote, exotic and often unusual locations. The purpose of the travel goes beyond just arriving at the location and usually involves some sort of exploration, discovery, life-style change and/or challenging activity which create an adventure for the traveler. Adventure travel is specifically designed to provide the opportunity to see and interact with wildlife, natural forces, and/or with different cultures. This form of tourism provides a life experience for the traveler which he or she might not otherwise have access to in their everyday life. Specific examples include traveling to the bottom of the ocean in a two-man submarine, walking with wild African elephants in Kenya, kayaking in the arctic circle, bird-watching in the jungles of Borneo, cave diving in Mexico, trekking the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal, climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, or exploring the Gobi Desert on camel.
Adventure travel is typically grouped into two types of adventures: 1.) hard adventures and 2.)soft adventures. Hard adventures generally involve more extreme and often dangerous physical activity. Mountain climbing, surfing, white-water rafting, spelunking and cave diving in exotic places would be examples of hard adventures. Soft adventures are usually less physically strenuous and hazardous, and may be an educational adventure. Birding, wine tours, wildlife photographic safaris, architectural tours, and religious tours are examples of activities that would be considered soft adventures.
Adventure travel is not for everyone. Those travelers who want their travel to be as comfortable and safe as is humanly possible tend to avoid adventure travel. Those travelers who are mainly seeking rest and relaxation are often not good candidates for adventure travel.
Nature World Adventures 