Adventure travel: Ticket, camera, ACTION!
Had your fill of luxury resorts and soothing spas? Then it's time to step beyond your comfort zone! David Bowden discovers some great travel adventures. Are you up for the challenge?
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Air Trekking - Langkawi, Malaysia
Not for the faint-hearted, this Langkawi rainforest adventure challenges even those who take their action activities seriously. This four-hour adventure involves rappelling, abseiling, crossing narrow crevices and roaring through the rainforest canopy on a series of wires - like a flying fox. The final glide - 30 metres above the ground - is the most exhilarating, as it ends in a huge rainforest emergent. The only way out is to rappel to the ground. Great for team building with a small group or a family with an adventurous spirit. The rainforest and views of the Langkawi coast are also quite spectacular.
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CONTACT Langkawi Rainforest Canopy Adventure Tel: +6012 484 8744, Web: http://www.langkawitravel.net/.
All Power to the Peddle - Luang Prabang, Laos
Exotic Luang Prabang is not only home to designer hotels, soothing spas, wondrous temples and cool restaurants, this remote destination now lures action junkies in search of a close encounter with nature. Head out of the UNESCO World Heritage Site along Nam Khan (Khan River) on 21-speed mountain bikes to Ban Phanom, the renowned silk-weaving village and continue along dirt roads through overhanging rainforest, past streams lined with bubbling rapids. Stay within the forest at the riverside Lao Spirit Resort (http://www.lao-spirit.com/) and appreciate prolific birdlife to inspire budding naturalists in luxurious surroundings. Peddle to the neighbouring Khmu and Hmong hill tribes.
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CONTACT Trail Outdoor Adventures Tel: +856.20.557 0221, Web: http://www.tigertrail-laos.com/.
Balloons Aloft - Canberra, ACT
Although Canberra is renowned for adventures of a more political nature, a visit to Balloons Aloft will soon adjust your mindset. The eerie thrill of drifting above the earth in near silence - apart from the occasional blast from gas burners - is sure to get your heart thumping and adrenalin pumping. Hot air ballooning is dependent upon rising thermal currents and the skill of the pilot to effortlessly maneuver through the sky. It's also a participatory sport where the four or five passengers help the pilot unroll the balloon and inflate it with the gas burners and a huge fan. Once inflated, it's a leap into the basket before flying skyward to experience unforgettable views as you soar across Lake Burley Griffen and Canberra's surrounding landmark architecture. Back on the ground an hour later, its tradition to toast a successful flight with Champagne. Cheers!
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CONTACT Balloons Aloft Tel: +61 2 6285 1540, Web: www.canberraballoons.com.au.
Something in the New Zealand air drives people to take on the challenges of the wild. Pitch yourself against all nature can offer with Queenstown's "awesome foursome" - bungy jumping, jet boating, whitewater rafting and heli-skiing - all crammed into a day of adventure-charged action. Mix and match from an adventure menu focused on the Kawarau and Shotover Rivers. Stay at the supremely private Shotover Lodge (http://www.shotoverlodge.com/) for panoramic views of all the action.
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CONTACT Totally Tourism Tel: +64 3 441 2983, Web: http://www.combos.co.nz/.
Pachiderm Power - Chitwan National Park, Nepal
If a close encounter with nature is high on your agenda, you can't beat an elephant ride from Gaida Wildlife Camp into one of Nepal's largest natural areas - Chitwan National Park. In this heart-stopping brush with nature expect to see wild elephants, rhinos, Sambar deer, mongooses and crocodiles. For those who are really lucky, Bengal tigers and leopards can be added to the list. In addition, there are some 526 bird species to be found in the park measuring 932 kilometres square. Once accustomed to the rock 'n' roll motion of the elephant, sit back and immerse yourself in the thrill of the adventure.
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CONTACT Gaida Wildlife Camp Tel: +977 56 580 057, Web: http://www.gaidawildlife.com/.
Peaks' Performance, Spain
While not as well known as the Alps or the Pyrenees, the Picos de Europe in northern Spain pack a powerful dose of adventure. Snow-capped most of the year, alpine treks, riding cable cars, funicular railways, mountain biking or Nordic skiing head a whole list of outdoor pursuits. Ride the near-vertical cable car from Fuenta Dé and walk downhill past snowy peaks and grassy meadows to Espinama. Stop at Refugio de Aliva for a hearty Cantabrian lunch and walk it off in the afternoon. Stay in the small mountainous town of Sotres de Cabrales in neighbouring Asturias and explore the surrounding hills and valleys.
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CONTACT Hotel Rural Casa Cipriano Tel: + 34 985 945 024, Web: http://www.casacipriano.com/.
Riding the Dunes - Port Stephens, Australia
Port Stephens is a water wonderland just three hours' drive north of Sydney. The vast sand dunes from Stockton to Williamtown and beyond are home to a plethora of recreational activities from beach fishing and surfing to riding the dunes on all-terrain quad bikes. Imagine a motor bike with four wheels and be prepared for some serious fun while you whip over dunes in fresh sea breezes, along this coastal strip. Sign on and you'll not only experience the sport, you'll also get to take on the ascent and descent of the dunes.
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CONTACT Sand Safaris Tel: +61 2 4965 0215, Web: http://www.sandsafaris.com.au/.
Arizona's Grand Canyon is the outdoor adventure capital of the USA and is indeed grand. Its dimensions impress even the unimpressionable - 277 kilometres long, up to 29 kilometres wide and almost two kilometres deep. It's possible to walk it, raft it, hover over it and travel its breadth on an all-terrain vehicle. Try something different and breakfast above the Colorado River deep within the canyon. Sundance Helicopters offer an exhilarating three-hour return flight and journey in a six-seater helicopter. The trip starts and finishes in Las Vegas and includes views of the Grand Canyon, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam.
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CONTACT Sundance Helicopters Tel: +1 702 736 0606, Web: http://www.sundancehelicopters.com/.
Sunrise Paragliding - Pokhara, Nepal
Experience the exhilaration of riding the thermals over one of the world's most scenic areas. The lakeside setting is framed by a backdrop of the towering Himalayas and is one of the hottest places to soar like a bird with experienced para-gliders. Sunrise Paragliding offers tandem rides from its mountainous launch pad on Sarangkot - 1,500 metres above sea level. Ride the hot air currents with professional pilots for as long as you like while watching farmers tend to their terraced farms. For a real buzz, request some aerial acrobatics.
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CONTACT Sunrise Paragliding Tel: +977 61 521 174, Web: http://www.nepal-paragliding.com/.
Timber-Top Trail - Taman Negara, Malaysia
Taman Negara is Malaysia's largest national park. And apart from shooting the rapids, jungle trekking and communing with nature, a highlight of this species-rich rainforest - one of the world's oldest and tallest - is to walk along its 450-metre canopy walk. Transversing the upper storeys of the rainforest some 25 metres above the ground offers a unique perspective of the forest. Glimpse birds, squirrels, shrews and reptiles and hear the sound of booming gibbons in the distance. Visitors can reach the canopy walk from the Mutiara Taman Negara Resort or catch a longboat along the Tembeling River.
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CONTACT Mutiara Taman Negara Resort Tel: +609 266 2200, Web: http://www.mutiarahotels.com/.
While Macau is better known as one of Asia's leading gambling and culinary destinations, it's UNESCO-gazetted, historic heart is worth exploring. For a bird's eye view of this former Portuguese enclave, visit Macau Tower on the harbour foreshore. Towering into the sky, the viewing platforms offer superb vistas of distant Hong Kong and the enterprising A.J Hackett - aka Mr Bungy Jumping - has established an array of death-defying adventure activities. Daredevils are strapped into multiple harnesses while they hang over the side, swing in the air and sashay along the perimeter of the Macau Tower to enjoy one of Asia's best urban adventures.
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CONTACT Macau Tower Tel: +853 9888 656, Web: http://www.macautower.com.mo/.
Posted Sep 06
