Lindblad Expeditions announces upcoming Global Luminaries

by Kraig Becker on

Lindblad Expeditions has earned itself a reputation as one of the top adventure travel companies on the planet, offering a wide variety of options for travelers to visit the far flung corners of the globe. The company is well known for having some of the best trained and most knowledgeable staff in the entire industry, offering clients great insights into the places that they visit. But their “Global Luminaries” program takes that reputation to a whole new level, with a line-up of very impressive specials guest that will enhance an already great trip even further.

These dignitaries come from a wide variety of fields, but are generally broken down into four categories; World Affairs, Broadcast Journalism, Exploration, and Research. Each of the Global Luminaries will be joining guests aboard the National Geographic Explorer, one of Lindblad’s luxury cruise ships, for a specifically selected journey through a region of the world that they know well and can offer unique perspectives on. For example, when the ship visits the historic waterways of the Baltic at the end of August and Early September of this year, and again in 2011, passengers will share that journey with former Soviet Premiere Mikhail Gorbachev as well as the former President of Poland, and Nobel Prize winner, Lech Walesa.

Other famous names on the list of luminaries include well-known naturalist and television personality Jim Fowler, former astronaut Rick Hauck, mountaineer and explorer Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund Hillary, Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland, and ocean rower Roz Savage. But those are just the beginning, as there are a number of other scientists, explorers, and writers scheduled to take part in the fun as well.

For the complete list of Global Luminaries, and the trips they’ll be taking part in for the rest of 2010 and 2011, click here.

[Photo credit: Lindblad Expeditions]

Trekking Mt. Kenya for a cause

by Kraig Becker on

When most adventure travelers consider their options for mountain trekking in Africa, they invariably think about Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain on the continent at 19,340 feet. But for those looking for a completely different, and decidedly less crowded, experience, Mt. Kenya is a great option. The extinct volcano is the second tallest mountain in Africa, at 17,057 feet, and though lesser in stature than Kili, it still represents a considerable challenge.

The International Childcare Trust is organizing a climb of Mt. Kenya for early 2011 in an attempt to raise funds and awareness for their cause. The organization is dedicated to protecting the rights of children around the world, and has partnered with other groups in Asia and Africa to address poverty, sickness, and educational needs of young people on those continents. Earlier this year, the ICT conducted its first fund raising trek along the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, successfully raising £65,000, or roughly $101,000.

Following up on the success of that trek, comes this Mt. Kenya expedition, that will run from March 11th through the 21st of next year. While on the trek, the travelers will pass through rainforests, moorlands, alpine deserts, and across a glacier. Few places on Earth offer that kind of diversity in landscapes over a relatively short distance. The mountain has a distinct profile, offering three main peaks, and while it is a daunting physical challenge, it is possible for anyone to reach the top, provided they are in good physical condition and have an adventurous spirit.

After the climb is finished, the climbers will also make a visit to an ICT project village so they can see the work that the organization does first hand. Those who join this charity trek will be raising funds for the Trust, and this will give them a chance to see exactly how those funds are put to use while observing the impact of the ICT on the daily lives of children in Kenya.

For more information on this trek and to find out how you can take part, visit Trek-Mount-Kenya.com.

[Photo credit: Chris 73 via WikiMedia]

Adventurous trio running across the Kalahari Desert

by Kraig Becker on

The Kalahari Desert is a wild and untamed place stretching across 350,000 square miles of southern Africa. The arid expanse of land crosses through parts of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, and while it is an incredibly dry place, it is still home to a diverse amount of plant and animal life, including giraffes, elephants, hyenas, lions and more. It is a challenging place for any human being to survive in, but that isn’t stopping three adventurous endurance athletes from attempting to cross it on foot none the less.

Dubbed the Trans-Kalahari Run, this expedition will send three friends, Jukka Viljanen and Kirsi Montonen, both from Finland, along with Greg Maud, of South Africa, along a 1000km (620 mile) route that stretches west to east across some of the most wild parts of Botswana. The trio hopes to cover approximately 50km (31 miles) per day, for 20 straight days, in hopes of completing their quest. That’s the equivalent of running more than a marathon, plus five miles, every day for nearly three weeks, through some of the most demanding terrain on the planet.

While this will be an amazing adventure, and a great test of endurance for these long distance runners, they aren’t doing it just for the experience. This adventurous threesome is also hoping to raise awareness and funds for Cheetah Conservation Botswana, an organization that works tirelessly to preserve the population of those speedy felines in Africa, and obviously most specifically in Botswana. Cheetahs have a difficult time competing against other predators in the game preserves, so they are often forced to live in the more marginal border regions where they are hunted and killed by the indigenous people there who see them as a threat to their livestock. CCB is hoping to protect these big cats through community outreach and education with those rural communities, teaching them how to coexist with the Cheetahs.

Jukka, Kirsi, and Greg began their run yesterday, and they are promising daily updates to their blog, so we can all follow along with their progress. They got off to a good start, with a warm-up run of 26km (16 miles), but the real challenges, and adventure lie ahead.

[Photo credit: Elmar Thiel via WikiMedia]

Photo of the Day (10.14.2010)

by Catherine Bodry on
This shot looks like it could be a still from a sweeping epic. Out of the frame there could be a colonial settler, a rugged man with a breeze blowing through his dark hair…. Maybe he has a lady far away that he’s thinking of – perhaps she’s back in Europe? Or was she lost to malaria? Yes, I think that’s it. Maybe this handsome young man was all set to shoot an elephant, but then he remembered his fair lady who succumbed to malarial fever and it struck a soft part in his heart, and he’s decided to simply let the elephant family wander off. He’ll head back to his plantation or wherever and hang up his rifle for good.

Ahem. And there I go, romanticizing colonialism. Let’s start over. What a beautiful shot, eh? Nice contrasting colors, gorgeous animals, a huge sky. This photo was taken by Flickr user ahpook667 in Kenya.

Have any photos that stir up epic fantasies remind us of the kind of awe the natural world inspires? Upload them to Gadling’s Flilckr pool and we just might choose one for our Photo of the Day feature.

Use Facebook or Twitter, win a trip to Iceland!

by Kraig Becker on

Adventure travel company Overland Experts (OEX) is dipping their toe in the social media waters, and to celebrate, their giving away a free trip to Iceland – and winning couldn’t be much easier. The company has launched efforts on both Facebook and Twitter, and they’re hoping to reach 3000 followers on one or the other of those social networks by the end of the month. If they do, on September 1st they’ll pick one of their followers on either network to head off on an exciting adventure.

To enter, simply go to the OEX Facebook page, which can be found by clicking here, and “Like” them or follow them on Twitter at @OverlandExperts and Tweet out the following: “Want to win a free trip to Iceland with Overland Experts? RT this and follow @overlandexperts. Details: http://bit.ly/OEXgiveaway #OEX” That’s it! Do one or the other, or both of those things, and you’ll be automatically entered to win the trip. For more specific information on the contest, check out the Iceland Trip Giveaway page here.

Overland Experts specializes in off-road driving training, but they are also a travel company that focuses on small group adventures, by 4×4, to remote corners of the planet. They offer excursions to Peru, Chile, Kenya, Egypt, Mongolia, and more. Their trips are an interesting mix of cultural immersion and exploration of the natural environment and they use their four-wheel drive vehicles to reach places that most people will never have the opportunity to see. Check out their website for more information and to find a trip that is right for you.

[Photo credit: Overland Experts]