10 great destinations for outdoor adventure

by Gadling Staff on

With the possible exception of beach-goers, very few people want to travel in order to sit. Travel is all about experiencing the best of what a destination has to offer, and in many cases, the best of what a destination can offer is adventure. From mountain climbing to snowshoeing to hill-walking — yes, “hill-walking” is an adventure sport! — here are ten of the world’s best destinations for outdoor adventure.

Now get off your duff and get out there!

Squamish, British Columbia, Canada – Snowshoeing
Discover the outbacks of Garibaldi Provincial Park in Squamish, British Columbia at Elfin Lakes, where a cluster of little lakes reside at 5,446 ft (1,660 m), about 11 kilometers from the trailhead.

We threw on skins on skis and hiked up (and skiied down later, for a great powdery ride out!). For the less initiated, snowshoeing is a fun and easy way to enjoy this slice of paradise outdoors, where the immense expanse of snowy playground past Paul Ridge (the highest point) will turn your dreary winter into a delightful wonder.

The first four kilometers are the steepest, which lead to Red Heather Meadows at (4,757 ft) 1,450 m, but the remaining seven kilometers even out on the plateau of Paul Ridge, leading to Elfin Hut, which is surrounded by mountains on all sides. It’s a glorious experience you wouldn’t want to miss.

Bonus: You can also do this, as a hike, in the summer.


Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia – Mountain Climbing
Want to reach the top of the world without climbing Everest? You can, at Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia and the focal point of the Kinabalu National Park, Malaysia‘s first World Heritage site.

The good news is, you don’t need technical skills or gear to climb this mountain. All you need is strong legs and good cardio. We took about seven hours to reach the peak (if you’re really fit, you might get there faster), through what seemed to be an endless set of steps – but this giant jungle trek upward is worth the glorious views that await at Low’s Peak.

The sheer effort will make the experience a breath-taking one (literally), but the exhilaration of reaching the peak at 13,435 ft (4,095 m) makes it all worthwhile.


Kingston, Ontario, Canada – Camping and Canoeing
Nature-lovers will not miss the chance to camp and canoe in the summertime. Be it swimming in lakes, enjoying a campfire at night or sleeping in a tent outdoors, you’ll get an unforgettable taste of nature at Frontenac Provincial Park, located in southern Ontario about 40 kilometers north of the historical city of Kingston.

Rent a canoe, paddle out into the interiors, portage to one of the 48 interior camp sites, jump into the lake waters, or hike any of its 160 kilometers of trails. We recommend the Little Salmon Lake Loop, which is about 15 kilometers and takes about three to five hours. Outdoor enthusiasts will have a field day in this beautiful national park.

Sydney, Australia – Mountain Hiking
Australia isn’t just home to the koalas and kangaroos – it also houses The Three Sisters, a three-mountain range in the scenic Blue Mountains, 50 km from the city of Sydney. Legend has it that three beautiful sisters were turned into stone to protect them from harm. But the witch doctor who was supposed to transform them back into human form died, leaving them in permanent structure forever.

To get the best views of The Three Sisters, take the Scenic Walkway, a two-kilometer hike on boardwalk through the rainforest. Ride down the steepest incline railway in the world – it’s almost vertical in direction! The 415 m descent takes you through a cliff-side tunnel into ancient rainforest. From there, explore the Scenic Walkway, or find your way to the 1,000 steps that will take you to Echo Point, where The Three Sisters sit.


Vermont, United States – Alpine Skiing

Why let all that snow go to waste in the winter? The heavenly mountains of New England, USA, offer multitudinous slopes that are a skier’s haven.

For the “best powder,” we love Jay Peak in Vermont, which claims to accumulate more snow than any other ski resort in the East. With 50 miles of trails on 385 acres serviced by seven lifts and the most recommended glade skiing, what more can you ask for?

Pro tip: Go off the wider trails and glide through the glades at Jay Peak, which offer great depths of snow for those who love their pow’.

Phuket, Thailand – Scuba Diving
Sun worshippers will discover a tropical paradise on the island of Phuket, Thailand, where spectacular surfing, snorkeling and diving await those who seek the secrets of the deep.

Besides a flamboyant nightlight at Phuket’s Patong Beach, Asia’s most popular beach destination offers lush white sands along palm-lined beaches as well as world-class diving in the Andaman Sea. Many travel adventure outfits in town offer scuba diving courses and PADI certification.

Book your scuba trip via speedboat to the surrounding islands (we loved the beautiful, clear waters around Phi Phi island), don your diving suit and enter the unparalleled underwater world beneath.

Canmore, Alberta, Canada – Backcountry Ski Touring
For those who can’t get enough of winter, take skiing one step further and head out into the backcountry of the Canadian Rockies, where unspoiled wilderness and untouched powder snow await – minus the cost of lift tickets.

Near the town of Canmore lies the Wapta Icefields, a magnificent stretch of nature that spans many miles north along the continental divide from the Lake Louise area. The Icefields house vast glaciers, easy peaks and warming huts along the way.

If you’re a beginner, the four-day ski traverse run by Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is the perfect outfit to offer an experience in classical ski-mountaineering.

Koh Samui, Thailand – Kite-Surfing
Instead of diving down deep into the sea, take to the skies instead with kite-surfing at Koh Samui, Thailand.

Rather like a parachute jump in reverse, get harnessed to a parachute before being gently released into the air from the back of a speedboat, and remain attached for the duration of the ride.

At Lamai beach, its kite surf center features an outer reef which creates a natural barrier against waves. This ensures that the waist-deep water remains flat and the bottom is soft sand as well.

Check out Kiteboarding Asia, whose schools are certified by the International Kiteboarding Organization (IKO), at Lamai or Chaweng beaches.

Cumbria, Lake District, England – Hill-Walking
For a postcard-perfect encounter with nature, England’s largest national park – Lake District National Park – is a walker’s paradise, flanked by gorgeous mountains and beautiful lakes.

With 2,292 square kilometers of vast beauty to explore and admire, the hiking options are endless. We suggest a hike to Scafell Peak. At 3,210 ft, it is the highest mountain in England and a popular spot for hill-walking, as the British call it.

For the more adventurous, take the more challenging route at Helvellyn. The narrow ridge of Striding Edge will raise your heartbeat in more ways than one.

Queenstown, New Zealand – Bungee Jumping
Who would have thought that jumping off a bridge with a long elastic cord tied to your ankles can be considered fun? In Queenstown, New Zealand, somebody evidently thought so – and promptly catapulted this city to fame with this thrill-seeking activity. This person was AJ Hackett, who opened the first commercial bungee jumping operation from the Kawarau Bridge (43 m high) over the Kawarau River in 1888.

For your personalized experience, you can choose from a number of options: topple over backwards; forwards, with another person, spin, or somersault. You can even choose to bob above the water, touch it, or even be fully immersed! Not for the faint-of-heart.

Air New Zealand thinks THIS is an economy seat? (with video)

by Kent Wien on

Well, Premium Economy, at least. But we’ve sat in Business Class seats that weren’t this comfortable.

Apparently Air New Zealand has a larger proportion of leisure passengers than other international airlines, so they’ve focused more of their efforts on enhancing the Economy and Premium Economy cabins. We covered the upcoming changes to the Economy section, including the option for passengers to choose the new Skycouch layout when booking their trip, but the Premium Economy redesign may be an even bigger story. It’s surely going to cause other airlines to take a fresh look at their offerings.

Air New Zealand currently offers a Premium Economy cabin that offers a larger selection of meal options at a much higher quality, nearly approaching the level of service seen up front in their Business Premium cabin. It’s likely one reason they were awarded ATW’s Airline of the Year for 2010. But they don’t seem ready to give up the title for 2011.
Space Seats

With their new Premium Economy “Space Seats” which enter service in November of 2010, the airline has managed to match their seats to the enhanced meal service. The combination could even rival the business class sections of other airlines.

Premium Economy passengers can reserve a seat based on their requirements for privacy or if they’re traveling with a partner, they can choose a more social arrangement. They do this by installing two different types of seats in the Premium Economy class.

Inner Space

The center seats face outward at a 23 degree angle and are called “Inner Space.” The two armrests in the middle of these seats can be lowered to create nearly enough room for a third person to sit, which could be helpful for a family flying with an infant.

With the armrests up, two people could share a meal or play a game of cards on the center console, with room for at least one person’s legs to fit underneath, like a small table.

Outer Space

The “Outer Seats” also point at a 23 degree angle and face the windows. With the new, larger 787 windows that are coming-depicted in the mockup pictures-these seats will be perfect for those who enjoy looking out. It felt a little like sitting on the front porch in a chair while taking in the view.

Another improvement over the current Premium Economy is the ability to recline without impeding anyone else’s space. And when the person sitting at the window is ready to get up, there’s enough room for the passenger at the aisle to pivot their legs to allow access. The seat width is now three inches wider at 20 inches, but there’s no obstruction, such as a fixed armrest on either side of the seats, so it feels even wider.

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“Otto” Pilot

Since there are now foot rests built into the seats, a stuffed foot rest that Air New Zealand has coined “Otto” which is short for ottoman will be provided. Ed Sims, the project manager on this effort remarked, “We readily anticipate that these will get stolen in huge numbers.”

Just like the rest of the cabin, Premium Economy will feature snacks on demand which allows a passenger to order complimentary drinks or snacks in between meals via the in flight entertainment screen.

The IFE screen is a pull-out, 10.6″ screen that provides more content than the current 8.4″ system, such as an expanded range of kids shows, exclusive offerings and a viewers recommended section. Applications such as hourly updated weather will be featured on the new graphical user interface that was designed by Air New Zealand.

A USB port or iPod connector will allow passengers to view their own content they may have brought with them. This will also be offered in the standard Economy class as well. No word on device compatibility, but the iPod and iPhone are sure to be on the list.

While looking at the innovative seats for each cabin, I couldn’t help but wonder where I’d prefer to sit. I suspect it will come down to who I’m flying with. If I were traveling with just my wife, the center, or “Inner Space” seats in premium economy would be preferable.

If we brought along our two kids, I’d love to try the two standard Economy center seats for us while the kids could take up the outer Skycouch seats for sleeping.

And if someone else is paying for the trip, well, there’s just no other option than to give the Business Premier cabin a try. Because if they consider these seats to be just a step up from their regular Economy seats, then wait until you see what they’ve done with their Business Class seat. We’ll have a review for you next week.

Gadling was briefed on the Space Seat prototype Tuesday at the Hangar 9 facility in Auckland, New Zealand. See it for yourself:

The story behind Air New Zealand’s new seats (with video)

by Kent Wien on

Typically when an airline makes an advancement in their seat technology, a press release is sent out along with a few pictures. This week, Air New Zealand has given us a behind the scenes look at what went into their latest product.

They started the process using four design firms and narrowed their options down to a handful of layouts.

It was fascinating to see the research that went into the effort and sneak a peak at some of the abandoned layouts at their “Hangar 9” facility in Auckland where the prototype work took place.

When Gadling heard mumblings of these game-changing designs, we dropped everything to see for ourselves if Air New Zealand could match the early hype generated by the rumors. We were certainly impressed, and judging from the response of the media that attended the event, it seems they’ve set a new standard in airline innovation.
There’s a chance that other airlines who ordered the 787 have come up with similarly innovative designs that we just haven’t seen yet. But because Air New Zealand ordered 777-300s and 787s at the same time, we’re now seeing a tip of their hand as the 777s are approaching their November in-service date.

CEO Rob Fyfe and Project Manager Ed Sims briefed the crowds on Tuesdays event in Auckland, and demonstrated what makes the Skycouch economy seats so remarkable, and also showed us one of the designs that was rejected after nearly making the cut.

To see our more about the Skycoach seats, check out the coverage we did on Monday.

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Coach cabin revolution — Air New Zealand adds beds in economy

by Kent Wien on

Innovation may have played a part in Air New Zealand’s eight-year quest for renewed profitability.

As Kathryn Gregory, director of marketing for the Americas region recently said, “We like to look at what the other airlines are doing in their marketing and then… don’t do that.”

If you’ve been keeping track of the Air New Zealand inflight safety demo and their recent matchmaking flights, it’s clear that they’re setting their own course while keeping the brand edgy and fresh.

But the company knows that it’s not all just marketing and promotions. Their inflight product needs to maintain the quality that recently earned them the coveted ATW Airline of the Year award.Air New Zealand currently offers a Premium Plus Economy seating that doesn’t stop at just a few more inches of legroom for the front part of the coach cabin. Dining options are also enhanced to mirror more of the business class meals on their long-haul service and it’s been very well received.

And two years ago, the airline added in-flight concierges who can assist everyone with their onward flight arrangements, itineraries they may wish to adjust at their destination, scheduling issues with weather disruption and managing their frequent flyer miles. This even includes passengers traveling in economy.

At a time when airlines strive to be just a smidgen better than their competition, it would seem Air New Zealand could rest easily with their comfortable lead over other airlines.

But Roger Poulton, vice president of the Americas for Air New Zealand, said that to stay ahead, it was important to forgo some of the standard Boeing options in aircraft seating and to spend the time and money needed to design their own product. They also realized that Economy and Economy Plus passengers shouldn’t be forsaken and that families flying together represented a large portion of their passengers.

A TOP SECRET THREE YEAR PLAN

It took years, but the results not only put Air New Zealand in the front of the industry but also might just change how other long-haul airlines look at the coach cabin in the future. Knowing that if word got out about their plans they would lose part of their lead, they’ve secretly been working on a new layout that has finally been revealed to the public.

The coach seats have been completely re-designed by Recaro, including eleven rows of three seats on each side of the cabin dubbed “Skycouches” that are available for families and couples who want the ability to buy an entire row. Couples who buy the third seat will only play need to pay half the price for the third seat.

Interior seats will not be able to convert to a Skycouch.

While it’s still not possible to stretch your legs out straight without them extending into the aisle, the Skycouch design will likely be very popular for economy travelers and especially for families traveling together. Parents could purchase two seats in the center of the cabin, and then a row of three across from them where the kids can lay out and sleep.

Internally at Air New Zealand, they’ve referred to the Skycouch seats as “Spoon Seats” since the design lends itself well to that sleeping position for couples.

To convert the seat, a button in the armrest allows you to pop up the modified footrest. It’s then necessary to snap the rest into place, making for a solid bed when all three are in place. The design is stressed for three hundred pounds, and it has a rather solid feel. The seat cushions align perfectly with each other, providing for a very smooth surface to stretch out on.

A foot net provides for more comfortable leg position options, presumably so your feet don’t impede the aisle.

Every economy seat will have an improved ‘sleep pillow’ headrest and PC power, USB and iPod connections.

A new feature has been added throughout the cabin, called Snacks on Demand, which allows passengers to order more food using the inflight entertainment screen in between the three course meal service.

After meals are served from the redesigned galley, ‘onboard events’ will be offered, including wine tasting, a destination seminar or kids story time using the 23″ mounted galley monitor. This area was modified to avoid looking like a kitchen and more like a lounge area where passengers can help themselves to snacks and drinks.

These changes apply to the new Boeing 777-300 aircraft that are being delivered starting in November of this year. Initially the Auckland to Los Angeles flight will see this aircraft and eventually this reconfiguration will make its way to other aircraft in the long-haul fleet.

Gadling had the opportunity to see the new seating configuration up close during the unveiling in Auckland at a building that had to be well hidden from the local press who have been relentlessly trying to learn details about the rumored seating changes. Recaro will be building the seats in Fort Worth, Texas.

If the prying media had only known that the building where the design work was being done was just two blocks from the Air New Zealand headquarters. The location was obvious on the morning of the event, when a huge sign that said “Hangar 9” and featured the Air New Zealand logo was unveiled and gave away the secret location.

Group General Manager, Ed Sims said that while the Skycouch experience is owned by Air New Zealand, other airlines that aren’t competing directly with the company would be able to license the design. He mentioned that when Boeing first viewed the work they’ve accomplished at Hangar 9, the airline manufacturer was convinced that this represented the future of air travel.

Initially, the company was working on a staggered seat design. They were pretty sure the offering would be a successful way to give people more room, but when they tested the mockup with focus groups, they found people uncomfortable with the lack of privacy from the people just behind or in front of them. There was a sense they needed to watch their belongings more and that people could see everything they were doing.

It wasn’t just Air New Zealand’s work in economy cabin that is going to change air travel. They have also redesigned their Premium Economy seats, creating a solution for passengers who want more privacy while at the same time satisfying those who prefer to sit together as a couple. Be sure to check out our video from the unveiling to see the Skycouch in action.

The pride in the new corporate culture at Air New Zealand is evident in every employee that we came across, from the flight attendants to management. They’re exceedingly proud of their country and many of the flight attendants told us they felt they had a responsibility at Air New Zealand to represent their country as well.

With this revolutionary design, it has become much easier for families to experience the Kiwi culture in person on what could be a restful twelve hour flight from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Auckland.

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Air New Zealand in hot water over new cougar ad

by Scott Carmichael on

Air New Zealand has a history of fun and creative TV commercials. In the past, they used their own bodypainted staff to promote their service, and this time, they recruited cougars. In case you missed it, a cougar is an older woman who preys on young men. Air New Zealand describes them as “too old to be your girlfriend and too young to be your mom”.

Even though the ad has very little to do with air travel, it is absolutely hilarious. Of course, as with any controversial TV ad, a group complained about it, and Air New Zealand pulled it from the air. Despite the humor in the clip, rape victims in New Zealand were not amused, claiming the clip was “appalling, disgusting and degrading to women”. What do you think?

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