Abercrombie & Kent announce extreme adventures for 2010

Adventure travel specialist Abercrombie & Kent have announced their “extreme” adventures for 2010, offering up 15 amazing opportunities for travelers looking for unique experiences, provided of course they also have plenty of cash to pay for them.

No matter what kind of adventure you crave, you’re sure to find it on this list. For instance, you can head off into the desert on an eleven day expedition that follows in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia, or if sun and sand aren’t your cup of tea, then maybe you’d prefer to go dog sledding in Norway for nine days. Fancy a mountain setting? Than book a trip to Everest Base Camp for 20 days of trekking in the Khumbu Valley instead. These are just a few of the great options that A&K have in store for 2010, with tours planned for remote locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and even the South Pole.

Widely considered one of the best luxury travel companies in the world, Abercrombie & Kent has years of experience planning adventurous trips to the far corners of the globe. The company promises small group tours, ranging in size from about 6-8 people, which allows for more one-on-one interaction with their expert guides, as well as ensuring that the group can move quickly while having a very limited impact on the environment.

Of course, these specialized tours come at quite a cost, and while many tour operators are looking for ways to offer discounted options in these challenging economic times, A&K is sticking to their plan to offer unique experiences for premium prices. For example, that dog sledding expedition that I mentioned above comes with a hefty price tag of $9655, not including airfare. Clearly not for the backpacker on a budget!

First tourist trips to the South Pole

In today’s over-traveled world, I’ve always just assumed that tour operators can take clients to every corner of the globe.

Apparently the South Pole, however, has always been an exception–until now, that is.

The news out of London is that a British travel outfitter will be the first company to take tourists all the way to the South Pole. According to the Telegraph, Discover the World already takes visitors–mostly scientists and wealthy eccentrics–to Patriot Hills, a base camp in Antarctica. In the upcoming year, however, they will be expanding their business to take 44 lucky tourists all the way to the South Pole.

It won’t be cheap, however. Expect to pay almost $36,000 for the experience which will include only four hours at the pole itself. Wow, for just $164,000 more, I can fly actually fly to outer space with Virgin Galactic. Hmm… decisions, decisions…