Articles tagged “adventure travel”

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Biking, Camping, Climbing, Hiking, Paddling, Scuba diving, Skiing, Surfing

Video: A fourth-grader makes her first ski jump

by Kraig Becker on

Do you remember the trepidation that you felt as a kid whenever you tried something new? Whether it was learning to ride a bike or strapping on a pair of roller skates for the first time, there was always a sense of dread that was quickly followed by elation as we realized that we weren’t going to die after all. The video below will give you flashbacks to those occasions as it features a fourth-grader attempting her very first ski jump.

Captured on a helmet cam, the video conveys the girl’s sense of nervousness as she psychs herself up for her first attempt at the jump. That nervousness is soon replaced with exhilaration, however, as she not only sticks the landing but glides by her friends to share the joy.

I have to hand it to her. Even now as an adult I’m not sure I’d want to go down that jump. But after watching the video, I’m guessing her first attempt wasn’t her last.


Video: Witches’ Market, La Paz, Bolivia

by Sean McLachlan on


Bolivia is an exciting adventure travel destination offering challenging mountain treks, interesting dishes like roast guinea pig and mysterious ancient ruins.

One of the most popular, and certainly the strangest, attraction is the Witches’ Market in the capital La Paz. Here you can find mummified llama fetuses, aphrodisiacs and herbal remedies. Many of the spells are based on the ancient traditions of the Aymara people. You can also get your fortune told or get cured by one of the many yatiri, or witch doctors. There’s Catholic paraphernalia too. In many regions of South America traditional beliefs merged with the Catholicism brought by the Spanish to create a hybrid tradition.

Check out this video where an intrepid traveler braves the Witches’ Market and learns all about how to gain love and money, especially money. This is part one of three, so make sure to see the rest!

South African Airways introduces virtual itineraries

by Kraig Becker on

South African Airways Vacations has introduced a new feature on its website that gives visitors the ability to explore options for travel in Africa like never before. The company has launched a series of “virtual itineraries” that use a combination of maps, photos and points of interest data to help travelers choose the right trip for themselves and to prepare them for their experience when they reach their destinations.

The site offers tours to a variety of locations including South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and more. To explore those options simply visit the SAAV website and search for itineraries based on the location you would most like to visit or the type of travel experience that you’re looking for. The search results will provide the name of the available tours, a brief description and the price. There will be a button that will allow you to view the virtual itinerary for any given tour as well.

Opening one of those virtual itineraries presents you with an overview of the tour that includes each of the destinations that you’ll be visiting, the number of nights you’ll be staying there and the type of accommodations you can expect. Selecting the “day-by-day” view zooms the map in close to show more details about the area you’ll be visiting on any given day and offers some suggestions of things to see and do in the region. It will also show you where your hotel for that night is located and even offers images and detailed information about those accommodations. The virtual itineraries also provide notes about the daily activities, giving travelers plenty of information about what’s on the agenda for that day of the tour.

All of these tools help to take the guesswork out of a visit to southern or eastern Africa. Those two regions are popular dream destinations for may travelers, but planning and preparing for such a trip can be an intimidating experience for many. With the SAAV virtual itineraries you’ll know exactly what you’ll be getting when spending your hard-earned dollars, which can be very reassuring for travelers who aren’t particularly fond of surprises.

Explore the Amazon with Google Street View

by Kraig Becker on

Yesterday, in honor of World Forest Day, Google rolled out a new addition to their popular Street View application. The Internet search giant updated the service with imagery and data from the Amazon River, giving would-be explorers the opportunity to travel along that famous waterway without ever leaving the comfort of their own home.

According to the official Google Blog members of the Street View team from both the U.S. and Brazil traveled to the Amazon Basin back in August in order to collect the thousands of images necessary for its inclusion into the system. That team worked closely with the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental conservation in the Amazon and the improvement of the quality of life for those living there. All told, they collected more than 50,000 still images, which were digitally stitched together to create the 360-degree panoramic views that are the hallmark of Street View.

The Amazon River is truly one of the great natural wonders of our planet. It stretches for more than 6400 kilometers (4000 miles) in length and at its widest points it can be as much as 48 kilometers (30 miles) in width. It is so massive in scope that it is estimated that approximately 1/6 of the world’s fresh water is contained in this one river alone making it the lifeblood of the Amazon Rainforest that surrounds it. That dense forest is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth.

I had the unique opportunity to visit the Amazon a few years back and found it to be a spectacular destination. The dense forests, diverse wildlife and miles of water are amazing to behold. Most travelers will never have the opportunity to visit the place for themselves, however, which makes the river’s inclusion in Street View all the better.


New tour combines flightseeing, kayaking and bear viewing on Alaska’s Admiralty Island

by Libby Zay on

Watch Inside the Fortress on PBS. See more from Nature.

The United States Forest Service recently awarded Above & Beyond Alaska a 10-year permit to operate guided day trips by kayak around Admiralty Island, a highly protected area where an estimated 1,800 brown bears — the largest concentration in the world — roam free. In fact, Admiralty Island has more brown bears than all the lower 48 states combined, causing the native Tlingít people to call the island “Kootznoowoo,” meaning “Fortress of the Bear.”

Although several other outfitters offer bear-viewing opportunities, Above & Beyond Alaska is the only company permitted to offer guided brown bear viewing trips by kayak. This allows travelers access to areas that are hard to reach on foot and also might allow visitors to Admiralty Island a chance to get even closer to the bears (and other wildlife, such as the eagles that are pictured) without disturbing their habitat. Above & Beyond Alaska is certainly living up to their name, and has put together a tour that starts in Juneau with a 25-minute floatplane flight followed by a sea kayak excursion that offers two different viewing experiences: either a rugged trip to Windfall Harbor, where bears can be seen frequenting streams from the kayaks, or a slightly more tame outing to Pack Creek, a popular destination where travelers can spot bears from a viewing tower.

The seven-hour tours will be available May 15 through September 15, with peak season falling between July and August when salmon are spawning. Rates start at $569 per person. For more information on Admiralty Island, see the above video from PBS.

Photo courtesy Above & Beyond Alaska.