Articles tagged “adventure travel”

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Destination on the edge: Mogadishu

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Mogadishu is the adventure traveler’s version of sex in public. The risk of getting caught defines the thrill. Unfortunately, the consequences cannot be compared. While a romp on your neighbor’s front lawn might get you a fine or some community service, a misstep in Somalia can cause nightmares for the rest of your life.

So, quiet simply, don’t go. If you don’t believe the United States, then listen to Canada. Listen to anybody who speaks sensibly on this. Don’t go to Somalia.

For every American who remembers October 3 and 4, 1993, Mogadishu’s Bakara Market brings a rare chill to the most resilient of spines. Visions of swarming Somalis rush into your mind, and nobody has forgotten the soldiers killed and wounded in the effort to capture warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid. The situation on the ground isn’t much better today, but if you crave increasingly greater thrills, this is about as crazy as it gets. Despite being one of the most dangerous places on Earth, you can explore Mogadishu without a military or United Nations escort. But, doing so would rank among your most foolish decisions.

The challenge begins when you are planning your trip. Online booking, you’ll realize, is a luxury still. There are some corners of the world that have been sidestepped by the internet age. In some cases, you won’t even be able to rely on the telephone. The hotels in Somalia do not take phone or online reservations, so your best bet is to find a travel agent that specializes in this sort of absurdity.

Work with the travel agent to book your flight, as well. The most reliable method appears to be chartering a flight that will drop you on a private airstrip outside the city. There is an airline that services Mogadishu via Dubai: Jubba Airways. So, if you insist on doing everything yourself, you do have options. The airline claims to have a strong safety record, but it obviously can’t help you once you’re on the ground. These days, a round trip ticket will set you back around $500. You can try to use FareCompare, but you already know that your comparing one airline to itself.

Of course, there’s a catch.

So, here’s the drill. You have to stay in Somalia for a week if you fly Jubba Airways. I tried to book a same day round trip, but had no luck (no, I wasn’t planning to buy the damned thing). Flights only pass through Mogadishu once a week, so you have to be really committed to this trip.

Flights are easier to book than accommodations. You can research hotels, but only a few are listed. So, you’ll have to take what you can get. As you make your selection, don’t sacrifice safety. There is no substitute for coming home alive. Tk appears to b the best alternative, but you will notice that security is not listed among the amenities. Also, there is another hotel with the same name – one that is considerably less desirable. Take notes, and make sure you study every detail. There are pitfalls everywhere, and some are avoidable.

There isn’t much to see and do (safely) when you cruise around Mogadishu. The main attraction is the Bakara Market, a large outdoor bazaar. You can haggle with the merchants and take full advantage of the decimated local economy. This is one place where the exchange rate will always cut your way. Also, you’ll be treading the same turf that was home to the famous operation immortalized in Mark Bowden’s Black Hawk Down. It all started at the Bakara Market.

For a unique type of shopper, the Bakara Market is nothing short of amazing. You can find deals on the basic goods that you’d normally pick up at a supermarket or drugstore, from basic medicines to food. Also, you’ll find the products that CVS just doesn’t want to carry. If you need to buy a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), mortar or antiaircraft gun, look no farther! And, since no toy is worth a damn without batteries, there’s plenty of ammunition for sale in the Bakara Market. If you hear gunfire, someone’s probably just kicking the tires on a new AK-47. Think of it as giving Elmo one last tickle before whipping out your credit card.

It’s not all guns ‘n ammo, however. You can pick up a forged passport (for Somalia, Ethiopia or Kenya), fake birth certificates and diplomas (convince your mother you didn’t drink your tuition cash) and counterfeit currency.

Bakara Market can be crowded, and it is in a dangerous part of the world. So, you need to say alert the whole time you’re on the ground. The entire spectrum of risks – from pick-pocketing to kidnapping – is possible. Your odds improve if you don’t do anything stupid, though you violate that tenet simply by taking the trip.

Want to see what happens in the Bakara Market? Take a look below, unless you aren’t comfortable with graphic. If you can’t handle this video, though, you certainly don’t belong in Somalia.

The Changing Face of Trekking in Nepal

by Kraig Becker on

Australian newspaper The Age has taken a good look at how adventure tourism is changing in Nepal as the country undergoes political change and modernization. In this story, published over the weekend, they discuss how one of the worlds most famous treks, the Annapurna Circuit, has been altered forever by the opening of road in the region early last year.

Tourism has always been an essential part of the economy in Nepal. The colorful and vibrant city of Kathmandu held an allure to visitors from abroad, and they often spent time there exploring its temples and market places. But with recent upheaval in the capital, more and more tourists are simply passing through Kathmandu for other destinations, and when they arrive at those places, they’re finding that they have changed as well.

The article notes that a number of guide services have either shortened their Annapurna treks or eliminated them altogether. The newly constructed road that cuts a path through the region has changed the iconic trek forever, and it’s forcing adventure travelers to look elsewhere. For instance, many now trek through the Khumbu Valley, which has seen a surge in traffic in recent years with backpackers traveling up to Everest Base Camp and staying in traditional tea houses along the way.

It’s a shame that one of the world’s great treks, like the Annapurna Circuit, is being changed so dramatically, but in this day an age, a lot of countries are struggling with maintaining their natural resources but still making changes that can improve their quality of life. It’s hard to fault a country for improving it’s infrastructure, but it’s sad when it comes at the expense of such an amazing trek like this one.

[via The Adventurist]

Adventure travel medical kits

by Brenda Yun on

I can think of three times I’ve wished I’d packed more immodium, hydration salts, or an emergency blanket with me but I didn’t. The first was when I ate a bad mango in India and spent two days either on the toilet or in bed. The second was when my friend came down with a stomach bug in rural Thailand and spent the night in the village doctor’s guest room after a shot in the butt and hooked up to an IV (see photo). The third was on my U.S. road trip, where I bundled my pug up in two sweaters under my thin blanket and slept through a cold night in Flagstaff, Arizona; we woke up to find the water frozen in our bottles.
There’s a reason travel kits and accessories exist: for our comfort and survival. That’s why I felt honored to receive a care package from Simon Ashdown at Adventure Medical Kits (a subsidy of Tender Corporation). Inside the package was an assortment of great travel and medical kits. For a travel savvy wanderer like myself, these kits satisfy my travel needs perfectly. The new adventure travel kit series satisfy four different kinds of travel needs:

  • World Travel ($75), for the serious trekker and adventurer (suitable for 1-4 people on a multi-day trip)
  • Smart Travel ($40), for 1-2 adventurers on a week-long exploration abroad
  • Suture Syringe Medic ($22), for real emergencies in places where medical care may be spotty or nonexistent
  • Travel Medic ($10), for everyday travel to places where it’s easy to access more serious medical care; contains materials for stomach, pain, cuts, and hygiene issues

Both the World and Smart Travel kits include a ‘Point and See’ communication card, which can be an important tool to break the language barrier. The Suture Syringe and Travel Medic kits are certified 100% carbon neutral and are made of recycled craft paper laminated onto woven polypropylene. Since I’m a light packer, I think the Travel Medic will suit my needs just fine, but if ever I travel with family, I would opt for the Smart Travel kit.

In addition to these great kits, there are some neat accessories available that are great for travelers too, such as the cool “Heatsheets” sleeping bag, which comes with a cool orange stuff sack. The “no deet” insect repellent wipes and baking soda itch relief would come in handy as well.

Those interested in taking advantage of these cool products should visit the Adventure Medical Kits website. Or feel free to contact Simon directly at sashdown [at] tendercorp [dot] com.

Five Sled Dog Adventures

by Kraig Becker on

With the holidays come and gone, and winter now fully set in, many of us start counting the days until spring is here and the warm weather returns. But winter can provide great opportunities for outdoor adventure, giving you plenty of reasons to bundle up and head out for some fun.

Take this story for example from CNN.com. It lists five of the best sled dog adventures that allow even inexperienced mushers to get out and have some fun. The trips vary in length from just a couple of hours all the way up to multiple days with prices scaling to match. Those looking to just go for a winter ride on sled can get by with a short, two hour trip that can cost less than $100, while the more adventurous can spend as much as $10,000 on a two-week expedition through the remote Yukon Territory with the Uncommon Journeys guide service.

Most of the guides mentioned in the CNN article are located in Alaska and Canada, but you’ll find others in the continental United States as well. Mahoosuc Guide Service in Maine is the example of this from the story, but there are others in Minnesota, Montana, Washington, and so on.

Traveling by sled dog can be a unique and rewarding way to see some of the most remote and pristine areas on the planet. So put on your warm clothes, bring some hot cocoa, and enjoy the ride.

Tour d’Afrique Off and Running!

by Kraig Becker on

The 2009 edition of the Tour d’Afrique got underway last Sunday, with cyclists setting out from Cairo, Egypt on a 7317 mile long race to Cape Town, South Africa. In between they’ll pass through the Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia, fostering international goodwill along the way, while raising funds for environmental protection and promoting cycling in Africa.

The race is broken down into 96 stages of various lengths, with a typical day getting underway at 7:30 AM, when the top riders start out on the course. They are soon followed by another group who may not be contending for the top spot, but still want to complete every mile, while the “Back Pack” is made up of a group of riders who just want to enjoy the adventure and soak up some of the culture of the countries they are passing through.

This is the seventh year that the race has been run, and the web coverage seems to be the best ever. For instance, there are photos from each stage, videos from the various countries and introductions for some of the riders, and a daily blog with results and news from the course.

With six stages done, the riders have more than three months of riding ahead of them through a variety of climates and terrains before reaching their final destination on May 9th. They’ll struggle through the Sahara Desert, roll across the Equator, and race across an endless savannah, and they each payed more than $10,000 for the privledge. Seems like it’s an adventure worth every penny.