Meet locals (and save money) hiking through Europe – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Most travelers are keen to mingle with locals while taking in the sights. Do both and save money by hiking along the fjords and fjells of Scandinavia and/or the soaring majesty of the Alps.

Don’t like the idea of lugging your gear over the mountains? No worries. Join one of the following hiking clubs that maintain hut-to-hut hiking trails and get discounts on accommodations. This lets you can pack light and spend each night in the company of local hiking enthusiasts:

Happy trails!

[Photo: Flickr | Geir Halvorsen]

Contest offers ‘maybe the best trip ever’!

by Kraig Becker on

A new contest sponsored by Black Star Beer promises to give the winner one heck of a prize, sending them off on a jet setting vacation that will offer everything from outdoor adventure to an unforgettable taste of luxury.

The contest is dubbed “Maybe the Best Trip Ever“, and that seems a pretty apt description actually. The winner, and five of their closest friends, will get things started by heading to Whitefish, Montana, where they’ll not only tour the Great Northern Brewery, but also mix in some outdoor adventure as well. This stage of the trip will include hiking and camping in Glacier National Park, whitewater rafting on the Flathead River, and fly fishing with a master angler. And when they’re finished with their adventurous escape to the Montana backcountry, the group will board a private jet for Las Vegas, where they’ll relax and party poolside, while getting the VIP treatment at the Palms Casino and Resort.

The winner will also have the opportunity to practice with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. (The press release promises a professional basketball team, but we’ll have to settle for the Kings) They’ll receive a sweet HD video camera to document the entire experience, along with plenty of other swag to outfit the entire group. If all of that wasn’t enough, Black Star is throwing in another six round trip tickets to destinations of your choosing, just in case you need a vacation from your vacation.

To enter the contest, simply go to the Black Star Facebook Page and click on the banner. Who knows, maybe you’ll be sent off on the best trip ever!

ToroVerde park delivers an adventure in Puerto Rico

by Kraig Becker on

Thrill seekers who are looking to take a break from all that sun and surf while visiting Puerto Rico now have a new option to add a little excitement to their vacation. The recently opened ToroVerde Adventure Park is ready to give them the jolt of adrenaline that they’re looking for, offering up opportunities to rock climb, mountain bike, and choose from an array of zip line tours.

Located near Orocovis, not far from San Juan, the adventure park is a jungle playground with plenty to do both on the ground and over it. With eight different ziplines to choose from, each with varying heights, lengths, and speeds, you’re sure to find a route that works for you. So if you’re looking for a leisurely glide through the treetops, you might want to try the “Red Tail Hawk Flight” line, but if you want to jump start your heart, go with the “Flight of the Phoenix” instead. But for the ultimate zip line experience, try the Beast Tour, which straps you to a special harness, and sends you sailing for more than 4700 feet through the jungle canopy.

If the zip lines aren’t enough to hold your interest however, you can take one of ToroVerde’s special tours. For instance, the Wild Bull or the Escape If You Can tours combine zipping with rappelling, hiking, and rock climbing to create an adventurous mix that will carry you deep into the jungle and up rugged mountain paths.

When you’re done exploring on foot, you can visit the ToroVerde’s signature mountain bike park, and enjoy some two wheeled fun as well. The single-track course was designed by professional mountain bike rider Marla Streb, and has been built to cater to every rider’s needs, whether they are a beginner or an expert. The eight mile ride has challenging climbs and heart pounding drops, and delivers some great views of the surrounding area along the way.

Billed as an “ecotouristic” park, ToroVerde looks to be a great mix of tropical scenery and extreme sports. For a day filled with adventure, take a break from the beach and go play in the jungle instead.

[Photo credit: ToroVerde Adventure Park]

New adventure festival celebrates South African explorers

by Kraig Becker on

What do you get when you mix the Banff Film Festival with TED Talks in a celebration of adventure and exploration? You get an all new adventure festival called FEAT that will make its debut in Johannesburg, South Africa later this year, promising us “1 night, 12 adventurers, Seven minutes each.”

FEAT, which stands for Fascinating Expeditions & Adventure Talks, is being billed as the ultimate armchair adventure experience, and with good reason. The festival will feature 12 outstanding explorers, all of which are from South Africa, who will have exactly seven minutes, no more and no less, to share an experience from a recent expedition. This format means that the speakers will have to stay on topic, remain focused on their message, and tell their tale quickly if they hope to share these important elements from one of their adventures. What they share is completely up to them. It could be something they learned about the world around them or even something they learned about themselves, but no matter what it is, they have just seven minutes to convey that experience through their own words and a some carefully selected photographs.

Some of the guests for the evening include Kyle Meenehan, who once circumnavigated South Africa on foot and Mandy Ramsden who is the first African woman to climb the Seven Summits. They’ll be joined on stage by Pierre Carter, who is hoping to paraglide from the top of the highest mountain on each continent and Riaan Manser, who has ridden his bike around the entire African continent and circumnavigated Madagascar in a kayak as well.

Tickets for the event will go on sale Monday, August 2nd, at Computicket. The actual event will take place on October 7th at the Wits Theatre in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, and if you’re going to be in the area in early October, I highly recommend you plan on taking part in the festivities. It seems like it is going to be a fun and fascinating evening.

Obamas visit Acadia National Park this weekend

by Kraig Becker on

Last summer the First Family spent some of their vacation time in Yellowstone National Park, one of the most popular and iconic parks in the entire U.S. system. It seems Barack, Michelle, and the girls enjoyed their visit so much that they decided to check out another one of the amazing national parks, this time opting to spend the weekend in Acadia National Park, just outside Bar Harbor, Maine.

The Obamas arrived in Bar Harbor yesterday and had a full day of activities already planned. Upon arrival, they immediately went for a bike ride along a secluded trail that had been cleared by a team of park rangers and the Secret Service. After that, it was off to the top of Cadillac Mountain, which offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside from its 1530 foot summit. Later, the foursome would explore Frenchman Bay by boat, although that tour was cut short when bad weather moved in. The rest of the weekend will be filled with similar outdoor activities, with some quiet relaxation mixed in as well.

Acadia is a wonderful destination for those looking for an active escape. The park offers great road cycling routes, fantastic sea kayaking, and some of the best hiking in the northeast. For the more adventurous, the granite cliffs make for great climbing and the backwoods camping offers plenty of peace and solitude, even when you don’t have your own Secret Service agents to clear the area.

If the park is good enough for the First Family, it’s probably good for yours too.

[Photo credit: AP/Charles Dharapak]