Win A Trip To South America With Richard Bangs

South America is a land of diverse cultures, stunning scenery and breathtaking adventure. Travelers can climb to the highest peaks of the Andes, experience unique wildlife, explore the biodiversity of the Amazon and indulge in a variety of wonderful cuisines. The continent truly does have something to offer nearly every kind of traveler and now television personality Richard Bangs wants to take you there on an adventure of your own choosing.

Bangs, who hosts the PBS travel show “Adventures with Purpose,” has teamed up with LAN to bring us the Only In South America sweepstakes. The contest, which runs through January 18, will allow one lucky winner to select one of four destinations as their dream trip to South America. Those destinations include Machu Picchu in Peru, the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, Iguazu Falls along the border of Brazil and Argentina or the remote Easter Island off the coast of Chile. While on their excursion, the winner will be joined for dinner and a private tour with Bangs, who will share in their adventure. The prize includes airfare, ground transportation, guides and accommodations for two.

To enter the contest, simply click here and fill out the online form. You’ll provide basic contact information, answer a few demographic questions and select the destination that you prefer. With any luck, your name will be drawn in January and you’ll be whisked off on an unforgettable adventure to South America.

And if you’re having any trouble deciding which of the four trips you would prefer, the site provides excellent videos, like the one below, to help you choose. They’re all very well done, however, and viewing them may actually end up making the decision even more difficult.

[Photo Credit: Martin St-Amant via WikiMedia]


Win A Lifetime Ski Pass For Colorado’s Winter Park

The 2012-2013 ski season gets underway on November 14 at Colorado’s Winter Park Resort, where the snow has already been falling. To celebrate, the resort is giving away a host of prizes including skis, snowboards and other gear. But the prize that will be the most coveted amongst ski bums everywhere will no doubt be the ski pass that is good for an entire lifetime.

To be eligible to win, entrants must simply “like” Winter Park on Facebook and then fill out a simple online form. The contest runs through January 10, 2013, after which one winner will be selected to receive the pass that is good for unlimited skiing or snowboarding for the rest of his or her life.

Located one hour outside of Denver, Winter Park features 2762 skiable acres spread out across three different mountain peaks. The resort, which averages nearly 350 inches of snow per year, has more than 130 individual runs, most geared for intermediate and advanced skiers or riders. Adrenaline junkies can get their fix in one of six different terrain parks or by taking a run through the resort’s massive Superpipe.

Imagine having this winter outdoor playground at your disposal for the rest of your life. That is the potential for whoever wins this contest and earns themselves a lifetime pass. I’m sure more than a few of you skiers and snowboarders could appreciate winning this particular contest.

[Photo credit: Jameschipmunk via WikiMedia]

Win A Trip To Dubai From Friendly Planet

Tour operator Friendly Planet Travel is giving one lucky person, along with a guest, a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the legendary luxury and grandeur of Dubai. The company has launched its Be Dazzled by Dubai sweepstakes on its Facebook page, and entering couldn’t possibly be easier. All you have to do is “Like” the Friendly Planet page and fill out an online form with some basic contact information and you’ll be eligible to win. Additionally, when any of your Facebook friends register via your “like” you’ll receive an additional entry as well.

The winner of the six-day trip will be awarded quite the prize package. They’ll receive round-trip airfare for two aboard Emirates airline, four nights stay at the Fairmont Hotel, located in the city’s Financial District, daily breakfast buffets and guided tours of Dubai. Those tours will include a ride on a water taxi, a visit to the bustling souks, and excursions to the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, the Dubai Museum, which is the oldest existing building in the city, dating back to 1787. Visitors will also have plenty of free time to explore on their own, join an optional tour or simply relax in the luxury of their hotel. The tour is valued at nearly $5400 and promises to be an eye-opening experience to say the least.

The contest runs through November 18, so if you’ve ever dreamed of visiting Dubai, now is your chance.

[Photo credit: .EVO. from UAE via WikiMedia]

Help Quark Expeditions Select The ‘Polar Big 5’

Big game hunters once coined the term “Big 5” in reference to the five toughest animals to hunt on foot in Africa. Today, visitors to that continent still keep their eyes peeled for those iconic creatures, although these days they are more likely to shoot them with their cameras. The animals that make up the Big 5 include lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes, which are amongst the most fearsome creatures found on our planet.

As a salute to the African Big 5, adventure travel company Quark Expeditions, which specializes in excursions to the Arctic and Antarctic, has asked us to help them select the “Polar Big 5.” They’ve narrowed down the selection to nine contenders, each of which inhabit the colder regions of the world. The nominees include the king penguin, walrus, polar bear, reindeer, elephant seal, leopard seal, musk ox, humpback whale and albatross. Quark has even set up a page for us to cast our votes to help bestow this honor on the five eventual recipients.

To entice us all into voting, the company is also giving away a ten-day voyage to the Antarctic, a dream destination for many. One lucky person who submits their vote for the Polar Big 5 will be selected to receive a fantastic trip to the bottom of the world that takes place in November 2013. For more details on the prize, click here.

The Polar Big 5 contest runs through November 30 of this year. To enter, simply head over to PolarBig5.com and make your selections. Any entry that doesn’t include the polar bear should be invalidated automatically.

[Photo credit: Alan Wilson via Wikimedia]


Show Off Your Budget Travel Chops In CheapOair’s Traveler Of The Year Contest

Have you mastered the art of the last minute hotel deal? Are you a connoisseur of global street foods? Do your friends constantly ask how you manage to travel, even though you’re perpetually broke?

If you answered, “yes” to these questions, then (1) you’re probably like many Gadlingers and (2) CheapOair has a contest that might interest you. Launched last week, the Traveler of the Year competition will pit two seasoned travelers against each other, to see who can maximize a limited budget during two separate trips to China and India.

In the selection phase of the contest, applicants are asked to submit a three- to five-minute video showing off their creativity, travel experience and screen presence. Ten semi-finalists will be chosen, and voters will then narrow down the selection to two through an online social media campaign.

The two finalists will then be armed with $7500 and sent on a 30-day trip, one to China and one to India. While there, they will document their adventures through video, photo, blog posts and social media. The grand prize winner, selected at the end of the adventure, will earn budget travel bragging rights, along with a $5000 voucher for future CheapOair travel air.

The deadline for the selection phase of the contest is August 19. Register through CheapOair.com.