Planning your next adventure holiday? We reckon the hardest thing is actually deciding where to go, and what to do! So.Many.Choices. From Arctic dogsledding to surfing in Hawaii, this (pretty) comprehensive guide will help you choose your next trip.
IF YOU LIKE WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES…
Try this: Spot blue whales off Sri Lanka
Blue whales were only discovered off the coast of Mirissa in 2008. Now they’re the main attraction. Wait until one swims beneath your boat to find out just how huge these animals really are. Guaranteed, your jaw hit the deck before you know it.
Alternatively: Search for tigers and rhinos in India
Assam’s World Heritage-listed Kaziranga National Park is home to two of the world’s most threatened creatures – the Bengal tiger and Greater Indian one-horned rhinoceros. Jeep or elephant-back safaris get you close to the action.
IF YOU LIKE LIVING ON THE EDGE…
Try this: Hike through bear country?
Nothing heightens your senses more than the prospect of stumbling across a grizzly or black bear while hiking the Chilkoot Trail, the original prospector’s route to the Klondike Goldfields.
Alternatively: Swim in the Devil’s Pool at Victoria Falls
It’s seasonal and dependent on the water level, but taking a dip in this natural pool on the edge of Africa’s largest waterfall is tailor-made for envy-inducing selfies.
IF YOU LIKE ICE…
Try this: Dogsled through the Norwegian woods
Deep inside the Arctic Circle, where winter snowfalls are so deep they swallow sound, there’s no more thrilling way to appreciate the beauty of Scandinavia than by mushing behind a team of huskies. The bonus? The chance to see the Northern Lights.
Alternatively: Snow tube down a Swiss glacier
Stunning viewpoints, vertiginous cliff walks and glacial tunnels feature high up on Mt Titlis in Switzerland’s Jungfrau region. None, however, are as exciting as shooshing down Titlis Glacier on an inflatable tube.
IF YOU LIKE CAVES…
Try this: Scramble through troglodyte dwellings in Cappadocia
Long ago, the Anatolians burrowed into the soft rock surrounding them to escape marauding invaders. Exploring the rooms, passageways and stairwells inside these labyrinthine ‘fairy chimneys’ in Central Turkey these days is like a boy’s-own adventure.
Alternatively: Abseil into an Omani sinkhole
The only access into the second largest cave chamber in the world, the Majlis Al Jinn, is via a 160-metre abseil that will make your stomach drop. And the only way out is to jimmy back up that same rope.
IF YOU LIKE PADDLING…
Try this: Surf Hawaii’s North Shore
Oahu’s North Shore is home to some of the gnarliest surf breaks around. Before you tackle Pipeline or Waimea Bay, book a lesson with former pro surfer Rocky Canon at Turtle Bay Resort. He’ll have you hanging ten in no time.
Alternatively: White water raft on the Nile
Few realise that the world’s longest river also provides some of the finest Grade 5 rafting on the face of this planet. Start at Bujagali Falls, where the vastness of Lake Victoria squeezes into an outlet delivering rapids with names like Hair of the Dog, Vengeance and The Bad Place. Get the picture?
IF YOU LIKE DESERTS…
Try this: Dune bash Dubai
Fasten that seatbelt then hang on while your driver zips up and down the Empty Quarter sand dunes before chilling out with a dinner under the stars and a belly dancing show.
Alternatively: Hike among active volcanoes in Chile’s Atacama Desert
Trek between 5000 and 6000-metre volcanic peaks in a region where flamingos feed on microscopic shrimp found in high altitude salt lakes.
IF YOU LIKE WATERFALLS…
Try this: Queenstown Canyoning
Jump off rocks, dive into frigid pools from waterfall lips and zip line from canyon rim to canyon rim – it’s all part of a normal day’s activities in this part of the world, on New Zealand’s South Island.
Alternatively: Hike through the clouds to the top of Tugela Falls
Gully scrambles and chain ladder ascents are all part of the fun as you trek to the point where the world’s second tallest waterfall tips over the edge of the Amphitheatre escarpment in South Africa’s Drakensberg Range.
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