THE 15 BEST Places for Adventure Travel Holidays

I could tell you about places to travel for adventure in California for AGES – there’s truly no limit between the incredible mountainous landscapes, low deserts, and oceanic opportunities. You MUST take a California road trip at some point in your life, and most definitely a Pacific Coast Highway road trip as part of it too. Located on the Caribbean coast not too far from Costa Rica, Bocas is comprised of dozens of islands ready for adventure.

Plitviče Lakes National Park, Croatia

You’ll even trek part of the remote Kumano Kodo – one of only two UNESCO-listed pilgrim routes in the world – through cedar forests and along mountain paths to reach Nachi, Japan’s tallest waterfall. India draws in plenty of travelers thanks to its reputation for adventure and its vast land. You can sign up for camel rides or skydiving, mountain trekking or watersports.

Patagonia surrounds the Andes mountain range from the bottom tip of South America (Ushuaia, Argentina) up until about halfway up both Argentina and Chile. It encompasses over 1 million km sq from the bottom to the top, and has DOZENS of amazing places to adventure and explore. As part of a week-long odyssey with five days of cycling, participants tackle calf-achingly steep gradients — traversing Goliath passes such as the 2,360m-high (7,743ft) Col D’Izoard in the French Alps. Unfortunately, there’s no victorious finishing line on the Champs Elysees — you get to tackle the 21-hairpin bends of the Alpe D’Huez instead.

Explore jungles teeming with wildlife, including endemic proboscis monkeys, orangutans and nocturnal creatures. Hike through virgin rainforest to reach sparkling waterfalls, mysterious caves, remote beaches and traditional longhouses. Kayak the untouched Sarawak River and cycle to historic towns as you traverse the spectacular landscapes of Borneo. An action-packed week that will see you kayaking, hiking and cycling through some of the wildest places in this little-explored African country.

The Ultimate Adventure Through Wild Botswana

The exception to this rule is the Asiatic lions of India’s Gir National Park; the swathe of teak and acacia forest is the only place outside Africa where numbers of lions roam in the wild. Puerto Ayora is the nerve centre of the conservation programme, and headquarters of both the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Parque Nacional Galápagos. Home to more boats, tour brokers, hotels and restaurants than anywhere else in the islands, Puerto Ayora is also the best place for budget travellers to find last-minute places on cruises.

Sticking with the sustainable travel theme, consider taking a railroad trip to explore the widerRockies region or more of the USA, for that matter. To start planning, read our tips for travelling by train in the USA. Alternatively, you could go all out and take an immersive safari driving tour, staying in lodges that are primely located for kayaking and wildlife-watching. Expect to see grizzly bears, huge herds of heavy-bearded bison, elegant horned elk, prairie dogs, eagles, coyotes and wolves. The mountain scenery makes a stunning backdrop for all those hiking and horse-riding excursions. Take a trip to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone to experience that glorious diversity — from the Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful Geyser to Azure Yellowstone Lake and sub-alpine Hayden Valley.

Fortunately, southern Morocco provides an accessible foretaste of the world’s largest hot desert in the form of its ‘Ergs’. While ‘Erg’ sounds like a noise made by a grumpy camel, it in fact applies to tracts of rolling, windblown sand such as Erg Chebbi — a 30-mile long mini-desert near the Algerian border, easily reached by paved roads. The town of Merzouga is the springboard for guided adventures in its dunes. Some opt to explore on quad bikes, a few skid down on sandboards, one or two ride camels — and most dismount beside traditional tents to spend a night under Saharan stars.

You’ll get to experience the quieter, more authentic side of this fascinating country. For you, that could be hurtling from planes, scaling the world’s tallest peaks, or swimming hand-to-fin with sharks. Even immersing yourself in the local language or connecting with nature can offer meaningful adventure travel experiences. Alaska is the number one US destination for anyone who wants to venture into the icy wilderness.

• The exception to this rule is the Asiatic lions of India’s Gir National Park; the swathe of teak and acacia forest is the only place outside Africa where numbers of lions roam in the wild.
• If you want something more adventurous, there are plenty of multi-day trekking routes where you hike from Refugio to Refugio, eating all their wonderfully cooked food along the way.
• Whether you’re into wildlife watching or more high-octane experiences, Costa Rica sure isn’t short of beautiful national parks for walks on the wild side.
• Take a trip to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone to experience that glorious diversity — from the Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful Geyser to Azure Yellowstone Lake and sub-alpine Hayden Valley.

A few of the best spots are Samuel H. Boardman and Ecola on local produce catering Hampshire the coast, around Mount Hood like the Tom, Dick and Harry Trail or Tamanawas Falls Trail. The Cascade region outside of Bend will keep you busy for weeks -the South Sister summit is a favorite, and the Wallowas and the Steens Mountain in the east won’t disappoint.

The final night is spent in a spa hotel, where you can rest your weary limbs in the sauna and pool. Be one of the first explorers to set foot in a totally remote and untouched corner of Colombia. Start in the tropical mountains and blaze a trail through the wilderness as you descend into the mysterious Magdalena Basin. Pass through one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet with no less than five different ecosystems all teeming with life – if you’re lucky you might see a tigrillo, tapir or monkey. An epic trek which takes you on a high-altitude crossing of the spectacular Andes Mountains.

You’ll cycle through the Valley of the Roses, pausing at the ancient UNESCO ksar of Ait Ben Haddou. Take on the infamous Tizi n’Tazazert Pass (2220m) for panoramic views of the lunar-esque Jbel Saghro mountains, and bed down in a traditional Berber camp nestled among the dunes underneath a Saharan sky. Adventure bragging rights are yours for the taking Wiki once you hop a flight to Nepal. The home of Mount Everest (you know, the world’s tallest mountain) is actually the place to find a whopping eight of the ten tallest mountains on the planet. In other words, extreme adventurers can find plenty of challenges here.

They have some of the clearest water and most prolific dive sites (with the most sea life) on the planet. There’s a LOT of jungle to hike and explore, many successful fishing trips, and some different water sports around, too. Rotorua is home to the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, mountain biking in the Redwoods and kayaking with glowworms. Also try hiking the Tongariro Crossing in volcano country, diving in New Zealand’s best dive site, Poor Knights Marine Reserve, or a canoe adventure down the Whanganui River.

A vibrant cultural hub, it’s bursting with independent galleries, museums and venues that celebrate art, music and theatre. Things do go wrong when you travel, particularly if you’re doing hectic shit in the most hectic corners of the planet. So, before you inevitably go and tear it up snowboarding, rafting, or bear fighting, I’d like to touch on a few more things to note. A few practical considerations of the environment, taking care of yourself, and just generally not being a knob-jockey while you’re engaging in your Evel Knievel ways. The adventure activity can be guided or unguided; paid for or free; and range anywhere from death is a slim possibility to ‘Dude, who gets your PlayStation when you die?

Hike the Great National Parks of Western USA

The island’s coastline offers incredible surf, with beautiful Sri Lankan beaches to rest upon between riding those waves. There are plenty of places to go whale-watching in Sri Lanka, too, with trips from Mirissa of longstanding repute. Hike and kayak through astounding landscapes, summit Scandinavia’s highest peak and clip on crampons to clamber across icy glaciers on this ultimate adventure in Norway. You’ll paddle through the pristine Nærøyfjord, trek to the towering peaks above for unforgettable vistas, and hike through pristine forest to discover the wild and mighty waterfalls that spill into the fjords. As night falls, you’ll bed down in quirky boutique hotels, cosy historic inns, and wild camp directly under the stars by the fjord’s edge.

There are numerous coastal paths which take you to some breathtaking cliffs. If the weather is good you can cycle across sweeping hills, go for a swim or go scuba diving. If hiking is more your thing, head to the top of Haleakala and hike around the volcano crater at the Haleakala National Park before or after taking in the sunrise or sunset. Or cruise the Road to Hana for a day and go hiking through the bamboo forest on the other side of Haleakala National Park all the way up to Waimoku Falls. To be honest, there aren’t many adventure sports you CAN’T do in California! It’s one of the only places that you can go surfing and snowboarding on the same day, and there are dozens of National Parks, mountains, coastlines, and more.

With a deep breath, you might also plunge down to the wreck of an East German patrol boat, scuttled some 15 years ago to have a second career as a home to Maltese fish. Hailed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, it’s worth devoting a day to exploring Chichén Itzá. If you think of Cuba, chances are your mind’s eye will conjure images of idyllic beaches in Cuba, classic cars, colonial architecture, revolution, and the romance of Cuba. But alongside its coastal and cultural attractions, Cuba offers a tonne of exhilarating adventure experiences.