22 Nov Why Adventure Travel Is Good for You
There’s something special about embarking on an adventure into the unknown and really experiencing the world. Whether it’s a trek into the mountains, a mountain bike challenge over rugged terrain, a diving exploration, or a climbing expedition to a majestic peak, an active adventure can liberate the soul and benefit your physical, mental, and emotional state.
Here are nine ways outdoor travel is the best adventure. And by making it an active one you can truly benefit your well being and everyday life.
Spending time outdoors reduces stress
There’s a reason why there’s a smile on everyone’s face after they have come back from an active adventure….because they’re happier for it! All the stresses of life just melt away as you embark among some of the most stunning sceneries in the world.
Nature makes exercise easier
If you’re having trouble getting the motivation to get fit, here’s a bit of information that will make exercise easier. Research conducted at the University of Essex in Australia suggests exercise feels easier when you are viewing the color green, such as on trees, grass, and other plants in nature. The study tested cyclists pedaling in front of green, red, or gray images. Those who pedaled in front of the green screen reported they felt lower exertion during their cycling, as well as displayed less mood disturbances than the other participants. If you’re looking to get fit easier, fool your mind and go on an active adventure in nature where it’s green.
Nature can rejuvenate your soul
One of the best reasons for spending time outdoors is that it can reinvigorate your mental state. Studies have shown that viewing natural beauty can elicit feelings of awe, which can release endorphins and trigger a mental boost.
Gain a sense of accomplishment
Regardless of age and size, taking an overseas adventure can create feelings associated with personal accomplishments. Whether you’re trekking to Kilimanjaro, cycling the Andes, or adventure touring the Silk Road, using adventure travel as your personal goal can provide a euphoric feeling that stays with you long after you’ve returned home.
Travel increases your self-awareness
A bi-product of travel is raising your self-awareness and it’s one of the most beneficial parts of taking an adventurous trip overseas. Adventure travel brings you closer to your “inner self,” giving you the chance to examine and challenge yourself in ways you didn’t think were possible.
Stepping into the unknown and taking a risk demands our increased attention and can bring an intense state of self-awareness, one of the reasons that many people, such as mountain climbers, engage in adventure activities. These adventurers often return home with a more relaxed mind and an increase in self-confidence….yet another reason to pack your bags and head for a trek in the Himalayas’ Annapurna region (for example) for plenty of time for self-reflection.
The outdoors can make you smarter
Immersing yourself in the outdoors can increase your higher level cognition in more ways than one. A study found that brain scans taken after exercise showed that the participants had greater and more focusing activity in the prefrontal cortex than they did before. What’s more, active trips help increase activity in your hippocampus, the brain’s main “storage unit.” Typically, the hippocampus decreases as you get older, leading to memory loss, however outdoor activity can lead to a chemical reaction in the body that increases the hippocampus. A group of middle aged adults took a 40 minute walk three times a week over a year, and grew their hippocampi by two percent. To gain a sharper mind, plan some travel adventures outdoors and get your hippocampus going. How about something like a hike, bike, and kayak trip through Cambodia? Trips like these will create memories that you’ll remember forever, especially now that your “storage unit” can store more memories!
Forge new friendships
Take an adventure and gain a friend. If there’s one benefit from an overseas adventure that will leave you warm and fuzzy, there it is. Embarking on a challenge with other people can bring you closer together. Sharing the trials and the triumphs gives you something to bond over and forms a relationship that’ll embed deep in your memories.
Learn new skills
If you ever want to brush up on your skills, a trip abroad is all you need. The experiences gained from entering new surroundings and immersing yourself in their culture creates exciting challenges that can enable you to expand your skill set.
You might see yourself developing negotiation skills from haggling souvenir prices in Vietnamese markets, brushing up on your non-oral forms of communication in India, or taking a cooking class in Sri Lanka. These are skills that can change the way you travel and live your life at home, and will stay with you long after you’ve returned home.
Know you’re making a difference when you travel ethically
There’s more to travel than just experiencing nature’s finest places. Embarking on a trip to some of the world’s most remote and untouched corners puts money in the local economy and helps preserve those pristine landscapes.
As many of these far flung destinations are located in some of the world’s poorest countries, eco tourism helps these countries in their efforts to save and preserve their land through organizations that ultimately aim to save the planet.
While all countries offer an adventure of some kind, there are a few destinations that seem to cater to the true adventurous spirit. Here are eleven adventure vacations to tick off your travel bucket list.
New Zealand
New Zealand isn’t called the adventure capital of the world for nothing! New Zealand is the land of adventure and you can check off most of your travel bucket list dreams here. From whitewater rafting class-5 rapids in freezing glacial waters to magnificent glacier walks and bungee jumping to skydiving….it’s the adrenaline junkies’ dream destination. With beaches, water spots, wildlife, and glaciers, New Zealand has it all.
Tanzania
Tanzania is the ultimate safari destination. Going on a game drive through the Serengeti is an experience you will never forget. Looking for the big 5 (lion, rhino, leopard, buffalo, elephant) is a thrill of a lifetime and seeing a large male lion for the first time is out of this world.
There is nothing like camping in a game preserve or viewing Jane Goodall’s chimpanzees at the Gombe Forest in Lake Tanganyika.
But Tanzania also is an amazing vacation destination with a tropical escape to Zanzibar where you can go scuba diving and snorkelling, take a sailing trip, or enjoy the beach. But the ultimate adventure is to climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Peru
Did you think the only thing to do in Peru was to go to Machu Picchu? That couldn’t be farther from the truth. While the ruins are spectacular, Peru offers some of the most exciting adventure travel in the world. It starts with a trek on the Inca Trail and Sacred Valley, but the adventure continues with paragliding over Miraflores in Lima and surfing off the coast.
If you want dry land, try sandboarding in Huacachina. Also climb some of the highest dunes in the world on a wild dune buggy adventure.
And the ultimate backwater adventure has to be exploring the Amazon. Take a boat trip to Isla Ballestas to see sea lions and penguins, Peru’s answer to the Galapagos Islands.
Malaysian Borneo
This place has it all. Start in Kota Kinabalu and make your way to Mount Kinabalu, Southeast Asia’s most beautiful peak. This is a two-day climb that will take your breath away two fold: one for the rigorous hike and the another for the spectacular scenery.
Continue on to Sepilok where you’ll view orangutans in their natural habitat then head over to the Kinabatangan River to view wildlife along the river banks: additional orangutans, elephants, and crocodiles to name a few.
The best diving in the world is in Sipadan where you can dive within a swirl of barracuda. And it’s an amazing wildlife adventure destination. You can see the proboscis monkey and explore the large cave systems where you can view two million bats circling overhead nightly from Deer Cave.
Fiji
Fiji is a paradise island destination filled with countless adventure activities, from high-speed jet boating on the Sigatoka River to riding the longest Zip Line in the world over a magnificent jungle canopy. There’s also jungle trekking and exploring caves (with actual descendants of head hunters as your guides). World class diving sites, beautiful whitewater rafting on the Upper Navua River, and island hopping on sailboats to explore the 300 islands of Fiji are some of the additional adventures that await you in this paradise. Oh yeah, this breathtaking land is a place you’ll never want to leave.
Greenland
Greenland is the northern hemisphere’s final adventure frontier. Kayak through uncharted fjords, view the world’s most active calving glacier (process by which ice breaks off a glacier’s terminus) and jump into the freezing arctic waters for the Polar Bear Plunge.
There’s awesome hiking, dog sledding, zodiac tours, and village visits. And there are many chances to see the Northern Lights.
Galapagos
The Galapagos Islands are home to one of the world’s most unique ecosystems with many animals endemic to the islands. It is truly one of the greatest wildlife destinations in the world for unique encounters. Swim cage free with the Galapagos sharks or frolic in the sea with playful sea lions.
Spot the massive Galapagos tortoise and see the Galapagos marine iguana. It’s an amazing destination for scuba dining, snorkelling, and bird watching. There is some awesome hiking through the jungle and along an active volcano on Isabela Island. Explore its lava fields and cones as you hike up to overlook the caldera (crater).
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a wild untamed land of jungles and volcanoes. View monkeys, sloths, and toucans while exploring.
Kayaking and zodiac tours are a must and hiking through the jungles is an experience you’ll never forget. Take a tour to the cloud forest and see the incredible Arenal Volcano blowing its smoke as you stay in a treehouse. Costa Rica is the original home to the zipline and canopy tours are not to be missed.
Zimbabwe
Spending time at Victoria Falls will satisfy the adventure bug in any traveler. Even more impressive than North America’s Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls straddles the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The falls are more than 330 feet high and a mile across.
This region offers a wide range of adventurous activities in addition to marveling at the massive falls. Ride the rapids on the wildest white water rafting trip in the world, go ziplining, rappel, hop on a gorge swing, and (if you’re brave enough) try the 364-foot high bungee jump. There are more gentle pursuits here too, from animal safaris and river cruises to fishing and golfing.
Nepal
One would think that the only thing to do in Nepal is hike in the Himalayas. While the biggest attractions are treks to Mount Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Circuit, there are so many more adventures in Nepal to be had. Even traveling through the country is exciting. The flight to Lukla is considered one of the scariest in the world making for thrills and spills in mid-air. Head out to Pokhara and try paragliding over the valley below. There are spectacular mountain biking trips. There is whitewater rafting and kayaking.
Did you know that you can go on Safari in Nepal as well? The Chitwan National Park offers excellent opportunities to spot rhinos and it’s also considered one of the best tiger habitats in the world.
Mexico
Sure it’s probably the number one vacation destination for North Americans to go and chill out on the beach, but there is so much more to Mexico than margaritas and laying in the sun. Mexico has some of the most pristine scuba diving on the planet. It is also one of the best places to swim with whale sharks.
For diving, there is the magnificent Palancar Reef with its gorgeous marine life views. Paragliding and hang gliding can be experienced all over the country including Tapalpa and Oaxaca. Mexico is known for its rock climbing, too, and there are sites all over the country, most notably El Potrero Chico. There is surfing all along the Pacific Coast and mountain biking in Copper Canyon and of course don’t sleep on Baja California for a variety of marine activities and the best fish tacos in the world.
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