Adventure Travel: Win a Free Trip to Celebrate 100th Anniversary of Machu Picchu's Rediscovery

Adventure Travel Get the latest headlines from the Adventure Travel GuideSite.

Win a Free Trip to Celebrate 100th Anniversary of Machu Picchu's Rediscovery Jul 16th 2011, 10:12 The 100th anniversary of Machu Picchu's rediscovery is July 24, so a number of tour operators are promoting trips to this historic site in Peru's Andes. If you want to see why, take a look at these pictures of the Lost City of the Incas, which is one of the World's New 7 Wonders. Companies with interesting trips to Machu Picchu include Discovery Adventures and Geographic Expeditions, and both have trips that combines a visit to Machu Picchu and a cruise in the Galapagos Islands. Gap Adventures also offers trips, and is running a contest so one lucky traveler will win a free trip. The Galapagos Islands are also wonderful. Here are pictures of the exotic creatures inhabiting these islands. Photo: (c) Lois Friedland

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Discovery Adventures Tours

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week

Discovery Adventures Tours Jul 16th 2011, 10:00 Almost anyone who loves to explore the world - either from an armchair or in person - has watched shows on the Discovery Channel at some point. Discovery Adventures is the travel leg of the Discovery Channel, and the trips are designed to encourage participants to become part of the local cultures they've come to know through the TV shows. Authentic,inter-active experiences, similar to what's viewed in the shows, help define these trips. Discovery Adventures has made arrangements with Gap Adventures, an award-winning adventure travel tour operator, to set up and run the tours. Trip choices include more than 40 sustainable adventure travel trips on six continents. From Alaska's Denali National Park to the Lost City of the Incas and the Great Wall of China, each adventure tour has been developed to include off-the-beaten-path experiences and deeper exploration into the history and traditions of each destination. Some of the deeper cultural experiences for travelers on a Discovery Adventures trip include: in South Africa, visit local village schools in Manyeleti Reserve, meet the children and teachers and learn what rural life is like; and in the Southwestern U.S., a guided tour of Monument Valley with Navajo Indian guide. Why Travel With Discovery Adventures Built on the belief that the journey is the destination, each and every Discovery Adventure is committed to pushing the boundaries of active and intellectual exploration wherever the path may lead. Discovery Adventures trips are a blend of cultural journeys, wildlife encounters, and active adventures designed for travelers who want authentic, sustainable and face-to-face travel experiences. Even while exploring off-the-beaten path, comfort and safety are always a priority on these trips, so travelers are taken care of throughout their journey. Whenever possible, transportation is provided privately in well-maintained vehicles, and may include trains, boats, ferries, local public transportation, and more traditional means, such as rickshaw or felucca. Discovery Adventures tours are small group tours, usually fewer than 16 travelers, to allow for a more exclusive touring experience. Accommodations on tour reflect the local character, from safari eco-lodges to quaint hotels. Single travelers do not have to pay additional, if they are willing to share a room. If they want a private room, the extra fee is reasonable. Travelers explore in the company of handpicked tour guides - often historians, archaeologists, artisans, and naturalists. These men and women offer unique insight and a personal perspective into each destination. Exploring specialized museums and historic sites are at the core of any travel experience. Discovery Adventures takes travelers back in time to re-live history and learn the local culture through dance, cuisine, and local family interaction. Popular Adventure Travel Outings with Discovery Adventures The China & Tibet Cultural Journey takes you from the Great Wall and Forbidden City in Beijing, to see the Terracotta Warriors and Shanghai's Bund. You'll also fly to Lhasa and Potala Palace, meet giant pandas and cruise the Yangtze River by the Three Gorges Dam. The Kenya Wildlife Safari includes game drives, visiting chimpanzee and rhino sanctuaries, exploring Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara and the Great Rift Valley, plus a stop in Nairobi. Turkish Treasures introduces travelers to the delights that await in this country, which straddles two continents. Visitors stroll around the Byzantine masterpiece of the Aya Sofya and take in the symmetry of the Blue Mosque. They'll travel to Cappadocia to view the fairie chimneys and then stroll on the streets where Romans walked centuries ago in the preserved ruins of Ephesus. The Highlights of Argentina & Brazil tour take you on walking, wine and tango experiences in Buenos Aires to the samba spirit of Rio, with a visit to Iguassu Falls and stops to explore small villages along the way. Discovery Adventures newest trip take travelers to the Polar Regions: The Antarctica Classic and the Realm of the Polar Bear in the Arctic. To Learn More About Discovery Adventures For more information visit Discovery Adventures or call (877) 277-9847 More Top Adventure Travel Companies Here's a link to my picks for top adventure travel companies tour operators that can make your dream trip come true. Take a look. If your favorite company isn't on this list please let me know in an email. Send it to adventuretravelguide@about.com, or send me a note via the Adventure Travel Forum. Looking for Specialty Adventure and Sports Travel Companies? Are you looking for Dream Bicycle Trips & Adventures? Are you looking for adrenalin-charged Multi-sport Trips? Are you looking for Extreme Adventures for physical or mental highs? Are you looking for Women's Adventure Travel - Active Trips for Women ? Are you looking for Best Rafting Trips Worldwide? Are you looking for sources for great Family Adventure Travel Trips? Are you looking for entertaining Learning Vacations around the world? Equipment, Supplies and Gifts for Adventure Travel. If you're looking for more of the best equipment and supplies needed to make any adventure travel trip easier and a lot more pleasant, visit Equipment, Supplies and Gifts for Adventure Travel.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Multifunction GPS Watch

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week

Multifunction GPS Watch Jul 16th 2011, 10:00 Hi-tech gadget lovers will thrive on downloading routes and creating their own routes, then tracking their speed, distance and later reviewing their route on the Sunnto X9i watch. Travelers who love to explore the wilderness but aren’t particularly interested in tracking every step may never have a strong urge to own this watch. It takes time and some patience to set up and learn how to use the Suunto X9i. It’s not as easily an intuitive process as learning how to use a digital camera, for example. You need to have an interest in downloading or pre-planning a route if you want to use the navigation mode, set up the GPS mode, make sure the compass is calibrated properly before every hike, and check that the altimeter and barometer are set, for starters. We took it on a hike through some remote canyons in Mesa Verde National Park and even the guide, who had a GPS with her, couldn’t quite figure out how to set up the watch so we could track the trip. (Suunto has a service department that will answer questions about using the watch.) On the flip side, according to some of the reviews on the Suunto website, some of the soldiers in Iraq are using the watch and love it. Suunto has also released a new version, called the Suunto X9M/i, which was designed specifically for the military.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Dig This - an Adult Sandbox

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week

Dig This - an Adult Sandbox Jul 16th 2011, 10:00 Kids play with toy bulldozers and excavators in a sandbox. At Dig This, in Las Vegas, Nevada, adults get to spend a half- or a full-day using real bulldozers and excavators building roads, digging ditches and moving rocks, in the only heavy equipment arena in the United States. I must admit that I felt powerful driving a CAT312 Track Excavator and moving one-ton rocks. Playing in this gigantic sandbox we were creating our own carnival rides. My chance to play in this adult theme park came in Steamboat, the original home of Dig This. Since then, Dig This has moved to Las Vegas. Want to bet your friends who can build a road or dig a deep hole faster? Read on to see how easy it is to learn to drive these machines (in a controlled environment) and much fun you have.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Discovery Channel's Shark Week

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week

Discovery Channel's Shark Week Jul 16th 2011, 10:00 Sharks are scary to many, amazing to see while you're scuba diving, and truly creatures that fascinate millions. Last year, for example, the Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week drew almost 31 million viewers. Definitely a cultural phenomenon, Shark Week is the Discovery Channel's most watched series! Jaw-dropping videos of confrontations with sharks, a "Shark 101" experience to learn more about the amazing creatures, and colorful images so you can see these amazing creatures up-close. During Shark Week, audiences get hooked on learning about up-close experiences with sharks, watching videos, seeing pictures and learning more about the creatures that have been around since prehistoric times. The 24th annual Shark Week, starts July 31, 2011, at 9pm EST, so mark the date in your calendars. The videos, t-shirts, mugs and even skateboards, surfboards and Shark Week UBS Shark drives are all available in the Discovery Channel's Shark Weekstore. More Places to See & Swim With Sharks Dive With Sharks in Aquariums Snorkel With Whale Sharks Shark Alley in South Africa Top 10 Natural and Wildlife Trips Cage Diving With Sharks in South Africa 10 Facts About Sharks

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Utah's Olympic Park

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week Utah's Olympic Park 15 Jul 2011, 11:00 am If you've every watched Olympians sliding down a bobsled track at 90 miles an hour and wondered if you could do it, or you've been curious if you've the guts to slide down a nordic ski jump, visit the Utah Olympic Park located just outside Park City, Utah. At this playground for adventurous travelers, which is open summer and winter, you can ride in a bobsled moving at 4- to 5 Gs, take an extreme zipline ride -- or simply learn more about the 2002 Winter Olympic Games on a tour while your friends challenge themselves in these special sporting venues. Photo credit: Utah Olympic Park Visitors can take a bobsled ride in the summer or winter -- if you're prepared to fly down the track at 70 or 80 miles an hour with 4- to 5 Gs of force pushing against you during the less-than one-minute ride. Even if you've already been on ziplines elsewhere in the world, the Xtreme and Ulta Ziplines will give you a thrill. The Xtreme Zip is reportedly the world's steepest zipline and it takes you right over the K-120 ski jump hill.  These lines are open in late spring, summer and fall. What a way to cool off in the summertime. You can beat the heat for a few minutes while speeding down this narrow course, which ends at the base of the K-64 ski jump. Utah Olympic Parks freestyle training pool is a summertime destination for many world-class athletes and freestylers on the developmental teams. In the summer, the Flying Aces put on a colorful aerial and freestyle show on Saturdays for the public. Make reservations ahead of time. Seats are limited for this very popular show. Visitors can take regularly scheduled tours of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games competition sites. The tours are a combination of walking and riding on shuttle buses to the nordic ski jumps, and the top of the bobsled, skeleton and luge track. Admission includes entrance to the Olympic Museum. The Olympic Museum is home to the George Eccles Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum and the Alf Engen Ski Museum, which includes the Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame. It's a fascinating tour of Olympic winter sports and of winter sports in the region, with lots of interactive displays. The Snow Zone, a winter playground open to anyone age three and older, gives you as much sliding on tubes and head-first air boards as you can enjoy for a flat price. The Gravity Zone, open to summertime visitors, has two ziplines, the Quicksilver alpine slide, a playground and a picnic area. The Utah Olympic Park offers a variety of introductory sports camps and programs for freestyle skiing and riding, skeleton and ski jumping. Programs are available for all ages and abilities. You can spend a few hours here, or most of a day if you try one of the zipline rides, let the kids play in the snow park or adventure park (depending upon what time of year you are visiting) and watch films of some of the 2002 Olympic competitions in the museum. Summer Saturdays are a prime time to visit, because of the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding shows. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: How to Start Scuba Diving

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week How to Start Scuba Diving 15 Jul 2011, 11:00 am At some resorts scuba divers can just walk offshore, sink downward 30- to 40-feet and be in a coral garden or swimming through a school of fish. Once you've learned to scuba dive, you can also arrange to swim with dolphins in the ocean or protected bays, and even take a highly structured dive with the sharks. But before you start scuba diving alongside coral walls that are 90-feet deep, or with dolphins or sharks, there's a lot you need to learn. Here's an quick primer outlining how to get started. Ways to Get Certified for Scuba Diving Take a scuba-diving course in a pool near your home, then follow your dive master's suggestions for the open water dives required before you can be certified. The choice for an open water dive can range from the Blue Hole, a frigid "hole" that is part of a New Mexico cave system to the underwater coral gardens in the Cayman Islands and Bonaire in the Caribbean. Wrap a vacation around getting certified. You can take a scuba diving course anywhere from the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean to Hawaii or Fiji, depending upon how exotic a trip you want to take. Keep in mind that if you plan to take the full certification course during a week-long trip, there probably won't be much time to do anything else, including laze on the beach or explore the locale. Take a resort course. These scuba diving certification courses range in length from one-day to three-day courses. If you take the shortest course, which usually includes a shallow dive in the afternoon, understand that your training is limited. Even the two- and three-day courses don't give you as much experience in dealing with underwater emergencies as the full courses offered by PADI and NAUI, two of the major scuba-diving certification operations. What's it going to Cost? The cost of a scuba-diving certification course varies considerably, depending upon where you are taking your certification course. If you take a course in a pool near your home the cost of getting to where you're going to take an open-water dive for final certification will impact this price dramatically. The two- or three-day resort courses can cost several hundred dollars. Hiring a private tutor at a hotel to take a full certification course, which can take up to a week, is much more expensive. But, doing all of your book work sitting in a lounge chair beside the ocean is a really great way to study. Where to Learn More On the scuba diving Web site, there are excellent articles about how and where to get certified. Best Islands for Diving and Snorkeling Off the Shore If you enjoy walking off the shore and scuba diving or snorkeling in coral so colorful you'll think you are in an underwater garden, go to Best Islands for Diving Off the Shore. Here's where you go if you want more information about learning how to start scuba diving. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Metrosafe 200 Shoulder Bag

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week Metrosafe 200 Shoulder Bag 14 Jul 2011, 11:00 am The Bottom Line The Pacsafe Metrosafe 200 shoulder bag is, quite simply, the best travel purse I've used during my years of exploring the world. The anti-theft features give me a sense of security on crowded city streets. The bag's inner pockets keep my passport, credit cards and more secure, but I can quickly reach everything else I've packed into various pockets. Pros A thief can't cut the shoulder strap or slice the bag open Passport, credit cards and jewelry go in secure pockets It holds an amazing amount of "stuff" It never shows dirt, even after 15 hour on a plane floor Guys use this bag, too Cons Only small water bottles fit in the side pouches Description Pacsafe's Metrosafe 200 is a well-organized travel purse Anti-theft feature: eXomesh slashguard in front and bottom panels Slashproof adjustable shoulder strap Zippers that lock closed or latch to a spring-loaded metal clip Metal clips on slashproof straps so you can loop and anchor a bag to secure fixtures Tough, durable material that doesn't show wear. Guide Review - Pacsafe Metrosafe 200 - Best Travel Purse Ever It only took the first long plane ride with the Pacsafe Metrosafe 200 shoulder bag to realize that I'd finally found the best travel purse ever. I've used a lot of travel purses through the years, but this one is special because it keeps valuables (passport, credit cards, money) well away from prying hands,yet holds the incredible amount of stuff most women deem vital in our handbags during a long trip. The anti-theft features were the final touch. It took experimentation to see where things fit best. My passport, credit cards and iPhone all fit into 2 padded pockets inside a large zippered organizer section, with a headphone port. My other "can't loose" items could be tucked into other parts of this zippered organizer, which is hidden behind the purse's front flap. I tucked almost everything else, from my digital camera to a small make-up kit, into the main zippered compartment. Tissues to lip balm, things I might need quickly, went into an outside zippered compartment. Side pockets hold a water bottle or umbrella. Pacsafe, the maker, lists Metrosafe as a "well-organized urban travel bag," but I've carried it in locales from crowded streets in Rome to the African bush. After eight hours on a plane floor, it didn't show any dirt. Pacsafe’s Metrosafe 200 Anti-theft Features The anti-theft features are winners. The shoulder strap has a steel cable and the front panel and the bottom panel have eXomesh, so thieves racing by can't slice the strap or the purse open. A hook on the shoulder strap lets you wrap the strap around a secure fixture, such as the chair you're sitting on when dining in a streetside cafe patio. The zippers can be latched or hidden on the main compartment and front organizer pocket. More Pacsafe Anti-Theft Travel Gear Pacsafe has great travel gear, from hip packs to back packs. Visit Pacsafe Travel Gear. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Adventure Travel: The World's Unluckiest Traveler's Rescue

Adventure Travel Get the latest headlines from the Adventure Travel GuideSite. The World's Unluckiest Traveler's Rescue 13 Jul 2011, 2:57 pm Last year, Travel Guard, a company that offers a variety of travel insurance including policies for adventure travelers, ran a contact seeking the "World's Unluckiest Traveler".� Now, there's a new contest: The Rescue." Share your favorite stories of everyday heroes away from home. The hero you nominate will be in the running for a $10,000 Hero's Vacation - and you could win too! Here's one of the tales submitted: "Captain to the Rescue," Jeanne and her family were traveling in Nigeria and experienced a distressing travel emergency. While riding his motorcycle, Ruth's husband broke his collarbone in an accident and needed emergency medical care outside of the country. The family boarded a flight to Germany, only to learn the hospital they planned to visit would not accept them due to their residency. With the help of a caring flight attendant and the captain of the plane, the entire family was moved to first class. Once on the ground, the captain himself helped find a suitable hospital and arranged accommodations for the family during the husband's recovery." If you have a great tale, here's where you can find out more about entering the contest. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Aquarium Scuba Dives & Snorkel

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week Aquarium Scuba Dives & Snorkel 13 Jul 2011, 11:00 am Nose-to-nose with a 250-pound grouper, the scuba diver waves at the crowd on the far side of the glass in the aquarium. Did you know aquarium scuba diving - and snorkeling -- with fish is offered at several aquariums in the U.S., as well as in other countries? Some "snorkel with the fish" experiences are open age six and older. Scuba certification is required for most dives. All aquariums below belong to the Association of Zoos andAquariums, America's leading accrediting organization for zoos and aquariums.  Members have achieved rigorous standards for animal care, education, wildlife conservation and science. 1. Snorkel or Dive Into the Downtown Aquarium in Denver, Colorado (c) Dick Friedland The Downtown Aquarium has several programs, including "Swim With The Fish, "Dive With The Sharks," "Underwater Photography" and "Adventure Dives." You can take scuba classes with A-I Scuba Colorado to get a scuba diver certification, which includes two aquarium dives. If you'd like to more about diving with sharks in an aquarium, read Dive Into the Shark Pool. I did and it was a lot of fun. 2. Diving With Sharks at the Mandalay Bay Hotel Las Vegas About.com's Guide to Las Vegas, Zeke Quezada, dived into the Shark Reef Aquarium at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. His reaction: "Feeling the gentle glide of a dorsal fin on my thigh I examined the reef shark in such a way that I never thought possible."  If you're a scuba diver visiting Las Vegas, take time away from the tables and nightclubs to go Diving With Sharks. 3. Swim with Sharks at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey Goerge Widman for Adventure Aquarium The "Sharks Up-Close Encounter" lets scuba-certified guests dive into the adrenaline-pumping world of Adventure Aquarium's 550,000-gallon Shark Realm. Join "Swim With The Sharks" and you can snorkel with sand tiger sharks, sandbar sharks, nurse sharks and even barracuda. Then, enter Stingray Lagoon and feed stingrays. 4. Georgia Aquarium's Journey With Gentle Giants The Georgia Aquarium has both a dive and a swim program for visitors who want to swim with whale sharks. Divers must be certified. During the swim program you'll stay on the surface. 5. California's Monteray Bay Aquarium Underwater Explorers Program Kids ages 8-13 dive with staffers in the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Great Tide Pool. The kids wear a mask, drysuit, regulator and specialized SCUBA gear. 6. Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas Go deep-water swimming with dolphins in Dolphin Cay at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. You'll snorkel and glide alongside these marvelous creatures. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: How to Get Your Passport Fast

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week How to Get Your Passport Fast 13 Jul 2011, 11:00 am On Tuesday, July 13, 2010, new passport and passport renewal prices take a bit jump! On June 28, the State Department published its Schedule of Fees for Consular Services - which includes passport fees - in the Federal Register. When the changes takes effect July 13, an adult passport will cost $35 more than today. (The price jumps from $100 to $135). A minor's passport jumps from $85 to $105. Currently, you would pay $75 to renew a passport but on July 13, the price jumps to $110. Just need extra visa pages? You don't have to pay for them now, but after July 13, they will cost $82! An adult passport card jumps from $20 to $30, and a passport card for a child increases from $10 to $15. Passport cards can be used for land border crossings to Mexico or Canada. Time to check the date your passport expires? Keep in mind many countries require a passport be good for at least six months from the time you enter a country. I almost got caught, so I had my passport renewal expedited and you can too. You just need to be willing to pay a bit more (or a lot more if you're in a hurry). How to Get Your Passport Faster Rush My Passport expedites passport applications, passport renewals and visas for a fee. The fee depends upon the turn-around time for the document - which could be as little as 24 hours for a renewal. RushMyPassport.com "walks" your passport application or passport renewal application through the system and dramatically decreases the time from applying to having that critical travel document in your hands. It costs considerably more, of course. But, when you discover a spouse's passport has expired and you're leaving for Europe in three weeks, this option becomes much less expensive than canceling a trip. (Keep in mind, too, that some countries will not let you in if your passport expires within six months of the date you are traveling.) Where to Go for Details You can also get your passport faster directly from the U.S. Government by paying an expedite fee and carefully following the directions. You must put "Expedite" on the envelope so the application is routed correctly and pay a fee. It's also suggested that you include an overnight envelope for the fastest return. For details visit How to Get Your Passport in a Hurry. Specific instructions also will be on the application for your passport or passport renewal. Not sure what's involved in getting a passport? Watch this How to Get a Passport video. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Nature & Wildlife Adventures

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week Nature & Wildlife Adventures 13 Jul 2011, 11:00 am Nature and wildlife adventure travel trips are growing in popularity. Would you like to dive with tiger sharks, watch wildebeest thunder across the Serengeti-Masai Mara during the annual animal migration in Africa or track wolves with your camera in Yellowstone National Park. Here's a selection of exciting natural and wildlife adventure travel trips and tours. Some of these adventurous nature and wildlife trips take place a few times a year, others just during specific seasons, and yet other trips are offered year-round. 1. Swim with sea lions and walk among blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos International Expeditions Exploring blue-footed boobies on the Galapagos Islands and swimming near playful sea lions and giant tortoises in the surrounding ocean is the equivalent of setting yourself inside a nature flick. And, this is why so many travelers are choosing to spend days on a boat exploring these islands. Many companies offer Galapagos trips throughout the year. Some companies offer family friendly weeks. The best nature trips have a naturalist onboard the ship. The award-wining Ecoventura, International Expeditions and Geographic Expeditions offer trips throughout the year. 2. Is That Shark Rattling Your Cage? Shark Diver Shark Divers offers a variety of intimate encounteres with great white sharks, tiger sharks and even giant squid, depending upon where you want to travel. How about a cage dive to view great white sharks off Isla Guadalupe during a five-day trips leaving from San Diego, California, or Ensenada, Mexico. Shark Divers offers trips in the Bahamas to see tiger sharks, vacations in Mexico to watch giant squid, and has a deep dive-submarine so you can see giant sharks in Roatan. ShermansTravel.com chose Shark Diver as one of the Top 10 Extreme Vacation Providers in 2007. 3. African Photo Safaris During the Annual Animal Migration Steve Turner/International Expeditions Many companies offer trips to Africa during the annual wildlife migration when more than a million wildebeest race across the Serengeti-Masai Mara grasslands. Among the animals you may photograph are lions, leopards, buffalo, elephants, rhinos and perhaps even cheetahs. Time is also spent learning more about the Masai tribes, which stay true to many of their traditions despite the encroaching modernization around them. Overnights can be in simple to luxury lodges or tents, depending upon how much you want to spend. Some of the companies offering these tours include International Expeditions, Natural Habitat Adventures and Abercrombie & Kent. 4. Arctic Dog Sled Odyssey Tours Steer your dog sled in the wilderness and alongside the fjords north of the Arctic Circle on the east coast of Canada's Baffin Island. You''ll mush from a wilderness lodge and be led by an Inuit guide. Trips are nine days, but shorter experiences can be arranged from March through June. You can return to the hotel nightly, or stay out in the wilderness. 5. Summer and Winter Yellowstone Field School Ed-Ventures Tours The Yellowstone Association Institute offers a wide array of daily tours, Lodging and Learning programs, field seminars and backpacking courses. The Lodging and Learning programs, designed in cooperation with lodge operator Xanterra Parks & Resorts, are multi-day packages that can include wolf watching, learning more about the park from naturalists and other activities. The Yellowstone Association’s summer Ed-Ventures include such programs as Geysers, Mudpots, & Hot Springs: Old Faithful Area; Natural History & Geology: Yellowstone Lake & Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Winter Ed-Ventures include Wildlife Watching on the Northern Range, and Yellowstone by Ski or Snowshoe. 6. Island Expeditions With Seacology Adventurous travelers are lining up to join Seacology’s island expeditions. Seacology’s island expeditions are “win-win” for travelers and local communities. During each one, whether the goal is to help islanders create a faux eco-reef to set near a dying reef, or help with a water purification tank installation, travelers combine vacations on intriguing islands with a chance to help locals.The ecologically minded who prefer armchair travel can enjoy by osmosis; simply visit Seacology’s website to read travel dispatches and look at photos from Fiji or some of the other 80plus islands where there are Seacology projects. 7. Eco-Tours With Wild Planet Adventures Wild Planet Adventures Wild Planet Adventures offers ecotours designed to bring you into the natural habitats of exotic wildlife in Costa Rica, the Galapagos, Peru, Panama, Belize and other locales. Each trip promises experiences led by local guides who often take you to sites where there won’t be a lot of other tourists. 8. Horseback Riding in Mongolia Several companies offer horseback ridingn Mongolia, some with reindeer herders and others on trails at follow Ghengis Kahn's footsteps. Equitours, a company that offers horseback riding tours in the US as well as more exotic locales, runs a variety of riding trips in Mongolia. One is to a remote region of northern Mongolia that's inhabited by the Tsaatan people, nomadic reindeer herdsmen. Black Ibex Expeditions offers two-week trips, where riders follow a nomandic path. Mongolia Horseback Riding run many trips through the year. 9. Take an Orangutan Tour, Visit Camp Leakey and Learn About the Dayak Tribes Adventures Indonesia puts together this trip to the jungle, which includes a boat trip down the Lamandau river to learn more about orangutans, visit Camp Leakey where older orangutans are re-introduced to the rain forest, and visit Dyak Tribe villages. 10. Watch Grizzly Bears in Their Native Habitat Tom Rivest Wildlife viewing, with twice-a-day opportunities to watch grizzly bears in their natural habitat, is the focus for guests at the floating Great Bear Lodge, May through October. Guests take a seaplane to reach the lodge, located about 50 air miles from Port Hardy, British Columbia, Canada. One- to seven-day visits can be booked. Visit the website for streaming video of bear and wildlife excursions in the spring, summer and fall. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: TSAlocks

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week TSAlocks 13 Jul 2011, 11:00 am Now that you’re stashing personal items in a suitcase that you might have taken in your carry-on plane bag last week, perhaps it’s time to consider using baggage locks approved by the Transportation Security Authority (TSA). If TSA officials want to look inside your bag, they have a key (and must leave a note before re-locking it). You can consider these locks a deterrent to the average thief, but not as a truly secure way of keeping valuables safe. Odds are that if a would-be thief sees two bagsâ€"one with and one without a lock â€" he’ll opt to explore the one easiest to unzip. How Do You Know It’s TSA Approved? You need to look for two specific symbols that indicate TSA has approved these locks and the security guards at the airport will have the right keys to unlock and relock your bag. At least that’s the theory! The reality is these locks usually work well in the US because guards should have the keys and know how to use them. In other countries, however, the guards searching your bags won’t have the right keys. Where Can You Find Them? Safe Skies has both combination and keyed TSA luggage locks, and claims the company will replace your lock for free if it’s clipped. Travel Sentry sells TSA approved combination locks. Visit the Transportation Security Administration’s web page, which has more details about the locks. The locks average $10 each. You can buy them in different weights and numbers. Get the Latest TSA Updates for Carry-on Luggage As the new regulations keep evolving because of the elevated terrorist alert, it's also a smart move to check out the latest information in the Frequently Asked Questions area on the Transportation Security Administration's website. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Yellowstone in the Winter

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week Yellowstone in the Winter 12 Jul 2011, 11:00 am Yellowstone in the winter is an adventure traveler's paradise. You can snowmobile or cross country ski past steamy clouds drifting from blue-tinted hot springs, or go snowshoeing on paths in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. You photograph bison from the safety of your snow coach and watch wolf pups play as the adult wolves lope past bison rooting in the snow for winter grass. During a night snow coach tour of Yellowstone you'll see a canopy of stars overhead. The nation's first national park, Yellowstone is a two million-plus acre playground. 1. Winter in Yellowstone is More than Old Faithful (c) Lois Friedland Winter in Yellowstone National Park is incredibly beautiful. Steam rises from the hot springs, geysers and fumaroles; bison wander across vast snow-covered fields and drink in streams sparking with ice crystals, and Old Faithful performs for guests at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. You can see it all from a snow coach, driving a snowmobile, cross country skiing or winter hiking. You can also enjoy snowmobiling on the vast trail system just outside the park. Click on these pictures to see what Yellowstone and West Yellowstone look like in the winter. Yellowstone National Park Lodges (two are open in the park in the winter) has packages for adventurous travels. You'll find links to the 2010/2011 adventures below. 2. Gliding Silently on Trails Through Woods on Cross Country Skis (c) Lois Friedland Yellowstone has many miles of cross-country trails threading the park. The trails are listed in a series of pamphlets available at the park's visitors centers and hotels open during the winter. Shuttles offers drop-offs and pick-ups at trail heads. Equipment can be rented in the park. Here's a list of cross country ski packages for 2010/2011 West Yellowstone, Montana, just outside the west entrance to the park also has miles of groomed cross country and ski skate trails in the Rendezvous Ski Trails system. 3. Snowmobiling to Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (c)Lois Friedland Snowmobiling is allowed on specific roads in the park but only on guided tours. Snowmobiling excursions to Old Faithful are offered by several snowmobiling companies in West Yellowstone, Montana, just outside the park. Inside the park, Xanterra, the company that manages the park's hotels, offers a snowmobiling package that allows riders to spend a night at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge then ride 90 miles to Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel the next day. Snowmobilers leaving from West Yellowstone also have the freedom to explore hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobiling trails and slopes in the U.S. national forests. 4. Watching Wolves, Bison, Foxes and -- Maybe -- A Bear or Mountain Lion (c) Lois Friedland The Yellowstone Association, which partners with the National Park Service, offers a variety of animal-watching day trips and multi-day programs. The Lodging and Learning programs include overnight stays so you can see Yellowstone at dawn then view wolves, bull elks with massive racks of horns, and other animals with spotting scopes. Naturalists lead the tours to help you understand how these animals survive and interact in the park. The "Trail of the Wolf" package combines wildlife watching and snowmobiling. For more information about various packages for 2010/2011, visit Lodging and Learning Packages . 5. Spending the Night in Yellowstone During the Winter (c) L Friedland Just walk outside your hotel at night to see a canopy of stars overhead. During the winter only two hotels are open in the park: Old Faithful Snow Lodge and the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. In the morning, look down from your guestroom window at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and the odds are excellent that you'll see an elk foraging for grass. Staying at the Snow Park Lodge, it's a quick walk to see Old Faithful erupt. Yellowstone National Park Lodges offers a variety of cross country skiing, adventure, snowmobiling and other packages for the 2010/2010 winter season. For more information call (1) 307-344-7311 or toll-free 866-GEYSERLAND (866-439-7375), or visiting the web site Yellowstone Park Lodges. 6. A Night Tour of Yellowstone by Snow Coach Yellowstone National Park Lodges Mist rises around you while carefully following the dark outline of your guide along boardwalks, to the tune of hissing geysers erupting in the dark. It's not the prelude to a horror movie, it's the start of an incredible snow coach journey to see how alive Yellowstone is at night. At one point during your evening's trip, the snow coach stops and everyone gets out to stand quietly and look at a star-filled sky that one can only imagine while living in a light-infused city. You'll enjoy the Steam, Stars & Winter Soundscapes tour the most on nights when the sky is clear. 7. West Yellowstone is a Gateway to the Park and a Winter Playground Itself (c) Lois Friedland On a Saturday morning in West Yellowstone, Montana, there are more snowmobiles driving along the streets than cars. This town is primarily lodging, bars, restaurants and shops for visitors who want souvenirs or cold-weather clothing, but it's a perfect gateway to exploring the park and the Gallatin National Forest. The town edges against the park, so you can take day-trips into Yellowstone via snowmobile or snowcoach. Be sure to visit the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, a non-profit wildlife park, to watch bears tussle and wolves prowl. There's also an exstensive cross country trail system. 8. A Chance to Wear Warm Winter Clothing Yellowstone in the winter can be very cold. Pack lots of cold-weather gear, preferably high-tech undergarments that will wick away moisture, especially when you're cross country skiing or snowshoeing. Bring fleece tops or warm sweaters that you can layer under a wind-resistant/water resistant jacket. Best to have wind-resistant and water-resistant pants, too. Take a warm hat, a fleece neck gaiter and warm mittens or gloves. Bring along a bag of the chemical hand-warmer packets that you shake to activate then stick inside your gloves or boots to keep your hands and feet warm. Don't forget your camera! 9. Makes You Want to Visit Yellowstone in the Summer, Too (c) D Friedland Not many people visit Yellowstone in the winter so there's space to enjoy the beauty. The quiet is disrupted in the summer, when tourists from around the globe come to the summer-green landscape, vibrant with colorful wildlflowers and green grasses.  See what Yellowstone looks like in the summertime. 10. Information Contact for Yellowstone National Park (c) D Friedland For more information about visiting Yellowstone, go the the National Park Service Yellowstone Web site. Lonely Planet Guidebook to Yellowstone and Grant Teton National ParksIf you'd like a Lonely Planet Guidebook to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks click on Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks Guide. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Multi-Sport Trips & Vacations

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week Multi-Sport Trips & Vacations 12 Jul 2011, 11:00 am Travelers who live for active vacations should check out some of the multi-sport trips and vacations offered by these companies. You could combine trekking and sea kayaking, or perhaps you’d rather go mountain biking, hiking and river rafting? Why not blend cycling, hiking, canoeing and kayaking, or surfing, snorkeling and biking? Multi-sport vacations with these mixes of sports are offered in such diverse locations as the Galapagos Islands, Iceland and Thailand, so the hardest part might be deciding where you want to go. REI Offers Exhilarating Multi-Sport Adventures REI is one of the world’s best toy stores for adventure travel enthusiasts, so it will be easy to pick up everything you’ll need to go one of the company’s multi-sport adventure trips? The Thailand Explorer trip includes trekking in the hill country and kayaking along the coast of the Andaman Sea. The Reef and Rain Forest trip includes snorkeling on Australia’s Great Barrier, trekking and mountain biking in a tropical rainforest and white-water rafting. REI offers multi-sport trips to many countries around the world Austin Lehman Focuses on Family Multi-Sport Trips If you're looking for adventure travel trips that kids of varied ages will enjoy, or trips for you and your teenagers, check out Austin-Lehman Adventures. Multi-Sport trips -- bike, hike, climb, paddle, ride -- go to such scenic places as Alaska, Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada, and Bryce, Zion and Yosemite National Parks. Exotic Multi-Sport Adventures with Mountain Travel Sobek Mountain Travel Sobek is famous for its adventure travel trips. If you want to hike, ride a camel and travel in 4W-drive vehicles in Libya’s Sahara desert, or hike and kayak in Alaska on the Glacier Bay Expedition look at the itineraries for Mountain Travel Sobek's vacations. O.A.R.S. Combines Rafting and More on Multi-Sport Trips If you’re looking for multi-sport adventures as close to home as Jackson Hole, Wyoming, or as far away as Fiji, visit O.A.R.S. website. Hike in the tropical rainforests then cool off exploring the underwater coral off the coast of Fiji. Or, hike, kayak and swim with the sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. Enter The World Outdoors The World Outdoors trips are chock-full of activities. You can hike, bike, raft, rock climb and go mountaineering on the Canyons-Arches Multi-Sport trip in Utah. In Guatemala, you can hike, bike, kayak, take a zip-line canopy tour and do a lot more. This company offers dozens of multi-sport adventures around the globe. Multisport Trips with Backroads Backroads is an active travel company that offers 300 itineraries, including several exciting bike and multisport adventure trips. Seventy-five percent of Backroads guests have traveled with Backroads before or were referred by a friend. More Top Adventure Travel Companies Here's a link to my picks for top adventure travel companies - tour operators that can make your dream trip come true. Take a look. If your favorite company isn't on this list please let me know in an email. Send it to adventuretravelguide@about.com, or send me a note via the Adventure Travel Forum. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Multifunction GPS Watch

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week Multifunction GPS Watch 12 Jul 2011, 11:00 am Hi-tech gadget lovers will thrive on downloading routes and creating their own routes, then tracking their speed, distance and later reviewing their route on the Sunnto X9i watch. Travelers who love to explore the wilderness but aren’t particularly interested in tracking every step may never have a strong urge to own this watch. It takes time and some patience to set up and learn how to use the Suunto X9i. It’s not as easily an intuitive process as learning how to use a digital camera, for example. You need to have an interest in downloading or pre-planning a route if you want to use the navigation mode, set up the GPS mode, make sure the compass is calibrated properly before every hike, and check that the altimeter and barometer are set, for starters. We took it on a hike through some remote canyons in Mesa Verde National Park and even the guide, who had a GPS with her, couldn’t quite figure out how to set up the watch so we could track the trip. (Suunto has a service department that will answer questions about using the watch.) On the flip side, according to some of the reviews on the Suunto website, some of the soldiers in Iraq are using the watch and love it. Suunto has also released a new version, called the Suunto X9M/i, which was designed specifically for the military. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.