Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Top Adventure Travel Companies

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

Top Adventure Travel Companies Jul 29th 2011, 10:00 11. Adventure Travel Trips and Vacations With Travcoa Travcoa is one of the leading providers of luxury escorted tours, luxury custom vacations and private jet trips. Some of the destinations include Antarctica, Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, India and China, and such exotic locales as Bhutan, Easter Island, Lapland, and Madagascar. The escorted tours are limited to 18 persons and the average is 12. 12. BikeHike Adventures - Multi-Sport Trips That Focus on Local Cultures BikeHike Adventures BikeHike Adventures specializes in multi-sport adventures for those of us addicted to exploring the outdoors. The company’s trips combine a range of activities from biking, hiking and rafting to sea kayaking, rock climbing and zip-lining. 13. Butterfield & Robinson This Canadian company has focused on luxury-oriented biking and walking trips since 1966. B&R is a leader in designing vacations in countries and providing experiences that are on the cutting edge of trendy. Check out the hiking and biking trips in Vietnam and Peru Walking or Galapagos Island by Sea. B&R arranges special treats such as private musical performances and learning to cook regional specialties from local chefs. B&R also plans outstanding "Bespoke" (custom) vacations. 14. Abercrombie & Kent Luxury trips are Abercrombie & Kent's hallmark. The new Explorer Series focuses on remote locations such as Papua New Guinea and Mongolia. True to A&K's style, even while on the Footsteps of the Khan trip travelers stay in gers (tents) with ensuite bathrooms, and a mobile kitchen and chef come along for the overland journey. 15. Myths and Mountains Myths and Mountains vacations blend entertainment and education in such trips as Trekking the Old East-West Trade Route in Bhutan and The Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca Experience: The Incas, Camping and Kayaking. Custom-tailored vacations -- Unique Themes and Experiential Journeys -- are centered around travelers' personal interests. 16. Mountain Travel Sobek Mountain Travel Sobek Mountain Travel Sobek pioneered the concept of small-group adventure travel 40 years ago and has been exploring the world in imaginative ways ever since. The itineraries are designed for travelers who want to explore the planet's fantastic diversity of landscapes, cultures and wildlife.  17. Country Walkers Country Walkers Country Walkers is a well-established company with an array of trips to areas that are just becoming popular, as well as the expected itineraries to Europe and throughout North America. They have good in-country connections in exotic places and offer walking trips such as Bhutan: Kingdom of the Himalayas, Croatia: The Dalmation Coast and Chile: The Lake District and Patagonia.  This company offers self-guided hiking adventures in Italy, Spain, England and Switzerland, with accommodations in 3- and 4-star hotels and agritourismo farmhouses. 18. Dasatariq This company focuses solely on Peru. Dasatariq is the joining of two of the largest tour operators in Peru and their experienced agents can put you on package trips or create itineraries solely for you that include hiking to Machu Picchu, a trip to Colca Canyon or visiting a jungle lodge. Dasatariq has offices in the major cities tourists' visit, in case a problem arises. 19. Smithsonian Journeys Smithsonian Journeys offers trips with unusual twists and activities, such as Marco Polo in China, which follows this Venice merchant's footsteps on the ancient Silk Road. On the talian Automobile Design and History trip, guests tour the Ferrari factory. Ecotourists will enjoy the Chilean Patagonia trip, where they'll see Andean condors and Magellanic penguins, or the New Zealand by Land and Sea Voyage, with its zodiac landings on deserted beaches. 20. Elevate Destinations Focuses on Philanthropic Trips If you're looking for a company that combines adventure travel with making a difference to destination communities, check out Elevate Destinations. Travelers on these trips want to give back -- whether it's in donations or service.

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: 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 Jul 29th 2011, 10:00 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, or manage all your subscriptions

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Family Summer Vacations

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

Family Summer Vacations Jul 29th 2011, 10:00 Montana: Explore Big Sky Country One entrance to Yellowstone National Park is just about an hour away from Big Sky Resort in Montana, so take time from enjoying all the activities at the resort to see Old Faithful. You can ride a zip line, take a gondola ride and hike or mountain-bike downhill on trails, take a whitewater rafting trip or go horseback riding. Kids Camp may be free if you book through Big Sky Central Reservations. Colorado: Aspen and Snowmass offer free family fun Many travelers think of Aspen as Glitter Gulch and neighboring Snowmass as an upscale family-friendly resort, and there's truth to both images. But in the summertime, lodging prices are lower and the entertainment ranges from free weekday activities ranging from scavenger hunts and cooking classes to storytelling and a juggling workshop. Kids activities at both Camp Aspen and Camp Snowmass stretch from mountainboarding and skateboarding to paintball and mountain biking. For more information about family entertainment, visit Aspen/Snowmass. Utah: Kids Love Deer Valley's Summer Adventure Camp Kids in Deer Valley's Summer Adventure Camp will have great fun during age-appropriate mountain environment explorations, day trips and hikes. At this resort edging up to Park City, Utah, summer packages, which include a chairlift ride to the peak where many hiking and biking trails start, are available in standard rooms and condos in Park City, as well as the posh condos in Deer Valley and units at the luxe Stein Eriksen Lodge. For summer rates visit Deer Valley. Colorado: Epic Vacations in Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge & Keystone Epic Vacations wrap up all the travel arrangements and send your family river rafting, biking, horseback riding and on lots of other activities with a guide. Trips run for a full week, or three-days and four nights. For details visit Epic Summer or call 888-538-EPIC. New Hampshire: Action-Packed Days at Waterville Valley The Summer Unlimited packages at New Hampshire's Waterville Valley are a passport to unlimited summer fun. One price includes lodging plus a choice of mountain biking, kayaking, golf, tennis and other activities. Vermont: Killington Offers Summer Adventures for the Entire Family The Killington Summer Adventures packages let you and the kids go mountain biking or hiking on the slopes and various trails, challenge the climbing wall, take the alpine slides and enjoy other activities together. Packages include 2-nights lodging and a 2-day Adventure Center pass. (A single-night package is available for a slightly higher price.) For details visit Killington or call 800-621-MTNS. Michigan: Wakeboarding in Boyne Country Wrap a family vacation around one of the wakeboard or junior golf camps, or just enjoy a range of activities from riding a zip line and mountain biking for the entire family to Fritz's Adventure Camp for kids at Boyne Mountain. Per-night rates for hotel rooms and condos are available. Guests have access to the biking and hiking trails, tennis courts, 18-hole disc golf course, chairlift rides and other activities. California: Skate and Swim at Squaw Valley's High Camp Squaw Valley USA's High Camp Bath & Tennis Club, a cable-car ride from the resort's base area, has both an ice rink and a large freeform swimming pool surrounded by mountain peaks. At this California resort you and the kids can tackle the climbing wall, go hiking or mountain biking then cool off boating on Lake Tahoe. Choosing Your Beat-the-Heat at a Mountain Resort Trip Why not let everyone in the family help decide where to beat the heat this summer. Visit How to Choose a Family Adventure for suggestions about planning and prepping for your trip. More Adventure Travel Family Vacations Articles You can find the best companies for family adventure travel vacations, tips on planning a family adventure travel trip and a lot more at Family Vacation Adventures.

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 28th 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: Picture Yourself Paragliding With Birds of Prey

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

Picture Yourself Paragliding With Birds of Prey Jul 27th 2011, 21:07 Can you see yourself soaring through the sky on a tandem paraglider?� The bird of prey - perhaps a hawk or a vulture - soars ahead to find the best thermals for your flight. Then, the bird returns and gently lands on your gloved hand for morsel of meat, a well-earned treat. Parahawking is a unique blend of paragliding and falconry.� The video is great armchair viewing, even if you never intend to take one of the actual flights. Photo: (c) Scott Mason

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: Checkpoint Friendly Bags

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

Checkpoint Friendly Bags Jul 27th 2011, 10:00 Tired of pulling your laptop and other electronic gear out of your backpack or laptop bag? TSA now allows laptops to stay inside several carry-on checkpoint friendly bags. If your gear is packed properly, you won’t have to pull your laptop out when going through the security line at the airport Mobile Edge has scanfast backpacks and a messenger bag that should let you pass through security checkpoints without taking your computer out of the bag. Links to buy these bags online are below. TSA Guidelines for Checkpoint Friendly Bags Here's what the Transportations Security Administration says about checkpoint friendly bags. For a bag to be considered checkpoint friendly it should meet the following standards: A designated laptop-only section The laptop-only section completely unfolds to lie flat on the X-ray belt No metal snaps, zippers or buckles inside, underneath or on top of the laptop-only section No pockets on the inside or outside of the laptop-only section Nothing packed in the laptop-only section other than the computer itself. Mobile Edge Scansafe Checkpoint Friendly Backpack The Mobile Edge Scansafe Checkpoint Friendly Backpack has been tested and meets the new Transportation Security Administration guidelines for carry-on luggage, according to the manufacturer. The largest part of this backpack zips open and has a mesh section that provides easy viewing of a laptop or anything else you’re taking through security and the TSA scanners might want to see. The two outer pockets will hold everything from your MP3 player and noise-reducing earphones to books and anything else you’ll need on the plane, or want to make sure arrives with you at your destination. ScanFast™ Checkpoint Friendly 17" Laptop Backpack Stylish Mobile Edge Scansafe Checkpoint Friendly Backpack Mobile Edge also has a stylish, contemporary looking backpack in the Onyx Line for those who a fashionable edge. ScanFast Checkpoint Friendly Onyx Backpack Mobile Edge Scansafe Checkpoint Friendly Messenger Bag The Mobile Edge Scansafe Checkpoint Friendly Messenger Bag has been tested and meets the new Transportation Security Administration guidelines for carry-on luggage, according to the manufacturer. It’s chock-full of pockets and dividers so you can put everything from your iPod and noise-reducing earphones to books and anything else you’ll need on the plane, or want to make sure arrives with you at your destination. ScanFast™ Checkpoint Friendly 15.4" Laptop Messenger

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: Most Popular Articles: Snorkel With Whales & Sharks

Adventure Travel: Most Popular Articles These articles are the most popular over the last month.

Snorkel With Whales & Sharks Jul 27th 2011, 10:11 You float quietly, until the humpback whale senses you are there and swims toward you. Or, you're snorkeling and suddenly a whale shark, one of the world's biggest fish, rises from below to eye you. Either way, it's an experience to cherish and remember. Several companies around the world offer these special experiences.  In Mexico, you can swim with the whale sharks (massive fish that dine on plankton), while you can swim with humpback whales off the Dominican Republic. In Australia, you could swim or dive with dwarf minke whales. EcoColors Tours EcoColors offers the chance to snorkel with whale sharks, one of the world's biggest fish, off the coast of the Yucatan Penninsula.  The months to snorkel with whale sharks are  May through September.  EcoColors also offers multi-day eco-adventurers, crocodile adventures and biking trips. On an Aquatic Adventures multi-day tour, you can snorkel with 80,000-pound humpback whales that gather in the Sanctuary of the Marine Mammals of the Dominican Republic. These whales migrate to the Silver Bank, about 60 miles off the shore of the Dominican Republic, from December to mid-April. If you intend to dive Australia's Great Barrier Reef, investigate snorkeling and scuba diving in the water with dwarf minke whales. These creatures are similar to minke whales but smaller in size, although they can weigh up to five tons, and they have a distinct color pattern. Dive the Reef offers trips to the reefs north of Cairns, where these whales swim. This company offers live-aboard dive trips and other adventures including rafting, bungy jumping and bike tours. Whaledive.Net is an internet portal to diving with whales. Here you'll find trips to snorkel with humpback whales in the islands of Tonga in the South Pacific. During July and August, you can put on a dry suit and snorkel with whales during on of Churchill Wild's Birds, Bears & Beluga trip.

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: 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 Jul 26th 2011, 10:00 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, or manage all your subscriptions

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 Jul 26th 2011, 10:00 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, or manage all your subscriptions

Adventure Travel: What's Hot Now: Snorkel With Whales & Sharks

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

Snorkel With Whales & Sharks Jul 25th 2011, 10:00 You float quietly, until the humpback whale senses you are there and swims toward you. Or, you're snorkeling and suddenly a whale shark, one of the world's biggest fish, rises from below to eye you. Either way, it's an experience to cherish and remember. Several companies around the world offer these special experiences.  In Mexico, you can swim with the whale sharks (massive fish that dine on plankton), while you can swim with humpback whales off the Dominican Republic. In Australia, you could swim or dive with dwarf minke whales. EcoColors Tours EcoColors offers the chance to snorkel with whale sharks, one of the world's biggest fish, off the coast of the Yucatan Penninsula.  The months to snorkel with whale sharks are  May through September.  EcoColors also offers multi-day eco-adventurers, crocodile adventures and biking trips. On an Aquatic Adventures multi-day tour, you can snorkel with 80,000-pound humpback whales that gather in the Sanctuary of the Marine Mammals of the Dominican Republic. These whales migrate to the Silver Bank, about 60 miles off the shore of the Dominican Republic, from December to mid-April. If you intend to dive Australia's Great Barrier Reef, investigate snorkeling and scuba diving in the water with dwarf minke whales. These creatures are similar to minke whales but smaller in size, although they can weigh up to five tons, and they have a distinct color pattern. Dive the Reef offers trips to the reefs north of Cairns, where these whales swim. This company offers live-aboard dive trips and other adventures including rafting, bungy jumping and bike tours. Whaledive.Net is an internet portal to diving with whales. Here you'll find trips to snorkel with humpback whales in the islands of Tonga in the South Pacific. During July and August, you can put on a dry suit and snorkel with whales during on of Churchill Wild's Birds, Bears & Beluga trip.

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: Intrepid Travel Adventures

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

Intrepid Travel Adventures Jul 24th 2011, 10:00 Intrepid Travel Profile "Real life experiences" are the focus on Intrepid Travel's adventure trips. Intrepid Travel was started in 1989 by two men who had a passion to get travelers off the beaten track in Asia. Today, Intrepid Travel offers trips to more than 90 destinations around the globe. The styles of trip include active adventures; challenges, where travelers combine cycling, trekking and some volunteer activities; independent travel; family travel; and Basix travel, which is definitely grassroots-style. On these generally small-group trips you'll travel in ways similar to the local people, respecting their culture and the environment. The groups take mostly public transportation, stay and eat in small-scale locally-owned establishments. The Intrepid Travel Boss' Pitch: "We wanted to develop a style of travel that was all together different, where as travelers we became a part of country - and not just tourists looking in. Wherever we go in the world, we take a responsible attitude with us. That means traveling in a way that both respects and benefits local people, their culture and the environment. Our travelers get the change to meet local people and really get to know their culture first-hand. You'll contribute directly to local economics and help develop cross-cultural understanding. In other words, enjoy a real life experience." says Darrrell Wade, Director and Co-founder, Intrepid Travel. Popular adventure travel trips with Intrepid Travel When you check out the pricing on some of these continually popular journeys, you'll be surprised at how much less they cost than ones with similar itineraries offered by other adventure travel companies. But, keep in the mind that many of these are "grassroots" trips and the lodging is chosen with a live-like-the-locals bent. The 9-day Taste of China goes from Beijing to Shanghai. The 22-day Rajasthan Adventure roams from Old Delhi to meeting with local tribes people at Karni Mata to visiting a royal residence. The 9-day Road to Angkor bounces from the floating markets in Thailand to the Angkor's temples in Cambodia. Where to learn more about Intrepid Travel For more information about the many trips, including the Canada Dog Sled Adventure, visit Intrepid Travel or call 800-970-7299. 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 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?

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