Top Adventure Travel Companies

Here are are some of the top adventure travel companies that offer an interesting and eclectic array of adventure travel trips. Biking in Morocco, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru and rafting through the Grand Canyon are just the briefest sampling of the experiences these companies offer travelers. Each company's website lists specific adventure travel trips, with detailed itineraries, pricing and images that give a taste of the adventures waiting for you.

1. Quick List Access to Specialty Adventure and Sports Travel Companies?

If you want to zero in on specific adventure travel styles, visit the links below this paragraph. Keep in mind that most of the 20plus adventure travel companies in the master list have impressive trips covering all aspects of adventure travel.

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?
Are you looking for Women's Adventure Travel?
Are you looking for Extreme Adventures?
If you want to look at all the top companies, keep scrolling down this page.

2. Gap Adventures Open Up the World

Gap Adventures

Gap Adventures has again been recognized by National Geographic Traveler in the magazine's 2011 "Tours of a Lifetime" list.? For seven consecutive years, National Geographic magazine has selected a Gap Adventures tour as one of its "25 Best New Adventure Trips of the Year". This company offers a choice of more than 1,200 adventure travel trips to all seven continents. Check out the "Specials" section, where you can find discounts on fascinating trips.

3. Geographic Expeditions Adventurous Trips

Geographic Expeditions

Geographic Expeditions offers a portfolio of overland tours, treks, walks, and expeditionary voyages to the world's most astonishing places, ranging from journeys in China, Nepal and Vietnam to Mongolia and Ghana.

4. Austin-Lehman Adventures

Austin-Lehman Adventures

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.

5. Ecotourism and Nature Trips With International Expeditions

International Expeditions offers small-group eco-tours and nature travel trips to exotic locations including the Amazon, Egypt, Galapagos, India and Kenya during the annual animal migration. the company offers in-depth itineraries designed to explore the soul of a region, through behind-the-scenes access to places and experiences. The group leaders are either naturalists or historians, sometimes both.

6. Off-the-Beaten Path Adventure Travel With Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Photography Competition 2007, Bathtime, Thailand - Wendy Broekx

Intrepid Travel is a niche adventure travel company that focuses on taking travelers off the beaten track to more than 90 destinations around the globe. 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.

7. Classic Journeys Specializes in Soft Adventure Trips

Classic Journeys

Classic Journeys specializes in boutique, small-group, soft-adventure travel. The company operates three types of trips: cultural walking adventures, family journeys and culinary tours. Any Classic Journeys trip can be transformed into a private journey.

8. REI Adventures Offers Great Active Travel Trips

REI Adventures offers great active travel trips, such as canoeing on a lake here in the U.S., cycling in Vietnam, or sea kayaking and hiking in Croatia. And, these are just a few of the 90plus weekend-to-multiweek trips offered by REI Adventures, part of the REI that has more than 80 stores in the U.S. chock-full of equipment and clothing for adventure travelers.

9. Canadian Mountain Holidays Heli-Ski and Heli-Hike Trips

If heli-skiing or heli-hiking are on your adventure-travel radar, check out the variety of trips offered by Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH). In the winter this company offers heli-ski for advanced intermediates to expert skiers and snowboarders. In the summer, the heli-hiking trips for novices to experienced hikers and for families. CMH also has mountaineering trips.

10. River Rafting & Other Adventure Vacations with ROW Adventures

Row Adventures

ROW Adventures offers river-rafting trips and adventurous vacations as diverse as snorkeling with sea lions and turtles in the Galapagos Islands and camel trekking in Algeria. Some of ROW's trips have been included in National Geographic Traveler Magazine’s “Tours of a Lifetime” for three years running, and Outside Magazine’s Top Ten New Trips for two consecutive years.

View the original article here

Fall Getaways

Is the travel bug pinching you? Here are 10 fantastic fall getaways that will transport you from home to such far-flung locales as a camel market in India and the Antarctica, or to fall foliage settings here in the U.S. Take one of the guided hiking weekends with the Appalachian Mountain Club, climb a mountain in Borneo or photograph polar bears in northern Canada.

1. The Pushkar Camel Fair in India is a True Extravaganza

Exotic Journeys

Racing camels across the desert, trading livestock and folk dancing are part of the action that attracts thousands to the annual Pushkar Camel Fair every November in Rajasthan, India. Exotic Journeys wraps an annual trip around this colorful extravaganza, with stays in Jaipur, Delhi and other parts of India.? The 2011 trip leaves in late October.

2. Ultimate Fall Getaways in Yosemite

Jae Feinberg

If you're looking for an antidote to urban stress, book the Fall Bike to Waterfalls or the Fall Ultimate Getaway package at Evergreen Lodge, which is just outside Yosemite National Park. You'll get a chance to take a bike ride or a tour in the park guided by a naturalist. If these adventures are too soft for you, there's always rock climbing and mountaineering. Photo c Jae Fineberg

3. Explore China and Visit Tibet

c 2011 Lois Friedland

Discovery Adventures runs two different trips to China. The Classic China Adventure is a fast-moving but encompassing look that goes from Beijing to Shanghai, with time to walk along the Great Wall and see the Terra Cotta Warriors in X'ian. The longer China & Tibet Cultural Tour includes a visit to Lhasa and Potala Palace.

4. Hike, Mountain Bike or Just Explore Southwestern Colorado

In the fall, you can hike and bike on trails framed by aspen trees sporting golden leaves, glance upward and perhaps even see a touch of snow on the mountaintops in Crested Butte and Gunnison in southwest Colorado.? Scenic drives, photography to cooking classes, boating, golf and fall festivals are just a sampling of the activities.

5. Best of Borneo Is for Adventurous Travelers

Gap Adventures Best of Borneo tour is for very adventurous and fit travelers. You'll stay, hike and travel by boat in the jungle, climb Mt. Kinabalu and visit an Orang-utan center.? Trips leave in November and December of 2011.

6. Polar Bear Tours

Fly to the remote Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge on the coast of the Hudson Bay, within the Cape Tatnam Wildlife Management Area. You'll spend a week nature trekking and photographing polar bears. The trip starts September 20, 2010. Polar bear watching trips to Churchill are also offered.

7. Guided Adventures in the Northeast During Fall Foliage Season

The Appalachian Mountain Club offers a variety of reasonably priced guided adventures in the fall. You could join AMC senior naturalist Nancy Ritger on an exploration of the diverse flora, fauna, and ecosystems of the White Mountains; spend a weekend in Maine enjoying fall foliage and a cruise around Moosehead Lake; or spend a weekend? paddling down the Androscoggin River and hiking up Mt. Washington. You can also book space in the AMC huts and plan your own hiking adventure.

8. Inexpensive Adventures in Morocco

Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Travel is known for its off-the-beaten path trips and this trip to Morocco qualifies. You'll trek in the High Atlas mountains, learn to cook regional cuisine with locals and scamble through canyons and climb rock faces in Todra Gorge. All for a surprsingly inexpensive price.

9. Extreme Base Jumpers and Rappellers Love Bridge Day

West Virginia Tourism

One of the most colorful fall spectator events is Bridge Day in Fayetteville, WV, when base jumpers leap off the New River Gorge Bridge legally, and rappellers zip down their lines toward the water below. For doers, Bridge Day is an extreme event; for watchers is a fantastic people-watching experience.

View the original article here

5 Swiss Alps Day Hikes

Quite simply, the Swiss Alps is the best supported hiking destination in the world. Admittedly, I’m biased in making such a bold claim. I’ve guided walkers, hikers, and trekkers in the Alps for over 20 years. Where else can you enjoy that kind of mountain scenery and never have to carry anything more than a light daypack. Even on long-distance trails like the Haute Route, which I traverse at least twice a year, you can walk for days on end without a tent, sleeping bag, food or stove, knowing that a well-linked system of mountain huts provides great meals, a hot shower, and a comfortable bed at the end of a long day.

But in today’s economy, where both vacation time and money are tight, you may prefer to spend your limited time in the Alps on day hikes. You’ll be able to enjoy the mountain scenery, waterfalls, glaciers, wildlife, and wildflowers during the day, and still be back in town or on to your next destination before sunset.

Here are my recommendations for the most magnificent day hikes in the Swiss Alps. All are well-marked, easy to follow, and can be hiked in either direction. You’ll find them charted on free maps available from local tourist information offices. In most cases there is a cogwheel railway, funicular or gondola to speed you to a high and scenic elevation to get started. Most importantly you’ll find plenty of huts, inns, and mountain restaurants along the way where weary hikers can get recharged with cheese, chocolate, and apple strudel.

Hohenweg Hohbalmen

Where: Zermatt Length: 11miles/18km Duration: 5-7 hours Zermatt is touristy, to be sure, but within five minutes of the center of town you’re already leaving wildflower-spangled meadows to ascend through larch forests. The route takes you up the steep valley walls with dramatic views back down to Zermatt. Soon you emerge above treeline to a high alpine meadow known as the Hohbalmen, where a sweeping panorama of Switzerland’s highest peaks. Your descent offers spellbinding Matterhorn views to the right and the Zmutt glacier below.

Riffelsee to Sunnegga

Where: Zermatt Length: 8 miles/13km Duration: 3-5 hours Once again, the Matterhorn is the showstopper here, but you access the postcard views quickly by taking the cog-wheeled Gornergrat train to Riffelsee, where you’ll have mirror-reflections of the Matterhorn in the small glacial lakes. Descending to Rifflealp, you’ll be tempted to stay the night at the elegant Rifflealp Hotel—not a bad choice—but continuing down to cross the Findelbach canyon leads you past more reflecting lakes and alpine meadows. The Sunnegga funicular makes for a quick descent back to Zermatt, although the forest path through the hamlet of Findeln is absolutely charming.

Lac de Louvie

Where: Verbier Length: 9 miles/15km Duration: 6-8 hours Make a quick escape from the ski-resort bustle of Verbier by taking the gondola to Les Ruinettes and continuing on a short stroll to the Cabane du Mont Fort for views of the Mont Blanc massif. Then it’s on to the Sentier de Chamois (the Chamois Trail) where you’re likely to see both ibex and chamois on the rocky slopes above, and commanding views of the Val de Bagnes below. Crossing the Termin Pass, you’ll arrive at Lac de Louvie, a stunningly beautiful gem of a lake with fascinating 200-year old stone barns at its head. Ring the lake, take in the views of the Grand Combin massif and descend through the dense forest to the village of Fionnay where you can catch a bus back down the valley or return to Verbier.

The Faulhornweg

Where: Grindelwald (Jungfrau) Length: 9 miles/15km Duration: 6-8 hours For high-level panoramic views of the Jungfrau, the Faulhornweg is a hiker’s dream. From Grindelwald, take the gondola to First, where a well-worn path leads to the Bachalpsee which creates an infinity-pool with the backdrop of the Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau and other snow-clad peaks flanked by massive glaciers. Soon views to the north open up as you overlook Interlaken and the glistening lakes on both sides. You’ll conclude at Schynige Platte, where the gardens display over 600 alpine species and the 360-degree views are among the best in Europe. A mountain railway that dates to 1893 takes you on the descent to the village of Wilderswil for easy connections to Interlaken or back to Grindelwald.

Murren

Where: Lauterbrunnen (Jungfrau) Length: 6 miles/10km Duration: 3-4 hours The Lauterbrunnental is the world’s largest glacial valley (it’s hard to imagine someplace that outshines Yosemite) and it’s ringed by 72 waterfalls, including some of the highest in Europe. There’s no better introductory hike to this spectacular valley than the loop that leads from the town of Lauterbrunnen up to Grutshchalp (take the tram or the steep trail), then along a gentle forest path, crossing a dozen streams, to the village of Murren, perched on a hillside. You’ll find plenty of viewpoints along the way before descending to the lovely village of Gimmelwald. From here you can take the steep trail or the tram back down to Stechelberg at the top of the Lauterbrunnen valley. Return to Lauterbrunnen by bus or follow the riverside trail past meadows, small farms, and waterfalls on every side.

More Hikes from Greg Witt

If you'd like a hike that is off the normal Jungfrau tourist trails visit hiking a quieter route

I believe Salt Lake City is the greatest hiking destination in America. Name another city in the country where within 300 yards of the state’s Capitol building and the downtown center you can be walking in a protected nature reserve, spotting elk and raptors. For a description of five great hikes in this city click on Salt Lake City hikes.

View the original article here

Scuba Shore Dives

If you love to go scuba diving, but don't want to spend hours on a dive boat (especially in rough water) to reach the best coral check out these islands which all offer spectacular scuba dives right off the shore. Bonaire, for example, has more than 80 markers indicating places where you can walk off the shore and be in a coral garden within a few hundred feet. Scuba divers on Lady Elliot Island, actually part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia, can swim into coral canyons just off the shore.

At most resorts, the shore dives cost less than a boat dive.

1. Bonaire -- an Underwater Art Museum

Bonaire is actually the peak of a submerged mountain, so deep sloping reefs surround much of the island. There are 86 markers along the shoreline that indicate where divers can just walk off the shore and find spectacular coral within a few hundred yards. Image just walking off the shore swimming for three or four minutes and being in the middle of an underwater art museum. It's easy to do in Bonaire.

Photo Credit: Bonaire Tourism/Suzi Swygert

2. Scuba Diving Off the Great Barrier Reef's Lady Elliot Island

Humans wearing scuba gear are in the minority during shore dives, when they join the parade of sea life cruising in the multi-hued coral canyons off Lady Elliot Island. This fragile coral cay is the southernmost in a line of interconnecting reefs that form Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

3. Scuba Divers Rank Cayman Islands a "Must Visit"

The Cayman Islands are famous for spectacular dive sites that are easily reachable by boat, but some terrific shore dives are available 24 hours a day. You can do night dives around the pier in George Town, or visit 'Babylon,' an East End shore dive on the North Shore that is a locals' favorite.

4. Curacao is Surrounded by Reefs and Walls

Another member of the ABC islands in the southwestern Caribbean, Curacao, is also surrounded by reefs, walls and even some sunken ships. You can walk off the beach of some resorts or into the water on some secluded beaches and see multi-hued corals, both ship and airplane wrecks, barracuda and other fish.

5. Shorediving.com

Shorediving.com is an online scuba diving community whose members love shore dives. The site lists dozens of dives primarily off shores around the U.S. and the Caribbean.

View the original article here

Top Adventure Travel Companies

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.

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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.

View the original article here

Hiking in the Swiss Alps

The Swiss have a word for it: Alpenbegeisterung, literally “Alps enthusiasm.” It’s a highly infectious urge to set out on a mountain trail in search of stunning scenery—jagged peaks girded with glaciers, deep-cut valleys laced with surging waterfalls, and moist fir forests topped with wildflower-spangled meadows. Casual visitors to Switzerland’s Jungfrau region are unlikely to leave without having caught at least a mild case of Alpenbegeisterung, and the only cure seems to be a return visit that allows more time to explore this treasure of splendid alpine scenery and culture.

Hiking in the Jungfrau Swiss Alps Region

The Jungfrau region is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It's a glistening mountain landscape and home to the Alps’ highest concentration of glaciers. Here you’ll find exquisite hiking trails, hundreds of dazzling waterfalls, and legendary peaks like the Eiger with its fearsome North Face. Located in Switzerland's Bernese Oberland, and most easily accessed from the city of Interlaken, the Jungfrau region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized worldwide for its stunning natural beauty and cultural heritage.

But with all its beauty, finding solitude and an escape from the tourist trail can be difficult in the Junfrau. With millions of visitors pouring into the region annually, resorts like Gridelwald, and even smaller villages like Murren and Wengen teem with tourists in both summer and winter. For those itching to ditch the crowds—and willing to take off on foot—Obersteinberg may be the last untrammeled corner of the Jungfrau.

Off the Tourist Trail Hiking Route in the Swiss Alps

The route to Obersteinberg begins in the village Stechelberg at the head of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It’s the world’s largest glacial valley—larger than Yosemite—so you can’t help but be awestruck. It’s an impressive sight, especially in the summer, as 72 waterfalls pour off its upper rim into the valley floor below, while shimmering icy peaks loom overhead.

From the final PostBus stop at Stechelberg take the paved footpath upvalley on the left bank of the already-raging Weisse Lutschine. Crossing the river, you’ll continue uphill following signs to Trachsellauenen, a small guesthouse and restaurant near a 300-year-old mining site. Continuing on, the path narrows and steepens considerably, becoming a series of over fifty shaded switchbacks.

Arriving at the Hotel Tschingelhorn, views to the valley open up and signal that you’re nearing Obersteinberg. Within about 2? hours after leaving Stechelberg, the Swiss flag, flapping from a pole in front of the hotel, appears in view, along with some small farm building, a pig sty, happily grazing cows, and the traditional-style hotel dating to the 1880s. Obersteinberg sits at an elevation of 5833 feet, a full 2850 feet of vertical ascent from your Stechelberg starting point.

Gazing across the valley from the hotel you’ll have spectacular views of hanging glaciers perched above waterfalls that cascade down the valley walls. Of all the waterfalls, Schmadribachfall is the showstopper with a height of nearly one thousand feet. This waterfall has been captured on canvas by noted landscape artists going back to the 1820s, but due to its remote location, more people have seen the paintings than have actually seen the falls. Hiking in a Protected Area in the Swiss Alps Obersteinberg is set within a protected area, where many alpine species that were once hunted to near extinction are now making a welcome comeback. Sightings of ibex, chamois, and red deer are frequent and always thrilling. Sheep and cows graze the rich alpine grasses in summer, as they have for hundreds of years. The adjacent farm is a working dairy, and though alpine summers are short and workdays are long, the farmhands are justifiably proud to show visitors the time-honored cheese-making process.

Overnight at Swiss Hotel Tschingelhorn

Dinner at the hotel focuses on traditional Swiss dishes—simple, hearty, and well-prepared—while breakfast is adorned with fresh butter and Alp Cheese from the neighboring farm. A night at the hotel can be enjoyed in either a dormitory or a private room. Since there is no electricity at the hotel, you’ll be provided with a candle to illuminate your room and a smothering eiderdown comforter to keep you warm on potentially chilly nights. Bathrooms are down the hall and each room has a pitcher and basin for washing up in the morning.

Return Via More Adventurous Route in the Swiss Alps

When it comes time to depart, you can always return the way you came. But for the adventurous, ascend the slope behind the hotel and follow the contour of the mountain to the north as is ascends to Busenalp before dropping into the charming village of Gimmelwald, a walk of about 3 hours. From Gimmelwald you can return directly to Stechelberg by tram or continue on to Murren and back to Lauterbrunnen.

From Obersteinberg you can also walk to the upper glacial basin in about an hour, where Oberhornsee, a deep-blue tarn rests in the shadows of snowcapped Grosshorn, Breithorn, and Tschingelhorn. Sitting in this upper basin, remote and removed from the valley bustle, you sense that you’ve discovered the source of the Jungfrau’s water and natural beauty—the mother lode of the Jungfrau.

More Hikes from Greg Witt

Visit my 5 Best Day Hikes in the Swiss Alps for more of my favorite walking routes in Switzerland.

I believe that Salt Lake City is the greatest hiking destination in America. Name another city in the country where within 300 yards of the state’s Capitol building and the downtown center you can be walking in a protected nature reserve, spotting elk and raptors. For a description of five great hikes in this city click on Salt Lake City hikes.

View the original article here

Fun Fall Getaways Around the Globe

Travelers seeking fall escapes can choose hiking, biking and lots of festivals during the fall foliage season in locales from the Northeast to southwest Colorado and Yosemite National Park. Want to travel abroad? How about exploring China, Morocco or attending a camel fair in India? Here's where to find these fantastic fall getaways.

Photo by Jae Feinberg

View the original article here

5 Swiss Alps Day Hikes

Quite simply, the Swiss Alps is the best supported hiking destination in the world. Admittedly, I’m biased in making such a bold claim. I’ve guided walkers, hikers, and trekkers in the Alps for over 20 years. Where else can you enjoy that kind of mountain scenery and never have to carry anything more than a light daypack. Even on long-distance trails like the Haute Route, which I traverse at least twice a year, you can walk for days on end without a tent, sleeping bag, food or stove, knowing that a well-linked system of mountain huts provides great meals, a hot shower, and a comfortable bed at the end of a long day.

But in today’s economy, where both vacation time and money are tight, you may prefer to spend your limited time in the Alps on day hikes. You’ll be able to enjoy the mountain scenery, waterfalls, glaciers, wildlife, and wildflowers during the day, and still be back in town or on to your next destination before sunset.

Here are my recommendations for the most magnificent day hikes in the Swiss Alps. All are well-marked, easy to follow, and can be hiked in either direction. You’ll find them charted on free maps available from local tourist information offices. In most cases there is a cogwheel railway, funicular or gondola to speed you to a high and scenic elevation to get started. Most importantly you’ll find plenty of huts, inns, and mountain restaurants along the way where weary hikers can get recharged with cheese, chocolate, and apple strudel.

Hohenweg Hohbalmen

Where: Zermatt Length: 11miles/18km Duration: 5-7 hours Zermatt is touristy, to be sure, but within five minutes of the center of town you’re already leaving wildflower-spangled meadows to ascend through larch forests. The route takes you up the steep valley walls with dramatic views back down to Zermatt. Soon you emerge above treeline to a high alpine meadow known as the Hohbalmen, where a sweeping panorama of Switzerland’s highest peaks. Your descent offers spellbinding Matterhorn views to the right and the Zmutt glacier below.

Riffelsee to Sunnegga

Where: Zermatt Length: 8 miles/13km Duration: 3-5 hours Once again, the Matterhorn is the showstopper here, but you access the postcard views quickly by taking the cog-wheeled Gornergrat train to Riffelsee, where you’ll have mirror-reflections of the Matterhorn in the small glacial lakes. Descending to Rifflealp, you’ll be tempted to stay the night at the elegant Rifflealp Hotel—not a bad choice—but continuing down to cross the Findelbach canyon leads you past more reflecting lakes and alpine meadows. The Sunnegga funicular makes for a quick descent back to Zermatt, although the forest path through the hamlet of Findeln is absolutely charming.

Lac de Louvie

Where: Verbier Length: 9 miles/15km Duration: 6-8 hours Make a quick escape from the ski-resort bustle of Verbier by taking the gondola to Les Ruinettes and continuing on a short stroll to the Cabane du Mont Fort for views of the Mont Blanc massif. Then it’s on to the Sentier de Chamois (the Chamois Trail) where you’re likely to see both ibex and chamois on the rocky slopes above, and commanding views of the Val de Bagnes below. Crossing the Termin Pass, you’ll arrive at Lac de Louvie, a stunningly beautiful gem of a lake with fascinating 200-year old stone barns at its head. Ring the lake, take in the views of the Grand Combin massif and descend through the dense forest to the village of Fionnay where you can catch a bus back down the valley or return to Verbier.

The Faulhornweg

Where: Grindelwald (Jungfrau) Length: 9 miles/15km Duration: 6-8 hours For high-level panoramic views of the Jungfrau, the Faulhornweg is a hiker’s dream. From Grindelwald, take the gondola to First, where a well-worn path leads to the Bachalpsee which creates an infinity-pool with the backdrop of the Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau and other snow-clad peaks flanked by massive glaciers. Soon views to the north open up as you overlook Interlaken and the glistening lakes on both sides. You’ll conclude at Schynige Platte, where the gardens display over 600 alpine species and the 360-degree views are among the best in Europe. A mountain railway that dates to 1893 takes you on the descent to the village of Wilderswil for easy connections to Interlaken or back to Grindelwald.

Murren

Where: Lauterbrunnen (Jungfrau) Length: 6 miles/10km Duration: 3-4 hours The Lauterbrunnental is the world’s largest glacial valley (it’s hard to imagine someplace that outshines Yosemite) and it’s ringed by 72 waterfalls, including some of the highest in Europe. There’s no better introductory hike to this spectacular valley than the loop that leads from the town of Lauterbrunnen up to Grutshchalp (take the tram or the steep trail), then along a gentle forest path, crossing a dozen streams, to the village of Murren, perched on a hillside. You’ll find plenty of viewpoints along the way before descending to the lovely village of Gimmelwald. From here you can take the steep trail or the tram back down to Stechelberg at the top of the Lauterbrunnen valley. Return to Lauterbrunnen by bus or follow the riverside trail past meadows, small farms, and waterfalls on every side.

More Hikes from Greg Witt

If you'd like a hike that is off the normal Jungfrau tourist trails visit hiking a quieter route

I believe Salt Lake City is the greatest hiking destination in America. Name another city in the country where within 300 yards of the state’s Capitol building and the downtown center you can be walking in a protected nature reserve, spotting elk and raptors. For a description of five great hikes in this city click on Salt Lake City hikes.

View the original article here

Aquarium Scuba Dives & Snorkel

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.

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Pacsafe Adventure Daypack

I took one of PacSafe's 25L Adventure Daypack to China and back, parked my feet on it during long flights, tossed it on the dusty ground at times while hiking on a section of the Great Wall of China, and generally treated it with the amount of care one would give to a floormat before your front door. The daypack looks just as tough and relatively clean as it did before I left home.

With all the theftproof features, I never worried about someone trying to cut the straps or slide a hand into the backpack and steal my camera, iPod or other valuables. The thief would have had to drag me along with the pack.

The Size and the Theftproof Features Are Why I Like This Pacsafe Backpack

During my trip, I was able to tuck my camera, my iPod, my earphones, other electronics and a change of clothing in the main pocket. Plus, I was also able to fit my plane pillow, two books and other odds and ends into this cavernous section. Locking the pocket gave me a sense of security, especially when I sacked out for several hours during the 12-hour flight.

When walking along over-crowded streets in the big cities, I wasn't concerned about anyone coming up behind me,slashing a strap and grabbing the daypack. In a restaurant, I clipped a strap over one leg of my chair, so no one could casually walk by, grab it and keep going right out the door.(This is just one of the reasons I love my Pacsafe Metro 200 purse.)

The PacSafe Venturesafe 25L Daypack Also Works Well Hiking in the Mountains

The branches scraping the pack as I worked my way through some sharp-needled bushes didn’t leave a mark during a day hike. The PacSafe Venturesafe 25L adventure daypack is well sized for all-day hikes into the mountains or a desert. Especially if you want room for a collapsible bowl and extra water for your dog, who is racing around you in circles as you slog upward. You could use it for an overnight trip, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a multiple-night hike.

Features of the PacSafe Venturesafe 25L Daypack

The PacSafe VentureSafe 25L Adventure Daypack is constructed of 840 ballistic nylon and webbed with high-tensile steel wire. The wire is woven into the fabric, creating eXomesh slashguard panels, and into the straps and belts. A thief can try to slash the backpack open with a knife but he or she won't be successful.

There is a roomy main compartment that closes with a zipper, plus two external compartments. The pack also has a small compartment that holds cards, perhaps keys and other thin items.

The zippers for the different compartments can be tucked into recesses and latched. The daypack has an air-mesh back support and padded straps.

A padded laptop sleeve in the biggest pocket can hold a computer with up to a 13-inch screen.

What I Didn't Like About the Daypack

The Pacsafe VentureSafe 25L Adventure Daypack doesn't have a waist strap, The pack fits my husband comfortably so he doesn't need a waist strap. I, however, am much shorter - 5 feet, 2 inches - and the pack put a bit too much pressure on my shoulders when the pack was full. Richard,a Mcgyver-type guy, jury-rigged a waist strap and it made all the difference.

Why My Closet Is Full of PackSafe Theftproof Gear

I've collected several pieces of PackSafe theftproof gear, from a fanny pack and my MetroSafe 200 purse, to a camera strap and a travel safe. They all have a few things in common: various theftproof features.

The fanny pack (which some folks call a hip pack)has a wire-reinforced slash-proof belt with a concealed buckle, slashproof front and bottom panels and pockets with zippers that can be recessed and locked.

The purses (I have a small one for city use and a bigger one for travel) all have stainless steel wire mesh woven into the should straps and the bottom of the handbags.

If you're a backpacker, Pacsafe has some interesting gear for you. Take a look at the interior backpack protectors and the stainless steel bag protectors you can wrap around your gear and hook to a tree, so you don't have to carry a heavy pack when you're camping in one spot and day hiking.

Here are some reviews of other Packsafe gear.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

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