Outfitters open up a world of experiences
SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS -- Laura Huntington lies near the barren shore of Aitcho Island, a sliver of rock and snow rising near the coast of Antarctica. For a week, she and her husband have sailed through one of the most stunning and least inhabited landscapes on earth. They have ogled icebergs, watched wildlife, walked beaches, hiked hills and explored research bases. Now she waits quietly for what may be the highlight of her trip.
A young gentoo penguin, nearly a foot tall, wanders toward her reclining body. The bird surveys the woman and takes a few pecks at her red parka. It then crawls onto her reclining torso. Within minutes, the tuxedoed juvenile falls asleep.
For the bird, Laura's lap is the warmest place it will ever know. To the human, it's an encounter she will remember forever.
A decade ago, only 8,000 people a year ventured to Antarctica. Now, the most frigid place on earth is one of the hottest destinations for adventure travelers.
Cruising icy oceans is but one small element in a booming business that encompasses physical challenges such as climbing Kilimanjaro, cultural interactions such as riding local trains in India or eco-wildlife encounters such as bunking beside the polar bears of Hudson Bay. The common thread is that instead of getting a voyeur's look at the world, adventurers experience it.
Today, more providers are offering more activities in more places. Countries whose locations might stump a geography student now lure intrepid travelers. Islands catering to the rum-and-a-rubdown crowd have begun to market themselves as adventure enclaves. Even cruise lines, where shuffleboard and shopping once reigned, now advertise dog sledding and glacier climbs.
"It's a very healthy market," observes Paul Muir, chairman of Chicago's upcoming Outside Travel Expo. "It's expanded because the number of people who are engaged in adventure travel has grown enormously."
Operators continue to search for new destinations and new ways to experience them. At the bottom of the globe, Antarctic adventurers can kayak coves, snowshoe glaciers and even camp overnight on the frozen continent. In the other direction, they can catch an icebreaker to the North Pole and go for a hike.
For those preferring ice in their drinks, not underfoot, Europe draws adventurers with kayaking in Greece, hut hopping in the Alps and castle-to-castle pedaling in France. The former Soviet republics of eastern Europe are opening up to walking and biking tours, and Russia offers a plethora of opportunities in a nation that extends 11 time zones in width. Beyond lies Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
"China is going to be an absolutely big discovery for adventure travelers," believes Hal Espen, Outside Magazine editor. "There's the cultural experience, and beyond are mountains, rivers and huge wilderness areas."
With off-the-beaten track destinations becoming more mainstream, outfitters such as G Adventures are organizing trips to less-visited neighboring countries. They suggest travelers consider Sri Lanka instead of India, journey to Croatia instead of Italy and explore Nicaragua instead of Costa Rica. Other firms are heading for destinations previously ignored.
"A really new place for us at the moment is Mozambique, where there are some fabulous beaches combined with game viewing and colonial history," says Adventure Center president Trevor Saxty. "We're also going into parts of the Indian subcontinent that have seldom been visited lately, such as Sikkim."
Closer to home, the Americas remain a strong draw for adventure travelers. With culture and scenery extending from Inuit villages on the Canadian tundra to the Maya near the reefs of Mexico, there's plenty to experience in North America alone.
"You don't have to go to Katmandu," brags Dan Austin of Austin-Lehman Adventures. "We can feed some of that need for the exotic right here on this continent."
Regardless of destination, adventure trips in the past usually centered around a single activity such as hiking or diving. Many companies now combine a variety of experiences into a single trip, which they market as multisport adventures. By alternating days of hiking, biking, climbing or kayaking, participants can experience more while taxing every muscle in their bodies.
Not only are experiences expanding, but on most trips, deprivations are diminishing. No longer does adventure travel mean sleeping on the ground and suffering through meals that would gag a grizzly.
"It's not the minimalist adventure that people might imagine," says David L. Brown, executive director of America Outdoors. "The trends now favor comfort, tasty food, safety and a good social experience."
Companies such as Butterfield & Robinson, Abercrombie & Kent, Austin-Lehman and Backroads have always featured first-class accommodations and dining. Others who specialize in less opulent adventures are now adding upscale alternatives. They're finding that active days are what adventurers crave, but at night folks will pay extra for gourmet spreads and soft beds.
"Vancouver Island, our most popular trip this year, is one of our most expensive," says Austin. "This is a trend we're liking."
Another burgeoning trend is the emergence of family travel. No longer must those hooked on adventure be deprived just because they have young offspring. Outfitters are now offering special departures that allow children as young as 6 to accompany their parents to the far corners of the world.
"You're going to be traveling with other like-minded people," says Jeff Russill of G Adventures. "It's no longer going to be you, your kids and a bunch of other people who aren't happy your children are there."
These are not just journeys to tame locations with a McDonald's on every corner. G Adventures offers family outings to Peru, the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, Thailand, Vietnam and India. Adventure Center adds destinations such as Morocco, South Africa and more. All promise to expand young minds by encouraging children to learn outdoor skills or get absorbed in foreign civilizations.
Sampling cultures and interacting with indigenous peoples has always been a key element of adventure travel, whether it be learning the customs of North American Indians or the tribesmen of New Guinea. Trip organizers offer varying degrees of native interaction. The most intense options include stays in homes, hostels and family-owned hotels, and feature travel on public transportation.
"We're finding that a great way to experience a culture is to go on the local trains," says Saxty of Adventure Center. "We've got a program across India that goes from Dhaka in Bangladesh all the way to Amritsar and Delhi. Three weeks gets you completely immersed in the Indian lifestyle."
When choosing destinations, some naturally worry about war, terrorism and disease. In today's world, however, some believe the middle of nowhere may be the safest place to be.
Dave Wiggins of Austin-Lehman Adventures says, "I've talked to people who just said, heck, you don't live forever. They're tired of being afraid and intimidated."
Most tour guides speak the local language and keep tabs on regional hot spots. If they sense any unreasonable risk, they move or cancel trips. Fortunately, most areas in the wild are not conducive to attack.
"The most success terrorists would probably achieve here would be hitting a few rhinos or lions," says Maisa Fernandez who represents Kenya tourism in the United States."