Inspire adventure on your next trip by incorporating these easy techniques into your travel planning. Don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be extreme adventure – just something that will get your adrenaline flowing and create a trip that’s out of the ordinary.
That way, you’ll enjoy extraordinary experiences and bring home plenty of exciting stories to share!
Here’s all you need to know.
CONTENTS: In this article you will learn 5 ways you can inspire adventure when you plan your vacation, including:
- What is Adventure Tourism?
- 45 Types of Adventure Travel to Consider
- How to Introduce Adventure to When You Plan A Trip
- Final Thoughts on Inspiring Adventure
What is Adventure Tourism?
Adventure tourism is when your travel has some kind of physical activity, cultural exchange, or outdoor experience with nature. You can connect with a new environment or culture while also being physically active.
In fact, did you know a whole travel industry is associated with Adventure Tourism?
One important player is the Adventure Travel Trade Association. Not only do they support adventure tourism, but they ensure that the people, places, and wildlife are protected at the same time. Sustainable travel that is environmentally and culturally sensitive is a key goal of the ATTA.
You can further define adventure tourism in two ways: hard adventure and soft adventure.
- Hard Adventure involves activity with a higher level of exertion, risk, and usually requires advanced skills.
- Soft Adventures are better suited to beginners, are low risk, and often require less physical exertion.
Only you can decide what level of adventure getaway is right for you.
To give you some options to think about, we’ve listed 45 types of adventure travel you might consider, below.
Related: Click here to learn How to Plan Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Travel
45 Types of Adventure Travel
You’ll discover a whole range of adventure travel types you can incorporate into your vacation to whet your appetite for adventure. Which of these types of adventure travel pique your interest?
- Archery – hitting targets using a bow and arrows
- Backpacking – traveling while carrying your belongings in a backpack
- Birdwatching – observing and identifying different birds found in nature
- Bungee Jumping – leaping from a high place tethered by a bungee cord
- Canoeing – exploring water routes in a canoe with a single-bladed paddle
- Canyoneering – extreme hiking through a canyon by climbing, repelling, or rafting
- Camping – outdoor living at a campground or remote setting
- Caving – (“spelunking”) climbing, walking, squeezing, or crawling through caves
- Cycling – riding a bicycle or ebike along paths, streets, or trails
- Disaster Tourism – visiting environmental disaster locations, natural or man-made
- Dogsledding – exploring snowy regions in a sled led by a dogs
- Duckies – paddling rubber inflatable boats on moving water
- Eco-Tourism – exploring exotic, threatened, natural environments to encourage preservation of wildlife and habitat
- Exploring – becoming familiar with an unfamiliar country, area, or environment with the intent of learning
- Fishing – catching fish for food or sport, including deep-sea fishing
- Ghetto Tourism – (“slum tourism,” “poverty tourism”) visiting impoverished city areas
- Gorge Walking – walking, swimming, jumping in dry/wet gorges or river beds
- Hang Gliding – launching a light-weight, unpowered aircraft from a hill or cliff
- Hiking – traversing outdoor distances on foot, including trails or paths
- Hill Walking – walking along remote hillsides or nature trails
- Horseback Riding – exploring outdoor and coastal regions on a horse
- Hot Air Ballooning – riding in a hot air balloon to experience an aerial view of the landscape
- Kayaking – exploring water routes in a kayak with a double-bladed paddle
- Mountain Biking – an endurance sport on rough terrain, riding a mountain bike
- Mountaineering – reaching the summit of a mountain, usually over snow, glacier, or ice
- Orienteering – locating markers and points based on map coordinates
- Overlanding – (“off-roading”) crossing remote regions by car, usually in a 4×4 vehicle
- Parachuting – (“skydiving”) leaping from a plane wearing a parachute to control the speed of descent
- Paragliding – free-flying a lightweight fabric inflatable wing resembling a parachute
- Pickleball – combines aspects of tennis, badminton and ping pong
- Pilgrimage – a long, meaningful journey that usually follows the route of or ends at a place of religious devotion
- Power-Boating – navigating through water courses in powerful boats
- Rafting – traveling by raft along white-water or calm water bodies
- Rock Climbing – ascending rock crags or indoor climbing walls
- Safari – observing wildlife in their natural habitat on a guided excursion
- Sailing – navigating or riding in a sailboat on a body of water
- Sandboarding – traversing a sand dune while riding a board
- Scuba Diving – underwater diving wearing independent tanks for air supply
- Skiing – traversing snow-covered slopes or land trails on skis
- Snorkeling – exploring the surface of the water wearing a mask and snorkel
- Snowboarding – traversing snow-covered slopes on a snowboard
- Snowshoeing – exploring snow-covered areas in snowshoes.
- Stand-up Paddleboarding – balancing while standing on a paddleboard through water bodies
- Trekking Adventure – traveling by foot through trails and terrain
- Windsurfing – harnessing the wind to move through water on a windsurf board
- Zip-lining – traveling along a suspended zip-line while harnessed
As mentioned earlier, you don’t have to subscribe to the most daring activities, but some of these should definitely inspire adventure in your upcoming travels.
One thing is for sure: incorporating one or more of these activities will make your trip anything but boring!
Next, let’s talk about how to go about doing that.
How to Introduce Adventure When You Plan Your Trip
Whether you are busy planning a vacation the whole family will enjoy or considering setting out on a solo backpacking trip, it’s important that you know exactly what you are looking for ahead of time.
For example, while some head out on vacation in search of nothing but rest and relaxation – others head out in search of new challenges and adventures.
With any adventure, you can tailor the activities to meet your needs and abilities.
With that in mind, here are five ways that you can go about introducing adventure to your next vacation!
1. Create A Master List of Adventures
Scan through the list of adventure types above and create a master list of everything you ever wanted to do.
A bucket list, though it may seem cliché, can help you understand exactly what you want out of vacation ahead of time.
Whether that means you want to skydive or set sail on the open seas, putting together this list will help you narrow down the places you want to visit on your vacation.
This, in turn, can help you maximize your time and save money.
2. Avoid the Tourist Traps
When you’re looking to inspire adventure on your trip, you want to be sure you navigate clear of tourist traps.
Though bustling cities and historical landmarks can be incredibly interesting and fulfilling experiences, they may not offer what you consider an adventure.
Plus, a lot of times they can fall short of expectations.
Therefore, if you are looking to try something new and experience a new place, try to avoid the areas in which tourists tend to flock. Instead, favor of something a little off the beaten track.
For example, focus on smaller towns and villages as opposed to capital cities.
Even better, destinations that may not seem to be as immediately popular are often cheaper, making your travels much more affordable.
3. Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone
When you plan your vacation in hopes of being adventurous, you must present yourself with a new challenge.
For example, if you are a skilled driver with a love of adventure, you could get your hands on some off roading trail maps and try your hands at off-roading.
This is a truly unique experience that will allow you to explore a new place like never before.
However, challenges do not always need to be so bold. You could also spend some time hiking or even challenge yourself to try out food and drink you may otherwise avoid.
The important thing is to go outside what you ordinarily might do.
Related: Off Roading Essentials: Are You Ready For The Ultimate Utah Adventures?
4. Make Sure You’re Prepared for Adventure
While adventure is often associated with a degree of spontaneity – you also need to make sure you are prepared for whatever challenges may come your way as a result.
Whether you are visiting a new town or heading out on a day-long hike, poor preparation or lack of forward-thinking can quickly lead to disaster.
As a result, you should always ensure that you have done your research, put together a plan, and have everything you need with you when setting out.
5. Seek Input from the Locals
If you are working with a holiday provider and ask for recommendations of fun things to do. They will nearly always steer you towards the most expensive options. (That means they earn more money.)
So in addition, ask the locals.
Locals will usually share their best recommendations and fun things to do locally, without hesitation or bias.
Then you can select from both sources’ recommendations, accordingly.
That way, you’re most likely to have an adventure unlike any other.
Final Thoughts on How to Inspire Adventure on A Vacation
Travel is an inspirational past time – even more so when it comes to adventure travel. So many inspirational travel and adventure quotes sum up the value of these invigorating experiences.
One favorite is from Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (1932). She says, “Adventure is worthwhile in itself.”
So, begin incorporating more adventure into your travels.
Whether you opt for a daring adventure or simply go a bit outside your comfort zone, you’ll have the first-hand knowledge to truly embrace Earhart’s wisdom.
Click here to learn more ways to have fun on your vacation.
Photo credits: all courtesy of Canva Pro, except cover shot by Wojciech Then (Unsplash)