Classic Journeys Unveils Exotic Morocco On Newest Family Adventure Tour

Multigenerational trip features camels, kasbahs & cultural discovery La Jolla, CA – Careening across a barren desert in the back of a 4X4 may have the feel of a theme park ride, but for guests of Classic Journeys, it’s just one of many highlights on the new Morocco Family Journey making its debut this December. “For an adventure tour company like ours, the operative question when scouting a new trip is ‘What’s going to give our guests a jolt of excitement that they’ll find nowhere else?’” observes Edward Piegza, president and co-founder of Classic Journeys. “It’s all about offering families a chance to take their vacation to the next level.” Consider the “kid testers” on the company’s recent scouting trip. Ranging in age from seven to 15, the seven youngsters agreed that Day 4 of the Moroccan adventure was the best day they had spent. Ever. The group’s warm-up walk is led by native guide, Ali, a 30-year-old Berber – dressed in traditional... Read More →

Plancius – new expedition vessel is now afloat

This is the start of a new Era in polar expedition cruising: The Dutch flagged expedition vessel “Plancius” , operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is finally ready to set sail to Antarctica this season. “Plancius” is now freshly painted and alongside the dock in the Netherlands. While the ship is waiting for final sea trials a team of builders is giving the final touch to the interior of the vessel. The Crew will board end of October and bring life to the ship. Departure from the Netherlands is scheduled for early December in order to carry out the first Antarctic voyage on 08 January 2010. Oceanwide Expeditions offers the free use of boots aboard the ship. Also, outdoor wind and waterproof North Face® expedition jackets can be ordered and bought for a discounted price prior to departure and will be given to the passengers on board the vessel. Plancius is a base camp for various activities such as scuba diving, kayaking, near shore field camping and active hiking trips with... Read More →

Looking to Start the New Year on the Top of the World?

(Climb Mount Kilimanjaro on New Year’s Day) Vancouver, B.C. – For many people, starting the new year off right demands more than just champagne and noisemakers. For those looking to ring in 2010 by doing something spectacular, BikeHike Adventures is offering a special adventure trip of a lifetime. Adventure travelers searching for a special trip to start off 2010 can start off the new year atop Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak on New Year’s Day. This 7-day Kilimanjaro climb along the Lemosho Route includes an African Safari into the Serengeti plains, Ngorongoro Crater and a bike ride through tribal Masaai villages. There’s also an option to hot air balloon over the Serengeti on the trip. At midnight on New Year’s Eve, the small group will gear up with headlights and warm clothing and trek from Barafu, the last high campsite, to Uhuru Peak, Kilimanjaro’s summit at 19,340 feet. The goal is to reach the peak by sunrise on January 1, 2010 and usher in the new decade. This... Read More →

Into the Wild

Build your outdoor survival skills – and reconnect with nature – on an educational wilderness adventure. By Laurel Kallenbach for Experience Life Sheri Webb moves stealthily through northern California’s Mount Shasta Wilderness, taking care not to step on twigs or crackling leaves. She pauses every few minutes to pick miner’s lettuce for food or to scrutinize a print on the ground. Is it a deer trail? Will it lead to a spring where she can drink? For 36 hours last spring, Webb and her boyfriend, Frank Sturniolo, made themselves at home in this pristine forest, with only a knife, a flint, a canteen and a cup. It was the culmination of a six-day outdoor survival course called The Edge — a course that the outfitter, Lifesong Wilderness Adventures, patterned after the TV series Man vs. Wild. Their goal: Survive without the trappings of civilization. No cell phone, no Starbucks, no running water. “When I hike, I normally tromp mindlessly through the woods,” admits... Read More →

The Right Ride

Longing to slide into the stirrups on an equi-adventure? Answer these questions to help you pick the horse trip of your dreams. By Laurel Kallenbach for Experience Life What type of rider are you? Most outfitters distinguish between beginner, intermediate and advanced trips so that you’ll be riding with peers of similar ­abilities. Family trips welcome all abilities. To brush up your skills, try guest ranches, whose instructors help you practice on the trail. Do you want to gallop around the globe? Choose from Highland ponies in Scotland, Arabians in Morocco or Tennessee Walking Horses in the Appalachians. Consider all types of terrain — mountains, savannahs, beaches — and don’t limit yourself to summer. Think snow riding or driving a horse-drawn sleigh. What do you want to do when you’re not in the saddle? Some people want to ride all day. Others prefer blending horse adventures with fishing, cooking classes, wine tasting, cultural sight-seeing, hiking or kayaking. Where... Read More →

Ride Away

Looking for an exhilarating way your whole family can explore the great outdoors together? Consider an unforgettably fun horseback-riding adventure. By Laurel Kallenbach, for Experience Life Coyotes howl in the distance as Jeff Moore and his daughter, Jill, eat cowboy grub by the campfire in California’s eastern Sierras. Nearby, horses nicker and munch hay. The Moores’ annual father-daughter horseback adventure — a four-day camping trip driving more than 100 horses 100 miles across the valley — lets them get away from daily routines and enjoy the freedom of wide-open spaces. “I love horses and being outside with my dad,” says Jill, 18. “It’s fun getting dirty and riding fast to round up riderless horses that try to break away.” The horse drives give the Moores, who live in Coto de Caza, Calif., a chance to bond. “There are no cell phones, laptops or TVs on this trip,” says Jeff, 52, a managing director for a commercial-real-estate brokerage firm. “I’m... Read More →

EMFF 2009 LOOKS SET TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS

Extreme climbers, global adventurers and inspiring films form best line up yet The 7th Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival runs 16-18 October 2009 at George Square Lecture Theatre in Edinburgh. As always, it promises to be a weekend packed full of inspiration and entertainment, with an impressive diversity of speakers and a selection of films delivering lots of high drama and painful wipeouts! The EMFF has built a reputation as a fun, lively and inspiring event and this year looks set to continue that trend. Highlights will include a lecture by madcap American climber Timmy O’Neill – known for scaling towering cliffs and high rise buildings, often without the security of a rope. Top Scottish climbers Dave MacLeod and Gary Latter provide home-grown inspiration and the line up is completed by global adventurers Patrick Winterton (who recently sea kayaked from Scotland to the Faroe Islands) and Katie-Jane Cooper & Tarka L’Herpiniere (the first people to trek the entire 4,500km distance... Read More →

Volcanoes Safaris Features Two Special Offers Through 2010; Free Mountain Gorilla Permit and Free Lodge Stay

To celebrate 2009 being named the UN “Year of the Gorilla”, Volcanoes Safaris, a unique great ape ecotourism business that specializes in mountain gorilla safaris to Uganda and Rwanda, has announced two special offers to encourage great ape tourism. These special offers have been extended through 2010. Please read on for additional information about these two offers: Volcanoes Safaris Announces Special Offers a Free Mountain Gorilla Permit to Commemorate the “Year of the Gorilla” Right now, Volcanoes Safaris is offering a free second gorilla permit (a $500 value) for travelers that book a safari that is 6 days or longer. Every gorilla permit that is purchased promotes the protection of the gorilla national parks and benefits the surrounding communities while supporting the conservation of the extremely threatened mountain gorilla. Sensitive tourism is central to the survival of the gorillas, and Volcanoes Safaris has created a comprehensive set of ecotourism practices that have... Read More →

Book Now, Family Christmas Vacations with BikeHike Filling up Fast

VANCOUVER, B.C. – Taking a trip with your family during the winter break is a great way to bond without the distraction of everyday life, work, school, and long to-do lists.  Now is the time to be thinking about those holiday vacations because these trips fill up fast and you’ll want to take advantage of low airfare prices before they rise again.  BikeHike Adventures (www.bikehike.com) is offering four exciting and affordable itineraries over the holidays that are designed specifically for families looking to combine active pursuits with meaningful cultural immersion.  Whether you choose a customized trip with just your brood or a set itinerary with other families, these BikeHike family expeditions to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Vietnam, and New Zealand are guaranteed to create lasting memories with the people most important in your life. BikeHike offers two types of family adventures.  You can opt for a fixed trip in which you would join other families with children of the same... Read More →

Adventure Collection Companies Rise to the Challenge with Special Offers

The member companies of Adventure Collection www.adventurecollection.com are profoundly committed to providing transformative travel experiences around the globe. In a time of economic challenge, they are also committed to offering an assortment of special value trips that can enable travelers to continue to build bridges of discovery and connection around the world – and to infuse desperately needed cash into some of the most deeply affected sectors of the global economy. AC Editor in Chief Don George asked Adventure Collection members to spotlight one special offer from their portfolio of adventures. These trips are highlighted below. According to George, “These great globe-girdling journeys represent just a few of the extraordinary values currently available from Adventure Collection companies. Whether you want to travel to South America or the South Pacific, Asia, Africa or North America, the Adventure Collection has a special-value trip for you.” Natural Habitat Adventures: The... Read More →

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