Two exciting new UK challenges

CHARITY challenge operator Global Adventure Challenges has launched two exciting new UK challenges, and is encouraging anyone looking to conquer an iconic UK challenge in 2019 to join them!

The Snowdon at Night and Yorkshire Three Peaks treks will see people of a range of ages and abilities come together to conquer some of the UK’s highest peaks. Whether your goal for the New Year is to build your fitness, raise funds for a cause that’s close to your heart, meet new people or just to step outside your comfort zone, taking part in a challenge is a fantastic way to achieve it!

The Snowdon at Night trek is a challenge with a twist, taking adventurers to the summit of Mount Snowdon by starlight, just in time to witness the sunrise across #Snowdonia National Park. The #Yorkshire Three Peaks trek is a classic UK challenge, taking trekkers to the summit of the Yorkshire Dales’ three highest peaks.

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Picture Credit: BrianTaylor42 Snowdonia via photopin

Focus on tourism in the Solomon Islands

THE Solomon Islands government is looking to the tourism sector to attract 60,000 visitors annually by 2025, in the process netting the country’s economy SBD1 billion. With International visitation to the Solomon Islands growing on average nine per cent annually, the destination is hopeful of achieving the 30,000 mark by the end of 2019.  

Addressing delegates attending the 2019 ‘Measure What Matters’ Tourism Focus in Honiara, #SolomonIslands caretaker prime minister, the Hon. Rick Rick Houenipwela said contributions from tourism in recent years had now grown to the point when the sector was now looked at to plug the gap left by the country’s former key economic drivers, including forestry and mining."

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The True Spirit of Alaska

BEAR Viewing in #Alaska with the assistance of Captain Mel Erickson and his famed boat aptly named the Alaskan Gamefisher can help you to discover the true spirit of the location and its natural inhabitants namely the bears. You get the opportunity to watch the beautiful creatures in their own habitat without being threatened in the least.

While Alaskan Brown bear viewing might be your primary objective, the Alaskan Gamefisher enables you to widen your experience by permitting you to fish for the choicest salmon and halibuts in the icy waters of Alaska as well. 

The proficient guides accompanying you are quick to show you the tips and tricks of digging clams while the astounding sight of five magnificent snow-covered volcanic mountains all around the National Park area is sure to make you wonder at the magic of nature.


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The January Blues

RECENT research by ATOL, the holiday protection scheme, has found that 5.2 million Brits are set to book their holiday this month.

The price of the getaway is still the number one factor when booking holidays, with over a third of Brits (35 per cent) admitting they are looking to grab a bargain by booking their next holiday early.

Another quarter (26 per cent) say they are looking forward to sunshine and hot weather after such dreary weather this winter.

However, despite a large number of expected holiday bookings in January, seven out of ten (69 per cent) of those surveyed admitted they do not always seek financial protection for their holiday getaways, putting themselves at risk of being out of pocket if their airline or travel company goes out of business.


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Tips for Travelling with Kids

TRAVELLING with children can be challenging at best, many couples stop traveling after they have children, or they limit their travel to places near their home or visiting family. One couple decided not to let having a two-year-old keep them from traveling the world.

AJ Ratani and Natasha Sandhir spent eight-and-a-half months traveling to 31 countries with their two-year-old. Along the way, they learned a lot about traveling with children, which they are now sharing in their new blog: The 2 Idiots Travel Blog. 

Some of the places AJ and Natasha traveled with their son include: Peru, Galapagos, Iceland, Spain, Australia, China, Japan, India, and Botswana. The blog will cover topics of interest to couples who are interested in traveling with their children.

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Adventure Travel Trends for 2019

AS experts in adventure travel, K E Travel have weighed in what we think will be popular in the year of travel ahead. We've seen rises and falls and our iexperts have identified 10 travel trends for 2019 

1. Cosmic events will be in the spotlight - More and more travellers are visiting the most distant reaches of the planet, and the chance to see the rare event of a solar eclipse is now more accessible than ever, with a 34% increase in bookings to the Polar Regions and Patagonia in 2018.

2. More travellers will take on the self-guided challenge - In the last year, tour operators have seen a 20% increase in self-guided holidays. Adventurers want to take the reins, pick their own departure dates and go at their own pace, with the assurance help is on hand if needed. 

3. Adventure travel will embrace the new ‘slow travel’ trend - With daily life only ever becoming more hectic and well-being at the forefront of the modern zeitgeist, travellers are increasingly seeking adventures which allow them to enjoy a leisurely pace, relax, and reconnect with the idea of exploration and travel.

4. Cruises will offer more active options - Whilst more travellers want to slow down, they don’t want to stand still either. Active cruises are the answer, which offer the opportunity to intersperse a relaxing journey with options for adventure.

5. Solo travel will continue to rise - Google searches for “solo travel” were at the highest they've ever been in 2018. Travel companies are now building catered products to not only accommodate, but celebrate the solo traveller. 

6. Adventure travel will go cross-borders  - With Europe’s most popular destinations only getting busier, adventure travel is looking to lesser-visited countries and seeing what else is out there.

7. New visa regulations will give rise to emerging destinations - As a booming adventure travel industry puts the spotlight on lesser-visited destinations, countries are taking note and making it easier for them to get there.

8. Travellers will look for smaller guided groups- KE has seen more travellers seek low-impact, small group numbers, with trips of less than 12 passengers selling most in 2018. 

9. Travel destinations will make a comeback - When once popular destinations suffer the threat of terrorism, or recover from a major disasters or events, reductions in the number of visitors are inevitable. However it’s when these situations start to settle that travellers are itching to return. In 2018 compared to 2017 KE has seen bookings to Turkey increase by a staggering 475%.

10. Non EU countries in Europe more popular than ever  - With only a few months to go until Brexit, the information of how it will affect travellers is still not clear. The uncertainty of EU travel has no doubt influenced travel to non-EU destinations such as Georgia, Albania and Norway. 



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Best Adventure Specialists for Families

FAMILY travel specialist, Activities Abroad, based in Stannington near Morpeth, has been named Best Adventure Specialist for Families at the prestigious Family Traveller Awards 2018.

Activities Abroad was thrilled that its commitment to providing active family holidays to create precious, lasting memories has been recognised on a national scale. Activities Abroad offers a wide range of sun and snow family holidays to destinations including Croatia, The Azores, Sicily, Finland, Sweden, Norway and South America.

Central to Activities Abroad’s ethos is the idea of shared family experiences, meaning that their family holidays don’t feature any kids’ clubs and, instead, offer a wide range of fun and educational activities that the whole family will enjoy – be it sea kayaking in the Galaápagos, ice fishing in Sweden, taking a reindeer sleigh ride in Finnish Lapland or cycling in Madeira.


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Surprising and Inspiring Travel

THE publication of National Geographic Traveler magazines annual Best Trips issue, reveals its 28 must-see destinations and travel experiences for 2019. Together, Traveler editors and National Geographic Explorers have selected their top places to travel across four categories: Cities, Nature, Culture, and Adventure.

The year's Best Trips list is relevant, surprising and inspiring, highlighting a globe-spanning mix of destinations from the Peruvian Amazon to Kansas City, Missouri.

National Geographic's Best Trips destinations for 2019 are:

CITIES

Dakar, Senegal
Salvador, Brazil
Kansas City, Missouri
Toronto, Canada
Matera, Italy
Perth, Australia
Mexico City, Mexico

NATURE

Peruvian Amazon
Montenegro
Belize
Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique
South Walton County, Florida
Fanjingshan, China
Tahiti, French Polynesia

CULTURE

Cairo, Egypt
Hoang Lien Son, Vietnam
Galway, Ireland
Bauhaus Trail, Germany
Oakland, California
Vervey, Switzerland
Dordogne, France

ADVENTURE

Greenland
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico
Isla de los Estados, Argentina
Macedonia
Canterbury Region, New Zealand
Caño Cristales River, Colombia
Oman

The December/January 2019 issue of Traveler magazine, is now available on newsstands and online at NatGeoTravel.com/BestTrips2019.


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Dragoman Overland Guide wins top award!

A leader for Dragoman Overland since 2013, Julie Gabbott has received the top award at Wanderlust magazine's 13th World Guide Awards. 

Julie who guides for Dragoman in their iconic orange overland trucks which go all over the Americas, Africa and Asia; taking the road less travelled and getting away from the tourist trail share their mantra of "it's the journey, not just the destination".

Julie is planning on splitting her winning bursary of £5,000 between Zara Charity in Tanzania (which works towards powering schools for Maasai children) and a charity supporting female victims of genital mutilation in Sierra Leone.

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Seven Reasons to go on a Blind Date with the World

THE world travel championship, known as The Global Scavenger Hunt, will take place between April 12 and May 4, 2019. It may be the best travel adventure of 2019. Here’s seven reasons why:

1. A $50,000 winner-take-all cash prize awaits the world travel championship winners.

2. Adventurous Indiana Jones-types will not only circumnavigate the globe but take A Blind Date with the World visiting 10 mysteriously secret far-flung exotic countries.

3. The Global Scavenger Hunt is all about authentic, participatory and challenging site-doing, not passive sight-seeing.

4. This travel adventure competition crowns The World’s Greatest Travelers.

5. For 23-days travelers escape their daily grinds, living outside their comfort zones learning to trust strangers in strange lands.

6. This “Amazing Race for real people” tests their mettle and travel IQ against other great international travelers in a real-life adventure.

7. Imagine…a daily series of micro-adventures, from sunrise to sunset, that checks off priceless bucket list-worthy experiences creating thrillionaires out of its participants on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Event participation open—but limited; the $25,000 per team entry fee includes: all international airfare, First Class hotels, 40% of meals, and special event travel gear. All travelers are interviewed for suitability and single travelers are welcome to apply. 

GlobalScavengerHunt.com

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The Perfect Road Trip

THE perfect road trip involves three people, covers 190 miles and is accompanied by rock music, according to new research by British Airways. To celebrate the airline’s new route to the South African coastal city of #Durban; the gateway to national parks, African plains and safaris, travellers were also asked to name the celebrity they would most like to see in the passenger seat, with James Corden topping the poll (11 per cent), followed by Tom Hanks (9 per cent) and Stephen Fry (9 per cent). 

To be considered a road trip, the journey needs to be at least 190 miles long and last three hours and 42 minutes and the ideal drive should take place in a VW camper van (16 per cent), Range Rover (14 per cent) or Ford Mustang (8 per cent). There needs to be at least one toilet stop every 100 miles, good weather and a reliable sat nav, yet one in three Brits (33 per cent) said getting lost is the fun part of a road trip. 

The study also found that the music played on a road trip is more important than the destination, but your road trip companions topped the list as the most important factor with 62 per cent, closely followed by the scenery outside (60 per cent). 

More than half (57 per cent) of Brits like the idea of a ‘fly drive’ holiday and 35 per cent would happily drive in a foreign country, even if they hadn’t before. 

However, almost half (48 per cent) worry they won’t be able to get used to driving on the other side of the road and 39 per cent worry they won’t be able to read or understand the road signs. 


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Cruise to the city of Three-Frontiers

CONSTRUCTION of the new La Jangada catamaran began In April 2018. The 12 and 13-day adventure itineraries expect to be operational by April 2019 and will cruise through Brazil, Peru and Colombia. 

 La Jangada, which means The Raft in Portugese will have 12 luxurious and spacious cabins on board, each with a private bathroom and large windows that look out on to the river. This cruise is the only luxury tourist catamaran operating in the Amazon region. 

Cruise from Manaus, Brazil to Tefe, Brazil or from Manaus, Brazil to Leticia, Colombia. Leticia is also known as the city of Three-Frontiers, as it borders Brazil, Peru and Colombia.

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Sustainable travel off the Golden Route

TOKYO based startup tour operator Heartland JAPAN is leading the way in creating sustainable #travel #destinations off the so-called Golden Route (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima etc.) which is currently overburdened by the year on year increase in inbound travellers (an increase of 450% over the past five years), set to reach 40M in 2020.

In spite of the staggering rise in foreign tourists, relatively little has been done so far to make travellers aware of alternative destinations, with a continued fixation on commercialised travel spots. It is here that Heartland JAPAN positions itself in providing the information and means for inbound visitors to journey off the beaten track.

Heartland JAPAN aims to create life-changing journeys, to provide physical and spiritual fulfillment through outdoor activities, hands-on experiences and cultural exchanges with locals. The company’s current fully guided adventure tours cover five destinations across #Japan, all of which are reachable from the various 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics game sites, providing the perfect opportunity for visitors to these events.

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Inclusive accessible travel for all

ADVENTURE tour operator, Cascada Expediciones & EcoCamp Patagonia, have claimed another title, this time winning Best Transformational Travel Experience at the 2018 PURE Awards held in September. In 2017 EcoCamp brought the first disabled visitor to explore Torres del Paine and in 2018 their tours became fully inclusive. In January they trekked a wheelchair-using guest around the Park in their uniquely-designed wheelchair.

This is the second year in a row that they have taken home this prize, with their Dientes Trek on Navarino Island winning in 2017. This year their efforts promoting inclusive travel and accessibility in the travel industry helped them earn this award.

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Trek The Peaks and raise money for charity

TrekFest The Peaks returns on Saturday 31 August 2019 in the stunning Peak District National Park. The ultimate UK trekking challenge involves hiking in the rugged countryside for either 25km or 50km, whilst raising vital funds for the charity of your choice.  This year’s TrekFest The Peaks was a huge success, with over 1200 people signing up – and 2019 is going to be even bigger and better!

Company Director at Global Adventure Challenges, Peter Robinson said: “Since launching TrekFest in 2013, it has quickly become our most popular event - with a record number of trekkers joining us on our 2018 challenge. TrekFest is a fantastic opportunity to take on an adventure whilst supporting a cause you’re passionate about. Since its launch in 2013, TrekFest has raised an amazing £2 million for charities nationwide.

www.trekfest.org.uk

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A challenge but not impossible

SOUTH America may seem like an unconventional choice for disabled travellers, but many countries here, including Peru have made great progress in improving their cities to be more accessible and wheelchair friendly.

Getting to Machu Picchu is difficult to reach, but especially if you need help in walking or use a wheelchair. Amazing Peru and Beyond however is not your ordinary travel company. When they launched "Amazing Peru Disability Travel," a travel program which invites disabled people filled with adrenaline to take part in (sometimes) extreme sports in Latin America, who would have thought that one of the highlights of their numerous operated disability tours would be an amazing Inca Trail Adventure with two wheelchair users and a film crew. 

Steve Gleason a former NFL football player who under the most difficult of circumstances experienced a seemless tour with many stories to tell. This documentary was televised by the NFL and shown on USA TV. With their team of expert assistants who have work experience in the Andean Mountains of Peru and the Himalayas, we made it possible to trek the 2 day Royal Inca Trail for two wheelchair-bound travellers as never before. 

This tour is an upscale adventure allowing for mobility-challenged individuals the chance to access Machu Picchu via the original Inca Trail, a truly unique journey that will empower all those who accomplish it.



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New adventure experiences in Rwanda

TRAVELLERS will soon be able to enjoy high-flying paramotoring and some seroius mountain biking routes in #Rwanda as part of new #adventure #experiences unveiled by Visit Rwanda.

Paramotoring is a form of paragliding where the user wears a motor on their back which provides enough thrust to fly through the air using an adapted paraglider or a paramotor wing.

Aimed at those seeking to explore the natural beauty of Rwanda’s stunning landscapes in a new exhilarating way. This brand-new adventure tourism experience will be expanded over the next few months and visitors will be able to enjoy paramotoring in the historic, cultural town of Huye, the picturesque lakeside towns of Rubavu and Karongi and at one of the best-preserved mountain rainforests in Africa, Nyungwe National Park.

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Number One city in Mexico is . . .

SAN Miguel de Allende, Mexico has been named the #1 top city, overall, for the second year in a row in the 2018 “Travel + Leisure” World’s Best Awards, which honor the top travel destinations and companies around the globe as rated by the magazine’s readers. The World’s Best Awards appear in the August 2018 issue of “Travel + Leisure,” on sale July 27 and online at this link: https://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best. The city was also named #1 in #Mexico.

The World Heritage site city is one of only three cities that have taken the top honors two years in a row. In the past, Kyoto and Sydney also have been ranked #1 twice sequentially.  San Miguel de Allende is known as the “Heart of Mexico” thanks to not only a central location, but also its rich history and continuous embrace of Mexican culture. Mexico’s independence movement was born in San Miguel de Allende and, in the 1960s, it became one of the country’s top colonial-era destinations when its perfect natural lighting, architecture and greenery began attracting foreign expats.

Today, San Miguel de Allende boasts more than 80 hotels - two of them Virtuoso members and one a Design Hotel, plus 30 boutique properties - around 70 international or Mexican restaurants, three golf courses, and several spas and art galleries.

The best way to see San Miguel de Allende is walking its streets and getting lost in its cobbled alleyways. Visitors will find a wonderland of colorful homes, stately mansions, balconies, doors and people. In the city’s surroundings, visitors can enjoy the natural heritage of the destination by bathing in hot springs, strolling vineyards, riding in hot-air balloons or getting their adrenaline pumping with an ATV ride.

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Picture Credit: supernova.gdl.mx 16871926@N00/17108128289 Bicentenario en San Miguel via photopin

Nominated for the award of Best Escorted Adventure Holiday Company

THE British Travel Awards are considered the benchmark for excellence when it comes to finding out who really is the best in the travel industry. Acacia Africa has been nominated for the award of Best Escorted Adventure Holiday Company in the prestigious 2018 British Travel Awards (BTAs).

An adventure travel specialist, Acacia #Africa has offices in London and South Africa, the tour operator’s portfolio of over 100 budget-friendly itineraries including Overland Tours, Small Group #Safaris, Short Safaris & Treks and City Breaks & Short Stays. Acacia's award-winning guides are dedicated to making sure everyone enjoys their time on the continent - students, couples, families and senior travellers booking with the specialist.


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Australian Walking Holidays

IF you’ve been thinking about heading to the Northern Territory, do it now! Australian Walking Holidays, the domestic division of the World Expeditions Travel Group which pioneered the trail in 1995, has the best range of walking trips on the stunning Larapinta, including the 6-day Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort, the 9-day Best of the Larapinta Trail and the 6, 9 and 12 day self-guided Larapinta Trail treks. 

The 6-day Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort, which is one of the 13 Great Walks of #Australia, is guided trekking, with walkers carrying only a day pack and enjoying the facilities of the comfortable, semi-permanent eco campsites, while the 9-day Best of the #Larapinta Trail is also guided, with walkers carrying only day packs and wilderness camping under the Milky Way. 

The self-guided treks are suited to more confident walkers, who enjoy being more self-sufficient and travelling at their own pace and who appreciate the logistics – such as lightweight food, equipment, maps and transfers to and from the trail – being organized for them. 

However you choose to experience the Larapinta Trail, you’ll have the chance to swim in peaceful waterholes hidden deep within the West MacDonnell Ranges, to marvel at the stunning rock formations at Simpson’s Gap, Standley Chasm and Serpentine Gorge, to climb Mount Sonder for a spectacular sunrise and to gain an understanding of the rich history of Australia’s traditional owners and the Indigenous culture.

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Picture Credit: By Andrew Dolman Larapinta Trail, commons.wikimedia.org/