Adventure Travel

Rachel Jackson asked:


European Adventure Tours are fast becoming the ideal way to travel in Europe. If you want more excitement on your next vacation then a European adventure tour can give you just that. The activities on your adventure tour largely depend on your destination or destinations and the length of your tour. Take some time to research a few of the more popular adventure tour destinations. This is beneficial because your tour may allow you to visit multiple destinations. This comes down to the specifics of the chosen tour such as location and length of the trip.

Your Kind of Excitement

The most exciting European adventure tour should be one that caters to your interests. If you prefer intense physical activities then you should consider choosing a package that includes hiking, water sports, or bicycling through the countryside. Feeling that rush of adrenaline in the European setting of your choice will take the thrills to new heights. Physical exertion teamed up with your preference of classic or more modern surroundings can take your experience from one of mild enjoyment to pure excitement.

If you prefer spending all your time surrounded by the beauty of nature then you should focus on tours that visit the most idyllic natural settings to be found in Europe. If you have the time, consider choosing an adventure tour that visits country after country in its search for excitement.

Each country has some amazing sights and choosing the right destinations can provide you with the trip of a lifetime. Your length of stay can have an impact, but even if you are unable to stay too long, you can still find landmarks and activities that you’re your attention the most. This helps create an experience to be remembered for the rest of your life.

So Where Can You Go?

The beauty of a European adventure Tour is that you can go anywhere. Any tour includes its fair share of local sightseeing opportunities. Adventure tour packages allow you to add other activities that you plan on participating in, and this also helps create a more enjoyable experience customized for your trip.

When choosing a destination, consider the activities available there and decide if they cater to your interests. Getting the most out of your adventure tour is important, and this is why you should consider visiting multiple locations throughout the length of your vacation. Adventure tours are all about variety and a sample itinerary may consist of a trip beginning in Vienna, Italy for about 2 days. The group then travels to the cities of Prague and Berlin. The trip then ends visiting the cities of Paris and London. This trip would last about 20 days allowing a few days spend in each city. This would create an excellent experience, allowing you to witness the beauty of Europe.

Vienna, Italy is covered in breathtaking architecture, landscapes, and local flavor. There is also a lot of culture to experience in the city of Vienna. You can ride a gondola across the rivers of Italy. France is known for its cuisine, museums, and wine. Trying to sum up the rich culture of any European country or city is pure folly because each city is much different culturally and they all have their own unique take on food, architecture, art, and activities. If you know where you want to go then begin at that location. Knowing what you find exciting and enjoyable is the key to an enjoyable adventure vacation.

The most exciting European adventure tour is the one that you choose for yourself or your family. That way you can align the details, the stops, the pace, the activities, and everything else to your liking. You just have to ask yourself one question. What would be your greatest adventure?

The most exciting European adventure tour no doubt calls forth images of classic architecture, rolling countryside, and old world traditions. Whether you go seeking the modern or the classic, European adventure tours have something to offer to everybody. No matter what type of adventure you are looking for, you can find some of the best that the world has to offer on a European adventure tour. Go ahead. Choose your own adventure.

There are many benefits to choosing a European adventure tour. The main benefit begins with planning a trip to a new location in a group setting. Travelling as a group is recommended because some of your group mates may have been to the location before allowing you to learn more about your destination. A trip to Europe also allows you to enjoy local cuisine especially in the city of France. Famous landmarks worth visiting on a tour of Europe are Big Ben and The Eiffel Tower. There are many reasons for planning a European adventure tour but the main benefit is a relaxing vacation filled with European culture and natural beauty of the architecture and landscape.



Adventure Travel

Lisa Khajavi asked:


The evolution of ‘Ecotourism’

As a world-wide leader in nature-oriented travel, with 5% of the world’s biodiversity within only .035% of the world’s land, Costa Rica continues to be in the spotlight for ecotourism. Since 1993, tourism has been the top generator of foreign revenues for Costa Rica, surpassing both bananas and coffee. The ICT (Costa Rican Institute for Tourism) acknowledges that the tourism in Costa Rica has become mainly ecotourism. It is easy to see why, with Costa Rica’s 26 national parks, 58 wildlife refuges, 32 protected zones, 15 wetland areas or mangroves, 11 forest reserves, 8 biological reserves, as well as 12 other conservation regions. The array of flora and fauna is staggering. Martha Honey of the CESD (Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development) cites the following:

“This West Virginia-sized country boasts more bird species (850) than are found in the United States and Canada combined, more variety of butterflies than in all of Africa, more than 6,000 kinds of flowering plants (including 1,500 varieties of orchids), and over 35,000 species of insects. Costa Rica is, as former minister of natural resources Alvaro Umana put it, a biological superpower.” (Honey 2003)

All of this natural wonder in the most stable country both socially and politically in Central America, perhaps even all of Latin America, is heaven for especially the ecotraveler. To its credit, Costa Rica has the highest percentage of protected land in the world (Fenell and Eagles 1990). Further, Costa Rica has preserved these lands and natural habitats in such a way that they are more accessible to tourists than those of any other country in the region (Budowski 1993). The small size of the country is a huge factor as well; a traveler has the opportunity to visit more destinations per visit if desired.

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as:

“Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”

The history of ecotourism is interesting. The term ‘ecotourism’ was coined in 1983 by Hector Ceballos-Lascurain, one of Mexico’s top architects as well as renowned environmentalist and Ecotourism expert. Ceballos-Lascurain is the Director General of the Programme of International Consultancy on Ecotourism (PICE), and special advisor on Ecotourism to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The following definitions are quoted from Ceballos-Lascurain in an ecoclub.com article Meet the Architect of Ecotourism.

1983 definition: “Ectourism is tourism that involves traveling to relatively undisturbed natural areas with the specific object of studying, admiring and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural aspects (both past and present) found in these areas.” His hope was that the result would be that people would become more knowledgeable and aware of nature and thus likely to be more involved in conservation issues. This very desire came to fruition.

He revised the definition in 1993, which was then adopted by the IUCN in 1996 as its official definition, which states: “Ecotourism is environmentally responsible travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy, study and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features, both past and present), that promotes conservation, has low negative visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local populations.”

What began as a niche in the early 80’s has grown exponentially with far-reaching effects. From the roots of ecotourism sprang ‘responsible’ and ’sustainable’ tourism, and as seen above ecotourism is now defined to include the latter. In October of 2008, United Nations Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner joined the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to announce the first-ever globally relevant sustainable tourism criteria at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. The new criteria was developed to offer a common guide to the burgeoning practice of sustainable tourism and to help consumers, businesses, governments, non-governmental organizations and education institutions to ensure that tourism has positive, rather than negative effects on local communities and the environment. To find out more, check out www.SustainableTourismCriteria.org.

In order to promote tourism providers that practice sustainability, the Costa Rican ICT developed the Center for Sustainable Tourism (CST) which provides certification to businesses that are committed to sustainable practices. The certification is given at levels from 1 to 5 green leaves, with many businesses currently certified and in process. The Rainforest Alliance recognizes the CST as a valid entity to promote and ensure sustainable practices in Costa Rica. Countless others in tourism are involved in sustainable practices in Costa Rica that are under the radar. Also there is the newly formed Costa Rican National Chamber of Ecotourism (CANAECO) which is Rainforest Alliance affiliated. With all of these organizations to help promote and enforce authenticity, backed by huge consumer demand, there is sure to be more and more in the tourism sector on board to protect Costa Rica’s priceless ecosystems and communities.

NatureAir and NatureVacations are proud to practice environmental and social responsibility. NatureAir is The world’s first certified Carbon Neutral Airline and presents an informative video at http://www.natureair.com/carbonneutral/ . Also to learn more about our biodiesel program see http://blog.natureair.com/.



foreign bride

Robert asked:

Surf City, here we come! There is an area of California at the northern end of Monterrey Bay that has well earned the nickname “Surf City.” That is the town of Santa Cruz. Start planning your next action-packed adventure vacation here by perusing Rentalo’s Santa Cruz vacation rentals. Here you will find Santa Cruz hotels, Santa Cruz motels, and Santa Cruz homes to utilize as your base for a fun-filled trip.

There is so much to see and do here that you may not know where to begin. We suggest you begin on the water. The Pacific waves pound into the shore here, attracting surf enthusiasts from all over. Over the years, those waves have pounded through rocky outcroppings, forming a number of natural rock bridges. These can be enjoyed with a visit to the Natural Bridge State Beach. A drive there will afford you a breathtaking view of the rocky shoreline that precedes the beach in this area and bring you past the lighthouse containing the surfers’ museum. Rentalo’s Santa Cruz vacation rentals on the west side of the city will be closest to this location.

Even if you’re not adventurous enough to attempt the surfing, you can still check out a multitude of other water activities. Kiteboarding and windsurfing are popular, as are sailing, kayaking and fishing. With many different area beaches to choose from, you can visit the one that lends itself to the activity you most enjoy.

And many of our Santa Cruz vacation rentals are within easy walking distance to the shore, if not on the beach itself. Another attraction of this area is the range of marine mammal life to be found here. Sea lions and humpback whales can be viewed from the Santa Cruz wharf or many of the beaches. Children enjoy jumping in the waves, building castles in the sand, or finding sea stars and colorful seashells along the shore. They will also beg to walk up to the Boardwalk for its carnival rides and arcade. Many of the Santa Cruz vacation hotels and Santa Cruz motels are situated quite near the wharf and other attractions.

Further inland, you will still find much to keep you busy. This area of California is known for its towering redwood forests, and you can hike through them, drive through them, or even take a steam train ride through the redwood forest indigenous to this area. The majesty of these huge old trees can be enjoyed and appreciated from any angle. Many outdoorsmen also enjoy mountain biking, horseback riding and golf. There is truly something for everyone here along the Monterrey Bay.

Staying in one of our Santa Cruz hotels or Santa Cruz motels right in town will provide hours of nearby enjoyment. You can stroll along for unique shopping experiences at a variety of specialty gift shops and retail galleries. You will have a hard time choosing where to eat, as the many local restaurants run the gamut of food choices. Most of them feature fresh local food, including, of course, fresh seafood and fine California wines.

So begin planning your trip to Surf City right now. Our easily navigable website lets you arrange by price or location or lodging type. You can choose from inexpensive Santa Cruz motels to more luxurious Santa Cruz hotels. Many visitors prefer the privacy and convenience of a condo or home, and those Santa Cruz vacation rentals can be found here, too. Start planning today!