adventure travel
Lying on stacked cushions on the roof of a lodge in Jordan’s Dana Biosphere Reserve, I watch a beam of green light shoot into the sky as our guide circles a constellation with the most powerful laser pointer I’ve ever seen. “That orange star, that’s the womanizer,” Ali says. “He’s always chasing the seven sisters.”
The Scottish Highlands are a place of ancient history, stunning natural beauty, and magic. Among the older generations, some claim that high in its earthy hills you’ll find the homes of creatures only heard about in legend.
Madagascar’s Nosy Be was recently identified as a hotspot for whale sharks, which could boost the island’s ecotourism to rival the likes of global whale shark hotspots in Tanzania and Mozambique. One woman – the lead author of the study that identified Nosy Be as a feeding hotspot-- has now introduced a code of conduct to protect the sharks, enhance tourists’ experience and ensure any income to the island generated as a result is sustainable.
From long, uncomfortable trips to challenging accommodations, humanitarian travel isn’t typically glamorous. Massachusetts-based social documentary photographer and Capture Humanity founder Matilde Simas recently traveled to Imvepi Refugee Settlement in Uganda to explore the ways that children are exploited due to war.
India cradles an ancient and spiritual culture that draws visitors from around the globe. Spiritual experiences in the country range from temple visits and yoga retreats to 10-day silent Vipassana meditations. While India is best known by tourists for wonders like the Taj Mahal, our six-month sojourn brought us to many lesser-known religious sights including the source of the sacred Ganges River in Uttarakhand.
I never expected to become the adventurous traveler I am today. My comfort zone has done a complete 180 over recent years, and I have the unbeaten path to thank for it.
Our winter welcome to Bolivia wasn't exactly warm. For Americans, the visa requirements are extensive. In addition to paying $160 each in unblemished, unfolded US currency, we were required to provide passport-style photos, evidence of yellow fever vaccinations, financial documents proving access to $10,000, confirmed reservations for our entire stay, and tickets out of the country.
IIn the last century, Thailand has lost roughly 92 percent of its elephant population. Factors such as illegal wildlife trade, deforestation, and human-animal conflict have led the Asian elephant to the pages of Thailand’s endangered species list. The future of the surviving eight percent remains uncertain — but we know that humans have as much a role to play in their survival as they have had in their decline.
Agua Fria National Monument protects nearly 500 ancient Native American homes within four distinct settlements. Between about 1250 and 1450, the high desert landscape was divided by dozens of well-worn footpaths leading to neatly-built stone homes with tiny entrances that reflected the small stature of the Pueblo who lived here. Later, the Pueblo people abandoned them, leaving behind jars, pots, utensils, and household tools. Today, items like these are precious, studied by experts, treasured by local tribes, or housed behind glass in museums to inspire gawking middle schoolers on field trips. Sadly, however, most of these clues to ancient history have been lost due to natural factors as well as centuries of looting.
Discover what the Guaches – the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands – have known for centuries: Tenerife will enchant you. The Spanish island is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Teide National Park and the city of La Laguna. With a unique volcanic landscape and plant species seen nowhere else, the island is globally known as a stargazing destination.
I stood atop Poo Poo Point, heart racing and adrenaline pumping as I stared out at the green landscape stretched out before me. The Seattle skyline glimmered in the distance. But my attention was fixed on the colorful paragliders dotting the sky around me. In just moments, I'd be joining them, launching off this 1,800-foot peak on a tandem paragliding flight with Northwest Paragliding over Issaquah, Washington.
If you’re an intrepid or wanderlust traveler, the idea of journeying through time may feel like the ultimate escape. Since Ethan Hawke’s Predestination hit screens a decade ago, films have been taking us deeper into the perils and possibilities of traveling not just to new places, but to different eras.
