Adventure travel is on the rise. But there are all kinds of itineraries, and all kinds of style of travel. Which one is right for you? Well, perhaps some distinctions might help.
Hard (or extreme) adventure trips generally require some technical expertise, specific skill, and perhaps specific equipment. Hard adventure trips usually require the traveler to have undergone some specialized training. There is a level of physical and mental fitness that is expected before you travel. There is an expected degree of unpredictability (e.g., with the weather, the accommodations, the diet). These are also the kind of trips for those who love adventure challenges and endurance tests. For hard adventure trips, think mountain climbing or scuba diving or heli-skiing. Skill and equipment are generally pre-cursors.
Soft adventure trips generally do not require technical or highly-specialized skills before you travel. The physical and mental level of fitness may be less demanding. Equipment can be gained on the trip, and training can be acquired while you’re travelling. It is more predictable in terms of comfort, dining, and accommodations. There are no major technical skills required to go. For soft adventure trips, think walking and biking tours, nature travel, birding and wildlife travel, kayaking and canoeing trips, perhaps river rafting and wilderness lodges, maybe expedition cruising.
Specialty adventure travel is a specialized class or genre of travel, distinct from what is more generally available or included. These are specialized products in and of themselves, and could be either hard or soft adventure. For speciality adventure trips, think trail, culinary, sporting events, yachts, biking and hiking, safaris, skiing, etc.
Contact me if you’d like to learn about more adventure travel. I specialize in family vacations, with soft and speciality adventure travel – however, I also work with partners who cover the hard adventure stuff. I have experts I can pull in to any conversation, and we can collaborate with you to find the perfect getaway.
Call me for more details.
Sheila Gallant-Halloran
613-837-0699