Adventure Travel…Where did it all begin?
According to an article by adventure guru Richard Bangs, “The original adventure travelers were merchants on expedition, seeking proceeds for their imperial backers, and their voyages were closer to war than romance. More often than not, their adventures were distinguished by their accidents, either in geographic discovery, or loss of life; they were, in essence, well-planned trips gone wrong”.
Accidently on purpose?
Well, you have to imagine that even the early travelers possessed a passion for adventure and a desire to explore the world – why else would they pursue that type of occupation? In essence, their job enabled them the opportunity to [potentially] gain wealth whilst doing something that they enjoyed and inspired them. Perhaps many of those so called “accidents” weren’t completely accidental….but rather self-fulfilling prophecies of what they were hoping to discover? Yes, sometimes a wrong turn or a road not taken is the best thing that can happen. That’s where the real adventure begins.
So how does the current adventure traveler and adventure travel itself differ? Aside from not [necessarily] making one’s vocation their vacation…little has changed. There is still that same pioneering spirit, the desire to have unique experiences, and the potential to create memories that last a lifetime….just with a more structured and civilized approach.
Cycling in the Costa Rican rainforest
The modern adventure traveler seeks to participate in some of the same activities they do on a routine basis, just in a different locale – cycling through the rain forests of Costa Rica rather than along Elm St. in suburban New Jersey. Many are lured by the possibility of trying something new that geography or circumstances have prevented – kayaking the islands of the Galapagos instead of on a lake in Minnesota.
kayaking the Galapagos Islands
They pride themselves on being travelers, not tourists, and try to make the experience as authentic as possible – making sure to utilize local contacts and/or operators while away so that they receive the real feel, not the unimaginative and ‘cookie cutter’ tourist experience. They want to find the ‘secret spots’ and keep that knowledge to themselves, try the local specialties, and go out and meet the locals – not the couple from Florida at the poolside bar.
Granted there are varying levels of what people consider ‘adventurous’…and companies that cater to the myriad of desires – everything from ‘soft’ adventures and walking tours to adrenaline inducing extreme adventures. High-end luxury to back-country camping. Exciting and exotic destinations, yet refined and responsible…and the list goes on and on…
What you can be sure of – it’s certainly no accident that adventure travel has become increasingly popular over the decades. Life itself is an adventure – why not perpetuate it?
