Hot Air Balloon Ride in Cappadocia, Turkey. Americans are looking for adventure in places this summer … [+]
If adventure has a middle name — sorry to Indiana Jones — it’s the summer of 2022. Neither Covid-19, nor inflation, nor the war in Europe will stop Americans from taking this bucket-list adventure trip.
I know because I met the Adventure Travelers. When I was in Dubai a few months ago, I had breakfast with two American couples from Washington State. They told me the threat of Covid infection would not keep them at home. No, that was her time to travel. In Cape Town, I met Americans who were defying their government’s warnings to enjoy a spectacular South African summer and go on safari.
And in Turkey, I met many Americans who simply didn’t care about the advice of the State Department or the direction in which the political winds were blowing. All you had to do was go ballooning in Cappadocia or shop at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
Getting that Indiana Jones vibe already? Well, the polls – and there are so many of them – back you up.
According to a, nearly half of Americans (45%) say they will travel more this year than they did last year ValuePenguin survey. Dig deeper into the data, my fellow archaeologists, and you’ll find that many travelers have planned one-off trips. Nearly a quarter of Gen Zers and Millennials with travel plans make their bucket list vacations, and a third of travelers earning over $100,000 are planning a trip abroad.
But if you’re looking for an adventure trip, how do you choose the right one? Where are you going and how do you carry out your plan without getting into trouble? Nice that you asked.
A visitor photographs Bodrum Castle in Bodrum, Turkey.
Choose your adventure trip
If you’re one of the millions of Americans looking for adventure travel this summer, you have plenty to choose from. Here are a few ways to narrow it down.
National or international?
Most people assume that the only way to have an adventure is to leave the United States. It is not true. But even in the USA you can go off the grid on a large scale. Try hiking the North Rim of the Grand Canyon or driving up Angels Landing Zion National Park, widely considered the scariest hike in America. But if you need to get out of the country, there are plenty of places to consider. You could consider a travel consultant or travel coach to help you narrow down the list.
What’s your budget?
If you haven’t gone anywhere in the last two years, you have a generous vacation budget and can probably afford to go almost anywhere. But if you’ve had short vacations here and there during the pandemic, a luxury African safari might be out of your price range. There are ways to lower your costs. For example, book a few nights at Aquila Private Game Reservewhich is only a two hour drive north of Cape Town and is far cheaper.
How much risk are you willing to take on your adventure trip?
Of course, with adventure comes risk. How much can you handle? Kulveer Taggar, CEO of the landlord Zeus livesHe kept a vigilant eye on the risk. “With each new Covid variant, people seem to become less reactive,” he says. “They weigh personal risk and make the decision that’s best for them and their families.” So if you’re looking for advice on how much risk to take on your adventure vacation, you’re out of luck. As Taggar says, it’s a personal choice. If you need quiet, consider one reliable travel insurance.
Visitors observe wildlife from an observation truck at Aquila Private Game Reserve in South Africa.
Choose your destination
You know that routine where the adventurer spins the globe and then puts their finger on a random spot? You can do that online if you are very adventurous. I like this Random location selection, but I often end up in the middle of the ocean. For a more curated experience, you could also try it Earth Roulette. You won’t end up in the middle of nowhere, but they will also try to sell you a vacation.
Destinations that specialize in adventure travel are bracing for an influx of summer travelers from the US.
“July and August will be busy,” predicts Funda Eratici, Regional Director of Sales for Turkey hilton. “We expect many North American and British travelers.”
According to Eratici, the Bodrum region of Turkey is a magnet for adventure seekers. They come for boating, to see the old sites like Bodrum Castle and to shop for Turkish carpets in the nearby village of Etrim. Hilton recently opened a new LXR Hotels & Resorts branded hotel, the Suzanne Bodrumwhich has become the favorite of well-heeled guests from Europe and North America.
Just a short flight away you will find Cappadocia, perhaps one of Turkey’s most famous adventure travel destinations. Here, among the ignimbrite volcanic rock formations, you’ll find ancient churches, underground cities and some of the best hot air balloon rides around. Hotels and tour operators are also hoping for a busy summer there.
“People want to fly in the balloons and see the churches,” says Deniz Karkin, the general manager of Argos in Cappadocia, a luxury hotel carved into a mountainside. He says American visitors have compromised over the past two years by vacationing closer to home and playing it safe. But not this summer. Bookings for this year are solid.
Turkish tourism insiders gave a tip that could make the adventure a little easier on the wallet: wait until the beginning of September to visit. The Turks call it the “yellow summer” because the trees turn yellow but the weather stays warm. All tourists go – except the smart ones. You enjoy nice weather and don’t have to worry about crowds.
A Turkish carpet manufacturer in Etrim, Turkey.
Experience an adventure now
Experts say wherever you go, make sure there’s something to explore. Europe tops this list because many of its artifacts are still being discovered.
“You dig somewhere for the subway and discover the remains of an ancient civilization,” says Y. Murat Ozguc, managing partner of the Turkish tour operator travel studio. “My advice would be to go to a place like that.”
There are places like this all over the world. You can find ancient obelisks in Cromlech or the Almendres in Alentejo, Portugal Gobekli Tepebelieved to be the oldest temple in the world, in Urfa, Turkey.
But how do you pull it all together? Here are a few tips:
1. Hire an expert. Speak to a travel advisor, coach or contact a knowledgeable tour operator who can help you on your adventure from booking your plane tickets to planning your itinerary. Planning an adventure trip is probably not something you want to try on your own.
2. Protect yourself. Make sure you have adequate travel insurance, but also consider a medical evacuation program Medjetwhich ensures you get home if you get injured while climbing. This is especially important if your adventure travel takes you to a third world country where medical care is limited.
3. Be careful. Travel is inherently risky, but adventure travel can be particularly risky. For example, if you are going to the Greek Islands to go wreck diving, make sure you graduate PADI wreck diving course and are in good physical condition. Adventure activities can be fun, but with that fun comes some risk.
Going on a bucket list adventure trip doesn’t have to be difficult or dangerous. It just takes a little planning and expert advice. Wherever you go this summer, you can be sure of one thing: it will be an adventure.
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