10 awesome international adventures to look out for

Posted on 12 October 2016

More and more, travellers are seeking experiences and adventures over touristy things such as sightseeing and merely taking pictures. Here’s a list of adventures that we at Getaway have done and loved, and think are steadily being recognised for the thrill they offer.

 

1. Ski in France

If you’ve always wanted to go skiing and perhaps find yourself in Europe, we found the best and most affordable European skiing destination for South Africans. This destination is ideal for people who are new to skiing because you will get good deals, especially for learners. One of our journalists, Chris Davies, did this trip earlier this year and in total it cost him R19000, including lessons.

Read: The French Alpine village of Les Gets – the perfect place to learn to ski

 

Mist drifts through the valleys north of Les Gets as skiers skim down the wide red run from the top of Le Ranfoilly. By day five this was my favourite piste – steep enough to be a real challenge, but wide enough to allow space for long, comfortingly slow turns.

 

2. Cycle in Europe

There is no better place to do city-cycling than Europe. With European bike-share schemes, you get to cut down on the cost of moving around a country while also getting to know the place. Cycling is particularly popular and convenient for central places like Paris, Warsaw, Berlin, Vienna, Budapest. Here’s how to navigate these awesome cities by bike – and do it on a budget.

Read: These bike-share schemes are the best way to see Europe’s big cities

Bike share schemes in Europe - Andrew Thompson

 

3. Eat delicious food in Chile

Every traveller looks forward to new cuisine wherever they go and if indeed the way to one’s heart is through food, then Chile will be capturing a lot of hearts in the years to come. Enjoying a new-found confidence in its flourishing food, wine and beer offerings, Chile’s food culture is certainly one to look out for.

Read: The foodie’s guide to Chile

99 Restaurante's delicate tasting menu changes daily, using home-grown and locally-sourced produce under the supervision of owner and head chef, the lovely Kurt Schmit (left). Kurt has no truck with recipes and prefers to experiment, putting all his faith in local, small-scale suppliers (from whom he often buys their entire stock), and his own small garden.

 

4. Walk with elephants in Namibia

The Chobe River has fantastic views and stretches from Botswana into Namibia’s Zambezi region (formerly Caprivi strip). It is regarded as one of the best places to see the greatest elephant herds in Africa and judging from the picture below, taken by Melanie Van Zyl while on assignment there, it’s impossible to debate that sentiment.

Read: Walking with Namibia’s wise giants

Zambezi elephants - Melanie van Zyl

 

5. Scuba dive in Indonesia

The Komodo National Park is fast becoming a popular scuba diving destination for the marine life it has to offer. Unfortunately, this adventure is not recommended for novice divers because of the intensity of diving, however, this doesn’t stop you practising locally so long and planning your trip ahead of time.

Read: Scuba diving at Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park, Indonesia, scuba diving

 

6. Hike in Thailand

The Chiang Dao Nature Trail offers some of the best sights that Thailand has to offer and is a must-do for anyone visiting Thailand. The hiking trail, which translates into ‘city of stars’ will offer you views of mountain peaks and elevations of the surrounding area. On a recent assignment for Getaway, our Digital Content Manager, Kati Auld had a good portion of this trail and a nearby valley all to herself and she agrees that it’s magical.

Read: In photos: what you don’t know about Thailand

If you're lost on the Chiang Dao nature trail and can't read Thai, you're probably going to stay that way.

 

7. Gorilla trek in Rwanda

Seeing gorillas in Rwanda was an intense experience for our columnist, Darrel Bristow-Bovey. Gorilla conservation has played a significant role in the economic development of Rwanda, which is still on the rise. If this adventure is on your bucketlist, this story is vital reading.

Read: Here’s our guide on how to see gorillas in Rwanda

"I was lucky o get this image of the male silverback, the largest in this group, with his mountainous home in the background" - Teagan Cunniffe

 

8. Camp in Kenya

If you are one of those tourists who’ve visited Kenya for a package safari tour only, you’ve missed out on the relatively unknown and under recognised amazing variety of camping spots across the country. Camping in Kenya offers adventurous travellers the opportunity to escape the crowds and experience the country’s most beautiful camping sites.

Read: Escape the crowds at 11 of the wildest campsites in Kenya

Ngare Ndare. Image by Eric Engdhal.

 

9. Snorkel in Egypt

Dahab is slowly but steadily establishing itself as a centre for snorkelling and scuba diving. Based on the south-east coast of the Sinai Peninsula, this destination connects Africa and Asia and links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. There are plenty of water adventures to do in this area – snorkelling and scuba diving offer the most ‘eye enriching experiences’ – that won’t leave you disappointed.

Read: 3 of the best snorkelling spots in Dahab, Egypt

Underwater at The Blue in Dahab, Egypt

 

 

10. Go tiger fishing on the Zambezi river

There is no better place to spot tiger fishes than the Zambezi river. On assignment for our July issue, Melanie Van Zyl discovered that tiger fishes in the Zambezi do indeed live in a heavenly environment. If you ever embark on this adventure, you will get the opportunity to catch some of the best tiger fishes while enjoying majestic sunsets and splendid views of the river.

Read: The most heavenly places to go tiger fishing

Meet Pops. Here he is spinning in the reed-lined channels of the picturesque Okavango waters.





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