Fear is an emotional response to a threat. Today I want to focus on fear when it comes to travel. We all feel some levels of stress or even fear about going to a place we have never been, particularly if we don’t speak the language or know the customs, but should that fear hold us back from experiencing the world?
My fear pertaining to travel is being adventurous. The thought of taking a hot air ride over the Serengeti, riding a camel through the deserts of Egypt or taking an Antarctica cruise all sound amazing, yet I don’t go, which is ironic. As a person who is in an industry that provides opportunities to experience and explore the world, being afraid of doing these things makes me a walking contradiction. There isn’t a day where I don’t look at an amazing itinerary and imagine myself exploring a new adventure. I would absolutely love to experience these things and more, but, fear gets in the way.
I so admire the various travel bloggers I follow that leave work and sometimes family behind, to spend months or years traveling the world experiencing new cultures and being forever changed.
Are you ready to take travel to the extreme?
The extreme adventure travel market is growing. Extreme adventures cover a breadth of activities ranging from mildly demanding to profoundly challenging, where superior physical and mental condition are key. An Extreme Adventure reveals exactly who you are, demanding the most of your physical, psychological and perhaps even spiritual selves.
Brave the planet’s harshest environments, come face to face with its most exotic wildlife and blaze paths where humans rarely venture. Return from your journey a different person from when you embarked into the power of nature and your ability to overcome it.
The African dirt crumbles beneath your boot, marking the final step on your ascent to the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest point on the continent. The icy Arctic air stings your face as you skim over Norway’s snow-white tundra. Take an extreme safari to view Africa’s wildlife by canoe, on foot, on camelback or even from a helicopter.
Why go to these extremes? For a select few individuals, there comes a point when life’s challenges must take on new dimensions. Even the glories of professional and social success can’t compare to the rush of achieving personal quests in nature. The reason? No matter how sophisticated and successful we become, nature maintains the upper hand. We understand that experiencing nature at its most extreme can reveal exactly who you are, challenging your physical, psychological and maybe even spiritual selves.
Also, an extreme adventure sets you apart. How many people will raft a wild river inhabited only by grizzlies and musk oxen? How many can say they were one of four people amidst 100,000 migrating caribou? Or be one of the only a few hundred people in history to arrive on foot at the South Pole?
Luxury tour operator, Abercrombie and Kent is counting on the fact that not only do people want to take extreme adventure vacations, but that they are willing to pay big bucks for the right experience. Prices start at around $2,400 up to $14,000 per person, double occupancy depending on the destination and the length of the trip.
Whatever extreme adventure you choose, just make sure you book with a reputable and knowledgeable tour operator who has experienced guides, state-of-the-art equipment, as well as established and reliable communications systems. When you find yourself at the ends of the earth, the highest points, the fastest speeds, the coldest temperatures, the farthest depths, you want exceptional experience, knowledge, skills, support and reputation on your side.
