Quantcast
Channel: ADVENTURE and WILDERNESS TOURS – Spear's 500

IGO ADVENTURES

0
0

Been there? Done that? Bought the lightweight, breathable  zip tee? Then you, my friend, need an IGO Adventure trip. Definitely not for those  whose exercise ‘regime’ is a lacklustre lap of the local baths, these expeditions are Hardcore (yes, that’s an italicised
Hardcore with a capital ‘H’: pretty extreme).

IGO offers four-day, four-stage, four-discipline expedition races in some of the world’s remotest places, testing participants’ fitness, team skills and inner resolve. And if you don’t possess that covetable hat-trick of attributes when you start, you’ll definitely have them when/if you conquer your chosen challenge.

Founder Bobby Melville came up with the idea of IGO after experiencing the euphoria of completing his own life-changing trial, the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, or ‘World’s Toughest Row’, covering 3,000 nautical miles during a back-breaking 48 days at sea.

‘I wanted to give that “adventure ecstasy” to people who only have a week to spare,’ says Melville. ‘The answer was IGO.’

For 2017, the company is lining up the N60° Norwegian Challenge, featuring skiing, fatbiking, snow trekking and dog sledding; the W114° Montana Challenge, comprising running, swimming, kayaking and mountain biking; and the NW05° Moroccan Challenge, with desert and mountain biking, kayaking and running. Time to get training.


LEGENDS OF THE WILD

0
0

Founder Ray Smith couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate name for his adventure company. His unique expeditions take groups of no more than eight to the planet’s wildest places, in search of the legendary jaguar, snow leopard and bushmaster snake.

‘Our voyages start where others turn back,’ says Smith, who started arranging trips to fund the research you’ll be experiencing first-hand on the tours.

The ten-day Jaguar Expedition leads explorers deep into the dense rainforest of the infamous Darién Gap — a no-man’s land between Panama and Colombia, and one of Central America’s last untamed wildernesses. Travelling by canoe, on horseback and on foot, you’ll join a professional biologist to monitor the status of this elusive big cat.

The Bushmaster Quest also takes place in Darién province: six days searching the jungle for the longest venomous snake in the western hemisphere, often at night, with a top herpetologist. The odd poison dart frog hopping up to say ‘hi’ is, apparently, a frequently added bonus.

Lastly, the Snow Leopard Journey is a ten-day Himalayan hiking expedition through the breathtaking Upper Dolpo region of western Nepal. Accompanied by a naturalist guide, you’ll be conducting camera-trap research to help to protect one of the world’s most iconic endangered species. Legendary? We think so.

STEPPES TRAVEL

0
0

Exploring one of the planet’s last untamed wildernesses, Antarctica, is high on any intrepid traveller’s wish list. Having the opportunity to dine with the world’s greatest living explorer on the eve of your expedition takes that adventure to another level.

Not content with arranging thrilling, tailor-made trips to wonderfully wild destinations in South-East Asia, Central America, the Middle East and more, Steppes Travel also offers small-group tours led by high-profile experts
from the realms of conservation, exploration, broadcasting and photography.

Trek through the remote Kimberley in Western Australia with television naturalist Chris Packham, cruise the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway with presenter and explorer Monty Halls, or have dinner with the legendary Sir Ranulph Fiennes in Buenos Aires before boarding your boat to Antarctica.

Prefer to follow your own path? From Tibet to Tonga, Steppes arranges bespoke trips off the beaten track, and also hosts ‘Pioneering Tours’ to road-test new journeys in lesser-explored destinations, such as the Ennedi Plateau in Chad and the Río San Juan in Nicaragua.

Privately owned by entrepreneur Nick Laing, Steppes offers more than 27 years of experience, an ethical approach to travel and the chance to be the hero in your own action-packed adventure. Sign us up now.

WILD FRONTIERS

0
0

Whatever your chosen form of transport for your travels, the multi-award-winning adventure specialists Wild Frontiers can hook you up in style.

How about a dog sled to whisk you through the frozen wilderness of Lapland, a bamboo raft to float along the backwaters of Kerala, a luxury train to cross the Peruvian Andes, an elegant river boat to cruise down the Amazon, or a Mongolian steed to gallop across the country’s vast steppes? Oh, go on, then.

‘For us, the journey is just as important as the destination,’ says Jonny Bealby, the travel writer and author who started the company in 2002. Bringing together a team of passionate travel enthusiasts, his aim was to offer small-group and bespoke adventure trips, so that others could share the unique experiences he’d had as a writer.

Wild Frontiers now travels to more than 50 destinations across four continents, and frequently blazes a trail back into countries that have seen their tourism shattered by natural disasters and conflict, such as Pakistan and Kashmir. It was also the first to run a commercial travel trip into Afghanistan for more than 30 years. Responsible, gutsy and authentic: this is a company we can definitely get on board with.

IGO Adventures

0
0

Bobby Melville had an epiphany after 48 days of rowing 3,000 nautical miles to Antigua to complete the ‘life-changing’ Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge: the ‘World’s Toughest Row’. ‘The euphoria of the finish was powerful,’ he says. ‘I wanted to give that “adventure ecstasy” to people who only have a week to spare.’ Thus IGO was born. But these adventure gurus are all about ‘hardcore’ expeditions and are certainly not for the faint hearted. IGO offers four-day, four-stage, and four-discipline expedition races in some of the world’s remotest places, testing participants’ fi tness, team skills and inner resolve. If you don’t have that covetable trio of attributes when you start, you’ll defi nitely have them when (or if) you conquer your chosen challenge.

Wild Frontiers

0
0

Whatever your chosen form of transport for your travels, the multi-award-winning adventure specialists Wild Frontiers can hook you up in style. From dog sleds to whisk you through Lapland, rafts to fl oat along the Keralan backwaters and a luxury train to cross the Peruvian Andes, Wild Frontiers believes in creating ‘extraordinary travel experiences’. ‘The journey is just as important as the destination,’ says Jonny Bealby, the travel writer and author who started the company in 2002. Now travelling to more than 50 destinations, Wild Frontiers often blazes a trail back into countries that have seen their tourism shattered by natural disasters and confl ict, being one of the fi rst to run a commercial travel trip into Afghanistan recently.

Legends of the Wild

0
0

Founder Ray Smith’s adventure company takes groups of no more than eight to the planet’s wildest places. ‘Our voyages start where others turn back,’ says Smith, who started arranging trips to fund the research you’ll be experiencing fi rst-hand on the tours. The ten-day Jaguar Expedition leads explorers into the dense rainforest of the Darién Gap: one of Central America’s last untamed wildernesses with a biologist to monitor the status of this elusive big cat. The Bushmaster Quest also takes place in Darién province: six days searching the jungle for the longest venomous snake in the western hemisphere with a top herpetologist. Lastly, the Snow Leopard Journey is a ten-day Himalayan hiking expedition through the Upper Dolpo region of western Nepal.

Steppes Travel

0
0

Privately owned by entrepreneur Nick Laing, Steppes offers nearly 30 years of experience, an ethical approach to travel, and the chance to be the hero in your own action-packed adventure.Besides arranging thrilling, tailor-made trips to ‘wonderfully wild destinations’ across South-East Asia, Central America, the Middle East and more, Steppes Travel also offers small-group tours led by high-profile experts. Trek through Kimberley in Western Australia with television naturalist Chris Packham, or dine with Sir Ranulph Fiennes in Buenos Aires before boarding your boat to Antarctica. Steppes also arranges bespoke trips off the beaten track, as well as hosting ‘Pioneering Tours’ to road-test new journeys in lesser-explored destinations.


Equitours

0
0

‘Whether you are galloping with zebras in Kenya, exploring the vineyards of France, driving cows in Wyoming or riding with nomads in Mongolia, we have the expertise to bring you an exceptional equestrian adventure,’ promises Equitours. A specialist in prime horseback expeditions since 1971, the company has proven itself one of the best bets in the business, thanks to its tested formula. It helps clients find the most suitable trip based on their interests, riding experience, budget and personal tastes. ‘We had a wonderful time,’ says one happy client. ‘The horses were so well trained, yet lively and eager to go at any pace, so it was exciting riding, yet I felt secure. The food and wine were of exceptionally good quality





Latest Images