Posts Tagged travel adventures

Tips For Travelers With Disabilities

Each year, thousands of persons with disabilities travel the world by planes, trains, automobiles, cruise ships, and even bicycles. With the proper planning and attitude, travel can be rewarding and adventurous.

Each person with a disability has his/her special needs. Individual countries have their own standards of accessibility for disabled travelers. Some countries have nondiscrimination laws that help to protect travelers with disabilities, while other countries have no such laws. Preparing before you go can often prevent difficulties and ensure that your planned destination will be accessible, safe and enjoyable.

BEFORE YOU GO

For information concerning passports, visas, or travel tips in general, see our publications Your Trip Abroad and A Safe Trip Abroad which can be found on our web site at travel.state.gov.

Choosing Your Destination: Some countries make every effort to provide accessibility for all travelers, including those with disabilities, while other countries do not have the resources to do so, or do not consider it to be necessary. Before you travel, research your planned stops and ask detailed questions about the services that are provided. Also, be prepared for a certain amount of culture shock. Some cultures are not very accepting or open about their citizens with disabilities. Read the rest of this entry »

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Patagonia – The End of the Earth

MY CHEEKS STING. I MEAN THE SLAPPED – IN – THE – FACE – WITH – A – SHOVEL KIND OF sting. Icy waves are breaking over the front of the kayak. Headwinds at 15 knots push against the three of us as we labor through the Beagle Channel between Argentina and Chile. It seemed like a fun idea to kayak to islands that few people have seen. But then our guide, the supremely fit Dany Urizza, told my husband, Douglas, to sit in the middle and me to sit in the front. And now I’m being pummeled. The winds are so strong that I can’t hear Dany shouting from the back. “What?” I yell. Behind me, Douglas shouts, “Aggressive leopard seals! Paddle harder!”

To a leopard seal, I’d be vac-packed chorizo. I’m swaddled in a wetsuit, neoprene hand protectors and booties, balaclava, fleece and a waterproof skirt. On top of all that are foulweather gear and a life jacket. And I need every bit of it as we claw our way toward a lofty island view that promises to be like none other. Lunch will be served there. How nice.

Dany? Our rugged rock of a local guide? Can’t see him. Can’t even hear him. I’m thinking he’s sitting back in the rumble seat, licking a lollipop. All while buckets of glacial seawater are hitting the little woman up front, flush in the jaw.

“I’m not sure why those seals are so far north,” Dany shouts.

“They’re Antarctic carnivores.” Meat eaters. How comforting.

I have no idea how close they are. But the thought of them sniffing around us has me worshiping the kayak. It, and the strength of our trio, are the only things keeping me from i) full submersion in 30-something-degree water and 2) becoming a leopard-seal treat. Pushing through thick bull kelp, my muscles on fire, we gain on the Beagle, pull by pull. The seconds pass as slow as minutes. The same thoughts go through my mind over and over: Somewhere ahead is an uninhabited archipelago of tortured little islands. This is the region that Douglas and I had read about and talked about seeing with our own eyes for years. Getting there would be half the fun. Here we are, getting there What were we thinking? This goes on for more than two hours. Read the rest of this entry »

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Adventure Travel From Grand Canyon Rafting to Base Jumping

Some people believe a break from work should involve more than just a holiday: it should be an adventure! Which is why adventure travel is becoming so popular. It doesn’t have to mean climbing Everest, attempting K2, or crossing a desert on the back of a camel: but it can, though it can just as easily mean a guided rafting trip in the Grand Canyon, seeing the desert from the basket of a balloon, a bungee jump like James Bond (off Switzerland’s Verzasca Dam) or a road trip somewhere literally *off the beaten track*.

Trekking in Nepal or paddling the Grand Canyon are the classic adventure travel options, and for most adventure travellers involve a bit of travel to get to, but there are travel adventure options in every country — you ‘d be surprised to see the list of where all the best paragliding destinations are, and paragliding definitely qualifies as adventure travel if it’s done right. Ice climbing, cave diving, shark diving, paddling between scenic islands, trekking overland, base jumping, or even heli-biking or heli-skiing can elevate your travels to adventure travels, and these kinds of adventure travel options can be found in some very unlikely destinations.

But the classic adventure options are still the best: New Zealand, for all the cycling and paddling options, as well as the extreme sports, is one of the best places for adventure travel, and Chile and Patagonia are popular for the same kinds of adventure travel attractions. Canada has the winter-y wilderness, and offers adventure travellers the chance to get back to nature and meet some exotic animals, while Borneo and the Galapagos, offer adventure travellers both untouched wilderness, unique animals and sunshine. Just in case you prefer your adventure travels without the adventurous weather. Read the rest of this entry »

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