The best destinations for anyone who wants an adventure combine what there is to do with remarkable landscape. New Zealand, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Utah and Indonesia all stand out for their outdoor activities and watersports. National parks, walking routes and a range of ecosystems make each of them worth the flight.
New Zealand
New Zealand is full of possibilities for anyone who wants to be outdoors and moving.
Walking routes
- The Milford Track is considered one of the best treks in the world, through mountains and fiords.
- The Tongariro Alpine Crossing runs through volcanic country and past lakes of remarkable colour.
Watersports
- Kayaking, rafting and diving in clear water, with the country around you.
- And surfing on the beaches, where the waves are an invitation.
Switzerland
Switzerland offers something all year round, in alpine country and remarkable landscape.
Walking routes
- The Swiss walking routes take you through alpine country at its best.
- The Haute Route stands out, for the views and for walking among mountains of that scale.
- The Swiss paths suit anyone who wants to be outdoors.
Winter sports
- In winter Switzerland is where you go for skiing, snowboarding and the snow itself.
- The Swiss resorts are known worldwide for their quality and for the range of pistes, at every level.
- The Swiss Alps under snow are hard to beat.
Interlaken
- Surrounded by alpine peaks, Interlaken is exactly the place: paragliding, bridge swinging and rafting.
- The setting for extreme sports here is genuinely unusual.
- Exploring Interlaken means the Swiss Alps and everything they allow.
Costa Rica
With its biodiversity and its vegetation, Costa Rica is remarkable country. There is a wide range of national parks and reserves for anyone who wants to be outdoors.
National parks and reserves
- Manuel Antonio national park, known for its white sand and clear water.
- Tortuguero national park, home to a range of sea turtle species.
- The Monteverde biological reserve, with its birds and its cloud forest.
Watersports
The Costa Rican coast is warm and the marine life is remarkable. Among the most popular activities:
- surfing at Playa Tamarindo, whose waves suit beginners and experienced surfers alike;
- kayaking through the mangroves of the Osa peninsula, which is how you see the wildlife;
- snorkelling in Cahuita national park, with its coral reefs and tropical fish.
Utah
Moab
In south-eastern Utah, and full of things to do outdoors.
Walking and everything else
- The walking routes take you through desert country, with rock formations and natural arches.
- Moab is also known for mountain biking, on demanding trails across the desert.
- For more adrenaline, there is rock climbing in Arches national park and rafting on the Colorado.
Indonesia
Indonesia has a great deal to offer, and Bali is one of the high points. Here is what there is:
Walking in Bali
- A great many routes through the rainforest, to waterfalls and mountain country.
- The vegetation is dense, and the plants and wildlife with it.
- The paths are as quiet as they are good to look at.
In the water
- Diving and snorkelling off the beaches, in clear water and remarkable marine life.
- And surfing on the waves Bali is known for, which suit beginners and experienced surfers alike.
- There is a good deal to see under the water here.
What these places have in common
The landscape
All of these places are worth going for the landscape alone. We would always suggest a travel agency to organise the trip, and you can find one at Tratra.travel, a useful place to find agencies that specialise in this and to read what other people say about them.
The sport
- Abseiling, paragliding, rafting and climbing, all of it in country that deserves the word.
- And the steep, demanding walking routes that take you somewhere few people go.
