Adventure Travel Bargains
August 15th, 2006 Posted in Travel bargains, Vacation deals
There’s a rundown on the 10 Best Adventure Bargains of 2006 on SmarterTravel.com that was just posted. While I’ll say again that any “best of” list should be greeted with skepticism, about half are in bargain destinations and they are all a worthwhile value.
As I point out in my book, and as this article notes, trekking and rafting in Nepal are screaming deals, especially considering you are in the midst of some of the highest mountains in the world. And it surprises a lot of people that hiking in the Alps is actually not all that expensive, considering how much a hotel or meal will set you back when you come down from the mountains.
My problem with this series, however, is it follows the logic that any adventure must be booked in advance with a tour company. Maybe they’re just trying to please advertisers, as the glossy travel mags always seem to be doing. On most of these tours, however, you can book it at the source and pay half or less, since you’ve eliminated the first-world commissions and marketing costs. Anyone can hike the Annapurna circuit in Nepal on their own, for instance, or set up a rafting trip from Kathmandu or Pokhara using the same guys and equipment the overseas companies are using. You can easily set up a hut-to-hut hike in the Alps with a local guide or just do as the locals do–stock up, grab a map, and go. (Just avoid the peak July and August months.)
I’m not saying it doesn’t make sense to go with an adventure tour company if your vacation time is really tight, especially if you have more money than you have time. And for one of the trips here, cycling in rural China, setting it up locally could be tough because of the language barrier. So you’re better off hiring professionals from home. In other cases, leaf through some guidebooks and check out local sources. Then compare the costs and the services to what the adventure tour is advertising.
Here’s a more in-depth article on adventure travel at the source, plus some listings for responsible tour companies that do it right when that doesn’t make sense.
