Adventure Holidays for the First Time Traveller

Adventure holidays for the first time traveller are thankfully in abundance.

Okay, so you fancy a bit of fun, excitement and adventure. Not for you the daily trip to the Fuengirola chippie, the heart-stopping chute at the water park, or the arduous trek to find the spare sun-lounger by the pool.

You desire something different. Now, maybe dragging a sledge to the North Pole in the depths of winter is for next year, but for your first adventure, you want something that will tax the old muscles, but not shorten your lifespan.

Right, the world, as they say, is your oyster.

Lets start with something civilized: hiking up Snowdon. With this type of holiday, you learn to wear those tight shorts beloved of hikers, no matter what the weather, and basic mountaineering techniques, including the number of the local rescue team. But the key thing is you learn to look, talk and behave like a mountaineer, even though you're safely thousands of miles away from Everest base camp. And if it's not for you, then get the railway back down Snowdon with honour, and your shorts, intact.

If that sounds a little too civilised, then how about some cattle rustling in Arizona with the dude boys. Okay, it's not about rustling (that's illegal) and since the success of Brokeback Mountain, it's not all about tobacco chewing macho boys with a liking for baked beans. Being a cowboy is one of the true adventure holidays and because native Americans laid down their bow and arrows a long time ago, it's a safe adventure holiday for the first time traveller.

But if saddle sores are not your thing, then how about white water rafting in Spain. Now, yes, Spain is more commonly used to fry yourself on a crowded beach, but it does possess some superb canyons in which rafting and kayaking is the done thing. Now, two things to consider. Firstly, do you look good in a wetsuit? Do you look tall, cool and a natural with an aloof, thousand yard stare? Or you look dumpy, sweaty, with wide, staring eyes? Maybe its not a problem, as once you all start hurtling down the canyon at warp factor three, no-one is going to be watching you.

Secondly, and this is a general tip, have a look at the literature for the holiday you're planning and see if its say that some training beforehand would be useful. This is a guide as to how much effort you are expected to put in. For those planning the Spanish kayaking, they recommend upper body strength training before you arrive. So, if you read that and are expecting to drift leisurely down the canyon looking out for pleasant forna and flora, you're in for a rude shock.

Okay, so maybe punishing gym routines to make you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger is not what you had in mind. But you have loads to choose from: active safari in Kenya; walking the Inca Trail; hiking in Bhutan; diving off the Egyptian coast; cycling in the Ardennes; or, a passenger in an ex-Soviet MIG fighter.

Adventure holidays for the first time traveller: you pays your money and you takes your choice.

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