Adventure travel used to be thought of as backpackers traipsing their way around a county, a continent, or even the world. The challenge was to go as far as possible and survive on as little money and creature comforts as one could endure. In fact, if you werent roughing it you were demoted from the status of traveler to tourist. Many backpackers, especially those on the road for long periods, often go off the beaten tack and discover the less touristy attractions. However, although many would treat themselves to say an elephant ride in Thailand or maybe a bungy jump in New Zealand, a lot of the back packers tended to chill out and hang out as they lazily plodded from place to place.

In the 21st century, there is a new breed of traveler. We still have the penny pinching backpackers, but they find they dont have to pinch those pennies quite as hard as they once did. As a consequence of this extra disposable cash, many are being more adventurous in their travel plans and some find themselves white water rafting in Nepal, snowboarding in Europe, or going on a safari in Africa, and many other adventurous pursuits.

Adventure travel is becoming one of the fastest growing areas of specialty vacations in the industry. You will now see your high street travel agency advertising packages tours for the more courageous holiday maker. These action packed trips are for those that perhaps want to trek in the Nepalese Himalayas, go kayaking, or mountain biking, but dont have the luxury of time like our friends above. It certainly seems like the days of lazing on a beach for 2 weeks are being phased out by the new health conscious get-up-and-go generation of thrill seekers.

Adventure travel is not about dangerous pursuits though. Although many of these exploits may seem risky, you can rest assure that safety is paramount for the organizers. Adventure travel is actually split into two categories: soft adventure and hard adventure. It doesnt take much to work out which is which. Its also interesting to note that adventure travel is not just popular among the youth who are naturally full of mischief and adrenaline, but many older folks are also taking the plunge into more memorable and exciting trips too.

I guess that regular travel has gotten to be somewhat boring and extremely predictable over the years, especially with the low cost airfares of today and all those cheap last minute deals on offer. As the traditional destinations have become overcrowded, and over commercialized, its little wonder why so many are looking for an alternative type of break.

So, next time you find yourself staring at the mundane pages of a travel brochure, maybe you should think about trying hot air ballooning, hang gliding, diving amongst the corals reefs, or any other kind of pursuit that gets you out of the deck chair. The options and possibilities for alternative travel have never been greater and remember this; its not just for those in their teens and twenties.

Just think, your very next travel trip could have more powerful experience with a great collection of photos, a sense of personal achievement and real interesting stories to tell. The only thing stopping you is youself.