ADVENTURES IN MALAYSIAN BORNEO
My trip had failed. I had taken two weeks off from work to visit the Malaysian province of Sabah on the island of Borneo to find and photograph the elusive and endangered Bornean pygmy elephant in the wild and, hopefully, write an adventure travel story that would make my reputation as a travel writer.
Over the past year I’ve though more and more about human-powered travel. I have decided that it is something I’d like to do full-time. It’s green, it solves the problem of finding ways to exercise while traveling, and it enables slow, ground level travel, which I like very much.
This guest post was written by Sophie Collard | Photo provided by oemebamo on Flickr
Surf through some last minute hotel deals and pack your bags with waterproofs and hiking boots, this is going to be wild. New Zealand is a really diverse country. It’s home to the clearest rivers, the most awesome mountains, and to national parks spewing sulphur and covered in giant ferns like the ones in Jurassic Park. Aside from the greenery and volcanic activity the diversity includes, it makes it a perfect adventure travel destination.
Above: A filipino jeepney, not unlike the one that we rode in. Photo courtesy of Richard Messenger on Flickr.
Emilie and I arrived Cebu city one humid February afternoon with the intention of leaving the next day to find a village where there we could get away from other travelers. Over breakfast I thumbed through our Lonely Planet’s section on the Visayas. The book made it clear that the island of Cebu was too touristy for our mission. The closest island, Bohol to the south, would be less touristy, but would also be a difficult place to get away from other travelers. As I scanned the map looking for an alternative I noticed a speck in the straight between the Cebu and Bohol. It was labeled Cabilao Island.
Most holidaymakers look for a quiet beach where they can relax. For some, however, this kind of holiday lacks the excitement and adventure they’ve been looking for all year. So here’s a collection of the five holiday destinations that will get your adrenaline pumping, from either excitement or a little element of danger.
Every year Red Bull holds a contest called the Red Bull Illume Image Quest seeking the best action and adventure sports photographs in the world in ten categories. This years winners can be viewed on the NatGeo website here.
Paul Nicklen is a wildlife biologist turned nature photographer. In this talk Nicklen discusses his work as a photographer and problem of melting polar caps with a passion and sadness that cannot be faked. He receives a standing ovation for this heartfelt presentation and, in my opinion, is a likely contender for TED.com talk of the year. If you haven’t seen it yet, you must watch it now!