The moment you all have been waiting for is here. On June 2nd, I invited readers to answer one simple question to be entered to win an Ultimate Adventures Rough Guide supplied by Hostelbookers. Fifteen readers answered the following question:
Where would you go on your next great travel adventure and why?
I was really impressed with the responses I received and started kicking myself that I didn’t make the decision one at random. Please don’t be offended if I didn’t select you as the winner. All of the answers were winners to me.
And the winner is….
Laura W.
If you put ‘adventure’ into Google it brings up lots of adventure travel companies. For me, safe adventures organized by experts is the exact opposite of what it should be. My ideal would be to go somewhere I’ve never been before where I get to have new experiences I don’t even know exist yet (please no to the organized “see a traditional village tour” where they call them in advance on a mobile) – why can’t I just turn up to a remote village and, being mindful of local customs, get to meet real people and learn about them and their culture, add something to their lives if I can. Let’s get back to the pioneering spirit of true adventure, not knowing where you’re going, making it up as you go along. You know the really exciting thing? I’m starting this adventure for real in September. I know I’m starting in Central America, but haven’t a clue what will happen after that. Seat of your pants, scary but exciting experiences – that’s what adventure means to me and I can’t wait.
Thank you everyone that submitted and congratulations Laura W. for your creative response. I enjoyed her unique definition of adventure and that she will be imploring this way of travel beginning in September. Here are some of my favorite responses also submitted to the contest:
JoAnna From Kaledoscopic Wandering
For my next travel adventure, I want to take several weeks and bike around the perimeter of Ireland. I don’t want to be confined by time but rather pedal for a bit, stop at a pub for lunch and a drink, then hop back on the road for the afternoon. I would stop when I wanted to take pictures and write, chat with whoever might happen in my direction and enjoy the countryside. Though it’s not an adventure along the lines of zip lining, white water rafting or mountain climbing, it would still take physical exertion and force me to slow down to play hide-and-seek with my thoughts and surroundings.
Keith From The Traveling Savage
My next travel adventure will take me to Argentina for a month without my ardent travel companion and wife, Sarah. It will be an adventure of finding and understanding self and the culture around me. From the congested streets of Buenos Aires to the white-tipped mountains of the Andes, I will be pursuing a new path in life. Why Argentina? Better to ask why travel. It’s the only path I can see.
Colin Burns From Our Travel Lifestyle
Although I am still on my current adventure with my wife and two young children (currently in Vietnam), I am already planning my next BIG adventure. I plan on buying an old truck and converting it into an Expedition vehicle like this one (http://www.overlandcamperforsale.com/) or if can some how make 35,000 pound in the next 12 months I’ll buy this one to head overland. From London to China, then down through Laos making our way to Singapore to put the truck onto a container to ship it to South America and travel around. My aim would be to do this for a few years while the kids are still relatively young and homeschooling won’t be too difficult. Oh the hours I have spent looking for expedition vehicles already. Maybe I should concentrate on making some money so I can just buy one already
Vincent From Midwestern Wanderer
I am thinking India for the simple fact that I hear it can break even the most experienced travelers.
Gillian From That’s G
This is a tough one, but I’d have to say I’d go on a whirlwind trip trying to do as many zip-lines as possible – from the canopies in Costa Rica, to Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles California, to an urban zipline or two. It’d be a fun way to see some really cool cities, and something I’d be a little bit scared to try.