Running Across Countries: Three Ultra Distance Routes of Discovery

Mark Pawlak    ash, New Adventure Travel Ideas     china, Diagonlae des Fous, Guadaloupe Archipielago, Guadarun, La Reunion Island, Marathon, Running, running shoes, Ultra Distance, Ultra Distance running, Xinjiang

Officially anything over 26.2 miles is ultra distance, and there’s legions of runners who push past the marathon and onwards.

Ultra distance adventures. Image: Flickr/ Official U.S. Navy Imagery

Most of the events are seen as races, but there’s much more to it than plodding for prizes.

Take a look at some of these routes. As extreme as it might appear to us joggers and observers, these are journeys of discovery in some of the most impressive locations on the globe.

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Eastern Adventures: Learning your Martial Arts in China

Tom Sykes    ash, New Adventure Travel Ideas     china, Learning martial arts in China, Martial Arts, Martial Arts in China, Martial arts school in China, Rising Dragon, Rising Dragon Residential Martial Arts School

Chinese martial arts (kungfu) are over 4,000 years old. Based on the ancient belief systems of one of the world’s great civilisations, their styles and techniques are now embraced all over the world.

Rising Dragon's White Crane Master.

By learning martial arts in China you will be able to improve your physical and mental discipline, as well as your health and spiritual knowledge.

Based amid the jaw-dropping lakes and canyons of China’s Fujian Province, Rising Dragon Residential Martial Arts School is run by certified Kungfu Masters and Shaolin Monks – Jackie Chan himself has performed alongside Rising Dragon students on live TV.

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Still Jumping: Bungy Inventor AJ Hackett Interviewed

Mark Pawlak    ash     Bungy, bungy jump China, bungy jumping, china, colorado, extreme sports, Macau, New Zealand

For some it’s a rite of passage, for others it’s a test of courage. But for the founder of the bungy jump, AJ Hackett, it’s much more than a moment. It all started back in 1988 when AJ and Henry van Asch began to challenge people and gravity with their first leaps in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Innovating and capturing the Kiwi spirit of adventure

In many ways bungy is the poster boy of extreme sports and remains perhaps the most accessible highspeed adrenaline rush around.

But that’s just what I think. For a more accurate look at bungy, here’s AJ Hackett in his own words and a great vid expalining how it all came about.

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Over 50s adventure holidays and the youngsters who can’t keep up!

Mark Pawlak    ash     4x4, adventure holidays, australia, Australia Overlanding Tours, Cevennes National Park, china, Darwin, France, Gastro Adventuring, Italy, Lake District National Park, Over 50s, Over 50s Adventure Holidays, Persia, Perth, Po Valley, Robin Hood's Bay, round the world, RTW, Small Group Holidays, St Bees, tailor made holidays, The Silk Road, UK

Since when did the over 50s take adventure holidays you sprightly athletes might ask? Well, even if you think they don’t, trust me, they do! And many of them are fitter than you!

Over 50s do take adventure holidays! Image: Flickr/ mckaysavage

There’s a whole generation of walkers, climbers, mountaineers and all-round adventurers leading the way – and an exceptionally fit group of people over 50 putting you youngsters to shame.

There’s long-term adventureres who wouldn’t be seen dead wasting good walking time on sunloungers, family types who now have the time to go it alone, and the insatiably curious who still like the taste of adventure.

Here are five great options for people who prefer the call of the wild to DIY and calling on relatives for summer snooze staycations.

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Visiting China: even if Marco Polo never did…

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     adventure holidays, Biking, china, cycling, mountainbiking, Tibet, trekking

Yes, it’s been reported that Marco Polo made it all up, drawing on tales from merchants rather than visiting China himself. Archaeological information appears to back up these claims, as his descriptions don’t match with physical evidence.

China: much more than first meets the western eye

To have visited 20 years ago may have been a conversation-stopper, today it’s a regular trip on the tourist trail.

Still, one of China’s most remarkable features is its outright geographical size, and then there’s its cultural diversity and its unclimbed peaks and much, much more…

As one of the emerging adventure holiday destinations on the planet, the country has a huge amount to offer. And it’s particularly interesting if you are looking at exploring, not just touring default sites.

Here are a few places and possibilities to whet your appetite:

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Adventure travel specialist Jonny Bealby says, “walk the back streets”

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, ash, mountainbikingholidays, New Adventure Travel Ideas, overlandholidays, trekkingholidays     Adventure Sports, Adventure Travel, china, cultural holidays, indepenedent travel, Overland tours, Syria, tours, travelling, trekking, Uzbekistan

There are a few countries that people simply never visit: some are dangerous, others just exist well beyond the imagination of regular travellers.

Jonny and Chia - Rampur

And it’s in these places where you’ll find the essence of travel. Looking for danger is a fool’s game; travelling in search of adventure, well that’s what it’s all about.

Having established award-wining travel company Wild Frontiers, Jonny Bealby is a man who researches, visits and explores the routes that later become his firm’s travel packages. Just returned from a mountainbiking holiday in Syria, he’s already packing for his next excursion. read more

Top 10 Christmas Getaways

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, ash, bestskiholidays, Top 10s     Asia, australia, austria, Canada, Caribbean, china, Europe, Finland, germany, Himalayas, kitesurfing, Mexico, mountain biking, north america, Scuba Diving, Skiing, Snowboarding, Surfing, Windsurfing

If staying at home is really not an option this year, then we’ve got the Top Ten Christmas getaways for you!

Now, just because you’re abroad, doesn’t mean that Christmas goes on holiday; there’s plenty of destinations that really go all out for the traditional celebrations.

Photo from Flickr user: Javier Gutierrez (de regreso)

As much as family feasting is tempting, there’s a whole world out there and it’s waiting for you. So, why not have a Christmas with a difference, throw caution to the wind and get away for a change?

Here’s the best Christmassy Xmas destinations, followed by the top spots where you can leave the reindeer and the elves far behind. read more