adventure holidays

What a perfect end to a breath taking trip.  I’d cruised Lake Titicaca, walked the Inca Trail and seen Machu Picchu in all its glory.  Did I want to go home – no!

After saying goodbye to my group that I had spent the last week with, I joined another group of people who had been travelling on other Adventure Company trips.  There were 12 of us in total, some had been trekking the High Inca Trail others has spent 3 weeks taking in the sights and sounds of Peru.

I’d heard so much about this Caribbean Island and was intrigued to find out about the post-revolutionary social structure and couldn’t wait to see the architectural wonders of the pre-revolutionary period. I'd also heard great things about the walking, the waterfalls and the beaches.

But most of all I was looking for answers. Why are people so fascinated by Cuba? Have they got it right while the rest of us seem headed for economic melt down? Is the food any good?

It was finally here, we were packing our 7kg duffle bags, ready to take on the challenge of the Inca Trail.  There was apprehension and anxiety within the group, all of us doing this challenge for different reasons!  Even though we all had gone through the trip notes with a fine tooth comb no one really knew what to expect or what to pack!

When I told people I was going to trekking to the top of highest mountain in Northern Africa, they almost didn’t believe me. But I have just got back from a trek to the summit of Mount Toubkal in Morocco and have the pics to prove it!

By the beginning of August most of the early burning programme undertaken by rangers is usually finished, with some green shoots already sprouting from the remaining moisture in the ground and the early morning dew. This year the park remained green well into August, with much of the tall grass from last year too green to burn, and many waterholes, which are usually dry by early August, carrying water throughout the month. This had a significant effect on the behaviour of Charlie, our newly collared bull, and the herds with which he moved.

When people are asked who their greatest heroes are, names such as Pele, Muhammad Ali, John Lennon or even Brad Pitt are normally bandied around. While most of us are fond of sportsmen, actors and musicians, for me, one man stands head and shoulders above the rest. Apa Sherpa.

Peru's popularity will only grow as the country continues to invest in key tourism sites like Lake Titicaca.

Peru is a hugely popular tourist destination - and one of the finest places to visit in South America. Whether you're after a little hustle and bustle in the country's capital Lima or a trekking expedition in the mountains - Peru has it all.

Then there's the culture, history and beauty - which adventure holidays travellers are constantly reminded of.

What  I really enjoyed was how much we were involved in the history. Ancient Egyptian history could seem quite boring, but our guide involved us in all of it – even making up little plays for us to act in, so we learnt a lot while having a lot of fun! At all the temples and tombs, our guide gave us little facts rather than vast amounts of information. This  was  easier to digest, especially for some of our group who were quite young! 

We went on Feluccas and Pharoahs in the middle of August, with our four children aged 6, 8, 11 and 14. Everyone said “Isn’t it going to be too hot?” and “Isn’t Egypt dangerous?” No, and no. It was hot, but not dreadfully humid, and there were shady spots at all the sites. Chilled bottled water was available everywhere. There was no civil unrest, and the quietness meant there were no queues. Anywhere. Hooray!The best thing was the sheer variety of the trip.

Having scaled the likes of Ben Nevis and Snowdon, budding mountaineers from the UK are left with little else to achieve within the shores of Great Britain. I think that once these have been mastered, any serious climber worth his or her salt must seriously consider the next natural step to satisfy their need for a challenge.