I hope that this book serves multiple purposes: that it entertains, educates and encourages some of my readers to take the plunge and start to plan some exciting adventurous trips.  Adventure travel is not for everyone. A good friend once told me that she doesn’t want to travel because her bed is the most comfortable bed in the world.  I agree that my bed is a very comfortable bed, but the view from this bed is always the same.  It may be a charming view, but it is an unchanging one.  When I travel, the bed is not always comfortable, the shower is not always warm and strong, but my adventure is interesting and exciting.  I learn about other cultures, watch animals interact, view vistas that I had only imagined before.

 

By adventure travel I do not mean climbing Everest.  Adventure travel consists of a trip, which requires stretching oneself to find new experiences.  It should be different than the every day routine, should be interesting and exciting but not necessarily dangerous. 

 

I began traveling in earnest in 2000, when I retired.  Since then, I have been to all 7 continents.  I have hiked the Milford Trek in New Zealand, the Inca Trail in Peru, the Annapurna Range in Nepal and slept in monasteries in Bhutan.  I have stayed or visited in private homes in villages in Bolivia, Myanmar, and Bhutan.  I saw wild life in Africa, the Galapagos, Madagascar and Antarctica.  I learned about other religions and cultures in many, many countries.  Each trip was unique and each one an adventure.

 

Another friend told me that her idea of a trek is a walk around the Louvre Museum in Paris.  That’s her type of adventure and it’s a wonderful adventure.  I also love museums and therefore, I include trips to museums and beautiful, historical places of worship on my travel schedule.  But I have also loved hiking in the Shan state of Myanmar and up to the Dragon’s Nest in Bhutan.  I am often asked, which is my favorite trip?  There is no answer.  They are all special in their own way. 

 

I have learned a lot about traveling in the last 25 years.  I will share some of my experiences and hope that I can give you hints on how to make adventure travel easier, more accessible and more comfortable.  Although I will describe some of the countries and their sites, this is not a guidebook.  I will not try to be comprehensive or detailed about where to stay or eat.  I will only write about the places that I enjoyed and that were meaningful to me, the “Special Places”.