When it comes to public holidays, Australia seems like it’s missing out a bit. After all, pretty much every holiday activity comes down to: have a barbie. Of course, so does pretty much every day that ends in ‘y’. But a quick look around the world reveals some of the craziness you can get up to, holidays that pack an element of danger to liven them up.  After all, the worst you get in Australia is some singed eyebrows. Note: everyone knows about the bloody running of the bulls, so we’ll skip it, shall we?

Songkran – Thailand
Thai new year started out as a quiet, dignified event where small cups of water were respectfully poured on the shoulders of neighbours, family and buddhas. Then super soaker technology arrived in Southeast Asia and Songkran would never be the same. Now it’s a raucous, nation-wide waterfight complete with Thais by the ute-load chucking ice-cold water on anyone in sight, up to and including passing motorbike drivers doing 70 kph. Bring an underwater camera, you won’t want to miss this one.

Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Contest – Gloucester, England
Ever had a real serious craving for a Babybel? How about one that weighs 350+ kilos? Sounds great, right? Now imagine chasing said cheesy comestible down a near vertical hill with dozens of other blokes hot at your heels. For two centuries the pommies have been doing just that every final Monday in May.

Beehive Rockets Festival – Yanshui, Taiwan
Shooting fireworks into the air is for wimps. In Taiwan they know that they best vantage point for a fireworks show is at the business end. At the end of Chinese New Year, the locals and visitors in this small farm town down protective gear that never fully works and are pelted with tiny rockets from 4 meter tall launching platforms.

There you have it. If self-preservation isn’t your thing, these three festivals might be.

Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa. Boasting many historical and archaeological sites, this country is also blessed with an abundant, natural beauty making it an excellent travel destination for adventurous and outgoing tourists. As well as this Tanzania is a melting pot of various cultures and ethnic groups that will surely amaze and touch the heart of every traveler. Here you will find the Msai tribe’s red-clad herders on the Serengeti plains and the conservatively veiled women of Zanzibar’s Islamic Stone Tow. With their happy and warm smiles, meeting these people is an experience like no other.

The largest city of Tanzania is Dar-es-Salaam. Teaming with a busy lifestyle, the scenic tropical seaport has a surprisingly breathtaking view. As it is the main the entry and starting point of many trips into the country, from here you can choose to go to a range of tourist destinations depending on the kind of adventure you are looking for. If you want to bask under the heat of the sun while lying on the white sand, take a trip to the refreshing islands of Zanzibar with its palm-fringed beaches and awesome coral reefs. The island is also home to exotic spices which are mainly found in Stone Town, an  historical place that traces its origins to the dark times when it was the major trade center of spices and slaves.

Tanzania is also known for its many animal and bird species. The Serengeti National Park displays one of the most spectacular opportunities to experience the wild life of the vast plains. Once you are there you’ll have the chance to witness the migration of zebra and wildebeest. The country also offers action-packed adventure in its unique geological formations like the Ngorongoro Crater and Mt. Kilimanjaro in the Great Rift Valley.

Experience the tropical forests and powerful rivers of the Savannah grassland’s or go for game hunting, safari walking or boat trips in the Rufiji in the largest faunal reserve in the world, Selous. Covering more than 54,000 km, this game reserve is larger than the entire country of Switzerland!

There are only a few places in the world that offer as abundant a range of adventure as Tanzania and it is one place that can fulfill every traveler’s dream of an exciting holiday escape.

The Kiwis are an interesting bunch. The country is to Oz what Canada is to the US – the quiet neighbor with a funny accent. But beneath the laid-back, laconic New Zealand exterior there must be a huge red pepper of raging lust for life. After all, this is the country that brought us bungy jumping.

Visitors to New Zealand, no matter where they are, will have a wide variety of grey hair inducing, slightly suicidal activities to choose from and nowhere is this more true than Queenstown, NZ’s capital of crazy.

Bungy jumping is one of those things everyone should try at least once. However, like many of those things (skinny dipping, body shots, running for office in Queensland on a platform of thinly-veiled racism) you’ll often end up fiding out that you don’t want to do it just once.

 


Fortunately, Queenstown is the home of not one, but three different bungie sites. There the Kawaru Bridge, the world’s first commercial Bungie site, measuring in at a modest 42 meters. While it may not seem that extreme compared to the dizzying heights of the other two sites, its more than high enough when you’re standing on the edge. As an added bonus you can elect to be dipped in the river so no one will notice that you’ve wet yourself.

Then there’s the Ledge, located at the Skyline complex, 400 meters above Queenstown. This sites distinctive feature is its unique harness and runway that gives you more than 10 options as to how you jump with names like The Matrix and Flying Squirrel.

Finally, for those who believe that nothing succeeds like excess, there’s the Nevis Bungy. Just getting to the jump site is enough to get your pulse racing as you sit in a gondola suspended over 134 meters of empty air. The drop from Nevis is a heart-stopping 8.4 seconds of free fall – plenty of time for a good chunk of your life to flash before your eyes.

The Sierra Nevada’s in Southern Spain boasts the highest mountain range in Europe after the Alps. There are over 20 peaks with the highest being over 3,000 metres, but walkers do not have to succumb to mountain climbing to enjoy the fabulous hiking, photographic opportunities or bird watching in the area. Here are three options on where to start planning your walking adventures into this stunning part of Spain.

1: Parque Natural de la Sierra de Grazalema

This park has over 51,695 hectares of river valley views, cliffs, limestone caves, grottoes, and gorges to explore, not to mention quaint white washed villages.

The township of Grazalema itself has a woolen mill worth investigating and the enchanting town of Ronda is good for bull fights.

Getting around this part of Spain can be difficult at times without a car. However, this park is the best option if traveling by public transport as there are airport transfers and a direct train service to Grazalema from Granada.

2: Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena

Another option if you are without a hire car is Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena, situated northwest of Sevilla. This park offers hill rather than mountain walks, and also has many lovely villages to visit. There is a bus connection from Sevilla to close to the park which takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes.

3:  Parque Natural Los Alcornocales

Option three is the walks from the small town of Alcornocales, the main town of Parque Natural Los Alcornocales. This area boasts unspoilt, stunning scenery and offers around 20 walks within the park, which vary from mountain and hill country walks to coastal tracks.

Deep, narrow valleys, called canutos, shelter rare ferns and other subtropical forest vegetation. You can also see the best example of a primeval Iberian forest and cork tree groves in the world. Visit Alcala Conservation Centre for information, and maybe permission for some of the longer walks. A car is essential for this area.

For all three walking locations check that all paths are open in summer, as in high fire danger times some may be closed. Take good walking boots and carry sunscreen, a hat and water.

Albania has come a long way from difficult times in decades past. Now you’ll find a diamond in the rough with everything you would want out of a trip: a breath-taking coastline, fascinating history, colossal mountains, and heartwarmingly welcoming people. Constantly evolving, Albania today could be different to Albania next year making it a vibrant place to visit.

1.  A unique coastline

You’ll have your breath taken away as you drive along tiny coastal roads, winding around mountains that crash into the sea. A bizarre feature of the coast is the indestructible bunkers that litter the place, placed there by Dictator Enver Hoxha’s paranoia. Climb in, on and around these strange sentinels into Albania’s complicated recent past.

2. Historic grandeur

From ancient hilltop fortresses to excellent Roman ruins, Ottoman mansions to famous orthodox icons, Albania has a rich, fascinating history on display.

Learn the sad ledgend of Rozafa, trapped in her magnificent fortress forever above Shkodra. Climb Gjirokastra’s steep cobbled streets amongst fading Ottoman homes of grandeur to its lonely fortress. Or head to Berat for an even greater taste of rare Ottoman style exploring the many well preserved mansions, as well as its medieval citadel full of churches displaying beautiful frescoes and famous icons. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Butrint, a lovingly restored ancient ruin whose history stretches from Hellenistic to Venetian times.

3. Transforming Tirana

Albania’s capital has been working for years to beautify its drab, brutal communist past. Go on your own photographic tour of Tirana discovering the inventive colour schemes that brighten up the city.

Hang out in the cafes by day and dance the night away in the thriving Blloku, an area where the communist elite once lived it up behind walls to keep everyone else out.

Check out www.inyourpocket.com/albania/tirana for the latest tips on where to eat in Tirana, an affordable gastronomical scene which is improving all the time.

4. The unforgettable Accursed Mountains

Albania’s Accursed Mountains are as evocative as they sound. Besides finding indescribable natural beauty you can experience heart-warming stays with families who invite visitors into their remote lifestyles; lives that once were lived fiercely in a hostile, feuding world. Hiking here offers a unique experience to feel as though you are steeping into an undiscovered corner of Europe.

5. Wonderful people

Albania’s greatest gift is its people. They will welcome you to their tables and into their homes, look out for you on buses or just give you a wave on the street. Many countries are friendly but Albania takes hospitality to another level. This alone makes a trip to Albania worth it.

Those seeking gorgeous white sand and clear blue water in the Kingdom of Thailand have two options: the Gulf of Thailand, home to Kho Phang Ngang and the (in)famous full-moon party or the Andaman Coast, whose most famous destination is undoubtedly the amusingly-named Phuket. (For the record, its pronounced Poo-Ket).

But just across the channel between Phuket and the mainland lies the province of Krabi, one of the region’s best-kept secrets. For those who find Phuket’s glitzy resorts and endless girly bars to be too much, Krabi offers a laid-back alternative that really showcases the region’s famously gorgeous beaches and lush tropical rainforests.

The Railay Penninsula is a little spit of land that projects out into the Andaman Sea about an hour south of Krabi Town. Although physically connected to the mainland, this haven can only be reached by boat due to the sheer cliffs and jungle that occupy the neck of the peninsula. This gives the whole place an island feel, similar to Phi Phi but without the same crowds.

Railay East is the backpacker’s enclave. The beach is nothing special – it’s a mud flat at low tide and serves as the landing point for the longtail ferries. However, the lack of a view means that this is the locus for the cheap accommodation. If you don’t mind the precipitous staircase, the Diamond Private Resort is high enough to afford a great view and offers a pool for very reasonable rates.

West Railay is where you go to get horizontal on fine white sand and stare out at the cool blue Andaman (preferably with a Singha in hand – readily available from the restaurants set about 50 meters back from the beach).

But the best part of Railay is experienced vertically. The area is home to some of the most accessible climbing walls in Thailand and beginners and experts alike will find some great routes and there are plenty of operators to provide guides, training and equipment rental. King Climbers is the most established and they run single- or multi-day classes with expert English-speaking guides to show you the ropes (so to speak).

Madagascar’s remote north east offers some extraordinary experiences for the more intrepid traveler. Here is an itinerary into the magical world of colourful locals, untouched rainforest, unbelievable creatures, and pristine beaches.

Fly to Maronsetra

Fly with Air Madagascar to remote Maroansetra on the north east coast to discover a charming village caught in the middle of nowhere. With barely passable roads south, and no roads at all going north, the town feels like oasis of civilisation – albeit a basic one.

Wander the tracks between the simple palm huts soaking in the colour of village life. Watch locals repair their pirogues (dug-out canoes) on the huge beach. Ask someone to help you track down the bright red tomato frogs that might be living in a family’s backyard.

Stay at: Le Coco Beach for its comfortable bungalows and good restaurant.

Organise a tour of Masoala National Park through the locals

The main attraction here is the richly diverse, thoroughly spectacular Masoala National Park. You’ll need at least four nights to get a taste of the park. This involves organising a boat, accommodation, food and a full time guide (any visit to a national park in Madagascar requires the services of a guide from ANGAP (The National Association for the Management of Protected Areas in Madagascar)).

Before you decide that sounds all too hard, here’s why it is well worth the effort.

The pristine island of Nosy Mangabe

Nosy Mangabe is a small, entirely protected island not far off the coast of Maroansetra. Wandering around Nosy Mangabe’s untouched rainforests and beach, to the primal sound of lemur troops barking high up in the trees, will make you feel like you have stepped into a pre-historic age before humans tread here.

Your eagle-eyed guide will get you close to cryptic coloured geckos, comical lemurs, cool chameleons and plenty of other colourful creatures. Amongst all of Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity there is almost nothing deadly meaning you can just wander around on foot.

Stay at: The camping ground.

True paradise on the Masoala Peninsula

When you arrive here by boat you’ll land on a stretch of endless, perfect beach that is backed by primary and secondary rainforests.

Walking along the beaches with your guide you will be introduced to the local’s remote way of life. Your guide will be available anytime of the day to explore the forests that meet the sea to find rare lemurs, like the red-ruffed, and spotting the huge variety of unique bird life.

When not walking you can snorkel the reef off the beach and relaxed in what felt like pure paradise.

Stay at: Tampolo Lodge in a breezy bungalow close to the beach, soaking in the simplicity of life without electricity and the pleasure of having delicious meals cooked for you.

Travel tip: Use a local tour organiser to put together all the pieces of your trip. Try reception at Le Coco Beach in Maroansetra for a one-stop-shop for your transport, accommodation, food and guide.

At the foot of the Arabian Peninsula, just south of the regions travel-hub Dubai, lies one of Arabia’s best kept secrets. The Sultanate of Oman.

Oman, only recently on the travel map, is a coastal delight. Picturesque, pristine beaches cover the 2,000km of coastline. The crisp blue waters are cool and welcoming with a diverse array of sea-life for both the beginner and experienced diver. Old dhows, traditional Arabic yachts, have been converted for day trips along the coast to take in the breathtaking sunsets over the rugged mountains surrounding the capital, Muscat.

Muscat lies just a few hours drive from Dubai’s main airport or a short 45-minute flight. Even closer is the country’s ecologically diverse northern province of Musandam at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, which boasts some of the best diving in the region. The country is a popular escape for Emirati’s from the hustle and bustle of Dubai and perfect for a weekend getaway for holiday-makers spending a few weeks in the UAE.

In 2009 Oman was awarded one of the Lonely Planets prestigious Top 10 must see countries. With a coastline brightly lit with the traditional white huts, stunning beaches and a desert fitting of Lawrence of Arabia, it is not hard to see why.

Just a few hours drive from the coast, travellers can spend a night gazing at the desert stars with the luxury adventure travel company Desert Nights Camp. The company offers FWD adventure tours, camel rides, and traditional Bedouin music.

Camping and trekking trips to the beautiful Jebel Ali mountain are a must. Stop off and visit one of the 500-odd mudbrick towers and forts, explore the immense wadis and rugged moonscape mountain ranges of inner Oman. While the old capital, Nizwa, maintains a wonderful souk and farmers market where you can buy or trade your family goat.

Relatively untouched by the wave of unrest gripping the region, Sultan Qaboos has led the country to top the UN’s 2010 Human Development Index, almost doubling life expectancy since coming to power and making significant headway in literacy and healthcare.

The country’s southern region of Salalah is a popular summer escape for the entire region. The yearly monsoon turns the southern desert green. Flora and fauna explode over the rolling hills of the southern region and temperatures drop to a beautiful 20 to 30 degrees – unique for a region where summer temperatures can rise to 50 degrees Celsius.

Oman is etched in the history of the region, once a powerful seafaring state that stretched from Baluchistan in modern-day Pakistan to Zanzibar in Tanzania. Their long seafaring history has made local Omani’s warm and welcoming. Climb aboard a local fishing boat for a taste of local life, lose yourself in the maze of the wonderful frankincense-scented souk in downtown Muscat or try your hand at gutting a fish at the local fish market.

From luxury to adventure to the history buff, The Sultanate of Oman offers a fantastic and truly unique travel experience for all.

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Voluntourism – bite-sized vacations volunteering for a charitable cause – is now a booming business. Worth up to $2.6 billion dollars world wide, volunteering is more commericalised than ever and has lead many to questions the ethics – do the people on the receiving end of the “volunteering” get as much out of it as those trying so hard to do something good?

Australian’s who have headed overseas to dedicate their holiday leave to back breaking work, often at their own expense, will say all the effort is worth it. It can be extremely rewarding to help others in disadvantaged situations but the drawback is it can take jobs away from local workers. Other Voluntourism experiences involve bonding with local children, only to leave them at a loss when the volunteers head home again.

If you are thinking of taking a Voluntourism trip, make sure all your efforts will be as rewarding for those you are trying to help as it will be for you. Do you homework using the following steps:

1. Find an organization whose ethics you are comfortable with

Look for an organisation that represents the developing world in a positive, respectful way. Avoid companies that make it sound like you will be saving locals who are not able to save themselves.

2. Ask pointed questions to make sure your trip is well organised to gain best benefit for you and the project.

• Do they match the work needed to be done to your skills?
• What information can they provide prior to your departure on the work involved and the culture you will be living in?
• What will your weekly schedule be and what breaks will you have?
• What are the local support people’s roles and responsibilies?
• Can you contact some Australian returned volunteers?

3. Make sure your money is going where it should be

How willing the organisation is to answer the following financial questions will give you a good indication of their ethics:

• Where will you be staying and in what conditions?
• Do the local staff receive a fair wage?
• Are host families remunerated for only their costs for a small profit?
• Are local leaders employed to direct efforts on projects?
• What efforts are make towards professional development in the local community?
• Are materials purchased locally to support the economy?

By doing your homework your Voluntourism experience will be all the more rewarding, knowing all your efforts have been poured in the right direction.

Think of anything you would want out of a diving holiday and you’ll find it in Indonesia: exciting sea life from the bizarre to the whopping huge, perfect coral, and a bit of an adventure. In no particular order, here is the Top Five dive sites in Indonesia for all budgets.

1. “SS Liberty” Wreck in Tulamben on the north coat of Bali

Lying only 50m from the beach in depths between 5 and 45m, SS Liberty is a World War II wreak that was torpedoed, run around with the idea of being repaired, abandoned and pushed to its final resting place by lava from a volcano eruption. It is unrecognisable as a ship now but that’s not the point. Dive here for schools of 50cm jackfish in their hundreds, massive rock cod, stunning hard and soft corals and intriguing macro-life (shrimp, pipefish etc).

Stay in Tulamben or Amed and dive it early morning or late afternoon to avoid the day-trippers from Kuta.

Price^#: $
Ease of access^*: 5
Big stuff^*: 3
Corals^*: 5
Critters^*: 4
Current: Negligible (suitable for all divers)

2. “Sardine’s Reef” in the Raja Ampat archipelago off the western end of Indonesian Papua

Arguably the most “complete” reef dive in the world, you’ll find everything here: from the bizarre 1cm pygmy seahorse to 2m sharks, schooling barracuda and jacks, perfect hard and soft corals, cryptic octopus… it just goes on! “Sardine’s Reef” is not easy or cheap to get to but that is what has kept it so special.

Price: $$$
Ease of access: 1
Big stuff: 5
Corals: 5
Critters: 5
Current: Intermediate

3. “Castle Rock” in Komodo (a.k.a. “Hard to Find Rock” or “Full Moon”)

A challenging-at-times but always rewarding pinnacle site, “Castle Rock” is in the north of the Komodo region between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores, 500km east of Bali. Perfect hard corals gardens adorn this site but you’ll be distracted by patrolling white tip and grey reef sharks, hunting giant jacks and visiting manta rays and dolphins. Not a site for beginners but a must-see for all other divers.

Price: $ if on a day dive from Labuanbajo, $$$ if on a liveaboard cruise
Ease of access: 3
Big stuff: 5
Corals: 4
Critters: 3
Current: Advanced

4. “Manta Bay” in Nusa Penida just southeast of Bali

Arguably the most accessible “big stuff” site in Indonesia, as the name suggests come here for an unforgettable dive with manta rays, proper 5m ones in groups of up to 10. Many operators dive the site as a long day trip from Sanur in Bali but it’s preferable to stay on the laid-back island of Nusa Lembongan from which it’s a 20 minute ride to the site.

Price: $$ if on a day-trip from Bali, $ if staying on Nusa Lembongan island
Ease of access: 4
Big stuff: 5
Corals: 1
Critters: 1
Current: Not challenging

5. Any site in the Lembeh Straits, just east of Manado in northern Sulawesi

Most new divers react poorly to their first dive in Lembeh. Gone are the stunning reefs, toasty and crystal-clear waters that characterise much of Indonesian diving. Instead you’ll find black sand, chillier temperatures, low visibility and lots of garbage. However, it is amongst the detritus from the local port-city of Bitung that divers who love the bizarre, the odd and the down-right weird find their version of an earth-bound heaven: mimic octopus and wunderpus, crazy cryptic frogfish, harlequin shrimp, the much-maligned blue-ringed octopus, seahorses, Ambon scorpionfish, and pygmy seahorses. All these and more are to be found here on a daily basis. As a new diver all you need is an open-mind and a desire to learn more about the critter-end of nature’s spectrum. This is a destination where people are still finding new species fairly regularly. If that appeals then Lembeh is for you.

Price: $$
Ease of access: 3
Big stuff: 1
Corals: 1
Critters: 5
Current: Usually not

* Out of 5 by Indonesian dive site standards
# $ is cheaper, $$ is mid priced, $$$ is more expensive