Reach the ends of the earth with strange and thrilling holidays

Posted on Friday 11 May 2012 in France, New Zealand

Pushing the limits of travel and tourism is something individuals are doing more often, and many travellers consider venturing to new places as a more accessible option. Although cruises to the Caribbean and flights to Paris remain popular, some tourists are choosing to indulge in more unique excursions to satisfy their passion for adventure travel.

Adjectival tourism is covering a lot of these preferences by offering niche opportunities to travellers who wish to have new and innovative experiences while abroad. Some of the categories included in these types of tourism are nautical, religious, medical, culinary, heritage and pop-culture. Aussie travellers who are interested in certain food, activities or seeing bizarre points of interests may consider planning a holiday focusing on one of these trips.

Extreme tourism takes travellers to the limits

Many Aussies enjoy thrilling holidays that allow them to try new things and see sites they would not normally experience at home. Known as "extreme tourism," these situations are not for the faint of heart and are found primarily in the remote parts of the world.

According to the Travel Channel, travellers who head to the city of Harari in Ethiopia can take part in a strange hyena feeding ritual. A professional guide has given night tours for years when these animals come looking for a snack. He will feed the hyenas with sticks holding raw meat, so guests can marvel at his bravery and snap pictures of the wild creatures.

Individuals who want to try a more interactive excursion while travelling can venture to New Zealand and try a unique sport called Zorbing. There are several locales in the country where daring tourists can climb inside a large inflatable ball to careen down grassy hills at top speeds. Some tracks are water-based to make for a more wet-and-wild ride.

Surfers who want a change from waves Down Under can book a trip to Peru for a sandboarding adventure. Riders fly down massive dunes near the Andes Mountain range to experience a sport that blends together the sunny weather of surfing and the speed of snowboarding. The highest dune in the area the Cerro Blanco, is more than 2,000 metres high.

Niche tourism changes travel

While holidays revolving around cuisine or wildlife have remained popular, there are sub-groups forming that provide even more specific kinds of tourism options for Aussies who may want to experience innovative expeditions.

Travellers can incorporate an eerie vampire-themed tour into their San Francisco holiday packages. According to the Vagabondish travel blog, a woman who claims to have lived as one of these mythical creatures for more than a century will take guests through Nob Hill while telling tales of legends and mystery. Different than typical ghost tours, learning about the idea that vampires lurk in this vibrant city could be an interesting way to spend an evening.

Although the space tourism niche is still mostly fantasy, some travellers without budget limits have started to pave the way for others to try these types of trips in the future. Some companies have found ways to take the general public into orbital spaceflights or even let them participate in spacewalks, which may cost these affluent travellers millions of dollars.

Aussie travellers have endless options to push the limits on their holidays. Whether individuals want to try a strange tour, take part in an exotic ritual or attempt an extreme sport, there is something to please anyone's interests that can be found all over the world.

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