18
JOURNEYS magazine
Volume I, 2016
do have bungee jumping on
some programs and hiking in
the mountains during our gorilla
experience in Rwanda and Uganda,
the majority of safaris experiences
that we oer would be considered
soft adventure.”
Of course, there is also the
question of just how old and
physically fit you need to be to
engage in soft adventure activities.
“Some of our tours require
a significant fitness level, while
others require no more physical
fitness than going on a package
holiday or cruise,” says Russell.
“We’ve also found that age really
doesn’t matter when it comes to
adventure travel. It’s more about
the mindset of the customer and
what they are looking to get out
of their travel experience.”
Zani says you don’t have to
be completely fit at all to do nine
out of 10 safari experiences, as
long as you can climb into a Land
Rover. Perhaps the most extreme
trips are gorilla safaris in Rwanda
or Uganda, where the hikes can
be longer, up to several hours,
because the goal is to walk until
you find the animals.
There are misconceptions
about what type of experiences
suit certain age groups, according
to Russell. For example, the cycling
trips in G Adventures’ active
product line are very popular with
the 50-plus market.
Russell says G Adventures has
trips geared towards first-time
travelers looking to see a region’s
major highlights, tours that take
people o the beaten path to
experience key destinations from
a new perspective, and others, like
National Geographic Journeys,
that take customers to the heart
of unique places while taking the
sting out of travel by offering
comfortable accommodation and
private transport.
Zani says a safari generally
involves a drive in a vehicle in
the morning and afternoon
experiencing the wildlife, and in
most cases there’s the option of
going on a walking safari. Other
programs oered by African Travel
include a visit to the wine country
or a city walking tour in Cape
Town, as well as a cooking class or
a meal with the locals to learn
about their culture.
According to Russell, the most
popular soft adventure destinations
G Adventures oers are Peru, the
Galapagos Islands, India, Costa
Rica and South East Asia. “With
iconic sites, beautiful landscapes,
exotic wildlife, distinct cuisines and
friendly locals these destinations
have all the ingredients for a great
adventure,” he says.
Examples of some of G
Adventures “soft” adventure travel
experiences include India by Rail,
Amazon Riverboat Adventure in
“WE’VE ALSO FOUND THAT AGE REALLY DOESN’T MATTER WHEN IT COMES
TO ADVENTURE TRAVEL.
IT’S MORE ABOUT THE MINDSET OF THE CUSTOMER AND
WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING TO GET OUT OF THEIR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE.”
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
“soft” adventure can
be anything that takes you out of
your comfort zone to some degree
and changes you in some way,
according to Jeff Russell, VP of
innovation for G Adventures, a
leading adventure tour operator.
For some people just going to an
exotic country is adventure travel,
he says.
In general, soft adventure is
a category of travel that focuses
on experiencing local cultures and
wildlife, as opposed to an activity-
based adventure like trekking and
cycling. At the same time, says
Russell, it is also defined by travel
that is somewhat more active but
with a softer landing around it, in
terms of accommodations, meals
and amenities.
For example, you could take a
safari in Africa, cruise through the
Galapagos, or engage in cultural
experiences like a local cooking
class or a homestay.
“In reality, all of the safari
experiences we promote would be
considered soft adventure,” says
Susannah Zani, product planning
manager for African Travel Inc.,
which offers inclusive tours to
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia,
Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Kenya
and Egypt.
“Safaris are low risk and
don’t require physical fitness, but
they do take you out of your
elements,” Zani says. “While we
