I recently had a inadvertent to chat to Chris Ronneseth of Trek Holidays (see interview preview) who gave me a good overview of adventure travel, an area of travel I terribly would with to investigate sooner than highly developed…
Do you know about Vietnam motorbike tours?
1. Tell us how you got into the adventure travel make miserable.
I grew taking place on travel. My father, Allan Ronneseth founded the company in 1972 and as soon as a passion to see the world in a substitute habit than the norm, we had the opportunity to travel to countries that were considered exotic at that period and to some extent still are today. Venturing out vis–vis my own traveling even if attending University I became more and more radiant going on very about the world again North America. With a degree in publicity, I ventured off first to New York and unfriendly to Toronto full of zip in sales and declaration for technology companies during the tech boom. Having theoretical the proficiency of sales in an industry uncovered of travel but backed taking into account an upbringing rooted in adventure travel, I made the pro to heading happening sales in Eastern Canada for the relatives issue where I now come occurring once the maintenance for retain to our network of travel agents across Eastern Canada as dexterously as compiling our monthly newsletter re adventure travel trends.
2. What countries have you traveled to?
Africa: Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Egypt, Morocco
Europe: UK, Greenland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria
Asia: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Hong Kong
South Pacific: Australia, Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji
Americas: Canadian High Arctic, USA, Mexico, Jamaica, Cayman Islands,
Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
3. Please portion taking into account us your intensity three travel memories of all become out of date.
A. Peru -The last lineage into Machu Picchu as soon as reference to the famed Inca Trail from the Sun Gate after seeing sunrise more than the site, innate the first to enter the site at daybreak and having a feeling of good relatives, union and mighty magic up.
B. Vietnam – Travelling the countryside of Vietnam by motorbike and stumbling concerning a hidden and seldom visited Buddhist Monastery resulting in a three-hour visit following a youngster Buddhist monk learning and arrangement each new’s ways.
C. Namibia – Skydiving at sunset at Swakopmund on the coast where the Atlantic Ocean meets the blood-red sand dunes for as far afield and wide afield as the eye can heavens. One of the most tranquil moments of my simulation.
4. What is adventure travel and how has it evolved compound than the last few decades?
Adventure travel used to twist toward tall adventure previously in the works in the in front the company was founded in the seventies, it was era when the ‘hippie-trail’ was hot and buses used to travel across Asia from London to Kathmandu taking into account itineraries that were largely invented along the mannerism. Today it is nearly the little society experience and approximately experiencing a destination rather than handily seeing it. It is about participation and concurrence of cultures, chronicles and customs and brute skillful to admit that experience away as enrichment to your daily life.
5. Who goes almost your adventure travel tours and why? What is the age, gender, nationality and pension level of the people that go on your tours?
Adventure travel is largely roughly the passion to realize it. For this excuse it crosses boundaries of age, gender and allowance past the common want of the travelers is the experience regardless of their energy at house. However the largest demographic for us and the most important amassing demographic is the baby-boomers who have experienced the customary seashore vacation several era greater than and now have the era and disposable pension to travel to more exotic destinations. Nationality is generally made taking place of largely English-speaking nations behind the makeup in order of numbers being Brits, Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders, Americans, some mainland Europe, some Latin American countries and the another Asian investor.
We assign higher than 120 countries worldwide generally in the region of everywhere. However countries currently deemed to be unsafe for travel (eg. Iraq, Afghanistan) are not included but we expect they will take effect the years forward as the make miserable stabilizes.
7. What type of getting used to is offered?
We have enough part generally speaking all from 2 star budget getting used to to 6 star lodge experiences in Africa and anything in among. However what is common to all places we stay is that they must be tidy, pleasurable, centrally-located and most important have setting that is reflective of the destination.
8. How performance these tours be swift for single travellers? Do you assign a travel-mate matching alleviate? What happens if I choose single becoming accustomed?
Our tours are expected behind single travellers in mind. In fact 50% of all our travellers arrive by themselves. We correspond people occurring of the associated gender and following age to share and avoid charging them a supplement. If clients prefer their own room, we can loan this upon approximately speaking 60% of the tours, usually the more upmarket ones, but at a rate that is fair and affordable.
9. What virtually meals?
Depending upon the vacation we generally add together breakfasts and some dinners but concerning never lunch as many people gone to be out at midday making their own discoveries. However behind than trekking or in the countryside or where alternatives obtain not exist we will always insert meals.
10. What are the unique support of adventure tours as compared to late accretion types of travel?
A sense of take hobby, air of experience, traveling when a small bureau of just ten people upon average, generally augmented value than comparable bus tours, camaraderie subsequent to individuals that part a passion for this type of travel.
11. What type of undertakings are offered in your tours?
Sightseeing is a major share of all tour but greater than that we tormented to add together happening as many cultural experiences as realizable such as homestays gone local families, village visits, etc. We moreover have many optional activities straightforward such rafting, sailing, jeep safaris, day treks, etc.
12. Is there such a business as adventure tours for families?
We now have tours built especially for families to travel also than new families where children are age six and going on. There is a large demographic of ‘late-starter’ families who never had children until in their 30s. Many of these people traveled furthermore than us in their 20s or backpacked independently and now agonized sensation to have the funds for that experience to their children. They are not avid in introducing them to the ‘coca-cola’ culture pervasive in today’s action. These have been met considering huge triumph.
13. Please portion once us practical advice for someone who’s never tried adventure travel.
Safety is a appearance of mind. Most people who elect not to travel to exotic destinations war therefore because of a scare for their safety though in the destination. If you heed the advice of your tour leader and be practical almost any destination in the world can manage to pay for a safe, safe and memorable experience. Where we have had problems as soon as safety it has on the subject of always been a disregard for common wisdom and advice. Don’t be fearful of experiencing new cultures, you will concerning always locate that your curiosity will be the best gain even though it completely one and that same curiosity will be reciprocated by the people we meet along the mannerism. It is approximately learning and settlement added people as much as they compulsion to concur us. It in mean of fact does shrink the world. Our second biggest encumbrance would be dehydration, taking into account traveling to hot, temperate countries or where objection is full of beans such as trekking ensure you beverage lots of water!
14. How much time get bond of you travel yourself these days?
Generally 5 or 6 weeks a year. It is imperative to my sales knowledge and experience and I owe it to my customers to be the dexterous in what we realize! All of our employees are huge wonderful travel opportunities which goes straight to our company motto: Expert advice from those who have been there!
15. Where are you going adjacent?
I plot this year upon escorting a vacation benefit to Egypt in April, to South Africa in May to experience some of our accessory properties we operate moreover and to hopefully endure a side trip to Mozambique. Later in the year I plot to make my way to Turkey and the Patagonian outdoors In Chile & Argentina.
Thanks, Chris, for completely your opinion, and have fun upon your trips!