About the Book

After a brief introduction to help travelers get ready for adventure trips – how to prepare, what to bring, etc. – the first twenty-six trips are described in extensive first-person accounts by experienced travelers. The narratives are personal and subjective, focusing as much on the rich experiences the authors had as on the details of where they went and what they did. The descriptions also include information on why the trip is recommended, special issues and challenges, variations and options, tour operators, how to get to the destination, places to stay and other resources.

The book also offers shorter descriptions of an additional 26 trips recommended by tour operators in a 2007 survey by the Adventure Travel Trade Association. These trips also cover a wide range of destinations, activities and levels of difficulty.

The book concludes with a look at “What’s Next in Adventure Travel.” Much of the chapter focuses on sustainable tourism and “voluntourism” and helps travelers choose among the many trips, operators and projects available to them. The chapter also speculates on cutting-edge travel destinations of the future — e.g., current war zones or areas of conflict and the ultimate destinations of space and the ocean depths.

Wherever your wanderlust is nudging you, RIDING THE HULAHULA TO THE ARCTIC OCEAN delivers inspiration and ideas to put adventure-hungry baby boomers back on the road.