While it used to be that people visit other places to marvel at the sites, taste exotic food, and somehow learn a thing or two about a foreign culture, a new breed of travelers have added a somewhat novel reason: adventure. Some travelers are not contented with just admiring the sights and sounds of wherever they’re visiting. They now want to experience an adrenalin rush in these new places. The great thing about it is that there are actually places that these thrill junkies can go to so that they can have their fix of thrills and adventures. The era of adventure tours has indeed arrived.

Adventure-focused travel has become increasingly popular because it offers something different to travelers and also brings with it certain advantages. For example, in contrast to more “traditional” tourism vehicles, which are more focused toward indoor sights and admiring outside locations, adventure-based travel obviously involves a lot of action. If these travelers want to continue with their fun when visiting these places, they are being encouraged by tour operators and the local governments of these places to do their share in protecting the ecological balance and purity. Should they display nonchalant and destructive behavior, they are bound to lose the chance to visit the place again and get the same adrenalin rush because it has already deteriorated because of their actions. Thus, saving it from ruin becomes their personal crusade.

Speaking of personal, another advantage of adding adventure to travel itineraries is that outdoor activities have been recommended by health professionals to prevent or solve health issues. “Park prescriptions” have become more and more popular to treat illnesses from obesity to heart disease. With the popularity of travailing itineraries with an adventurist twist, those park prescriptions are sure going to be more justified and applied to frequent travelers.

Now, which places would be great for adventure tours? All around the world, there are places that have packaged themselves as ideal for both fun and adventure. Here are a couple of suggestions:

Mammoth Mountain in California offers extreme sports fanatics a reason to pack up their skis and go to the Golden State. Amounts of snowfall in this area have been established as world records, assuring travelers that anytime of the year would be great to visit the place and indulge in some adrenaline-pumping activities like skiing, skating, sledding, and snowboarding.

On the other hand, those who want to rough it in wild waters can go to Idaho and have their adventure tours planned there. The Twin Rivers Bruneau and Jarbidge are ideal for wild water rafting. Surrounding the rivers is an area that has just been designated as a protected wilderness area. This means there is quite a variety of wild flora and fauna there are well.

Travailing with a lot of adventure in mind these days is not something difficult to accomplish anymore. Those planning to do such exploits just have to find a place with the activities they are interested in, and they should be set on a great adventure in no time.