As I sat on the couch the other day after a taxing day at work, I was confronted with the inescapable truth that I am fan of the BBC program, TopGear. This admission might seem a little strange coming from a young woman with zero interest in cars. For instance, I certainly could not be considered the program’s core clientele. I am not a prepubescent boy with too many zits and an abiding passion for the latest and greatest Lamborghini. Also, despite what others may say, I do not find Richard Hammond attractive in the slightest; he is one of the aforementioned boys with pimples. Rather, TopGear has struck a chord with me, and presumably numerous other non-gearhead viewers, because it is humorous and often involves independent, budget, adventure TRAVEL.

The thing is, no one wants to have a passive travel experience anymore. Unlike our parents, whose sum total of globe-trekking was visiting Paris twice in their lives, we are not content to sit on the sidelines and let things happen to us. We don’t want to be a passenger on the tour bus, watching everything through a glass window, protected, cordoned off, quarantined. We don’t want to have our every move dictated to us. I came to this realization years ago; some of my best travel experiences involved renting bicycles or Vespas and heading off into the wild blue yonder, with only a Let’s Go or Lonely Planet guidebook in hand.

I had a beat-up station wagon in New Zealand that I lived out of for months. I’ve driven Land Rovers in both Patagonia and Tanzania (albeit briefly.) I’ve now driven across the country a number of times for bicoastal moves involving those dastardly Uhaul contraptions. Yet even that has been fun. Having your own, personal transportation gives an unparalleled dimension of freedom to one’s trip. And the big secret is that it is not necessarily out of your budget, even if you’re a cheapie like me. Really, personal transit is the new “must-have” accessory for the modern “flashpacker.”

TopGear has realized this, and turned their car program into a car and travel program. One of my favorite episodes involved their attempt to buy cheap, secondhand motorbikes and travel from South to North Vietnam in under two weeks. There were a fair number of crashes, but no one died. Injury is all part of the experience. Similarly, the fellows have gotten cheap cars and driven them across Namibia, gone rally-cross driving in Scandinavian regions, and even embarked on an odyssey of the American South in pickup trucks and old muscle cars.

The British TV program is not alone in noticing this new travel craze, however. Ewan McGregor and a friend drove around the world on their motorcycles, getting a television program and a book out of it. I recently learned about the Mongol Rally, in which you drive a sub-$1000, small-engined car from London to Mongolia. This is true adventure, getting into the nitty-gritty, away from the tourist buses, and out of one’s comfort zone. We are all becoming independent tour operators, accountable only to ourselves and our blogging community. And although it probably isn’t sustainable or eco-friendly, it sure is fun. Let’s face it: most of us cannot afford some of the absolutely crazy extreme adventure vacations that require Paris Hilton-esque wads of cash. But with some careful planning, and especially if you go with lots of friends to defray the cost, you can get that clunker and attempt to drive across Siberia. If you live, it’ll be a ton of fun. And it really is the only way to independently explore the last frontiers. Just bear in mind that sometime you do get hurt; my cracked ribs after an ugly episode in Baja California can attest to that.Samantha Berkin in no way shape or form recommends doing the stupid travel things she has done in the past. They are dangerous, and will get you hurt. Her motto, however, is nothing ventured, nothing gained. She is saving up money for an overland trek of Siberia in a Unimog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Samantha_Berkin

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Did you know Las Vegas isn’t the only cool place to visit in Nevada? I’m serious – there are other places you can go, a list of things to check out if you’re ever in Reno !

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In March & April 2009 we had a family holiday in Africa for a month and visited Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and South Africa. My dad works for Aardvark Safaris (www.aardvarksafaris.co.uk)

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Heavenly Father look down on us your humble, obedient tourists, who are doomed to travel this earth taking photographs, emailing postcards, buying souvenirs, and walking around in drip-free underwear.

We beseech you Lord to see that our planes are not delayed, our luggage is not lost & overweight baggage goes unnoticed.

Give us this day your divine guidance in our selection of bed ‘n’ breakfast.

We pray that the toilets work and the telephone operators speak our tongue, that there are no emails from our children which would cause us to cancel the rest of our trip.

Lead us to good inexpensive restaurants where the wine is included in the price of the meal and local taxes are not added on later.

Give us the wisdom to tip correctly in currencies we do not understand. Make the natives appreciate us for the loving people we are, and not for what they can extract from our purses.

Grant us the strength to visit museums, the cathedrals, the palaces, and if we skip an important monument to take a nap after lunch, please have mercy on us as our flesh is weak.

Dear God please protect our wives from “bargains” they don’t need, can’t afford, and can’t fit into their suitcases anyway. Lead them not into temptation, for they know not what they do.

Almighty Father, keep our husbands from looking at foreign women and comparing them to the vintage domestic model. Save them from making complete fools of themselves in nightclubs. Above all, do NOT forgive them their trespasses for they know exactly what they do. And worse, enjoy it.

When our journey is over. grant us the persistence to find someone who will watch our home movies and listen to our stories, so our lives as tourists will not have been in vain.

This we ask you in the name of Conrad Hilton, Thomas Cook, American Express, Visa, & Mastercard.

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Surfing is one of the most popular adventure sports in the world but the problem with it is that the conditions required to surf properly are not available everywhere. There are some specific regions across the globe where the conditions are just right to enjoy riding the waves. Also, even at these surfing hotspots, you might not be able to surf all year round. There might be problems due to inclement weather and other factors. Thus, it is very important to do proper background research and information checks before packing your bags for a fun and enjoyable surfing holiday.

The major surf regions of the world are Australia, Vanuatu, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Bali, Sumatra, Eastern Indonesia, Maldives, Male atolls, Mentawais, Lombok and Sumbawa. Listed below are all these surfing destinations along with the best time to plan a holiday at these stops. The information is only indicative and you should proactively check the conditions before venturing out on your vacation.

For planning holidays in Indonesia, including Bali, Sumatra, Mentawais, Lombok and Sumbawa the best time to visit is between the months of April and September. The same time period is also recommended for surfing holidays in Male atolls, Fiji and Samoa. The best time to go surfing in Australia and Maldives is during the months of February-March. The original surfing heaven, Papua New Guinea is the most inviting for surfers during the months of December to March.

If you are planning a surfing holiday now, plan it through World Surfaris. They are the experts in surf travel. The respected leaders with over 20 years surf experience, they can arrange the best surf trips to the Maldives, Indonesia, Mentawais, Sumatra, PNG and heaps more regions where the surf is pumping. They have got surf trips to perfect uncrowded reef-breaks with just you and your mates. World Surfaris has the largest range of surf boats and surf resorts available for all budgets. If you need maximum surfing time with minimum hassle then they will have the surf trip for you. For any further information please visit http://www.worldsurfaris.com.

About the Author
A surfing enthusiast (or as his friends call him, a surfing ‘nutcase’), Andy Griffiths has travelled the world searching for the best spots to surf. His travels have taken him to almost all the surfing destinations all across the world and his articles regarding them are both informative and interesting. http://www.worldsurfaris.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Griffiths

With So many cheap flights,cheap hotels,& Airline tickets available for International Travel deals,from Budget to Luxury. Booking Vacation packages online, is EASY.