Are you looking for an adventurous vacation? Whether you’re looking for education, physical fun or a spiritual awakening, it can cost you a pretty penny. If you shop around, however, there are some very affordable alternatives to the pricier adventure tour offerings. If you’re looking for budget adventure travel, we’ve got some suggestions for you.
Go with a Tour Group
If you’re traveling off the beaten path – say, mountain biking in Cambodia or scuba diving in Bali — it pays to work through a tour operator. A good tour operator will already have vetted local guides and made arrangements for the equipment you’ll need for your adventure. While it may seem more expensive to book adventure travel through a tour group, you’ll save yourself from making costly mistakes. Make it easy on yourself. Look for a tour operator that specializes in budget adventure, and do some comparison shopping to get the best price.
Add a Little Adventure to Your Vacation
You don’t have to travel to an exotic destination and submerge yourself for weeks to enjoy a little adventure. Check around your local area for exciting things you can add to your staycation — or look for adventure activities near your vacation destination. If you’ll be near St. Augustine, Florida, for example, you can zip line through an aerial obstacle course while crocodiles eye you from below. The cost? At about $65 for the longer course, it’s cheaper than a day’s admission to Busch Gardens — and a whole lot more fun.
Go East, Young Man
Some of the most affordable travel destinations are in the East. Bangkok, Laos, Vietnam and other east Asian countries offer a wealth of adventure opportunities at very affordable rates. Small group travel to these destinations helps you strike the perfect balance among affordability, independence and expert advice.
Consider Volunteer Travel
Volunteer travel has got a bit of a bad rap, a victim of trendiness and for-profit companies who are more interested in making a buck than in providing a connection between volunteers and those who need help. Despite the recent hiccups, there are still many organizations throughout the world that are happy to have assistance in furthering their causes. In most cases, you’ll have to pay your own travel expenses, but many organizations will provide accommodations and meals in return for your labor. Opportunities range from teaching English to young people in the Sudan to helping build and maintain trails along the Appalachian Trail.
Adventure doesn’t have to play havoc with your budget. Whether you choose to indulge in fun or throw yourself into helping others, these are just some of the ways you can cut the cost of adventure travel and fit fun into your budget.