LET’S GET PHYSICAL
If your idea of a holiday involves some real get up and go, there’s a world of active adventures waiting to be explored. YOU Travel & Cruise Bethlehem explores everything from cycling and hiking to mountain biking and expedition travel.
If your idea of a holiday involves some real get up and go, there’s a world of active adventures waiting to be explored. YOU Travel & Cruise Bethlehem explores everything from cycling and hiking to mountain biking and expedition travel.
WORDS LIZ FRENCH
Bike and cruise, Croatia.
Active travel isn’t a new concept but it does seem to be experiencing a major modern surge of late. Although walking, hiking and cycling holidays have existed for generations, post-pandemic lifestyle priorities and a demand for experiential travel have catapulted physical activity into a primary holiday choice, where travellers prefer active engagement over passive relaxation.
For families, couples and solo travellers alike, the options are wide-ranging, from cycling and hiking holidays to more adventurous expeditions.
Hvar, Croatia.
MEET YOUR MATCH
Cycling gently through scenery, mountain biking gnarly trails, rambling amid glorious views, hiking remote regions... Once you’ve decided on your style of holiday, there’s a destination and a tour (self-guided or with a group) to match.
One of the most important considerations is choosing a reputable tour company and making sure the experience matches your expectations. Active travel can be wonderfully liberating, but a little advance research can make all the difference.
Managing director of You Travel & Cruise Bethlehem Catherine Membery’s recent family cycling holiday in the Lauterbrunnen/Jungfrau and Verbier areas of Switzerland is the perfect example of this. Mountain trails, farmland and Swiss villages provided glorious alpine scenery, and cable cars and trains added another dimension to exploring the region. “Knowing the practical details in advance is useful,” advises Catherine. “We learned e-bikes can’t be hired to under-16s, while self-catering accommodation helped avoid the expense of eating out in Switzerland.”
Verbier, Switzerland.
That holiday also spanned a visit to the UK, where the family discovered exhilarating mountain bike trails in Wales.
The advent of e-bikes has made cycling holidays available to a much wider range of travellers. The array of adventures on offer for young and old can be overwhelming, though, so it pays to match the experience to your ability and interests.
“It’s great to extend your comfort zone, but not to be uncomfortably outside it,” says Catherine. “Preferred destinations, activities and ability levels can all help narrow down the choices, whether the aim is a gentle ride through countryside or a more demanding mountain adventure.”
Europe remains popular with active travellers, with the attraction of countries like Slovenia and Scandinavia increasing. Equally, there are amazing experiences to be had in Asia, from trekking in Nepal to golfing in Vietnam, as well as in Canada and South America, with skiing in British Columbia and hiking in Peru among the possibilities.
Denali Park, Alaska.
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Of course, some quality R&R can go hand in hand with all that. In cruising and cycling Croatia, you enjoy life on board with wonderful coastal scenery, combined with stopovers to cycle inland. Not to mention the cool swims when you arrive back sweltering.
Taking a barge through the French or Netherlands canals with bikes on board is another brilliant combination. This style of holiday could appeal to couples, families or friend groups in which some are more sporty than others. Likewise, motorhome holidays, which are now available all over the globe.
Small-ship cruising is another active way to see the world – kayak among icebergs in the Arctic or Antarctica, or snorkel among turtles in Galapagos. Expeditions of all kinds are available to provide life-changing experiences in some of the world’s wildest places.
Seward, Alaska.
IN THE KNOW
Walking in Puglia is delightful in cool weather but decidedly not under the searing sun, yet although sweltering in Europe in mid-summer is a recurring theme these days, don’t let that put you off. Instead, consider the best seasons for maximising your active adventure, wherever you’re pointing your compass.
If ending each day fatigued yet fizzing is your idea of a perfect adventure, there’s a world of possibilities waiting to be explored.