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Go Zorbing

Experience — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 05:23:33 +0000

For an adventure ride that puts a whole new spin on things and is like nothing you’ve every experienced before, you have to give Zorbing a go.

Zorbing (also known as sphereing) is the sport of rolling down a hill at speed inside a giant inflatable ball. The Zorb is an 11 foot (3.5 metre) high inflatable sphere which you ride inside (a person zorbing is called a zorbonaut). Two feet of air protect you from the ground as you Zorb down the hill at speeds of up to 50 kilometres (31 miles) per hour.

There are two types of zorb rides: harness and hydro. In the harness ride you are securely harnessed inside the Zorb for a wild ride down the hill. Once you start rolling down the hill, you feel a strange sensation of weightlessness and watch the ground and sky go spinning past. The Hydro ride has no harness and water is thrown in so that you (and a friend or two) can slip, slide and spin inside the Zorb all the way down the hill. In winter, warm water is used for a lovely spa-type experience. Its like a cross between a waterside and a rollercoaster.

Zorbing was invented in New Zealand in the early 1990s and first set up in Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island. Since then Zorb has rolled into England, the mountains of Norway, the middle of Sweden, the Gold Coast in Australia, the alpine hills of Switzerland, to China the USA (Smoky Mountains) and Argentina.

So if your after a crazy, adrenaline-filled adventure ride, try the Zorb experience.

Carve up the ski slopes in Aspen

Experience — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 10:41:49 +0000

Aspen Colorado is one of the world’s largest and most famous ski resorts. Nestled in the higher ranges of the Rocky Mountains, its exquisite natural beauty, snow capped mountains, ski resorts, forests, festivals, Victorian architecture, celebrities, and historical background make Aspen a place that must be experienced.

Aspen is know as the winter playground for the rich and famous. Celebrities such as Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson, Goldie Hawn, Kevin Costner, and Mariah Carey are known for their residences in the Aspen area. So if your strolling around this ski resort or carving up the slopes you might just catch a glimpse or even crash into someone famous.

However Aspen is more than just a glitzy playground for the elite. Aspen boasts fabulous landscapes, naturally exquisite beauty, a rich cultural heritage, every snow and ice sport imaginable and some of the best soft powder in the United States. Aspen Mountain towers above the town of Aspen, with a top elevation of 11,215 feet (3,148 meters) and a vertical drop of 3269 feet (996 meters). Aspen has four world class mountains cut with 76 trails from easy slopes to hair-raising double black diamonds, providing something for every level of skier.

In the warmer seasons, outdoor enthusiasts can participate in hot-air ballooning, river rafting, fly-fishing, horseback riding and many other activities. There are also a variety of cultural events held in Aspen throughout the year.

Whether you go to Aspen to carve up the ski slopes, or just go to admire the natural landscapes and cultural aspects of Aspen Colorado, its an experience you wont forget.

Surf the Pipeline in Hawaii

Experience — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:58:40 +0000

Endless sun, pristine beaches, and monster waves. Hawaii, the home of surfing, is America’s surfing Mecca, and one of the premiere surfing destinations the world over.

Hawaii has great surf most places, but if you want to call yourself a world class surfer you have to make it on the North Shore of Oahu. The North Shore covers almost 20 miles (32 kilometres) of beautiful open sandy beaches, including legendary beaches like Sunset Beach, Ehukai Beach, and Pupukea Beach, and where you will find the world famous Banzai Pipeline. A spot where the shallow water and coral shelf combine to create powerful tubular waves that resemble pipes, thus giving the place its name. For sheer adrenaline, power, beauty and danger, Pipeline has no equal. Surfing the Pipeline is an invigorating experience, but you’ll have to wait in line to ride some of the incredibly huge waves that break on these shores. And if the surf’s up, beware! The Pipeline at full strength is unforgiving, even for the pros.

If you’ve never surfed before and associate beaches with tanning and people watching, you might be inspired by the daredevils who tempt fate to take on these enormous masses of moving water. It might look difficult, however after a few lessons find a quieter beach with smaller surf and you’ll be able to check surfing in Hawaii off your list of things to experience in life.

On the other hand if you’re up for surfing action, but aren’t up for tackling the big Hawaiian waves yourself, head there in December to watch the spectacle of surfing when the best surfers in the world battle it out at Pipe Masters.

Experienced and beginner surfers alike lose themselves in the ebb and flow of the waves that crash against the shores of the Hawaiian Islands. More than just the dizzying feeling you get as you climb out of the rolling waters, the experience of surfing in Hawaii brings your soul closer to the islands. Surfing in Hawaii is an athletic, spiritual and cultural activity, which combine to create a quintessential Hawaiian experience.

Visit Disneyland

Experience — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 06:49:59 +0000

If there’s one theme park you must visit in your life, it’s got to be the one that started it all, the original Disneyland in Los Angeles, USA. Disneyland Park located in Anaheim, California, is one of the world’s most popular attractions, with more than 515 million people visiting since it opened to the public on July 17, 1955.

Disneyland was created by Walt Disney, inspired by a dream to create a fun park that both adults and children could enjoy, as well as cater for the many Disney fans wishing to meet some of their favourite Disney characters. His theme park idea snowballed from a small idea into a huge idea that eventually became Disneyland.

Covering 85 acres (34 hectares), Disneyland has eight fantastic themed “lands” of nostalgia, colour and delight to explore. From the charm of Main Street, U.S.A, an early 20th century Midwest town, to Fantasyland, that brings fantasy into a reality, and Tomorrowland, which looks into the future, to the whimsy of Mickey’s Toontown, Disneyland has more than 60 adventures and attractions that appeal to all ages.

Walt Disney’s legacy lives on in the world’s ultimate land of make believe. Disneyland is one theme park you must experience… because when you pass through the gates into Disneyland you “leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy”, and step into the “happiest place on earth”.

Cruise the desert in a Hummer

Experience — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:25:14 +0000

Experience the Arizona desert in the ultimate off road mode of transport – the mighty Hummer. Desert Storm Hummer Tours take you to the middle of the historic Goldfield Mountains in the Sonoran Desert near Scottsdale, Arizona to experience breathtaking desert landscapes, fascinating rock formations, and exciting off-road action in the military-turned-civilian high performance Hummer vehicle. At elevations of nearly 4,000 feet (1,220 metres), the tour guides will point out the desert’s flora and fauna and explain the history and geology of the area, as you four-wheel through narrow, chiselled trails. They can also teach you some survival skills such as eating cactus or catching local wildlife.

If a day tour is not adventurous enough for you, try the night-vision-assisted tour through the Sonoran desert after dark. Your will be issued with night-vision monoculars, while guides wearing military night-vision goggles drive an eight-mile desert trail without headlights, looking for coyote, bobcats, rattlesnakes and other critters. Hunting the desert floor with black Ultra-violet lights will illuminate tarantulas and scorpions, and thermal-image scopes are also passed around, allowing the eye to capture all warm-blooded wildlife within 500 feet (150 metres). Coyote, fox, great horn owl, bats, rattlesnake, tarantula, wild pig and scorpion are out there waiting to be spotted.

Cruising the matchless beauty of the Sonoran Desert in a Hummer day or night is an unforgettable experience for adventurers of any age.

Paraglide in the French Alps

Experience — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 07:15:10 +0000

For an extraordinary adventure, go where eagles dare and try a tandem paraglide flight high above the Chamonix valley in the French Alps. Its an exciting and thrilling experience but at the same time incredibly relaxing and a wonderful way to enjoy the staggering beauty of the mountains. With big thermals, soaring eagles, dramatic glaciers and high mountain peaks the Chamonix valley is one of the best flying areas in the world.

Flying with a professional paraglide instructor a tandem paraglide is open to everyone of all ages. The take off is usually a matter of running for a few steps before the wind inflates the wing and you gently float off the mountain side. Landing is similarly easy requiring just a few steps and is usually a very gentle affair.

One of the reasons people fly in the Chamonix valley is to be near the huge mountains. Mt Blanc rises above them all at 4810m (15,780 feet). And for the “ultimate” French Alps paragliding experience try a paraglide from the snow capped summit of Mt Blanc. Get yourself a mountain guide and an expert paragliding pilot for a tandem jump. You’ll also need good weather. To climb Mt Blanc with a paraglider takes a great deal of effort but the experience is extremely rewarding.