Top ten adventure destinations of 2011

The New Year is here – but where are you going to spend it? We’ve selected our ten favourite destinations to give you the best advice on where to plan your next big adventure.

AMERICAS

Trans-Amazonian Highway

3200 miles of dust, sand and mud, armies of ants and breathtaking climbs through the Andes – it’s a monster of a trip that demands painstaking planning and plenty of time to complete safely. Given that the Trans-Amazonian highway is more or less a lawless zone, this one’s not for the fainthearted: successful riders can rest assured that they’re in a very selective club indeed.

New England sea kayaking

Acadia National Park in Maine is a paradise for paddlers: cliffs, beaches and picturesque ports pepper the coast, best seen from on board a sea kayak. You’ll see whales, eagles and even giant jellyfish on your journey – just make sure you’ve caught the weather reports before you set sail.

ASIA

Diving the Similan Islands, Thailand

Comprising nine granite islands covered in tropical jungle, surrounded by white sand beaches and clear blue ocean, the Similan Islands are considered the most beautiful and diverse dive sites in Thailand. Leopard and whitetip sharks make regular appearances, as do tiny ghost pipefish, turtles, and giant bumphead parrotfish.

EUROPE

Soloing Iceland

Financial and volcanic meltdowns have only increased Iceland’s reputation as a harsh, but ultimately rewarding adventure destination. Crossing the island solo – around 50miles, depending on your route – means being lightweight, self-sufficient and ready for anything that the arctic weather systems nearby can throw at you.

Skiing across Spitsbergen

David Leaning chose to cross the Norwegian islands on skis, taking 28 days in weather that plunged to minus 30C, camping on glaciers and dodging polar bears. You don’t have to go on such an extreme mission – there are now operators taking you over and assisting your own expeditions – try www.svalbard.net for more information.

Cycling across the Pyrenees

Often overshadowed by the more tourist-friendly Alps, the Pyrenees are more than just a border post between France and Spain. As some people have already found, they’re an amazing bike adventure: 800km, riding along the spine of the mountains from Mediterranean Sea to Atlantic Ocean. With 126 hours of riding, you’ll climb the equivalent of two Mount Everests – bring spares of everything!

AUSTRALASIA

Mountaineering in Papua

One of our favourite attempts of 2010 was the three-peak challenge in Papua, taken on by Ricky Munday. The region’s three highest peaks are also the highest in the whole of Indonesia: utterly unspoilt and notoriously hard to get to, they’re home to some rapidly diminishing glaciers that Munday went to investigate for science. Due to almost constant cloud cover, some peaks in the region can’t be seen from satellites, making it a place of unexplored wilderness unmatched in the world.

Kayaking the Murray River, Australia

It took adventurer Dave Cornthwaite the best part of two and a half months to paddle the length of the Murray – Australia’s mightiest river. It’s 2500km of mountains, plains and forest, and under extreme threat from mismanagement and environmental damage. Get there yourself and you could be one of the few lucky ones to enjoy the Murray River while it’s still possible to navigate the entire length.

AFRICA

Paddling the?Zambezi River, Zambia

The Zambezi River is a playground for first-timers and seasoned veterans alike. Known as the 'Everest of rivers', the Zambezi's volume is about four times that of the Colorado River with the best boating volume in February to March and mid-June to July. Kayaking the Zambezi is a thrill-seeker's paradise; for those grasping a paddle for the first time, there are myriad kayaking trips and courses available complete with breathtaking scenery, sunshine and warm water and constant company from hippos, baboons, crocodiles and other wildlife.

History in Libya

It’s been a gateway to Africa and Europe for thousands of years and possesses some of the most perfectly preserved Roman sites. Last year saw such a tightening of restrictions on Libyan tourist visas as to make it almost impossible to travel without tenacity. The good news is that normal service has now resumed, making this land of magnificent and unsurpassed ancient sites accessible to the discerning visitor once again.
Try Kirker Holidays (020 7593 2284,www.kirkerholidays.com) who can arrange the right paperwork and even organize an academic guide to your chosen sites.