If you read my blog regularly or follow me on social media, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of adventurous travel – even as I type this I’m sitting in Sri Lanka waiting for a took took driving lesson ready to start the Lanka Challenge tomorrow! 

Heading out on this trip, and the responses from family and friends, got me thinking about how much I love a good adventure, and what my top countries would be for just such a thrill. Check them out and let me know what you think!

Australia

I’ll start with an easy one first of all: Australia. The Aussies love their outdoor lifestyle, so it’s no surprise that it’s top of the list. There’s something for everyone there, whether you want to try out some water sports, swim with sharks (of the white or whale variety) or dolphins, or head inland to rough it in the outback. It’s a long way to travel, though, so make sure you book your trip for at least three weeks. That will give you plenty of time to tick off your must-do list, for more inspiration, check out my previous posts on Australia’s East Coast and West Coast.

Scandinavia

OK, so Scandinavia isn’t just one country, but it’s an area I would absolutely love to do a road trip around, starting in Denmark, heading through Norway and Sweden and then up to Finland. From what I understand from my Scandinavian friends, it’s a beautiful landscape with plenty of wilderness, and lots of adventures of the cooler variety. The two things that I have my eye on for the future would have to be husky safaris in the Arctic and seeing the Northern Lights, and the second is getting on a boat to see the whales off the coast of Iceland. Ideally if I could tie it in with Christmas time and all of the festive experience, I imagine it would be magical. 

Botswana

One of my biggest frustrations is that I haven’t made it to Africa yet. As a nature lover, I am dying to do a safari, and for two years running I have scoped out the costs and logistics of a trip to Kenya and Tanzania for the Great Migration (happening now), South Africa is also high on my hitlist for all of the adventurous pursuits and sights it offers. However recently I’ve been hearing more and more about Botswana for safaris, in particular in Chobe National Park where you can get a boat down the Chobe River and check out Nata Bird Sanctuary, all of which have been highly recommended to me.

Sri Lanka

Where I am right now as we type, of course this has to be included! I do love Sri Lanka and am delighted to be here again now, particularly for the Lanka Challenge. It’s just a beautiful place filled with beautiful people, and I have some awesome memories there, and plenty more to come over the next ten days! From hiking to whitewater rafting, swimming out to shipwrecks, and of course, taking part in tuck took adventure race challenges, Sri Lanka does have it all, and you can check out all the reasons I love it on my previous post. 

The USA
It never used to factor on my radar, but really, the United States does have it all. Road trips, mountain climbing, deserts, skiing, you name it. I’ve had several friends come back from some great trips there and their photos and experiences have really inspired me to consider it for future trips. 

New Zealand

As the adventure travel capital of the world, New Zealand had to be included in the list – whether for its hikes with absolutely unique scenery, glacier climbing, bungee jumping and skydiving, swimming with seals, surfing or sailing, there’s something for everyone. It was a long time ago that I visited, but the highlights are still as impressive as they were then, check out the North Island summary here, and the South here.

What do you think to the list, I could go on forever as I believe there is adventure possible in every country, even at home, but for now these are the highlights, and I can’t take too much more time typing as I’ve got a tuktuk to learn to drive!