Active Travel Adventures Podcast By Kit Parks cover art

Active Travel Adventures

Active Travel Adventures

By: Kit Parks
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 Looking for a FUN adventure for your next vacation? Active Travel Adventures curates multi-day world wide adventure travel holidays for reasonably fit folks who love to hike, bike, paddle or otherwise stay active for a more immersive experience when they vacation and explore our planet and its people. These are all adventures that YOU can do, especially if you train (I'm 64, so if I can do it, so can YOU!). It's easy to find the right adventure for you: We cover mild adventures like cycling (flat) the historic and beautiful Netherlands, to taking an African safari, to taking a walking holiday from one medieval village to the next on historic paths in Europe. And if you are up for a bigger challenge, then check out climbing Kilimanjaro, trekking to Everest Base Camp or Annapurna in Nepal's majestic Himalayan mountains, or hiking the Mont Blanc circuit through Italy, France and Switzerland. But most adventures we cover are rated a 3 out of 5 for difficulty. Examples include (eBikes available) cycling Greek islands or island hopping from Split to Dubrovnik in Croatia (both while sleeping on a cool ship!), hiking in Banff, the Dolomites, Patagonia, or trekking to Machu Picchu. Long distance hikes we cover include the Coast to Coast and Cotswold Way in England, the West Highland Way in Scotland and other famous UK trails. Of course, we often cover doing an El Camino, including the French Way (Camino Frances), the Portuguese Way, the Primitivo, the original way from Oviedo. We've even BIKED the El Camino! We have also walked the Camino's sister trail, the Kumano Koda trail in Japan. If you like the water and to paddle, we've rafted the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon (and we've hiked the Grand Canyon, too!) as well as through Canyonlands National Park. We've rafted the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, as well as day trips as part of other trips on the Pacuare River in Costa Rica and the Tulley River in Australia. We've also snorkeled the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef! Naturally, we cover the amazing National Parks, including Olympic, Acadia, the Grand Canyon, Arches, Zion, Arches, Rocky Mountains and more! Sometimes we even travel on horseback, including in Iceland, Ireland and other exciting destinations! Often the trips are multi-activity, like the ones in New Zealand, Italy, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Costa Rica. On multi-activity trips, we mostly hike, but we usually do some biking and paddling as well. Sometimes we go on expedition cruises, like to Antarctica, the Falkland and South Georgia islands or to Greenland. Here we hike and get to paddle among the icebergs, while traveling on a small ship for closer access to the amazing landscape! On occasion we backpack and camp, but mostly we day hike and stay in comfortable inns at night. We have backpacked St Olav Ways in Norway, the Kungsleden trail in Sweden, in Iceland and Greenland, as well as section hiked the Appalachian Trail, or 'AT'. We visit exotic countries like Bhutan, Vietnam and Thailand. In short, we cover the world's most exciting adventures that regular people can do on their vacation. Sometimes, we cover skills that you need in order to go on an adventure, from traveling solo, how to choose a tour company, how to save money for travel, how to save money ON travel, and outdoor skills you need to learn (also check out our sister podcast, the Adventure Travel Show podcast (ATSP) for deep dives into adventure skills). ATA's mission is to inspire and empower you to lead a bigger life through adventure travel. Travel the Active Travel Adventures way! Be sure to visit the ActiveTravelAdventures.com website where we make it easy to find the right adventure for you! You can search by time of year you can travel, what activity you want to do and which continent you want to visit. Learning about all the outdoor skills from ATSP are available to check out there as well. We aim to be your one stop shop for adventure travel! One the website, you can see photos and videos of the adventure covered, plus get more information about the trip covered. You can also get a FREE Travel Planner for each adventure by signing up for our once a month newsletter.© 2025 All rights reserved Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • Camping Tent vs Tarp Pros and Cons

    Camping Tent vs Tarp Pros and Cons
    Jun 26 2025

    Deciding whether to purchase a tent or tarp when you camp is one of your more important (and costly) gear decisions. There are ten important considerations for determining whether a tent or a tarp is best for your situation.

    The problem is, there is no one perfect camping shelter for you AND for each kind of adventure. There are definite pros and cons to each. Learn all about them on today's show.

    COMPLETE SHOW NOTES See important information and links for choosing the right tent or tarp for you.

    Get FREE Travel Planners for ATA adventures (and each month you will get an email from Kit with links to all future Travel Planners (no spam promise!). Get the monthly newsletter here.

    CONTACT KIT

    Resources

    RECOMMENDED TOUR COMPANIES

    ******* EMAIL ME FOR PROMO DISCOUNT CODES*****

    Travel Insurance: Quickly and easily compare rates and policies from different companies - no need to give any identifying information unless you decide to buy! The best way to find the right policy for your adventures.

    Train For Your Adventure Ask Becki at Trailblazer Wellness to customize an at home, online personal training program for your upcoming adventure using whatever equipment you already have! You’ll get phone consultations, instruction videos and a plan to give you the best chance of success. Becki offers a FREE initial phone consultation to see if you are a good fit. AND she offers ATA listeners a 10% discount!

    Buy Me a Beer Want to support the program? You can always buy me a coffee or beer - thanks!

    Amazon Kit's Picks Please use my Amazon link to access your Amazon account. Even if you don’t purchase any of my recommendations, I get credit for anything you DO purchase - at no additional cost to you, you’ll be helping to support the show and keeping it AD FREE:)

    SUBSCRIBE to the Adventure Travel Show (the “How to’s of adventure travel)

    SUBSCRIBE to Active Travel Adventures (fantastic adventure destinations)

    Join the Active Travel Adventures Facebook Group

    Follow ATA on Instagram

    Follow ATA on Pinterest

    (C) Active Travel Adventures, LLC - All Rights Reserved
    Show more Show less
    26 mins
  • Hiking Gear : Choosing the Right Hiking Footwear for Your Adventures

    Hiking Gear : Choosing the Right Hiking Footwear for Your Adventures
    Jun 19 2025

    Learn how to choose between hiking boots, hiking shoes and trail runners for your feet and adventures on today's show. Gear is expensive and if your feet aren't happy, you won't be happy. So get tips on choosing the right footwear for you on today's show.

    COMPLETE SHOW NOTES See important information and links for choosing the right hiking footwear for your adventures

    Get FREE Travel Planners for ATA adventures (and each month you will get an email from Kit with links to all future Travel Planners (no spam promise!). Get the monthly newsletter here.

    CONTACT KIT

    Resources

    RECOMMENDED TOUR COMPANIES

    ******* EMAIL ME FOR PROMO DISCOUNT CODES*****

    Travel Insurance: Quickly and easily compare rates and policies from different companies - no need to give any identifying information unless you decide to buy! The best way to find the right policy for your adventures.

    Train For Your Adventure Ask Becki at Trailblazer Wellness to customize an at home, online personal training program for your upcoming adventure using whatever equipment you already have! You’ll get phone consultations, instruction videos and a plan to give you the best chance of success. Becki offers a FREE initial phone consultation to see if you are a good fit. AND she offers ATA listeners a 10% discount!

    Buy Me a Beer Want to support the program? You can always buy me a coffee or beer - thanks!

    Amazon Kit's Picks Please use my Amazon link to access your Amazon account. Even if you don’t purchase any of my recommendations, I get credit for anything you DO purchase - at no additional cost to you, you’ll be helping to support the show and keeping it AD FREE:)

    SUBSCRIBE to the Adventure Travel Show (the “How to’s of adventure travel)

    SUBSCRIBE to Active Travel Adventures (fantastic adventure destinations)

    Join the Active Travel Adventures Facebook Group

    Follow ATA on Instagram

    Follow ATA on Pinterest

    (C) Active Travel Adventures, LLC - All Rights Reserved
    Show more Show less
    18 mins
  • Camper's Gear Guide to Choosing your Sleep System : Sleeping Bag, Pad and Liner

    Camper's Gear Guide to Choosing your Sleep System : Sleeping Bag, Pad and Liner
    Jun 12 2025

    Learn what features to look for before you buy a sleeping bag, sleeping pad and sleeping bag liner. Discover how to maintain your gear to extend its life. You will get tips on buying camping gear for both car campers, backpackers, bike packers and those going on kayak or canoe tours. Gear is expensive - don't make a buying mistake!

    We cover:

    • How to choose a sleeping bag

    • Camping versus Backpacking sleeping bags

    • Sleeping bag Thermal Ratings

    • How to choose the right shaped sleeping bag

    • Female and children’s only sleeping bags

    • Best sleeping bag materials

    • Down versus synthetic fill pros and cons

    • Considering other sleeping bag materials like zippers, shell fabric and added features

    • Sleeping bag accessories: compression and storage bags

    • Sleeping bag liners: comparison of fabric choices

    • Liner special features available

    • How to choose a sleeping pad for car campers and backpackers, bike packers, or kayak and canoe touring

    • Air pads versus closed cell foam pads and accessories

    • Compare insulation, weight, size and construction

    • How to wash a sleeping bag, pad and liner

    • How to store your sleeping bag

    COMPLETE SHOW NOTES See important information about choosing the right sleep system for your camping and backpacking adventures!

    Get FREE Travel Planners for ATA adventures (and each month you will get an email from Kit with links to all future Travel Planners (no spam promise!). Get the monthly newsletter here.

    CONTACT KIT

    Resources

    RECOMMENDED TOUR COMPANIES

    ******* EMAIL ME FOR PROMO DISCOUNT CODES*****

    Travel Insurance: Quickly and easily compare rates and policies from different companies - no need to give any identifying information unless you decide to buy! The best way to find the right policy for your adventures.

    Train For Your Adventure Ask Becki at Trailblazer Wellness to customize an at home, online personal training program for your upcoming adventure using whatever equipment you already have! You’ll get phone consultations, instruction videos and a plan to give you the best chance of success. Becki offers a FREE initial phone consultation to see if you are a good fit. AND she offers ATA listeners a 10% discount!

    Buy Me a Beer Want to support the program? You can always buy me a coffee or beer - thanks!

    Amazon Kit's Picks Please use my Amazon link to access your Amazon account. Even if you don’t purchase any of my recommendations, I get credit for anything you DO purchase - at no additional cost to you, you’ll be helping to support the show and keeping it AD FREE:)

    SUBSCRIBE to the Adventure Travel Show (the “How to’s of adventure travel)

    SUBSCRIBE to Active Travel Adventures (fantastic adventure destinations)

    Join the Active Travel Adventures Facebook Group

    Follow ATA on Instagram

    Follow ATA on Pinterest

    (C) Active Travel Adventures, LLC - All Rights Reserved
    Show more Show less
    40 mins
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