X Of the Globe's Top "Soft" Adventure Vacation Ideas

Adventure travel is one of the fastest growing global trends, but if these two words inspire an image of extreme sports or ascending Everest, then think again. This form of travel isn’t all about “hard” adventures; instead, there are plenty of “soft” adventures where the focus is on discovering and learning about a new culture and country while undertaking some mild physical activity. As a result, these types of trips are accessible to everyone – all you need is an adventurous spirit!

Tour vineyards in Chile’s Central Valley

Vineyard tours are one of the most appealing types of soft adventures and nowhere is a more thrilling – and delicious – place to explore than Chile’s Central Valley. Although Mendoza in neighboring Argentina might have traditionally taken the wine-tasting crown, vineyards in Chile are quickly becoming the most celebrated in the entire continent.

The Maule and Colchagua Valleys are the country’s top highlights and a tour with a local company sampling peppery reds or cool, refreshing white Chilean wines among verdant vineyards and rolling hills is an excellent introduction to South America.

Snorkel in the Belize Barrier Reef

The second largest in the world and the biggest in the northern hemisphere, the Belize Barrier Reef is a sight to behold. Over one hundred coral species and 500 types of tropical fish exist here, along with a number of endangered marine animals, including the West Indian manatee and the hawksbill and loggerhead turtles.

A snorkel trip in Belize means exploring underwater caves including the awe-inspiring Great Blue Hole and swimming through the clear blue of this incredible underwater paradise.

Join a wildlife safari in Africa

If you’ve ever dreamed of watching African elephants lumbering through the savannah or rhinos quenching their thirst from a dusty watering hole then look no further than a safari adventure.

Options are varied, although some of the best include spying baboons in the Makasutu Rainforest in The Gambia or watching the slow progress of the Great Wildebeest Migration through Tanzania and Kenya, as over a million wildebeest are joined by gazelle and zebra in their annual pilgrimage to find water and greener pastures.

Fly over the glacial landscapes of Kluane National Park, Canada

Few places live and breathe adventure quite like Canada and while hiking trails crisscross vast swathes of Canada’s 39 national parks, there are other ways of exploring the pristine wildernesses of this nation.

Enjoy one of 2017’s hottest adventure travel destinations with a sightseeing flight in a tiny five-seater plane over Kluane National Park. Marvel at Mt Logan, Canada’s highest mountain and the vast glaciers that dominate the park and make large parts of it otherwise inaccessible to visitors. You might even spy a grizzly bear or moose from the comfort of your aircraft.

Hook brown trout and golden dorado in Argentina

Combine luxury and adventure with a fly-fishing tour in Argentina, a country home to some of the best sports fishing in the continent.

In the far north, crystal clear rivers heave with huge golden dorado, while further south in the far reaches of Tierra del Fuego, enormous sea-run brown trout return from their ocean migration to the waters of Río Grande. Here, anglers are almost guaranteed to hook a mighty 20-lb (9kg) fish as they enjoy the spectacular scenery and exceptional fishing of this extreme southern part of Argentina.