10 great places to unleash your inner Indy
Ten places around the world to scale, explore and swashbuckle your way through
— -- With the latest installment of Indiana Jones flicks — Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull —in theaters, this might be a good time to up your adventure ante. Just try to avoid dangling above snake pits and being chased by boulders. National Geographic's Boyd Matson, host of Wild Chronicles on public television and National Geographic Weekend on public radio, shares his favorite intrepid getaways with USA TODAY's Rebecca Heslin.
Mount Everest Tibet and Nepal
To really flex your explorer muscles, Matson suggests a trek to the Mount Everest base camp, about 17,000 feet up the 29,000-foot mountain on the Tibetan side. Or if climbing isn't your cup of tea, you may be more comfortable sipping something warm at the Rum Doodle Bar in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the shadow of the monster mountain. "The ceiling is covered with banners and T-shirts signed by trekkers, but behind the bar is a board reserved for the signatures of those who have made it to the top" of Everest, Matson says. visitnepal.com; therumdoodle.com
Djemaa el-Fna Square Marrakech, Morocco
For a scene that could be plucked straight out of the new film, Matson suggests checking out the palaces, mosques and Djemaa el-Fna Square in Marrakech. "This is the place I expect to see that big guy swinging the sword at Harrison Ford in the first movie come striding through the crowd," he says. "To up the adventure component, head into the Atlas Mountains for a little 4-by-4 travel and then spend a night in a traditional Berber tented camp in the desert." visitmorocco.org
Petra Jordan
"Hike or ride donkey-drawn carts through a slot canyon to arrive at this ancient city carved out of the sandstone cliffs," Matson says. "Petra offers the chance to hook up with nomadic tribesmen and do either a one-day or multi-day camel safari in the desert." Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this once-vibrant Nabataean city was an oasis where Greeks, Romans and Arabs met for caravan trading. visitjordan.com