Best new adventure trips of 2009

ByABC News
December 10, 2008, 3:48 PM

— -- Exploration of new and little-known places is one of the hallmarks of adventure, which is what makes these 10 new trips stand out from the rest. Read on to find out how you can visit emerging destinations with veteran explorers and experience some classic destinations in new ways.

The Wilds of Assynt, ScotlandProvider: Wilderness Scotland Length: Seven days Price: $1,091

Not very many places in Western Europe can still be accurately called "wild," but Assynt in northwest Scotland, a region of finger-shaped lochs, table-top mountains, and empty beaches, promises a remoteness hard to find on the mainland of the Continent. Assynt is part of the North West Highlands UNESCO Geopark, which was designated to protect the area's geological features, including three-billion-year-old rocks.

"Assynt is among the least populated regions in all of Europe," says Stevie Christie, director of the award-winning Wilderness Scotland. "In Assynt, you will enjoy true wilderness and everything that comes with that including prolific wildlife such as golden eagles and red deer stags; all day hikes where you won't see another person; and a freedom and freshness that you don't find elsewhere."

After scouting the region for more than 10 years, Christie has designed a hiking tour that takes visitors to some of Assynt's most beautiful and untouched places. Hiking an average of seven hours a day at a moderate pace, you'll climb hills like the small but visually impressive Stac Pollaidh, and Suliven, a pillar-shaped peak known as Scotland's "Sugar Loaf." Along the coast, you'll walk past sea stacks (vertical rock columns) and along sandy beaches and have the option to go sea kayaking. One trip highlight comes early on: a boat tour of the Summer Isles, a mostly uninhabited archipelago where you can often spot dolphins and whales. "[This] is a fantastic addition to a regular hiking trip as you get to explore the islands, as well as enjoy unusual vantage points of the mountains you will hike up during the trip," says Christie.

Trip planning: Departures are scheduled for June 13, August 8, and September 26. Rates include accommodations, daily breakfast and lunch plus dinner on the first and last night of the trip, ground transportation, the boat trip, and a guide and driver. Most dinners, alcohol, and airfare are extra. Round-trip late September airfare from Newark to Edinburgh, starts at $846, including taxes, through Hotwire. From Edinburgh, you can take a Megabus coach to the trip start point in Inverness for as little as £1.

Snorkeling and Kayaking the Philippines' Isles of PalawanProvider: Wilderness Travel Length: 13 days Price: $4,495

While on his quest to circumnavigate the world, Ferdinand Magellan and some of his men were killed in a battle on a Pacific island. His remaining comrades fled on ship and nearly starved until they landed on Palawan, a remote tropical island rich with banana and coconut trees, yams, and other crops tended by friendly islanders. The voyage's chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, called Palawan "the Land of Promise," and indeed, after replenishing themselves on the island, the explorers were able to successfully complete their circling of the globe.

Today, the island and the other 1,760 islets that make up the Philippines' Palawan archipelago are seen as a promised land for naturalists. All are part of the Coral Triangle, the most biologically diverse marine habitat on earth. Next spring, adventure outfitter Wilderness Travel will run two-week kayaking and snorkeling tours of islands, putting travelers in close contact with many of region's most exciting marine animals. Marine biologist Lee Goldman leads the trips, providing tour goers with scientific insight into the ecosystems they visit.

In the Bay of Donsol, you'll spend two days tracking and swimming with whale sharks, the world's largest fish. "The coastal fishing village of Donsol is known to have the largest numbers of recorded sightings of whale sharks in the world. Our departures are timed to coincide with the highest concentrations that occur in spring," says Molly Casey of Wilderness Travel. Later you'll kayak among the towering karst-limestone islands of the El Nido Marine Reserve, snorkel inside caves, explore coral reefs home to more than 800 species of fish, and paddle along white sand beaches lined coconut palms. The wildlife experience culminates with a snorkeling trip around Dimakya Island, where you have the chance to swim with dugongs (sea cows), a marine mammal similar to a manatee that spends its days grazing on sea grass.

Trip planning: 2009 departures include March 14, April 4, and May 4. The package price includes accommodations, airport transfers, all land and sea transportation, entrance fees, kayaking equipment, all meals plus beer and wine at campsites, and guides. Accommodations range from eco-resorts, including the award-winning Lagen Island Resort, to deluxe beach camping. You must bring your own snorkeling equipment. Airfare is also extra. Round-trip March airfare from Los Angeles to Manila, starts at $933, including taxes, on Asiana Airlines. Internal flights within the Philippines can be purchased through Wilderness Travel for $495.

Discover ColombiaProvider: Big Five Tours & Expeditions Length: Six days Price: $1,880

Colombia has long had a reputation as one of the world's most dangerous destinations, and has been avoided by most travelers for decades. In the past five years, however, the country has quietly been getting its act together, putting in place stronger security measures and creating tourism programs to help it emerge onto the world travel scene. A few foreign tour companies are beginning to run trips to Colombia for intrepid travelers eager to be among the first wave to experience what the country has to offer: beautiful colonial cities, a vibrant culture, undeveloped Pacific and Caribbean beaches, and green hills where some of the world's best coffee grows.

Next year, the custom luxury adventure company Big Five Tours & Expeditions, based in Stuart, Florida, will begin offering a six-day program in Colombia with a special emphasis on culture and coffee. The journey starts in Bogota with a guided tour of the city's historic heart. Here you'll see historic sites like the Casa de Narino, the president's palace; the richly adorned Iglesia De San Ignacio, which was constructed in 1635; and the Plaza de Bolivar, Old Bogota's central square. You'll also take the cable car up Mount Monserrate, which offers expansive views of the city.