Rafting Rushing down a river with nothing but a rubber tire to protect you? Count me in. The best place to try rafting is Lower Salt River near Mesa, Arizona where they will rent you a raft to go down the river. Or try seesouthwest.com for more ideas on places to get wet.

Hike Picacho Peak Picacho Peak is the site of Arizona’s only Civil War Battle, and even a partial climb is worth the effort with spectacular views from every side of the Peak. Go before dusk and witness Arizona’s beautiful sunset. If you’re into wargames, go in March and witness a reenactment of the Battle of Picacho Pass.

Try Geocaching In Pheonix alone there are around 1800 Geocaching sites for you to discover. Geocaching is a game played by adventure seekers all over the world. You use a GPS receiver to locate hidden containers called Geocaches and then log your finds and share your experiences online with the rest of the Geocaching community

See the Grand Canyon. Ever wondered what it would feel like to look 4,000 straight down with nothing below your feet without falling? The Grand Canyon Skywalk projects 70 feet out over the canyon, and has a glass bottom allowing you to view the near vertical walls and offers a perfect view 4,000 feet straight down towards the Colorado River.

Find Curly’s Gold Panning for gold isn’t just about finding gold, it’s an entire experience. I went goldpanning with my parents as a kid and its something that has stuck with me for a long, long time. Probably because crocodiles were involved. However, it’s not as easy to find gold nowadays as it was during the gold rush, but it sure would be an awesome story to tell the grandkids. The Bradshaw mine is a great place to start.

Find a real live cowboy

No symbol or legend is as powerful as that of the South West cowboy. The cowboy is the quintessential American hero; the embodiment of rugged individualism and independence. Being from an Australian city, we don’t really have cowboys in the traditional sense, so get out there and seek out and close with a real American cowboy. You’re sure to find one in Arizona.

I wish I’d known about all these fun things to do in Arizona before I went! Luckily you can plan your trip better than I did.

Grand Canyon http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandj98/ / CC BY-NC 2.0 rafting http://www.flickr.com/photos/7202153@N03/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

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Now that you’ve had your fill of kickboxing and cage fighting its time to chillax and check out the extreme watersports offered in the beautiful Philippines.

June-August – Philippines
The Philippines is made up of 7000 gorgeous tropical islands. Unlike Bangkok, Manilla is definitely missable. Filipinos are reputably very hospitable, and English is one of 2 official national languages. While you won’t find the great discounts found in Thailand or other parts of South East Asia, the ease of travelling will more than make up for it.

Where to go:
With 7000 tropical islands, you will never be short on beaches in the Philippines. My recommendation is Camarines Sur, located on the island of Luzon. Stunning beaches, surfing, jungles, wildlife, festivals, and best of all, Camarines Wakeboarding. CWC is the best water park in the world, and hands down the cheapest.

You can learn to wakeboard here in the footsteps of world champions, or just take advantage of the other areas of the water parks in the area. Completely off the typical tourist path, no one visits Camarines Sur unless they are coming for the wakeboarding. The Camarines are chalk full of gorgeous waterfalls, beaches, mountains and best of all, CWC Water Park.

Where to stay:
Accommodation at CWC starts at around $16/night. Negotiate with them directly for long term discounts. Cheaper accommodation can be found way from the park but factor in transport costs.
The Department of Tourism has a Home stay Program that offers visitors the comfort of modest homes and an insight into Philippine life. For information, contact the Tourist Information Centre at Room 106, Department of Tourism Building, tel. nos. 524-2384 / 524-1703.

Getting there:
From Manila, Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines fly at least once per day (55 mins) to Naga Airport (actually in Pili about 10kms East of Naga)

Getting around:
Jeepneys are abundant everywhere and work like a dodgy local bus. Tricycles are similar to the cyclos or rickshaws of Vietnam and run at about the same prices. If you want to travel under your own speed, hire or buy a bicycle. Scooters are also available for rent from CWC.

What to do:
Besides the white sand beaches with clear turquoise waters, national parks, limestone caves and volcanos for you to explore, there is, of course, the world famous Camsur Watersports Complex.

Known as the best cable park in the world, it is also the most affordable with rates from 185 pesos (around $4USD). For your money you get free use of entry level equipment as well as the skate park, volleyball court, swimming pool, and the elevated spectator area for watching the many champion wake boarders who visit on a regular basis.

When you get bored of wakeboarding, there is the Lago Del Rey Watersports facility. With giant waterslides, aqua wall climbing, water polo, kayaking, etc etc etc. Lago Del Rey was built to balance the cable park’s extreme sports forte, with water-oriented sports and entertainment for children.

When you’re done with water and nature calls there are plenty of nature trails for hiking or mountain biking through the jungles, or you could just hit the awesome skate park located at CWC.

At the end of the day when you’re famished and looking for food be sure to check out the local specialities. The region is known for its fiery, chilli based dished.

Join in for part 3 of the Endless Summer Series : Australia

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Post tags: Adrenaline Junkies, adventure, beach, endless summer, extreme sports, phillippines, travel, wakeboard, wakeboarding

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Wrong.

There are more jobs in travel than most of us would ever consider.

1) Work in a bar

Surprisingly, this is more common than most people think. Especially in South East Asia. Most of the bars are run specifically for expats, often co-owned by expats, and guess what? The managers are expats and travellers too. Make sure you have plenty of bar or waiting experience before you go and remember to talk it up.

2) Teach something other than English.

You could be teaching Arabic in Vietnam, Yoga in Thailand or Snowboarding in Canada. The options for this are endless. Tap into what you already have and make it into a shareable skill.

3) Sell something

Every country on Earth has its niche; they have things that are made that can’t be bought anywhere else on earth. If you’re the entrepreneurial type, find someone back home who wants to import, charge them a fee to do their spotting and send the items to them. On the other hand you could set up an online store or sell via Ebay.

4) Train others

In Asia especially, they seek out people who have vocational skills that can be taught in a college setting. If you have experience as a barista and a Workplace Trainers certificate you could be earning big bucks teaching coffee making skills in Shanghai.

5) Pick something

Agriculture is one of those industries that always needs willing workers. The pay won’t be great, but then, who else do you know who has picked strawberries in Australia or grapes in France?

6) Use your imagination

With a little bit of imagination, you can do whatever you did at home in your new country, or something even more exciting. Look at what is going on around you, listen to what travellers are complaining that they can’t get, and give it to them at a price. You’ll find that with a little leg work you can get whatever is needed.

7) Keep your ears open

With a little bit of imagination, you can do whatever you did at home in your new country, or something even more exciting. Look at what is going on around you, listen to what travellers are complaining that they can’t get, and give it to them at a price. You’ll find that with a little leg work you can get whatever is needed.

Over the course of many international adventures I’ve had some strange jobs offered to me. From property manager to finance broker in Vietnam through to publishing assistant in Thailand. There are jobs out there, don’t feel restricted to teaching English wherever you go. Chances are, you can do the same job you did at home, or a variation of it,  in any country you happen to find yourself  in.

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When we think of adventurous people we often think of those who push their bodies to the limits climbing Everest or running in arduous adventure races.

An adventurer is someone who bases their life around adventurous acts, constantly seeking out new and interesting things to do with their time. Adventures create a psychological arousal, be it a fear or flow response, either way, your heart is beating faster.

To pursue adventure means wanting to step outside of your comfort zone. To decide to move away from the comfort of your life and push yourself to discover new things, about the world and about yourself.

Adventure travel is more than going to the far wilds of Mongolia to hike 100 miles up a snow covered mountain in search of the fountain of youth. Adventure travel encompasses everything from cycling around a new town to caving, sky diving or BASE jumping off the tallest building in the world. It is travelling to a distant location, immersing yourself in different cultures or undertaking some sort of physical activity. Travelling to a faraway land to watch TV from your 5 star hotel is definitely not classified as adventure travel, but if you wander out of your hotel and lose your guide book, end up on the wrong side of town and have to bargain you way out of your jail… That is definitely an adventure!

Adventure means finding new places, stepping outside the beaten path, looking up from your guidebook and discovering a place that has never been written about.

Adventure travel is a physical pursuit, a cultural experience or engaging with nature. Take this to mean a hike through the Amazon, immersing yourself in the culture of South East Asia or Volunteering to save wild cats in South America.

What is an adventure to one person is not an adventure to another.

The prospect of going to a foreign country and learning a new language, discovering the nuance of a new city or taking on a new sport are all worthy adventures.

To some, travelling in itself is enough of an adventure. To others, travelling solo is the height of adventure. Then there are those to whom travelling solo to an unknown land with only the clothes on their back is just the start of the crazy adventure they want to experience.

While a hardcore adventurer might want to spend their weekend jumping out of planes or battling white water rapids, there are more than a few ways to get your heart beating that don’t involve risking life and limb .

Would you prefer to spend your weekend shopping or pursuing new ways to make your heart race?

Your amazing travel adventure could be navigating the shopping districts of Tokyo, Paris or New York.

There are so many adventures and so little time. What is your adventure? What does your heart yearn for? Pick one and make it happen. Your life will be better for it.

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Win a Van-Tastic road trip around Australia

Are you a mad keen traveller with a lust for filming your adventures?

Enter the WorldNomads.com Van-Tastic Adventure for the chance to fly to Australia and film the ultimate Aussie road trip to win $AUD 10,000.

WorldNomads.com is looking for 7 teams of ‘Van-Tastic Adventurers’ to travel across Australia on a 6 week road trip of a lifetime.

You’ll be flown to Australia to explore your favourite piece of the country in a fully loaded camper van, with fuel money, an action packed itinerary and all the gear you’ll need to share your adventure through videos, stories and photos.

You can choose where you want to go, what you want to do and, with heaps of adventurous activities thrown in for free, you’ll have lots of stories to make a mini video documentary of your adventure. The team with the most popular video will win $10,000 cash and flights from Virgin Blue.

Apply now and start preparing a 2 minute or less video of why you are the most Van-Tastic.

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Teaching English is an exciting way to see the world and get paid for it. The hours are generally low and most English Teachers are content and live comfortable lifestyles.

You could be on a plane within 6 weeks of reading this, with an overseas job guarantee.

If you are a native English speaker, and willing to undertake a certificate in Teaching English you will be able to find work teaching English.

Why Teach English?

• Learn another Language. You can spend a full year (or more) immersed in the language of your choice. You could live in a South American country and improve your Spanish.
• pay off your debts. You can save  a mint teaching in places like Korea, Japan and the Middle East. In Vietnam I earn (on an hourly rate) up to twice as much as I do back home, and my living expenses are almost halved. In some countries, however, teaching English will only pay your basic expenses (like Thailand for example) However, it is usually a matter of taking a few extra private classes to bump up your salary.
• Live Overseas My main reasons for moving to Vietnam, was to Teach English and to live overseas. The cultural experiences and adventures you have by leaving your home country are an amazing bonus and incredible life stories to tell
• Fund your travels You can spend 3months to 3 years in any one location teaching English in various locations. There are opportunities at public and private schools as well as private (one on one) lessons
• You want to fall in love, stay in love or follow your friends overseas. You’re significant other is offered a 2 year contract with an international firm in Shanghai, but you’re not offered a position? You could make a living in China (or just about any other country) teaching English.
• Retirement Teaching English is not a domain of the young. In fact, most teachers are of the mature variety. There are no age limits so if you are willing and able you could be overseas in 6 weeks, teaching English in the country of your dreams.
• Gap Year You’ve just finished High School and you’re about to go to College or University but you want to take a year off to travel. By teaching English you will be able to have assimilate with the locals in your new home and live the lifestyle that most travellers will never see.
• No Idea Still haven’t chosen your career? Teaching English can be a 1 year break or your profession for life. There is no age limit, and you can learn on the job or take professional development. There are career progression opportunities and you could eventually find yourself running your own school.

What its like

I work for a language “chain” school, on a part time basis, in Vietnam. Usually I can have as many hours as I want, and the pay is higher than my wage back home on a per hourly basis. When I first arrived I thought I would teach English primarily to adults, but, it was not to be! I now find myself teaching Young Learners, from kindy through to High School and I love it! Children are a mixed bag (if you pardon the expression) but if you can learn the herding techniques, it becomes fun! I am now teaching private classes for groups of 6-9 year olds and having a blast.

Conditions & Benefits Here in Vietnam, a full time teaching is usually offered a full time teaching week of 20 contact hours. They recieve paid leave, 2 days off per week, end of contract bonuses ,reimbursment of part of their training costs, and flights allowances.
Qualifications

In some countries no qualification is needed. However, it is always better to have a teaching certificate. The most common and most respected is the Cambridge CELTA. This course runs for one month and can be taken in most countries. It is a super intensive course so brush up on your grammar and study skills before you go!

While a degree is requested at many schools it is not always a prerequisite. If you havent finished your degree, apply for the jobs anyway. Some schools will accept you without it, but there are occasional visa hassles (Japan is one country that requires a Bachelors degree for a working visa).

How to get started

Check out i-to-i Travel for an online TEFL course! For best results do a 120 hour teaching course such as the Cambridge CELTA or Trinity TESOL.

More resources…

i-to-i Travel

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Aaahh the joy of travelling. This is the short list of things that I never travel without, part one, because there are quite a few.

As you can see, I’m not much for travelling light. I like to be in contact and know whats going on at home. I want my creature comforts… within reason.

Ipod

I admit it, its true. I am one of “those” travellers who always has an ipod on me. I bought Dawn many years ago, the battery ran dead and has been replaced, so Dawn has many scratches and nicks, she’s been dropped more times than i care to admit but she’s still going. Filled to bursting with Dylan, Punk Rock and Miley Cyrus (I kid you not). I found a pair of Sony headphones on a necklace type lanyard which keeps itaround my neck and I usually put the ipod under my jacket so it can’t be ripped off by wandering hands.

Mobile phone

I have a phone with me now that i bought in 2001. I remember it well, the first time i bought a ‘nice’ phone. It was the smallest at the time, strangely, phones got bigger for a while, and suddenly they are heavier…. So now my 7 year old phone is just as good as any other phone as far as i can figure. If it gets stolen I will be most upset because we have history. I’d rather my old brick phone than a new phone. How upset will you be if your new iphone gets lifted, or if your crackberry goes swimming in the toilet? Take a cheap phone with you!

For international travel your phone must be compatible – i think its called tri-band? Either way, you can pick up a phone for under $100 pretty much anywhere. Make sure you aren’t locked onto a network before you leave home, and buy a sim card when you land.

In Vietnam, my sim card was around $8, included $10 of credit, and it usually lasts about 3 weeks, depending on how often i call Australia.

Running shoes

Okay, I don’t run half as often as I should, but i always take some sort of sports shoe, even if its just for walking. I randomly joined a touch football team here and these came in very useful.

If you are the running/walking/drinking type, you will need a pair of shoes for Hashing! Hash House Harriers run in just about every city on earth and its probably the quickest way to make new friends. All you need is a pair of shoes and a mouth for drinking.

Laptop

Lets be real here. I’m no flashpacker. I don’t travel with wads of cash, and i avoid backpacker hotspots as I would avoid leper colonies. I listen to punk rock for Gods sake!

But i absolutely can’t travel without my Laptop. Not just because I blog and what not.. But… how else do you stay in touch with the world?  In many countries it is almost impossible to get news from home without a laptop (unless you love CNN).

Your laptop must be fitted out with some usefull applications and programs though. The short list is:


Stay in touch with home, chat, call home for free and make cheap international calls with Skype
- what could be better? I use Skype pretty much every time I am connected to the internet.

Bloglines or Google Reader

For the all important Internet Stalking of your friends blogs… um, i mean, reading the news and staying up to date with stuff!

You can pick up most of the things on this list from the new, shiny, wonderful The Pursuit of Adventure Amazon Store. Check it out!

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Post tags: hanoi, Stories from the road, Tips & Ideas, travel, travel advice, travelling, Vietnam

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