For the uninitiated, Zeeland is a lovely little province of the Netherlands. It's made up of a number of small islands and a little strip of ground bordering Belgium. This year World Expeditions, a company well known for its rugged mountaineering expeditions, has designed a groovy little self-guided bicycle tour of Zeeland. World Expeditions' team will set you up with charming guesthouse accommodations and suggestions of routes to take, but leave the rest up to you.
You can expect to see pretty villages, fishing ports and seaside resorts. On your first day you'll visit the historic twin villages of Middelharnis and Sommelsdijk, founded in 1465. A few days later, ferry your bikes to Goeree Overflakkee island, riding through the island Nature Reserve enroute to Hellevoetsluis. Your mission: perfect your pronunciation of these beautiful villages before returning home!
Self-guided trips have many advantages, especially in easy-to-navigate locations — they let you travel at your own pace, sleep late when you feel like it, linger over places you especially favor, and pass quickly through anything that fails to delight.
Trip cost: $940.
Contact: contactus@worldexpeditions.com or call toll free: (888) 464-8735
Another island we love for adventure travel is Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Try connecting with Stowe, Vermont-based Boundless Journeys on a trip kayaking and hiking on this lush, beautiful island. The west coast of the island, in the Tofino and Ucluelet area is wild and rugged. Guests spend three nights camping in Pacific Rim National Park, paddling the many sheltered inlets, wildlife watching, and hiking the island. This area is good for beginner and experienced paddlers, because the many undeveloped islands in the area protect kayakers from the open ocean currents and swells.
Boundless Journeys' trip designer Karen Cleary commented, "When developing the trip, it became obvious that the best way to experience this area wouldn't be simply camping or staying in a coastal lodge — it would have combine the two, to give guests a real appreciation for what makes this area so unique."
Trip cost: $2495
Contact: 800-941-8010 or see www.boundlessjourneys.com
Off the Radar is strengthening its relationship with Sustainable Travel International in 2007 — our new collaborative relationship expands Off the Radar's network for our readers, allowing us to bring even more great unsung heroes among entrepreneurial adventure travel operators to your attention. STI promotes responsible travel and ecotourism with information to help travelers and travel providers protect the cultures and environments they visit. Visit them on the web at www.sustainabletravelinternational.org to learn more. 
Where Was This Photo Taken?
Photo Contest Photo by Christina Heyniger
Think you know the location of this holy site's lofty cliff-side perch? Be the first to send an email with its famous name and location to editor@travelofftheradar.com and as always, we’ll drop a great piece of Eagle Creek gear in the mail to you.
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