Vote for Adam Vaught

PostScript: NEW CONTEST THIS MONTH! Our resident photographer, Adam Vaught, has entered the Name Your Dream Assignment Competition. Please vote for him here, email us (editor@travelofftheradar.com) and tell us you did - and when the voting closes we'll pick three people and send them some Eagle Creek Gear.

April, 2009 Photo Contest

Name The Adventurer This month, be the first send your email to editor@travelofftheradar.com correctly identifying which of these lovely adventurers is named Shannon, and win some sweet gear from Eagle Creek! Last Month Congratulations to Theresa Sommers of Atlanta Georgia, who identified the Edinburgh ...

See the Soviet Cetacean Soldiers

The famed "killer dolphins", released into the Gulf of Mexico from an American military compound during hurricane Katrina have finally been recaptured and will be on exhibit at Florida's "Flaquarium " from April 3rd to 5th, 2009. Russian military specialists trained the dolphins at Sevastopol before the head of the programme, Boris Zhurid, was forced to sell the animals after funding cuts in 2000. A joint American PETA-Military team purchased the animals soon afterwards. The recent recapture is a relief to ocean-goers everywhere, as the dolphins are highly trained and extremely dangerous. It is rumored that some ...

One Visa for the East African Community

The East African Community has agreed to start issuing a single visa for the region. Read More

The Okinawan Iditarod Opens to International Competitors

The Okinawan Iditarod is a grueling loop from the capital of Naha to the northern tip of the island and back. The only requirement is that the participants must complete the race in a cart pulled by a pygmie horse. Traditionally the event was open only to residents of the island, coinciding with the end of Irei No Hi (translated roughly as "The Day to Console the Spirits"), a memorial day marking the end of the battle of Okinawa . The mayor of Naha, Takeshi Onaga, recently explained the change in participation: "We are extremely proud of ...

Hunting Tours With Dick

The inaugural trip for a new adventure tour "Hunting Quayle," in which hunters can join former VP Dick Cheney in hunting trips around the world, commences this May in a suburb of Chicago. The trip will focus on developing skills for hunting pigeons in high-density population centers. "We're empowering the American people to hunt in their own backyards. We feel like Cheney's celebrity and the marksmanship he brings to this camp will help bring people together responsibly," a spokesperson stated. In an act of solidarity, former VP Dan Quayle has been invited to attend ...

ATTA Announces Sixth Summit to be Held In Middle Earth

Due the success of last year's summit on a Hurtigruten Expedition Ship, the Adventure Travel Trade Summit will again be held on a ship—of sorts. The sixth annual summit, from October 19th-22nd, will be held on the La Broma, a four-sailed submarine. "This is going to be a CRITICAL summit," speaking in what sounded like all caps, Chris Doyle, VP of the ATTA explained why this summit will be different, "Together, all of us, at the summit, will be going on a journey of discovery!" He went on to explain how, for ...

Kitesurfing Instructor wanted in Mexico!

Elemental Kite Club on Costa Esmeralda in the state of Veracruz, is looking for an experienced IKO/BKSA/PASA qualified kitesurfing instructor to join the team, beginning October 2009 until June 2010. Elemental is a new project driven by a dynamic and enthusiastic team. For the opening of the new school they are looking to hire a positive, pro-active instructor with a strong desire to share their knowledge of this fast growing, extreme sport.Requisits: Passion for the sport!! Fluency in Spanish and English. Valid IKO/BKSA/PASA license. Valid First Aid qualification. Desire to live on a tropically tranquil beach zone with little to do in the evening apart from gaze ...

Center for Responsible Travel Releases “Traveler’s Philanthropy: Dos and Don’ts of Travel Giving.”

The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) has released a new publication addressing the complexities and "unintended consequences" of giving and volunteering while on holiday. "Travelers' Philanthropy: Dos and Don'ts of Travel Giving," provides insights from a dozen tourism experts to some of the most frequent suggestions made by well-meaning travelers who desire to help, interact, and learn while on vacation. The publication, as well as a bookmark with Travelers’ Tips, is available in print or electronic format at Travelers' Philanthropy/Resources or by clicking here."

Exotissimo looking to hire an “Adventure Manager”

Exotissimo is looking to hire an "Adventure Manager," it's a full time position and they are looking for an ex-pat who will be based in Hanoi, click here for more info.

How to Become an Adventure Guide

Great link on tips to becoming an Adventure Guide, Read More

OTR’s Christina Heyniger on Travel’n On Radio Show

Click here to listen to Travel'n On Radio show from March 24th when Christina Heyniger and Shannon Stowell (President of the Adventure Travel Trade Association) talked about their recent trip to Jordan and Shannon's journey into Iraq as a tourist.

Students in Guatemala Robbed on Spring Break

Volunteer Tourists in Guatemala were held at gunpoint and robbed, although they all returned home safely. Read More

Safety of Volunteer Tourists

A post from VolunteerTourism.org on the safety of Volunteer tourists. Read More

Switzerland becoming “a mecca for the unclad?”

The New York Times Travel section reports on Nude Hiking in Switzerland and the controversy it has caused, read more

Surf Camps in Costa Rica

Hello- I am looking to attend surf camp in the next couple of months. Can you recommend a program? I am thinking of Costa Rica. And, I may be traveling as a single woman. Best, Kim Hi Kim, Thanks for the question! We checked in with our resident Surf Expert, Dave Aabo, who runs WAVES for Development in Peru. He suggested you check out Chica Brava, an all-girls surf camp in San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua or Bahia Aventuras in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. In the next two weeks, we will ...

Lucknow be 2 Ladies: Taking on the Rickshaw Run

Last year, Pippa Daniels, a financial analyst from Wales (but Dubai livin'), observed her boyfriend's participation in the Rickshaw Run with interest. This year, she and her friend Helen Ahern, a lawyer also working in Dubai, have entered themselves as the Lucknow Be 2 Ladies team to compete in the Run. Asked about their motivation, sure, competition with the boys was one, but Pippa also mentioned that it had been a while since she’d felt challenged or put herself totally out of her comfort zone. Racing through an unfamiliar country ...

New Zealand Needs to Manage Expectations

New Zealand needs to be careful with "dangerous" promises in tourism marketing campaigns, eco-travel experts warn. Read More

Adventure Travel Gains Allure

"It's not all doom and gloom out there," says Tim Greening, the director of KEI adventures, a company that has had a record breaking month in January. In fact, according to this article adventure travel is gaining allure despite tough economic times. Read More

Interview with Eric M. and Pokin Y. of GeckoGo

Whether they are quickly scaling up walls or scampering around wicker furniture, we seem to see the friendly gecko lizards a lot in our travels. The gecko's friendly, inquisitive nature was the inspiration behind Eric M. and Pokin Y.'s travel website, GeckoGo. In 2006, when Eric and Pokin broke free from the cosmetics industry, they wanted to build a website to make planning a trip easy and fun. Frustrated online planners themselves, they knew their friends were also opening tab after tab ...