From the sedate to the extreme: find your active ranking with The Adventure Company

It is a common misconception that ‘adventure travel’ demands a high level of physical fitness, but The Adventure Company aims to show that adventure holidays can be as active or relaxing as customers want.

For the first time in the 2009 brochures, The Adventure Company has ranked all of its trips on a scale of one to five for activity levels. Level one indicates tours with the most sedate pace, while level five tours will challenge the most active travellers.

This easy-to-use guide allows travellers to gauge which trips suit their needs whilst also alerting them to the difference between trips to the same destination – trips to Nepal, for example, range from one to five in their activity levels.

The examples below illustrate the range of activity levels on The Adventure Company’s trips.

LEVEL ONE: Bring the guidebook

The 11-day Nile Riverboat Adventure includes a leisurely cruise along the Nile from Aswan to Luxor, with shore visits to the great temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu, the Valley of the Kings and Karnak. The trip starts and ends in Cairo so travellers will also visit the Pyramids at Giza.

Nile Riverboat Adventure is available from £1,019 plus £100 local payment per person. This price includes flights and is valid for the departure 24th May – 2nd June 2009.

For full trip information, see www.adventurecompany.co.uk/trip-details.aspx?productid=34643

LEVEL TWO: Bring the camera

Trekking the Inca Trail is not the only way to experience the magic of Machu Picchu – travellers on the Taste of Peru trip will take the train to the magnificent citadel. The itinerary also includes a scenic drive across the ‘altiplano’ where llama and alpaca can be seen wandering the high plateau; and a boat trip to the floating reed islands of Lake Titicaca.

The 11-day Taste of Peru trip is available from £1,559 plus US$350 local payment per person. This price includes flights and is valid for the departure 1st – 11th May 2009.

For full trip information, see www.adventurecompany.co.uk/trip-details.aspx?productid=34206

LEVEL THREE: Bring the hiking boots

Rwandan Encounters offers incredible chances to come face to face with wildlife including chimps and mountain gorillas in Central Africa. The dense jungles of Nyungwe and the Parc National des Volcans means the expeditions in search of the primates are on foot and hikes may take up to three hours each way.

The 12-day Rwandan Encounters trip costs from £2,099 plus US$500 local payment per person. This price includes flights and is valid for the departure 14th – 25th October 2009.

For full trip information, see www.adventurecompany.co.uk/trip-details.aspx?productid=176442

LEVEL FOUR: Bring the isotonic drinks

A multi-activity holiday in Europe is a great option for travellers wanting to try some new outdoor pursuits. Turkey Activity Week is based in the coastal town of Kas – the adventure capital of the Mediterranean – and includes sea kayaking, river rafting, mountain biking and SCUBA diving on the itinerary.

The eight-day Turkey Activity Week costs from £699 plus £80 local payment per person. This price includes flights and is valid for the departure 4th – 11th September 2009.

For full trip information, see www.adventurecompany.co.uk/trip-details.aspx?productid=33660

LEVEL FIVE: Bring the ice axe

Forget Everest Base Camp – Mera Peak is the highest trekking peak in the Himalayas and is almost a kilometre higher at 6,461 metres. The Mera Peak Trek is one of The Adventure Company’s toughest itineraries, with almost three weeks of challenging hiking at altitude. The itinerary allows time for acclimatisation, but previous trekking experience is critical.

The 23-day Mera Peak Trek costs from £2,499 plus £100 local payment per person. This price includes flights and is valid on the departure 7th – 29th November 2009.

For full trip information, see www.adventurecompany.co.uk/trip-details.aspx?productid=135885

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For media information or images, please contact Kate Popham or Kylie Jenkins at The Saltmarsh Partnership on 020 7928 1600 or email kate@saltmarshpr.co.uk or kylie@saltmarshpr.co.uk

Visit The Adventure Company’s online press office for archived press releases and images: http://www.adventurecompany.co.uk/press-office.aspx