The world’s wild places can be exhilarating playgrounds brimming with opportunities to feel the thrill of adventure and create a lifetime of precious memories with the ones you love. Take your pick from a dizzying range of possibilities, from the exhilarating sensation of ziplining through tropical forest canopies to magical white water rafting through pristine valleys.
COSTA RICA
Compact, family-friendly and a beacon of biodiversity, Costa Rica was almost purpose-built made for active exploits in breathtaking settings. See the Monteverde Cloud Forest from a fresh perspective as you whizz through its tightly packed emerald canopy on the country’s longest zipline course. Slide, swing and rappel among the treetops, spotting brightly plumed macaws, swinging capuchin monkeys, and maybe even a reclusive sloth, along the two-mile route. Aquaphiles, meanwhile, will be in their element in Costa Rica’s Caribbean east, where we recommend an electrifying white-water rafting expedition through gorges smothered in tropical greenery. Base yourself at Pacuare Lodge, where your arrival is a rafting safari in itself, and whose eco-luxury ethos encompasses everything from the farm-to-table food to the nature-based spa treatments.
NEW ZEALAND
With only a fifth of its area permanently populated, New Zealand has a multitude of pristine natural spaces to revel in. Few are more spectacular than the Franz Josef Glacier, which flows down the western flank of the Southern Alps. Be whisked up by helicopter for a guided trek across the ever-changing ice sheet, encountering crevasses, towers and caves as you go. Explore the gentler coastal scenery of Abel Tasman National Park by kayak, where you may be lucky enough to see some of the area’s marine residents, from little blue penguins to dusky dolphins. Head to the South Island’s ‘capital of adventure’, Queenstown, where a pulse-pounding jet-boat ride along its mountain-framed lake and rivers is only one of a plethora of adrenaline-filled pursuits. Or go whitewater rafting through the mighty falls and rapids of the North Island’s Kaituna River, close to the geothermal wonderland of Rotorua.
SLOVENIA
Thanks to a quirk of geography, Slovenia crams a surprising range of striking landscapes into a compact area. One minute you could be enveloped in the Julian Alps, riding Lipizzaner horses along wooded valleys or canoeing along an emerald-tinted river, the next hurtling downhill on a summer tobogganing track overlooking a picture-book lake with a fairytale island at its heart. But that’s not all that makes Slovenia one of our favourite under-the-radar destinations for outdoor adventures. This charming Adriatic nation, rated one of the safest places in the world, is also one of its cleanest and greenest. Stay in rustic lodges and countryside boltholes where the food is seasonal, and local, and soothe any post-activity aching muscles at one of Slovenia’s glorious thermal water spas, where all ages are welcome.
OREGON
Escape into the USA’s undiscovered north-west on a road trip that’s brimming with memorable escapades. Oregon is known for its geographical variety, from volcanoes and high deserts to dense evergreen forests, so lovers of the Great Outdoors will be in their element. Get things rolling with the wind in your hair while mountain biking in the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Nights are all about stargazing under endless skies, while the days unfold with tubing trips on roaring rivers, treks through the multicoloured Painted Hills, and walks on the margins of magnificent Crater Lake. Immerse yourself in the wilderness on a three-day rafting expedition on the wonderfully named Rogue River before hitting the Pacific Coast to catch a wave, go whale-watching or plunge through the dunes on a sandboarding adventure.
CHILE
When it comes to memorable backdrops, few are more spectacular than Chile’s most extreme landscapes. In the far north, in the bone-dry heights of the Atacama, you’ll discover terrain that wouldn’t look out of place on Mars. Trek through the otherworldly Valley of the Moon among soaring dunes and brick-red rocks sculpted by the wind, or walk the lesser-known paths of the multicoloured Rainbow Valley. Ride a hardy Criollo horse through the Salt Mountains along ancient river systems that haven’t seen rain for decades, or cycle across glistening salt flats to float in a super-saline lagoon. At Chile’s southern reaches, the vast expanses of Patagonia offer equally exhilarating experiences. Take your pick from whitewater rafting and heli-biking among the rainforest-cloaked volcanoes of the Lake District, and riding across wild Patagonian plains with the jagged granite peaks of Torres del Paine as your backdrop.
CANADA
In western Canada’s sprawling wildernesses, there are awe-inspiring discoveries around every corner. Adventure lovers of all ages will be in their element on Vancouver Island, where you can stay in a luxury lodge with an impressive array of nature-based activities – think bear-watching by boat, rock climbing and their signature ‘glacial plunge’ river swim. Go east for a complete change of scene; the Rockies in summer are a thrilling outdoor playground. Base yourself at Banff, a pretty resort town in the heart of the national park, from where you can embark on river-canoeing expeditions, treks along flower-fringed alpine paths and horse rides into the hills. If you're looking for something more exclusive, charter an immaculately restored vintage yacht just for you and your family. Glide aboard it through the epic seascapes of Desolation Sound, or follow the Inside Passage for a safari through the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest.
