My Top Travel Adventures of 2012monkeysandmountains.com /travel-adventures-2012

2012 was the most incredible year of my lif e for travel adventures!

I visited 13 countries, not including Germany where I live. This included Spain – 5 times!, Czech Republic, Finland,Austria – 3 times, Italy – twice, Luxembourg, England, Switzerland France – twice, Canada, United States, South Africa –twice, Swaz iland, and Australia, plus numerous shorter trips within Germany.

Although I do have a favorite destination of 2012 (coming in a later post), what really stood out in my mind were theadventures I experienced while traveling.

Here are my top 12 Travel Adventures of 2012:

(in no particular order)

1. Get t ing THISCLOSE to a Rhino Mother and Baby at Hlane Royal Park, Swaziland

Hlane Royal Park lets visitors out of the safari jeep to get closer to the rhinos on special tours. When I visited there wasa baby rhino whose mother was hiding it behind some bushes. I creeped behind our guide slowly, trying to fade into thebushes. He walked silently, never taking his eyes off the mother rhino. Eventually he stopped when we were about 5meters away from the mother. She stared at us…and went on eating. Never in a million years would I have ever thoughtI would get SO close to a rhino, let alone a mother and a baby. It was the experience of a lifetime!

2. Snowmobiling in Finland

I live for adventure travel, and was totally up for the adventure of snowmobiling for the first time through a forest. Little didI know how adrenalin packing it would be…and SO much fun! See: Snowmobiling in Iso-Syöte, Finland.

3. Hiking in the Drakensberg, South Af rica

The Drakensberg are the highest mountains in all of southern Africa and they put me to the test – in the best waypossible. I never would have thought about hiking in South Africa before but now I’m convinced it should be on everynature lover/hikers list of things to do. It’s a great way to take in the scenery and perhaps even meet a new primatefriend along the way as I did in Monkeys and Mountains: My EPIC Day in the Drakensberg.

4. Summer Adventures in the Nassfeld, Aust ria

The Nassfeld is a well- known ski area in Carinthia (Kärnten in German), but I loved all the adventures it offered insummer. In just one day I rode down the mountain on a Summer Rodelbahn, climbed through a rock labyrinth, andswung through the trees on a Flying Fox and High Ropes Course. And that is to say nothing of all the hiking and rockclimbing the area offers. A seriously action-packed fun day!

5. Observing Hippos in iSimangliso Wet land Park, South Af rica

This was not adventurous per say since I observed the hippos from the safety of a boat while on a Hippo and Croc BoatSafari with Heritage Tours and Safaris, but it was an incredible experience to be SO close to a large herd of hippos andit was my first time observing hippos in the wild. And it was in one of Africa’s most dangerous estuaries…but that’s awhole other story.

6. Cycling in Costa Brava

I have always wanted to take a cycling holiday and I finally got the chance to do so in Costa Brava. It was everything Iimagined it would be and more. I loved that I saw things (like a hidden waterfall) and small villages that I would havemissed if traveling by other means of transportation. Plus the cuisine in Costa Brava is mouth-watering good, so it waseasier to justify all the food I was eating with cycling. See: Cycling in Costa Brava.

7. Kayaking with Crocs in Katherine Gorge, Northern Territory, Aust ralia

Considering that the crocs can be longer than your kayak, and my paddling skills leave something to be desired, I wasa bit intrepid about this adventure. Not only did we see a croc, but we saw him snap at our guide who inadvertently gotto close! Amaz ing! And why I’ll remember Kayaking with crocs in Katherine Gorge for a very long time!

8. Paragliding Over Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm) in Italy

Photo cour tes y o f MONA, us ed wi th perm is s ion.

Not only was it my first time paragliding but the weather was being temperamental and I was communicating with myguide in German. The first few moments are terrifying as you literally jump off a cliff….then incredibly blissful as you geta bird’s-eye view of the world below you while Paragliding Over Alpe di Siusi.

9. Volunteering with Chimps in Girona, Spain

I have worked with gorillas before, but my firstlove has always been chimps. I was beyondexcited when I had the opportunity tovolunteer with them for a few days at MONA, achimp sanctuary that rescues chimps thathave been previously kept as pets or wereused in circuses. It was both heart breakingand inspiring. I’ve yet to write about it (postcoming soon), but you can read about onechimp who made quite the impression on me: My Chimpanzee Love Affair in Girona, Spain.

10. Hiking in the Pyrenees, Spain

As regular readers know I love mountains. I’ve also been spoiled growing up in the Canadian Rockies and living closeto the Alps. I didn’t have high expectations for the Pyrenees, but they were beautiful! So beautiful that I just had to hikeand convinced our anxious guide that I, along with two fellow travel bloggers would hike back down instead of taking thetrain down with everyone else. I’m sooooo glad that I did and now I want to go back for more Hiking in the Pyreneesnow that I know how breathing they are!

11. Shark Diving Without a Cage in South Af rica

I love diving

Me wi th an Oceanic B lack Tip Shark. Photo cour tes y o f J oos t van Uffe len.

I love divingwith sharks. I’ve done itclose to ahundredtimes, eachtime withouta cage. Shark divingwithout acage is notfor the faintof heart. Butstill, I feltcompletelysafesurroundedby up to 17curiousOceanicBlack Tipsthat Iencounteredwhile divingat ProteaBanks withAfrican DiveAdventures and Aliwal Shoal with Agulhaus House and Diving. You can read about what it’s really like to go SharkDiving in South Africa – Without a Cage. After close to a hundred sharks dives, I still can’t get enough of diving withsharks. It is seriously addictive!

12. My f inal t ravel adventure?This one also happens to be my favorite travel adventure and was coincidentally also my favorite destination that Ivisited in 2012. Any guesses? Check back to find out where it was and why it was incredibly special!

Wishing you all the best in 2013. Happy and safe travels!