Top 10 Summer Travel Destinations for the Active Traveler

In this post you will find my top ten summer travel destinations for outdoor activities. I have focused on environmental friendly, healthy and fun activities that most people are able to do with little or no practice. I chose each destination especially for the activity of choice, which means that the destinations on the list are the world’s best places go for the active traveler.

Summer Destination #1 : Bay Islands, Honduras

Activity: Scuba Diving

Honduras earned my top score for the Summer Travel Destination for Active Travelers. Unbeatable beauty, perfect beaches, low prices and world class scuba diving. That is some of the features of the Bay Islands. Other factors that make this a winner is a wide spread focus on eco-travel, national parks with tropical forests and wildlife and it is one of the world’s cheapest places to get the scuba diving license.

Summer Destination #2 : Railey Beach, Krabi, Thailand

Activity: Rock Climbing

This little peninsula is not accessible by car, so you have to get there by “long tail boats”. You find 3 beaches here, and the main activity all over is rock climbing. With several rocks “shooting” 100’s of feet vertically up in the air, they are perfect for all levels of climbing. Personally I did my life’s first rock climbing there, and I loved it! This is a very safe choice of destination for your summer travels! And there are way more activities to do there if rock climbing doesn’t treat you to good.

Summer Destination #3: Rwanda

Activity: Gorilla Trekking

Everybody have heard of and sometimes wanted to go on a safari in Africa, but Rwanda is not the most common travel destination. However, if you want something more unusual, and a way more special experience, you should definitely go on one of Rwanda’s Gorilla Treks! There are several companies organizing these tours, but I would recommend using responsibletravel.com (the reason is in the name). You will of course be able to do the regular safari game drives, checking out other big animals. But what I have heard from other travel agents and travelers, is that nothing really beats sitting next to a huge gorilla, our closest relative in nature. All of this happens in a spectacular scenery on top of the Virunga Volcanoes in Rwanda!

Summer Destination #4 : Kenai Fjords, Alaska

Activity: Kayaking

During summer Alaska becomes a different kind of paradise, with 24 hours of daylight, comfortable temperatures and dramatic scenery. And it is the perfect destination for ocean kayaking! You can paddle between whales and giant icebergs, all the way up to the huge glaciers.

Summer Destination #5: The European Alps

Activity: Hiking

It’s not a surprising destination on the list; the European Alps is a perfect destination if you enjoy hiking/trekking, mountains, views and nature. And they spread over Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France, so you really have a lot of choices! Personally, I would probably go for the Swiss option and head to Zermatt (which I wrote about here). But wherever you go, the European Alps is a fairly safe choice for your summer travel destination.

Summer Destination #6: Colorado River, Arizona

Activity: White Water Rafting

One of the world’s best destinations for white water rafting. And white water rafting is the perfect activity in Arizona’s summer heat. And the best thing: You are rafting through one of the world’s most famous and dramatic natural tourist attractions; the legendary Grand Canyon.

Summer Destination #7: Bali

Activity: Surfing

If you are looking for a perfect, beautiful summer travel destination, where you can stay active and have fun; well, Bali has it all. It’s such a little paradise island and it has surf spots that suit all skill levels! Kuta, the tourist and party town on Bali’s south coast, has a nice sand beach with small easy waves for beginner. But just move a tiny little bit of the sand beach, and you have world famous reef brakes for the more experienced surfers. And if you need a break from all the tourists, but still want to surf, you should head of to the next island, Lombok. Here you will find more amazing surf spots, but almost no tourists.

Summer Destination #8: Voss, Norway

Activity: Summer Skiing

This is the option for you who can never get enough skiing, or for you who like the idea of skiing, but dread the cold. Make Voss the destination for your summer vacation, and you can go skiing on a glacier wearing nothing but shorts and boots. Maybe a shirt is a good idea as well, just to avoid getting molested by the snow in case of a hard fall. And when you are done with skiing, take a drive to check out Norway’s fjords, go for a hike in the mountains and drink some Voss bottled water for free from the tap. To learn more about norway, check out this Norway Travel Guide.

Summer Destination #9: Langkawi, Malaysia

Activity: Bicycling

This is probably the world’s best travel destination if you are looking for a good bike ride. I am actually just going to quote the Guardian for this description:”Not only a cycle route but an entire island to explore. Think water buffalo grazing, back roads leading to secluded waterfalls, white sandy beaches and verdant jungle”. Do you really need more than that?

Summer Destination #10: Up to you

Activity: Up to you

What should be my 10th summer travel destination for the active traveler? Give me some suggestions in the comment field below.