Season of thrilling getaways

More and more city slickers, looking to escape the scorching heat, are taking to adventure travel with gusto As the mercury soars and the sweat and grime of concrete jungles become unbearable, the metro dwellers can be found packing their bags and heading straight for the verdant hills. But it is no longer just for a relaxed, laid-back holiday in high-altitude, idyllic surroundings. Lounging around on a vacation is oh-so-vieux jeu, say travel experts. The new mantra for vacationers is adventure travel and the idea is to make the getaway exciting and invigorating by adding a few adrenalin-pumping activities to their itinerary. There is a range of sports on offer within the country, given its diverse topography. Says Nalini Dhariwal, partner at Youreka, one of the largest adventure holiday providers in the country, "We have held adventure camps with 40,000 students so far. But in the last couple of years there has been a spurt in demand from adults as well. Young adults with families and kids are opting for adventure holidays as they have more exposure. Also because of the increase in number of people on the supply side, there are more options for people to choose from. Apart from the popular rafting and rappelling activities, there are some new sports like zipline that are picking up." Corroborates Gagan Kapoor of Skywaltz Balloon Safaris, "Adventure travel is definitely on the upswing, both with foreigners as well as Indian nationals. In the last three years, we have registered a 90 per cent increase in the number of tourists who have taken flight with us. Post-recession business has been booming. Indians are generally not very adventurous by nature, but those in 30 plus category, who are well-settled in life, are willing to takerisks and dole out the moolah for these expensive diversions." Arun Joshi of Peak Adventure Tours, too, has some interesting insights to share. He attributes the growing interest in adventure sports to rising awareness, disposable incomes and improved infrastructure. Though some of the activities are limited to limited places, others can be enjoyed all across the country. So whether it is bouldering in Hampi or Zanskar or hot air ballooning in Pushkar or Guwahati, the range and scope for the adventure fanatics is mind-boggling. Says Sumit Dhawan, a die-hard adventure tourist, "I have done some daring stunts on some of my holidays recently. And the exhilaration and spurt of energy that you experience is unimaginable. The bigger the challenge the better it gets." Bollywood, too, can take some of the credit for the popularity of these adventure sports. In the recent blockbuster Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara the protagonists take to extreme sports like deep sea diving, sky diving and bull run and overcome some of their deepest fears. "It is true that people can get rid of some of their phobias by challenging themselves. I, for instance, was very scared of heights till I tried hand-gliding on a trip to Kashmir. It was numbing initially but gradually I started enjoying it so much that I wished I could go on," reminisces Vandana Arora, an architect by profession. So this summer, take time out for an exhilarating adventure holiday and make it an unforgettable one. The experience will not only leave you with a wealth of delightful memories but also help you discover a new side to your personality.