The 6 Best Outdoor Travel Adventures

Discover yourself and the world with the ultimate outdoor travel adventures! Find all the 6 best travel locations complete with travel photos, historical facts and cultural background. Challenge yourself with the ultimate adventure travel. Find an introductory overview below of the 6 best outdoor travel adventures in the world!

The #1 Outdoor Travel Adventure – Namib Desert

The combination of exotic landscapes, wildlife and culture make Namibia the best outdoor travel adventure in the world. Millions of years ago the landscape took shape and has been preserved in prehistoric form for the world to see. Indeed, the Namib Desert in Namibia is the oldest desert on earth.

The Namib Desert lies on top of the 20 million year old Tsondab Sandstone. This sandstone formation is the portion of an ancient desert that fossilized about 10-15 million years ago. However, sections of that ancient desert prevailed and are now known as the Namib Desert. 

Visit the Namib Desert at Sossusvlei

When you visit Sossusvlei in Namibia it is possible to see the Namib Desert and also the Tsondab sandstone. The world’s two oldest deserts! Additionally, the Namib has the highest sand dunes in the world at 375 meters! Experience this awe inspiring global travel destination when you visit Namibia.

Experience the thrill of running down the face of these enormous sand dunes. It truly is the world’s #1 outdoor travel adventure.

Sossusvlei Namibia Adventure
The giant sand dunes surrounding Sossusvlei Pan in Namibia set the background for an amazing outdoor travel adventure.

Cape Cross, Namibia on the Skeleton Coast

However, Namibia has much more to offer besides the splendors of it’s desert landscape. In Namibia, amazing safari animals such as elephants and lions still inhabit the natural environment.

Plus, the Skeleton coastline is the location of the largest population of cape fur seals in the world. At Cape Cross Seal Reserve over 200,000 cape fur seals thrive in the world’s harshest desert environment.

This outdoor travel adventure destination is within easy driving distance from Swakopmund, Namibia. Similar to Sossusvlei, this location is also one of the world’s best self tour safari destinations!

Visit Cape Cross Seal Reserve

Cape Cross Seal Reserve Best Outdoor Travel Adventures
Cape Cross Seal Reserve is a unique combination of the world’s largest population of cape fur seals and desert isolation.

Outdoor Travel Adventures on the Mekong River

The Mekong river is one of the largest river systems in the world and it also has the 3rd largest waterfall by volume. Located in Southern Laos on the Mekong River, the Khone Phapheng Falls has a mean annual flow rate of 11,610 cubic meters per second. That flow rate is over 5 times the rate of Niagara Falls!

Furthermore, the Mekong River expands and contracts greatly throughout the year. As a result, in flood season, the flow rate is actually much higher. I was able to visit the falls during peak flood and this amazing phenomenon makes it one of the world’s best outdoor travel adventures.

Visit Khone Phapheng Falls and Si Phan Don

Khone Phapheng Falls Laos
Khone Phapheng is where the Mekong River pours over a 20 meter drop in elevation before it flows into Cambodia.

The extremity of the Khone Phapheng Falls is combined with the placidity of the Mekong river to create huge disparities. Therefore, the mighty Mekong has always been a formidable obstacle for commercial navigation.

To this day it is not possible to navigate the river to reach the ocean due to these waterfalls and other obstacles. This has confounded explorers in the region for millennia!

Si Phan Don "Thousand Islands" Mekong River Laos - Outdoor Travel Adventures
Visit nearby Si Phan Don upstream from the Khone Phapheng falls. They call this area “4000 islands” and there is much to see and do there.

Altyn Emel Singing Sands in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia and it is home to the world’s #4 outdoor travel adventure. The main attraction here is the singing sand dunes that are located at Altyn Emel National Park in the SE corner of Kazakhstan.

It is the culmination of natural phenomenon at Altyn Emel which preserves the sand dunes and gives them special characteristics. An anomaly is created by natural obstacles that channel the wind, therefore the wind only blows in 2 opposite directions. As a result of this natural phenomenon, the singing sands have been created and preserved for thousands of years.

The extraordinary sand dunes at Altyn Emel are 4 kilometers long and have remained stationary for millennia. Additionally, these sand dunes actually sing when properly encouraged! See my post for more info.

Visit Altyn Emel Singing Sands

Singing Sands Outdoor Travel Adventure
The natural landscape here is amazing and makes Altyn Emel #4 of the world’s best outdoor travel adventures.

These sand dunes sing pretty good in my opinion! Altyn Emel and the singing dunes are also situated in one of the most scenic landscapes in the world.

Important features of the landscape include the natural sandstone windshields that allow the dunes to remain stationary. These sandstone features are called the Big and Little Kalkans.

Sand Dunes Altyn Emel
There is an awe inspiring panoramic view from the top of the highest sand dune at the Altyn Emel Singing Sands.

Western Cape, South Africa

Table Mountain is the most prominent feature of the City of Cape Town, South Africa. The coastline of the Western Cape is defined by craggy mountains. However, Table Mountain is an exception because it has a flat top.

This is ideal for hikers because after the grueling hike to the top, you can stroll around and enjoy panoramic views of Cape Town and the surrounding area for as far as the eye can see. 

Visit Western Cape Best Destinations

Cape Town South Africa
Table Mountain offers panoramic views of Cape Town and the surrounding area.

The challenging hike to the top and the world class view of Cape Town below make Table Mountain, South Africa #5 of the world’s best outdoor travel adventures. Additionally, there are many more outdoor travel adventures to be found in the Western Cape. Find them all in my travel posts covering South Africa.

There is a tram available for the faint of heart. However, the hike is the most rewarding option.

Climbing Table Mountain South Africa
This is the final approach as climbers are reaching the summit of Table Mountain. The hike up Table Mountain is a challenging and awe inspiring experience.

Fish River Canyon Outdoor Travel Adventure

The Fish River Canyon is a geological phenomenon that exists in Southern Namibia. Over 650 million years of tectonics, glaciation and erosion have created the biggest canyon in Africa. This geological phenomenon is 160 kilometers long, 27 kilometers wide and 550 meters deep.

At the base of the canyon is a hot spring known as Ai-Ais which means “burning water” in the local Nama dialect. There is also an 88 kilometer hiking trail that runs through the base of the canyon.

Additionally, there is even an “ultra” marathon race run there. The canyon is one of the most challenging outdoor travel adventures in the world.

Visit Fish River Canyon, Namibia

western rim Fish River Canyon
Fish River Canyon in Namibia is Africa’s version of the Grand Canyon. It is #6 on my list of the world’s best outdoor travel adventures.

The canyon also features some nice hiking trails along the remote western rim. Therefore, from the rim it is easy to observe the canyon layers and the much wider upper level. This is due to a layer of gneiss that encouraged lateral erosion in the upper canyon levels because of it’s more impermeable nature.

Additionally, there are quiver trees which can be viewed from the canyon rim.

Quiver-Tree-Nambia-adventure-1024x681