Adventure Trip Magazine

The Lonely Planet cover photos can be some of the most breathtaking photos of adventure travel. When I see the covers of the Lonely Planet guides I get all warm inside and excited about my trip to be. Imagine being the person who took that photo that inspires thousands of people to visit a place.Lonely Planet and Pikeo have teamed up to make that happen for four lucky travelers. The destinations they need photos for are; London, Paris, Barcelona and Istanbul. In addition to the cover photo, the winners of each cover will also receive a free trip to India, Russia, Morocco or Kenya courtesy of Intrepid Travel. And twelve runners-up, will receive prizes as well.

The search for traveler-generated photos will span the globe with the competition open to those in the UK, France, Spain, USA and Canada. To assist travelers in the process, Pikeo has developed a unique geotag feature, allowing users to map the locations of their shots and upload them direct to their accounts via mobile.

The winning images, plus Lonely Planet and Pikeo’s favourite shots, will be launched and showcased at a gallery exhibition in London when the guides go on sale next year. To enter, simply click here to visit the competition page on Pikeo at and follow the instructions. Entries close on September 8^th 2008.

GOOD LUCK!

The Grand Canyon is an American Icon no doubt. Most who visit this huge chasm though only walk to the rim, snap a few photos, then turn around an go home.

We recently saw this great deal from Green Earth Travel that allows visitors to get up close and personal with the canyon. The trip includes guided hikes and mountain biking in and around the Grand Canyon. When your finished with the trails hit the hot showers at camp then take on your juicy steak, lasagna, fresh fish, and other gourmet foods prepared by your guides.

“This trip not only provides unparalleled hiking on historic trails and views of awe-inspiring overlooks, but also adds the thrill of mountain biking on the most incredible sections of the legendary Rainbow Rim trail. Before riding, we present detailed instruction in our Mountain Biking 101 clinic. Our guides lead every ride, and with shuttle support participants can choose when to call it a day. The biking portions cover a variety of off-road terrain guaranteed to delight newcomers to the sport while still offering challenges to more experienced enthusiasts. Take on only as much as you like–after all, this is your vacation! And don’t worry about the amenities–we’ll still arrive back in camp each night for sumptuous meals and a hot shower.“

The trips cost is currently set at $845 per person for the 4 day trip. That includes your meals, bikes, helmets, mountain biking 101 clinic, tents, and guides. This isn’t “on the cheap” by any means, but it is definitely luxury camping and if you live within a days drive of the canyon this could be the way to see it in style. And you can feel good about using an eco-friendly company along the way.