Adventure travel is a type of niche tourism, involving exploration or travel with a certain degree of risk (real or perceived), and which may require special skills and physical exertion. In South Africa, adventure tourism has grown in recent decades as tourists seek out-of-the-ordinary or “roads less travelled” vacations, but lack of a clear operational definition has hampered measurement of market size and growth. According to the U.S.-based Adventure Travel Trade Association, adventure travel may be any tourist activity that includes physical activity, a cultural exchange, and connection with nature.
This may be from experiencing culture shock or by performing acts requiring significant effort and involve some degree of risk, real or perceived, or physical danger. This may include activities such as mountaineering, trekking, bungee jumping, mountain biking, cycling, canoeing, scuba diving, rafting, kayaking, zip-lining, paragliding, hiking, exploring, canyoneering, sandboarding, caving and rock climbing. Some obscure forms of adventure travel include disaster and ghetto tourism. Other rising forms of adventure travel include social and jungle tourism.
Access to inexpensive consumer technology, with respect to Global Positioning Systems, flash packing, social networking and photography, have increased the worldwide interest in adventure travel. The interest in independent adventure travel has also increased as more specialist travel websites emerge offering previously niche locations and sports.
Soft tourism includes the activities like backpacking, camping, hiking, kayaking etc. Soft adventure activities are low risk in nature. These activities are led by professional guides. Soft adventure is a popular category in adventure tourism.
At Imla Guest Farm we offer great Hiking & Trail running trails as well as awesome MTB trails. We have a few dams on the farm for swimmers, but one specifically for fishing. Carb weighing in at 8.5kg have been caught at our dam. We also offer Horse riding excursions for groups which is a great way of exploring the farm with its diversity in farming practices and exploring the Eastern Free state at it’s best.
