Sunday, September 21, 2003

Special Tour Options Allow Seniors Adventurous Travel

by Ed Perkins

Over the past 10 years, "soft adventure" has been one of the fastest- growing segments of the tour business. Fortunately, senior travelers don't have to pass on this fascinating option because of their age.

Several tour operators run special programs for seniors, including relatively easy options for those who are no longer in top shape. This week, I'll take a look at two senior tour operators.

Soft-adventure tours are a subset of the adventure tour category that typically involves a combination of physical effort, bare-bones accommodations and occasionally some risk. Such tours are typically aimed at the young, or the occasional 40- or 50-plus traveler in outstanding physical condition. "Soft" means that efforts and risk levels are toned down. Even so, soft adventure often means extended hiking, walking and bicycling, often with significant uphill and downhill components. Depending on the tour, accommodations can range from tents to trek vehicles to hostels.

50plus Expeditions, as the name suggests, caters exclusively to travelers age 50 or older. The company specializes in remote areas; the 50plus Web site currently lists 20 destinations. Not one is in the United States, and only a few are in North America, compared with eight in South America and five in Asia.

Among the most remote possibilities are Antarctica and Greenland/Spitzbergen (an Arctic island group under Norway's control, also known as Svalbard) -- places that have always fascinated me. If you prefer your weather a bit warmer, 50plus also offers tours to such hot spots as Kenya/Tanzania, India, Thailand and Venezuela.

50plus grades all of its tours as easy, moderate or demanding, allowing you to match the tour to your capabilities. Although the site doesn't emphasize it, I strongly suggest you not overestimate your capabilities: I can't imagine a more stressful way to spend a vacation than being the lone straggler in a group of otherwise fit travelers.

Most trips last from eight to 20 days, with groups of no more than 16 travelers. Pricing ranges from a bit under $100 a day to as much as $200 a day, per person, depending on what's included. Base tours include all meals, accommodations, local transportation (if any) and admission fees. Higher- priced tours, such as those to the Galapagos, include cruise-ship fares and air trips within the destination area. Tour prices do not include airfare from your home to the tour area.

For more information, contact a travel agency or 50plus Expeditions, (866) 318-5050, www.50plusexpeditions.com....

Caveat: I've never been on a senior soft adventure tour, so I can't speak from firsthand experience. However, travelers I know who have been on such tours praise them highly. I think I'll try it someday.

1-866-318-5050    office@50plusexpeditions.com