A jury of the United Kingdom's top explorers, adventurers and award-winning writers has drawn up a list of the most exciting adventures one should take in 2010 on behalf of Adventure Travel Live, which takes place at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London from January 29-31.
The following 10 judges devised the list for the past two months: Hilary Bradt (adventure guide and publisher); Paul Goldstein (tour leader and award-winning photographer); Benedict Allen (explorer and television presenter); Tim Fryer (land product manager, STA Travel); Mark Smith (award-winning rail expert); Tony Wheeler (Lonely Planet founder); Simon Calder (travel writer and broadcaster); Paul Rose (explorer and adventurer); Perry Wilson (founder, Insure & Go); Bryn Thomas (guidebook writer and publisher).
1. Tiger tracking on elephants, Kanha National Park, India. "You'll never get so close to a tiger in the wild." - Bryn Thomas
2. Skiing on Asahidake, Hokkaido, Japan
"Asahidake is the island's highest mountain and sends out a stream of smoke from its vents. Hokkaido enjoys eight metres of snow a year, and the powder is some of the most consistently excellent in the world." - Perry Wilson
3. Diving with hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos. "With basic scuba skills you can safely dive with these fabulous, iconic sharks - in the company of so many of them that you lose count." - Paul Rose
4. Encounter with mountain gorillas in Rwanda. "Nothing rivals a close-up with our closest relatives. It is at altitude, in a rainforest, with no paths. The trek can take five hours. Worth it - massively, emotionally - and it helps this poor, war-ravaged country." - Paul Goldstein
5. Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. "Popular though this three-day trek is, nothing can prepare you for the awesome first sight of the 'lost' city of the Incas as you round the trail on the last day, seeing it perched high above the Urumaba with the mist swirling around it." - Bryn Thomas
6. Larapinta Trail in Australia's Northern Territory. "Classic Outback country: dry, dramatic, lots of wildlife ... the 'dry' component would normally make it unwalkable, until the establishment of regular water tanks made it one of Australia's best hikes." - Tony Wheeler
7. Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia. "The greatest rail adventure of them all. I'd suggest the weekly Moscow-Mongolia-Beijing train. It's six nights and over 5,000 miles across Siberia, the Gobi Desert and through the Great Wall. You can even start your trip at St. Pancras." - Mark Smith
8. Hot-air ballooning over the Serengeti of Tanzania. "Even if there are no migrating herds, just to pass over the African savannah in silence is something you will never forget." - Benedict Allen
9. Hiking the Grand Tsingy Circuit, Madagascar. "Tsingy are grotesque pinnacles and spikes of limestone creating the world's most exotic rock garden. Rare succulents shelter in the gullies that visitors cross using boardwalks, ladders and bridges. An extraordinary experience on an extraordinary island." - Hilary Bradt
10. The wildlife of the Pantanal, Brazil. "Check out giant otters, caimans, jaguars, green iguanas and more." - Tim Fryer
Visit www.adventuretravellive.com.