If you’re planning a trip to Canada in September, consider making arrangements to attend the Atlantic International Balloon Fiesta. Since 1985, the event has pulled in visitors from across the globe. During the celebration, over 200 hot air balloons fill the skies over the valleys of Canada’s Sussex region.

While you can enjoy the rainbow of colors from the ground, many people enjoy taking a ride. The festival has 30 balloons that make two flights each day during the festival, allowing visitors to explore Canada from up high. The average cost is $150, and most balloonists only accept cash. Helicopter tours are also available during the event.

The activities on the ground will keep the entire family entertained. From children’s amusement rides to bingo and from horse shows to an antique car show, you’ll find an activity for everyone. The craft show welcomes vendors offering unique items. Browse through the arena and find gifts for Christmas.

If you’ve never participated in a sparade, the balloon festival gives you the chance. The sparade is a special type of parade. Everyone brings squirt guns! As the spraying begins, you’ll quickly learn why this is a sparade (spray + parade). The battle of the water pits parade watchers against float participants. While you are in town, enjoy the shopping opportunities. If you’re looking for a specific type of business, you can use an online directory, like Canada 411, to find what you need.

In order to prevent a fire, you cannot smoke near the balloons. A single stray butt could cause a gas tank to explode. You’ll also want to dress in layers. The mornings can have a brisk chill while the afternoon sun warms up the area several degrees. If you plan to arrive after the balloons launch, make sure you keep your eyes on the road to avoid accidents.

Poachers have brought the rhino population of South Africa under escalating assault. This statement was released by the South African park service and come hours after poachers killed a pregnant rhino and its 2 year old calf and sawed off her horn.

The African Rhino’s horns are used a handles for knifes or are grinded and used as aphrodisiacs. The Rhino killings have been increasing alarmingly all through the South African national parks and it calls for a desperate and strong action that the Rhino population does not go extinct. Even in most places of Asia the scene is the same and calls for all critical governments to take immediate action.

The South African government is doing all that they can to do to control this organized crime. The criminals are highly organized and have highly sophisticated guns and helicopters. The majority of African rhinos are found concentrated in South Africa and Zimbabwe. They are also found in Vietnam and India where the problem of poaching exist.  If something is not done right away to stop the mean poachers and the law is strengthened, the African Rhino population is going to go extinct very soon and the only place where Rhino’s will be found is in books and magazines.

The Tou­­­­­­­­­r Divide Mountain Bike ride has begun its 2745 mile cycling. This race will take the participants through states like Banff, Alberta, British Columbia, Montana, Idaho Canada, New Mexico and through the length of the Great Divide Mountain bike route.

This is billed as the toughest bike race in the world and rightly so. The participant has to carry all the equipped which he will be needed along the way and no support will be provided. Altitudes of 200,000 feet will be reached through some of the remotest regions of America. Most of the cycling is done on rough terrain unpaved routes and unmarked roads which require the participant to navigate carefully. The route is filled with various obstacles like lakes, boulders and fallen trees which the athlete has to overcome. The race route is faced with both the extremes of weather and unexpected blizzards. The rider on his route is also faced with wild animals and reptiles like boars, snakes, grizzly bears and many more.

The athletes who qualify this race are world class quality athletes who are better than most athletes and needs to be very impressive.

The climbing season is going to begin in the Karakorum Range in Pakistan and peaks such as K2, Broad Peak and Gasherbrums are open for scaling. Many world class mountain climbers head out to this region to scale peaks that are not as much climbed as the Himalayas and are a lot more treacherous.

This year only 25 climbing permits have been given to climbers who are visiting this place despite of the recession that has stopped other climbers from coming here. The sponsorship money is not precipitating g as well as last year and many climbers have avoided coming this year.  But still many climbers have made it to this part of the world and some have already begun their accent to the top of the mountain. Ones to be noted among these climbers is the female climber Gerlinde who is planning to become the first female to climb all the 8000 meter peaks of this range, only K2 left in her list now.

An Italian team is on its way to clean up the mountain with two new expeditions to K2 and the Baltoro Valley. They will head out to camps and bring down the trash that is left back by the other climbers.

If you want a completely different kind of adventure tour, then one of the best places to do this is Malaysia. This exotic and gorgeous place has unbelievable bio diversity and a extremely tough terrain that is challenging to both extreme and light adventurers.

The jungles in Malaysia are lush green vegetation filled evergreen forests, where tribes from the 15^th century still live. One of these tribes is the Penans from the place Borneo. These ethnic people live an hunter gatherer nomadic life. It is thrilling to visit these tribes and be part of their daily lives. You can also trek to the few remaining uncut places of the forest that are unexploited by wood harvesting.

Another very unrealistic place here in Malaysia is the Mulu jungles. These jungles have extensive trekking places and world heritage sites like the many historical art, architecture and clear water caves. You can also climb the Pinnacles of the mount Hulu which is like no other mountain.

The former two locations cannot beat this third location in adventure spirit.  This is the Sacred Mount murud. This mountain has its own eco system that changes as one goes higher up the mountain and has many friendly native tribes, Many zoologists and botanists flock to this place to explore the various species of plants and insects.

The celebrity professional rower Roz Savage has successfully completed her trip across the pacific in three stages. This three year stint across the pacific solo has come to an end which means her lifelong dream has finally fulfilled.

She updated her blog after reaching the coast and was concerned about the number of people being there to greet her. But her fears came to a startling end as there were more than 5000 people there to greet her. She was given a heroes welcome upon reaching the coast with other rowers going out to greet her and the locals dressed in their traditional clothes to greet her. But she was not allowed to enter New Guinea unless her visa papers and other formalities were fulfilled before coming on port; hence she had to spend one night on a luxury cruise liner. She rested there for a night and rowed to the shore a day later after fulfilling all the formalities of the country. Her plans are now to spend a few months in this island of New Guinea and spread environmental responsibilities among the local population.

Professional Rower Roz Savage is back on the third and the last leg of her across pacific solo row. The other two legs were between San Francisco and Hawaii in 2008 and from Hawaii to Tarawa in 2009. And now she has begun her journey from this tiny island in the pacific to Australia. But reports of her heading to Madang are appearing since the tracker with her seems to be heading in that direction. So it looks like her pacific voyage will end just 260 miles off her target destination and maybe she will come back next year to finish this little destination too. It is a thrilling ride for the rower with the completion of her lifelong commitment fulfilling and she becoming the first woman in the world to cross the pacific by rowing. This project was the focus for her since 5 years, which is finally taken shape. Along with being an adventurer, she is also an avid environmentalist with being declared the eco hero for 2009.

Australia has some of the iconic natural destinations in the world such as the Red centre, Australian Alps, Fraser Island’s sand dunes and its vast lakes and rain forests. Its unique beauty is found across all the eight states. The XPD is Australia’s expedition length adventure race that incorporates 50 teams for 4 consecutive events such as trekking, kayaking, mountain bike and running.

This race takes place every 18 months and happens at different natural destinations across Australia. The XPD course will send a chill down every adventurer’s spine. It passes through palces such as Great Barrier Reef,  Koombooloomba Preserve and the Tully Gorge National Park all in  one race. Here the participant ahs to canoe the great barrier reef, run about 100 km in the great Australian outback, trek about 50 km through misty mountains, and cycle more than 100+ km in remote mountain regions, running while carrying a kayak  for 20km, rowing for 70 km through class V waters and followed by an another 50Km trek with an 160Km bike ride in the end through the mountain valleys.

The race ends with the saying “the race of a life time” and every one who takes part in this race will agree that it’s an adventure that peaks any other experience.

Mississippi is the fourth longest river in the world after Nile, Amazon and the Yangtze River. At 2320 miles it passes through the heartland of The United States and has given birth to numerous myths and lore.

The opportunities for family paddle trips, kayaking and canoeing are endless with easily accessible locations throughout Mississippi. The best place to start Canoeing is in Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. This lake is the birth place of the mighty Mississippi and leads all the way southward the Gulf of Mexico. The awesome adventures awaiting the paddling traveler are something that cannot be experienced elsewhere. Another nice place to start canoeing is Millinocket, Maine where resorts are found that are comfy and affordable. Hear kayaks and boats are available for rent.

The river is precipitated with numerous beaver dams, low bridges and sweepers which every boater has to be on the lookout for. Also the river breaks into numerous branches and the boater comes face to face with forks with no guess where to go, hence a proper map needs to be carried along with to navigate the channels. The area is rich in bio diversity and numerous deers, bears, raccoons and alligators can be found.

Many breath taking and picturesque places can be found on the way and no an opportunity that is  easily to forget.

There are some times when climbing expeditions can go horribly wrong and even endanger the lives of expert climbers. This has happened in the case of Steve House who has fallen more than 80 feet in the Canadian Rockies and is now inside a hospital because of life threatening and traumatic injuries. Steve House happens to be one of the most accomplished as well as acclaimed alpine climbers and this is quite an unfortunate happening. Global rescue was the agency that was pressed into service in order to evacuate Steve House and then taken from Calgary to Oregon for treatment.

Steve House is well known in mountain climbing circles. He happens to be the ambassador for Patagonia clothing and has been a climber who has scaled some of the highest peaks around the globe. He was trying to scale the Mt. Temple which is located within the Banff National Park when the accident occurred. Steve House has been acclaimed by some as being the best high altitude climber in the world these days. After his fall he was taken to a medical facility in Calgary, but since he needed greater attention, Global rescue shifted him aboard a medical plane to Oregon.