Long before hitchhiking across the country at 16 years old, I had a taste for adventure. At 14, a friend and I bicycled 300 miles in a few days one summer. At 17, I went international with my adventuring, hitchhiking from Michigan to half-way across Mexico. Over 40 now, I no longer put out my thumb – not very often, anyhow – but I still love to travel.

More recently, my international adventure travel took me to Ecuador. While there, I climbed to the furthest point from the center of the Earth. Everest is highest above sea level, but due to the Earth’s bulge at the equator, the peak of Mount Chimborazo, at 20,600 feet, is farther from the center of our planet. The top is all snow, ice, and glaciers.

My guide didn’t speak English and thought I was a mountaineer. I had once used an ice axe and crampons to go 40 feet up a sledding hill in Michigan. The rest of the story is on the website, but you can get information and a guide by talking to almost any hotel manager in Riobamba, Ecuador.

International adventure travel: safaris, balloon tours, swimming with dolphins, bicycling down volcanoes, trekking in the Himalayas, Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve – the list is almost endless. This will not be a comprehensive listing of all the adventure opportunities out there. Instead, here is just enough to whet your appetite.

Go on a Jungle Book safari. In southern Nepal, in the Royal Chitwan National Park, you can see leopards, rhinos, and sloth-bears. And where better to see them than from the back of a large elephant? The tours are led by naturalists and park rangers. Stay in the comfortable Safari Lodge and take daily tours into the jungle.

Take a Mongolian horseback trek. Travel with one of the great nomadic and horse-based cultures of the world. The trips take you beyond tourist routes, and you can customize your trek to fit your schedule and budget. These tours are run from an office in Mongolia, and they provide experienced guides that are multi-lingual.

Go rock climbing in Rio. Want an outdoor adventure and city nightlife? Try a rock climbing tour in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. You’ll find routes for all skill levels in the Sugar Loaf, Urca, Corcovado, and Pedra da Gavea mountains. Tours include bilingual instructors, equipment rentals, and transportation, and start at less than $100 per person.

Swim with dolphins in the Croatian Sea. Escape from the cold this winter, to the Cres-Losinj group of islands, which is known for its mild climate. Mali Losinj on the island of Losinj is known for its health resort, but recently, the area is becoming famous for the bottle-nosed dolphins that have made their homes in the clear and clean waters of the Cres-Losinj group of islands. Mingle with them by boat or in your swimsuit.

Climb Mount Kinabalu. Mount Kinabalu (4,101 m) is the king of the Borneo sub-continent. It rises 3,000 feet higher than other mountains in the area, far above the jungle. It attracts international climbers of all skill levels, who scramble, climb, and trek in its unique jungle-alpine environment. Kinabalu is in a world heritage site that boasts a wide variety of plants and animals. Experienced guides will take you trekking, or take you to the top.

Steve Gillman hit the road at 16 and traveled their U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. For more on international adventure, and to read their stories, tips, and travel information, visit www.EverythingAboutTravel.com.

Reprinted from valuablecontent.com.