ShermansTravel features Adventure Life, WildChina and The Antarctic Dream as adventure travel trend-setters

ShermansTravel says Adventure Life, WildChina and The Antarctic Dream continue to push the "where" and "how" of adventure travel, redefining trends for 2011.One of those trends is volunteer-based adventure travel, or voluntourism. On these kinds of trips, travelers have a greater opportunity to spend time with the locals and learn about the place they're visiting.ShermansTravel's Blane Bachelor writes:Adventure Life, a highly regarded Missoula, Mont.-based outfitter, is just one tour operator that has incorporated volunteer-based travel into its offerings. The recently added Cotopaxi Conservation Project is a five-day trip that takes place in Ecuador’s Condor Biosphere, a 5.4-million acre conservation area. The trip does an excellent job of combining excursions like mountain biking, horseback riding, and zip-lining (pictured at left) with conservation efforts, including trail and park maintenance.Adventure Life reviews are available to provide insight into Adventure Life's service and travelers' experiences. For more information about Adventure Life voluntourism and other trips, visit http://www.adventure-life.com/.Another adventure travel trend is experiential travel, or experiencing a destination as a local, Bachelor writes.Sustainable outfitter WildChina (www.wildchina.com), based in Beijing, has been focused on creating such adventures for its clients since 2000, with local guides and experts anchoring trips. The company recently added Songtsam Circuit: Secrets of Shangri-La to its offerings, and the trip focuses on the country’s far-flung Yunnan Province in the eastern tip of the Himalayas. The itinerary promises immersion among “pockets of hidden ethnic cultures,” and excursions include guided hikes to holy Mt. Kawagebo and meditation with a Tibetan master.To find out more about China adventure travel with WildChina, visit http://wildchina.com/.Adventure travelers are always seeking out extreme destinations, Bachelor writes.One far-flung horizon that’s still extreme but now within easier reach (and will nevertheless give you travel bragging rights): Antarctica. Yes, you’ll have to shell out a few Ks and several travel days just to get there, but the rewards – up-close encounters with majestic icebergs, leopard seals, and humpback whales are just a few – make Antarctica a worthy destination on any adventurer’s bucket list.A solid choice for a trip to the White Continent? An 11-day excursion on the 78-passenger Antarctic Dream, featuring three days of camping, along with snowshoeing, mountain climbing, and kayaking. www.antarctic.clMore information about Antarctic adventure travel with The Antarctic Dream can be found at http://www.antarctic.cl/web_eng/.