New research by Superdry has revealed the countries around the world which are best for adventure travel, with Croatia, Israel and Hong Kong emerging as the top three destinations perfect for adrenaline junkies.
Whether you prefer to take to the water for a spot of surfing or kayaking, or you’d rather be up in the sky, trying a spot of skydiving, there is a whole range of activities to do on holiday for those looking for an adrenaline fix.
The research analysed 99 countries against a number of different factors including hiking, camping, surfing, rock climbing, kayaking, and the number of national parks in each country.
An ‘Outdoor Adventure’ score was then formulated to reveal the best destinations for those looking for an activity-filled break. To reveal the world's top destinations for camping holidays, Instagram hashtags were analysed for each of the destinations to reveal the countries in which the camping set-ups were shared most on social media.
South Africa made it 6th on the world's camping hotspots list.
Rank Country Camping hashtags (Instagram) Camping score:
- Australia 193 027100
- Thailand 63 84099
- United Kingdom 56 13198
- Malaysia 37 03397
- France 10 23296
- South Africa 10 22895
Australia emerges as the best country to camp in, with almost 200 000 camping lovers sharing snaps online of their adventures in the country. Thailand and the UK followed behind as second and third most popular, each with over 50 000 hashtags.
The world’s adventure travel hotspots
European country Croatia topped the list as the world’s capital for adventure travel. Scoring 81.4 out of 100 overall, Croatia boasts beautiful coastlines and a number of national parks, as well as several opportunities to get involved in kayaking, rock climbing and hiking.
Israel, Hong Kong, the UK and Singapore followed to make up the top five adventure travel capitals, each with overall scores over 77 out of 100. Scoring highly for skydiving opportunities, as well as having several camping sites dotted around the country, the UK provides travellers with a multitude of adventurous activities to get stuck into.
Europe dominates the top 20 most adventurous destinations, with 15 of the top 20 being located in the continent. Outside of Europe, several Asian countries made the top 20 rankings too, including Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand.
The surfing, skydiving and hiking hotspots of the world
While some travellers may be up for taking part in all types of activities while on their adventures, some may have a preferred activity or sport of choice, which leads them to explore certain countries over others.
The best country for hiking is Hong Kong, with one hike per 0.8 square miles, and the best country for camping is Australia with 193 027 #campingcountry Instagram hashtags
Also making it on the list is the best country for visiting national parks which is Singapore with one national park per 0.8 square miles. Singapore is also the best place to enjoy and explore kayaking.
The best country for rock climbing is Malta with one rock climbing activity every 3.4 square miles; the best country for surfing is of course, Mauritius with one surfing activity every 21.9 square miles. And the best country for skydiving is France with 130 skydiving sites overall
If you’re an avid hiker, the study revealed that Hong Kong is the place to go, popular hiking spots include; The Peak, which offers amazing views over the harbour, and city, while the Dragon’s Back hike looks over the Southern Island and coastline, ending at Big Wave Bay. Singapore follows as the second best country for hiking, with one hiking route every 1.5 square miles of the country.
For those who are passionate about rock climbing, sunny Malta is where you should head, with the research revealing that there is one climbing activity available for tourists and locals every 3.4 square miles.
With bouldering also on offer on the island, there are plenty of routes to explore, leading you across the coastline and inland valleys, and into caves and ridges. For those based outside of Europe, Puerto Rico and Hong Kong complete the top three best countries to climb in.
And if the activities on land are getting a little boring, why not take to the sky and try a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of skydiving in a new country? France is the best country to do this in, with 130 skydiving sites located throughout the country. Germany and the US follow as the countries with the second and third most skydiving sites, providing beautiful backdrops to take in on the jump down.
“There are so many different ways to explore a country – from sleeping under the stars and admiring a country’s natural beauty, to hiking to a destination’s highest point and taking in the views from above,” Justin Lodge, chief marketing officer at Superdry comments.
Who knows, maybe you find yourselves in one of these countries for your next holiday.
For a list of the study’s full findings, visit https://www.superdry.com/outdoor-adventure-hotspots