Morocco, South Africa, Turkey and Spain offer some of the most exciting adventure travel in the world.

Explore the reaches of the Sahara desert by 4x4 off-road vehicles or, if you prefer, camel-trekking. Spend the night in traditional Berber tents and wake up early to watch the sun rise over the wind-swept dunes of the Sahara.

If you prefer the bush to the desert, go on safari in South Africa's finest private game reserves where sighting all of the "Big Five" is virtually guaranteed. Follow the footprints of lions and cheetahs in search of their prides. Witness herds of buffalo and elephants, zebras and giraffes, antelopes and - if you are lucky - wild dogs.

Venture to the lesser-known side of Cappadoccia. Explore hidden cave churches carved into the sides of cliffs. Stumble across the ruins of half-crumbled frescoes dating from the 8th century.

Witness the local bullfighting tradition. Bullfighting not only takes place in centuries-old monumental bullrings of Ronda, Sevilla and Carmona during the summer, but also in informal local bullfights that take place on Sunday summer afternoons in the traditional little towns of Andalusia. Amateur bullfighters step into local rings, much as their grandfathers may have, to the cheers of their neighbors and friends.

Adventure travel is a fun and exciting way of exploring parts of a country otherwise not accessible. It leads you off the paved roads, away from the tourist sights and to the heart and soul of a country and a people.

Adventure travel provides the opportunity to experience the magic of travel - such as sleeping under the Saharan stars, watching a mother lion feed her cubs from only a few yards away or waking up early to watch a special sunrise.

The rewards of venturing off "the beaten path" are great.

Travel is a doorway to a people, a culture, a way of life different than our own. Adventure travel can be travel at its best - bringing you a face-to-face human interaction that often does not happen in mass-market tourism and offering you memories that can last a lifetime.

GOLF AND WATERSPORTS:

South Africa, Spain and Morocco, where golf has long been a privileged "royal sport" offer no shortage of top-rate courses designed by masters such as Robert Trent Jones. Tee off in the desert at Ouarzazate, along the Costa del Sol in Spain, or in the lush scenery of South Africa.

Nearly all the larger hotels have swimming pools and some have tennis courts. Many of the better hotels have small gyms and, in Morocco and Turkey, many have hammams (traditional Turkish baths) and massage.