5 things I took away from the Adventure Travel Show 2018.

On the weekend of 20th & 21st January 2018 I attended the Adventure Travel Show for the first time. Now, I’d never actually heard of the show before considering its been running for 22 years! I booked tickets for the weekend after hearing about it Wanderlust Magazine (or it may have been their email newsletter – I can’t remember), I’ve been reading the magazine for a while now and daydreaming about travel for months, getting itchy feet and such so I thought why not?

The event is held at Olympia in London not going to lie I usually come here for Olympia Horse Show so it was quite a transformation! If you haven’t heard of the Adventure Travel Show either its the UK’s only event dedicated to discovering the world off the beaten track.

I attended a number of talks over the Saturday & Sunday which I have listed below:

Saturday

• Exploring Canada’s Wilderness – Richard Harpham
• Quintessential Canadian Paddling Trips in Algonquin and Killarney Provincial Parks – Ted East & Randy Mitson, Destination Ontario.
• Kit Lists Unpacked – Ann Foules, trekMountains.
• Get off the beaten track – Andy Jennings, Moto Aventures.

There were two other talks I was interested in attending on the Saturday (the times clashed a bit) but I ended up down in first aid for a few hours so unfortunately missed out on Ocean Giants: close encounters in out Blue Planet and Justine Gosling’s talk on exploring the Arctic.

On the Saturday I also attended a seminar which was Improving your travel photography hosted by Keith Wilson.

Sunday

• Adventures in Sudan –  Simon Grove, Explore Worldwide
• Epic paddling adventures into the wilds of Canada – Harlan Schwartz & Jake O’Flaherty, Destination Ontario.
• How to start your adventure (Panel) – Dave Cornthwaite & Friends
• How to get to the start line of an adventure despite other people’s doubts – Lindsey Cole
• Things I wish I knew before travelling – Duncan Milligan
• Things no one tells you about travel – but should – Pip Stewart
• Brilliant Baja – Helen Bryon, Wildlife Worldwide
• Things to consider when choosing a volunteering project abroad – Tom Gore, Kaya Responsible Travel.

As you can see I attended a number of talks, there was an array of talks to choose from and sometimes it was difficult to choose which one to attend if the times clashed!

I enjoyed all the talks I went to, but I must say I have four favourites which I loved hearing and they were;

Things no one tells you about travel – but should – Pip Stewart

Got those little voices that try and stop you doing things? We all do! In this talk, adventurer Pip Stewart will suggest how to stop them through sharing her own experiences, from the highs and lows of her 16,000km cycle ride from Malaysia to London (including nearly being blown up by unexploded mortars) as well as what it was like living with indigenous communities in the remote Amazon. Warning: monkey heads and termites for breakfast may be featured.

How to get to the start line of an adventure despite other people’s doubts – Lindsey Cole

One of the hardest things about an adventure is getting to the start line. There’s a lot of planning, wondering if it’s possible and other people can put you off.  I explain how I use negative responses I’ve received during planning to not just get to the start line but also to the end. Examples of adventures: walking the Rabbit Proof Fence, Circumnavigating Australia with truck drivers, roller skating to Bude and running with Kenyans.

Things I wish I knew before travelling – Duncan Milligan

How do you stop yourself getting into situations that aren’t quite what you were expecting? What sort of mind-set allows for the best travel experiences? How do you avoid the normal pitfalls of travelling through the developing world? Learn from the mistakes of one man who has made them all and survived to tell the tale.

How to start your adventure (Panel) – Dave Cornthwaite & Friends

Dave Cornthwaite and guests share a feast of tips about how to come up with amazing adventures, the best ways to plan and how to make sure your first big adventure goes without (much of) a hitch.

So, here’s 5 things I took away from the talks I attended and yes, they are probably from the four talks listed above!

1.  “Be a bit careful – travel with change you in unexpected ways. Don’t chose happiness, chase adventure” – Pip Stewart
   Pip’s talk is one of my top 2, it was a really interesting and engaging talk it was another I found made me chuckle and I loved seeing the little clips shown throughout the talk.
2.   “All these people will try to put you off. It’s easier not to do it then it is to do it.”  – Lindsey Cole. Lindsey’s talk is defiantly in my top 2, not going to lie. It was so relatable but it was also really funny and she had us all chuckling away in the audience. Some of the messages Lindsey shared with us that she had received from people were shocking but her responses made me cry of laughter. And hey, why not? Adventure is addictive after all. 
3. “Say yes more – nudge towards adventure. Adventures can start anywhere” – Dave Cornthwaite & Friends
4. “Don’t take the same pictures that you have already seen in magazines, online or postcards. Why repeat it? Is it really your photo?” – Keith Wilson
5. “Travel can show you your superpower. It will strip you to your essence” – Pip Stewart.

Of course, there wasn’t just the talks at the event there was tons of stands to walk around and loads of brochures to pick up! All in all I had a great weekend and will defiantly be back next year and I might even pluck up the courage to speak to people!

Have you been ? Plan to go next year ?