Think You'd Ever Satiate Your Wanderlust? Try This! Submit an Essay, Win Eight Ultimate Adventure Travel Vacations With the World's Best Travel Companies

SAN FRANCISCO, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven members of the Adventure Collection, a partnership of the premier adventure travel companies in the world, announced today their participation in a groundbreaking new online travel contest that leverages the growing influence of social media. To enter, adventure travelers must submit an essay of 400 words or less to Blog Your Way Around the World, then invite their friends to vote for them for a chance to win eight world-class expeditions in Africa, Canada, Central America, Europe, South America, Indonesia and the United States—provided by some of the most respected adventure travel companies on the planet.

Contest prizes include whitewater rafting, bicycle touring, heli-hiking, polar bear viewing, bird watching, zip-lining, snorkeling, sea kayaking, as well as two five-star expedition cruises and an African safari. In addition to winning eight of the world's greatest adventures, the winner and one guest will also receive a total airfare credit of $8000 and a gear package provided by top suppliers. Gear sponsors for the contest include: Ex Officio, Teva, Smith Optics, Eagle Creek Travel Gear, Outdoor Photographer, AFAR Magazine and Gaiam. The total prize package, with gear, has a value of nearly $80,000.

Natural Habitat Adventures founder and contest visionary, Ben Bressler, stated from his office in Boulder, Colorado: "Travel, at its best, serves to inspire individuals, unite cultures and protect our planet. Essay submissions should express why you think you deserve to win and include the details of how you will inspire others through your writing should you be selected as the winner."

Contest entries must be submitted by December 31, 2010, and the essay entry with the most votes wins. Contestants are encouraged to solicit votes via email and social media, including Facebook and Twitter. The winner and their guest will have until December 31st, 2014, to complete their travel, and s/he must agree to post blog entries prior to travel, throughout their travels and upon his or her return home from each adventure.

Each award-winning adventure travel company is offering a trip for two on one of their flagship experiences, including:

• Whitewater rafting on Idaho's Middle Fork of the Salmon River with O.A.R.S., National Geographic Adventure's "Best River & Sea Outfitter on Earth" and one of Travel & Leisure's "Top 33" Adventure Outfitters.
• Polar bear viewing in Churchill with Natural Habitat Adventures, leaders in responsible nature travel and worldwide ecotourism for over 25 years.
• Heli-hiking in British Columbia with Canadian Mountain Holidays, the world's premier heli-skiing & heli-hiking operator.
• Bicycling through the Czech Republic and Austria with Backroads, the world's #1 active travel company.
• Zip-lining, surfing and wildlife viewing in Costa Rica with Off the Beaten Path, the leader in guided small group and custom-tailored adventure travel
• A life-changing Galapagos adventure with Lindblad Expeditions, pioneers of expedition travel, named in Travel & Leisure's 2009 list of best small-ship cruise lines, "#1 Small Ship for Families" and Conde Nast Traveler's 2009 Gold List for Best Cruise Lines.
• Expedition cruising in Borneo with Orion Expeditions, winner of the Cruise Passenger Readers Choice Awards for "Best Small Ship," "Best Cuisine" and "Best Adventure Tourism."
• A customized safari in East Africa with six-time Travel & Leisure "Best Tour Operator," Micato Safaris.

For complete contest details visit: http://www.blogyourwayaroundtheworld.com.

Adventure Collection is a partnership of ten premier adventure travel companies: Backroads, Bushtracks Expeditions, Canadian Mountain Holidays, Geographic Expeditions, Lindblad Expeditions, Micato Safaris, Natural Habitat Adventures, NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), O.A.R.S. (Outdoor Adventure River Specialists), and Off the Beaten Path. All are united by a common passion for and commitment to sustainable travel principles and practices; they also share industry-setting standards for trip preparation and execution, scrupulous and enthusiastic customer service, and inspired itinerary-crafting to ensure authentic off-the-beaten-path travel experiences.

SOURCE Adventure Collection