Adventure and beach in one journey: where it works best

Six countries where it comes naturally

• Costa Rica. The country around Arenal volcano, hanging bridges in the cloud forest, rivers and waterfalls – then the Pacific coast, with surfboards and monkeys in the trees above the sand. Distances are short, so transfers are too.
• Belize. A jungle lodge near San Ignacio, Maya caves and temples in the forest, then a small caye beside the world's second-largest barrier reef, where days pass barefoot and with a mask.
• Tanzania. The classic pairing: safari in the Serengeti or Tarangire, then a short flight to Zanzibar for the Indian Ocean, Stone Town and dhow sails on the evening horizon.
• Indonesia. Volcanoes on Java, a boat into the Komodo islands between Flores and Sumbawa, and to finish, a quieter stretch of Bali's coast or the beaches of Sumba.
• Colombia. A multi-day trek to the Lost City in the Sierra Nevada, then the Caribbean: Tayrona National Park or the quiet islands off Cartagena.
• The Philippines. In Palawan, adventure and beach merge: kayaks among El Nido's cliffs, a multi-day boat journey between islands to Coron, and diving on sunken wrecks.

How much adventure you actually need

“Adventure” means different things to different people. In Costa Rica it can be very gentle: walks across hanging bridges, a river float or an early morning with a guide looking for sloths. In Belize's caves you swim and scramble, and the trek to Colombia's Lost City is several days of heat, humidity and river crossings. So be honest about what you want, and choose not only the country but how many active days it will hold.

The combination suits couples and groups of friends especially well, as well as families with older children for whom the beach alone would not be enough. It works beautifully for a honeymoon too: shared adventures in the first half, time just for the two of you in the second.

Why the order matters

We usually suggest leaving the beach until the end. After early starts, treks and transfers, a few quiet days let you recover before the long journey home, and you arrive back rested rather than exhausted. Sometimes the reverse works too: after a long-haul flight and a time-zone change, two easy days by the sea at the start can help you settle in.

The second thing is season. One region's dry spell doesn't always match another's: in Costa Rica the Pacific and Caribbean coasts follow different rhythms, and in Tanzania the long rains in spring change things both on the savannah and on the island. So plan these journeys from the season first, and the route second.

Tell us what kind of adventure draws you and what kind of rest you'd like afterwards, and we'll explore the possibilities from there.