10 Best Adventure Travel Destination Picks for 2006

1. Northern Borneo. Shared with the independent sultanate of Brunei , northern Borneo encompasses the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah . The island is home to Southeast Asia's highest peaks, oldest jungles, and the white-sand beaches of the South China Sea. Combine a trip to Borneo with a visit to Malaysia , Singapore or Thailand .

2. Buenos Airies, Argentina. One of the world's best-value travel destinations at this moment. Buenos Airies is South America's most sophisticated city and Home of the Tango!

3. Andalucia , Spain. Bullfights, flamenco, and ice-cold gazpacho. Although Cordobe, Seville and Granada are the stars of the Andalucian show, numerous small towns and villages throughout Andalucia also invoke the glory days of Moorish Spain. Then head down to the coast to see why the Costa del Sol is one of northern Europe's favorite vacation destinations.

4. Chiang Mai, Thailand. Silk-making, silverware, hand-painted parasols. Teak furniture, pottery, even elephant-dung paper. The centre of Thailand 's crafts industry. Chiang Mai offers boundless opportunities to shop. Or sample Thai food (both eating and cooking classes.or traditional Thai massage ...or jungle-trekking.or a side trip to the notorious Golden Triangle.

5. Corsica. Can't decide whether the charms of la belle France outweigh those of bella Italia? Then visit Corsica, birthplace of Napoleon. Although this little-known island belongs to France , its nearest neighbor is Italy . You get the both of both worlds: excellent food and wines, great summer weather, hiking trails with mesmerizing scenery. If you had to pick a favorite place in the Mediterranean, Corsica would probably be it. It still has an outpost for the French Foreign Legion.

6. Greek Island Hoping. The Agean Sea is as idyllic as in Homer's day: mother-of-pearl at dawn .deep blue at midday .shot-silk at twilight. Of Greece 's hundreds of islands and islets, 166 are inhabited.If you have to choose one single destination, then close Crete, the country's largest island. Best place to base yourself in the east, the village of Elounda and in the west, the old Venetian town of Chania .

7. Martinique & Guadeloupe - the French West Indies. Combining small island charm with Caribbean chic, Martinique and Guadeloupe are the two main islands of the French West Indies. Odd though it seems, these two islands are as French as Provence . Fishing, sailing and diving opportunities are incredible; off Guadelope's western coast is the Jacques Cousteau Marine Reserve - an underwater realm of corals, sponges, and tropical fish.

8. Mexico 's Colonial Heartlands. Visiting Mexico 's colonial cities is like falling through a carack of time into the 16th century, the heyday of the Spanish Conquistadores. Visiting Guanajuato, Queretero and Zacatecas will let you experience the true Mexico .

9. New Zealand . This country has it all. Take day excursions into mountainous Fjordland with it's glacial lakes.or around locations where The Lord of the Rings was filmed. In Kiwi, during their summer, there is also skiing.

10. The Scottish Highlands - With many local Highland Games scheduled, late summer is the perfect time to visit the Scottish Highlands. Stay in a castle hotel for a luxury experience .go golfing or try your hand at salmon fishing. Sample the many Scottish culinary delicacies. Tour the whisky distilleries. Follow in the footsteps of Shakespeare's King Macbeth to Binam Wood and the haunted castles of Cawdor and Glamis.