Deep fried tarantula, anyone? Survey shows Canadian tastebuds the most
adventurous

TORONTO, Nov. 4 /CNW/ - Canadians proved they have the most adventurous tastebuds, blitzing other nationalities in the gastronomic categories of a recent survey conducted to gauge which nationality is the most adventurous on holiday.

The survey, conducted by worldwide adventure specialist Intrepid Travel, asked holidaymakers across Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the USA about their experiences and attitude towards travel.

The research shows that Canadians were most likely to be adventurous when it came to all things gastronomical. According to the research, we were the most likely to say we would definitely try eating deep fried tarantula, sashimi, or roasting marshmallows over hot lava.

Within Canada, British Columbians said they were the most adventurous when it came to trying the deep-fried tarantula. Care to go on safari?  64% of Albertans surveyed said they'd definitely give it a try. And when it comes to accommodation, Manitobans clearly are the most adventurous.  43% of those surveyed said they'd have a go sleeping in a hilltop village hut.

Not surprisingly, we get less adventurous as we age - certainly in Canada. Of those surveyed, those over 55 years of age were the most reluctant to sample the tarantula, sleep in the hilltop hut or go on safari. Interestingly, though, the most adventurous of us don't appear to be the 16-24 year olds: it's the 25-34 year olds most inclined to leave their squeamishness, and creature comforts, back home.

In other survey results, New Zealanders came out on top as  the most adventurous travellers; while Americans appear to be the least adventurous, most likely to say they would never try almost all activities.

Australians are most likely to have tried a number of suggestions in the poll, such as roasting marshmallows over hot lava, staying with a local family, or sleeping under the stars. However, they are much less likely to have tried in depth cultural activities such as exploring ancient ruins.

The British were the most intrepid with regards to being the most likely to having tried travelling by camel, going on a safari, haggling in a traditional market, or exploring ancient ruins.

If you'd like to stretch your adventurous spirit, Intrepid Travel may have just the ticket.  The company offers over 1,000 itineraries to all six continents, from 2 hours to 150 days in duration, including just-added destinations of South Korea, Zimbabwe and Lebanon.  And eating deep-fried taranatula is not required on any of them!

Find out more at  www.intrepidtravel.com; or call them at 416-531-1332; 866-360-1151; or see your travel agent.

About Intrepid Travel Pty. Ltd.

With over 20 years of experience, Intrepid Travel is one of the world's leading small group adventure tour operators. Intrepid takes over 100,000 travellers to over 100 countries worldwide, each and every year.  Intrepid trips are designed to go off the beaten track, meet the locals and travel in an unconventional way, joining locals on their transport, in their markets and even in their homes.  Intrepid employs close to a thousand employees in nearly 20 countries worldwide. 

Winner: 2010 Responsible Travel & Tourism Forum's Annual Leadership Award
Featured: 2009 National Geographic Traveler Magazine's 50 Tours of a Lifetime ("Istanbul to Teheran")
Winner: 2009 Association of South-East Asian National Tourism Association Award of Excellence
Winner: Wanderlust Magazine 2008 Tour Guide of the Year: Intrepid's Esam Adb El Salam

For further information:

Contact: Katy Rockett for Intrepid Travel: 416-583-2674; [email protected]