A real 'amazing race' for adventurous travelers

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

Follow him on Twitter (@joshwhowrites) and Instagram (@joshwhowrites), and visit his website (joshrobertsbooks.com) or Goodreads page to learn more about his forthcoming novel.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

See recent posts by Josh Roberts

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The Amazing Race‘s Phil Keoghan is nowhere to be found, but that won’t stop 50 adventurous travelers from racing around the world next spring in a global scavenger hunt that puts the reality-TV hit to shame.

The fourth-annual Great Escape: The Global Scavenger Hunt kicks off on April 14, 2007, and will take 25 teams of two from Los Angeles to New York (the long way) in a race that encompasses four continents, at least 10 countries, and a series of cultural-oriented scavenges and challenges (like camel racing in India and learning to belly dance in Turkey). It’s a race for charity, with each team raising or donating $9,900 to participate (the money also covers all airfare and hotels for the duration of the race).

“GreatEscape is all about allowing real travelers to compete in a real travel adventure competition, for all the right reasons—the love of travel, trusting strangers in strange lands, and giving something back to the planet,” says William Chalmers, the race’s event director. The race aims to generate money for charities including Doctors Without Borders and UNICEF, among others.

You can learn more about the race, including how to participate, at its website, GlobalScavengerHunt.com.

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