Wyndham Wisdom

Own Your Vacation: Walks on the Wild Side

Are these typical timeshare vacations? Every other year since 2004, Lyle and Kathy Perry have exchanged their Maui vacation-ownership unit for a trip to the Riviera Maya on Mexico's Caribbean coast. While they enjoy their beach time and the warm Caribbean water, the Perrys, who live in Pleasanton, CA, have also spent days visiting the astonishing Mayan ruins at Tulum and Chichén-Itzá. They hope to return this December to explore more ruins. "It's pretty amazing to try to comprehend these places," says Kathy. "They were built so long ago, but they're so sophisticated."

Like many timeshare owners, the Perrys put adventure on the vacation agenda, considering their timeshare unit as a base of operations from which they can strike out on memorable excursions. Of course, "adventure" is a subjective idea: One traveler's adventure is another's relaxing pastime. For some, it might mean climbing a sheer rock face in Yosemite National Park; for others, it's simply going to a place they've never seen before.

Last year Peggy and Robert Lyew, of Markham, Ontario, visited their first desert destination: Mesa, AZ, where their resort was outfitted with panels that generated solar energy. Peggy reports that they took their rental car up to "dizzying heights" along the Arizona Trail to the historic town of Tortilla Flats and through the Goldfield Ghost Town,
seeing beautiful scenery all the way.

At the other extreme, in 2007 the Lyews exchanged for a visit to Oahu, where they hiked up Diamond Head volcano. "It was a bit of a challenge," says Peggy, "but worth it for the panoramic view of Waikiki Beach."

The two trips had some similarities, as Robert points out: "In Arizona we marveled at saguaro cactus, which can grow to be 100 years old, and on Oahu my daughters encountered 100-year-old sea turtles on a snorkeling trip."

A timeshare unit can provide built-in benefits for adventure seekers. It's a comfortable and efficient home base, with plenty of space so that larger groups who share an interest can also share accommodations (and have room to store their gear). And the kitchen comes in handy, letting travelers fix a quick breakfast before heading out for the day.

While the Lyews consider themselves city people, they take advantage of exchange to visit different kinds of places for a taste of adventure. Timeshare makes it easy because, as Peggy says, "With a kitchen you can buy groceries for when you get back at night--which is especially nice for a family of five."

The options for timeshare-based adventure can involve being on land or sea, in your home country or a foreign destination, in a comfortable and familiar place--or a remote and challenging one. And since the major timeshare exchange companies offer resort choices numbering in the thousands, there are opportunities for adventure, however you define it,
to suit every traveler.

NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.