Category Archives: Kickass Exploring

A Peru Adventure Travel Experience ‘One Notch Up’

By Roadmonkey | Published August 20, 2013

by Andrea Guzman In early 2011, I found myself in need of a challenge – I wanted to travel, see something gritty and real and also give back in a meaningful way. One day, flipping through Oprah magazine in a doctor’s office, I saw an article on Paul von Zielbauer, the Roadmonkey founder, and his […]

Also posted in Adventure Philanthropy, expeditions, Mindful Living | Tagged Andrea Guzman, Apurimac, Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, paul von zielbauer, Peru, rafting, Roadmonkey, Sacred Valley, South America, travel with purpose, volunteer vacations, volunteering, whitewater | Leave a comment

On the Road to Sustainability, In Liberia

By Roadmonkey | Published August 13, 2012

by Julie Thiery Last month, I spent two weeks in rural Liberia with the The Niapele Project, a nonprofit organization focused on sustainably improving the lives of impoverished children. I spent most of my time outside of Monrovia, in the town of Handii, in what is known as Lower Bong County. I focused much of my energy […]

Also posted in Adventure Philanthropy, Mindful Living | Tagged adventure, Africa, dreams, exploring, Julie Thiery, Liberia, Niapele Project, Roadmonkey, service trips, sustainability, travel with purpose, volunteer vacations, volunteering, voluntourism, West Africa | Leave a comment

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro: Tips for a Successful Summit

By Roadmonkey | Published August 4, 2012

by Paul von Zielbauer I’ve led 4 Roadmonkey expeditions to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa. It is a huge, and very difficult, accomplishment. Many people ask me how to best prepare for Kilimanjaro success. Read on for a succinct list of my personal recommendations for what to do before and […]

Also posted in Adventure Philanthropy, expeditions | Tagged Africa, East Africa, guides, hiking, kilimanjaro, Paul von Zielabuer, porters, Roadmonkey, summit attempts, Tanzania, tips for Kilimanjaro | 2 Comments

Why We Need Adventure: It’s Chemical

By Roadmonkey | Published June 4, 2012

by Cecee McDaniel Why is it so exhilarating to face fear? A study was done in the late 80s that proposed the Idea that our lack of adventure causes us to engage in seemingly high-risk activities, such as cliff diving, hang gliding, or riding roller coasters. The New York Times wrote of the study’s findings: […]

Also posted in Mindful Living | Tagged adrenaline, adventure, dopamine, exploring, neurology, risk, roller coasters, The New York Times | 1 Comment

A Guy Walks Into a Bar in Brooklyn (Part 2 of 2)

By Roadmonkey | Published May 10, 2012

by Paul von Zielbauer (Continued from last week’s blog post) So I’m sitting at Denny’s Steak Pub – an island of working-class Caucasians floating in a sea of beer and surrounded by working-class South Asian immigrants, in Brooklyn’s Kensington neighborhood. The kind of place that can’t be bothered to change its sign outside even though […]

Also posted in Adventure Philanthropy | Tagged Adirondacks, adventure, beer, Brooklyn, charles bukowski, dive bars, drinking, exploring, hockey, New York City, nyc, philanthropy, Roadmonkey, solo travel, strangers, white men over 40 | Leave a comment

Was Bruce Lee a Roadmonkey?

By Roadmonkey | Published April 24, 2012

The legendary Bruce Lee, a martial artist and student of philosophy, lived his life as if it were a series of opportunities, challenges and celebrations. In that regard, you could argue that he was living la vida Roadmonkey in his own, Bruce Lee way. (This is what happens when you stay up too late watching […]

Also posted in Dreaming Big, Mindful Living, Smart Risks | Tagged "Bruce Lee", action adventure, adventure, enter the dragon, explorers, fists of fury, gung fu, Hong Kong, iconoclast, jeet kune do, kung fu, return of the dragon, Roadmonkey, salsa danging, wing chun | 2 Comments

The Meaning of Roadmonkey

By Roadmonkey | Published March 29, 2012

Many people ask us what Roadmonkey means. Not literally but figuratively. Except non-English speakers, who actually do want to know the dictionary definition of road • monk • ey. (There isn’t one). Roadmonkey means all of the things below. But it also means what you have come to think of Roadmonkey. The definition lives […]

Also posted in Adventure Philanthropy, Mindful Living, Smart Risks | Tagged creativity, culture, happiness, identity, meaning, Roadmonkey, travel | Leave a comment

Why Waking Early Matters (though we loving sleeping in)

By Roadmonkey | Published February 22, 2012

Roadmonkeys are known to tie one on now and then. But we also believe in getting our sorry asses out of bed early whenever possible. Read the post below, a reprint of a recent item on The Daily Om, to find out why. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Before the World Wakes – […]