This month moviegoers will be flocking to see the 4th installment of the Indiana Jones series. Although we don’t know the folks who write the movies, for travel geeks like us, the spectacular locations where he fights bad guys are another reason to love the epic. And judging from the image of the plane tracing a line across a faded map, we bet he has a little travel geek in him too! We’re big fans, so we’ve put together our own ‘Adventure Trail’, a list of some of locations used in these great film classics.

Egypt flights | hotels | cars
Where else would you expect to find the Arc of the Covenant but in the sands outside Cairo? (And where would it end up but the bowels of a US Government warehouse, though we’re not suggesting a visit to suburban Washington.) Cairo is replete with tourist attractions. The Sphinx and the Pyramids at Giza are a day trip from the city, and the Egyptian Museum has a world famous collection of antiquities. To tap into the main character, take a trip down the Nile and do some architectural work of your own. Felucca trips (a small Egyptian sailboat) from Aswan to Cairo are a great way to see the ruins at Luxor and the Valley of the Kings.

Jordan flights | hotels |cars
Follow in the footsteps of our favorite archaeologist/adventurer and discover the ‘Canyon of the Crescent Moon,’ the purported resting place of the Holy Grail. Set in the rock city of Petra, in the Edom Mountains, you can see the stunning temples carved into the rocks by the Nabataean tribe of Arab nomads. After you grab the Grail and escape the crumbling temple, join the thousands of people running in the Annual Dead Sea Marathon or get lost in the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve in Azraq.

Sri Lanka flights | hotels | cars
For fans of the Temple of Doom, travel to the city of Kand, in the hills of the Kandy Valley. While the movie was set in India, filming took place in this Sri Lankan town. Jones famously hurt his back riding elephants here - let’s hope you’ll be more careful on your visit! Hot and humid year-round, this beautiful destination, full of flora and fauna, is a feast for the eyes and a perfect spot for all you architectural historian professor adventurer types.

Nepal flights | hotels | cars
Who can forget the scene in Raiders where the main man fights a gang of toughs while the local tavern burns around him? While difficult to access, Nepal is a land of ancient temples, spectacular views, and amazing culture. Hiking is the obvious draw - the Himalayans sprawl out across the northern region, and at the tippy-top lies Mt. Everest. If Everest is a bit much, there are countless treks throughout these beautiful mountains.

Did You Know?

You can now see how close Starbucks, Times Square, McDonalds, Granny’s address, etc. are to a hotel - “google it” on our hotel map! Search for a Hotel, click on the Map tab, and start exploring with the google search! Start searching now

We named our dogs Indiana too!

Steve and Paul, Kayak co-founders

This newsletter is in no way affiliated with Lucasfilm Ltd. or Paramount Pictures. Trademarks for the films and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at 10:56 am and is filed under Newsletters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.