There is always no better time than NOW to opt for a much-deserved break. When thinking of a travel plan, many people are keen to opt for something unconventional. Obviously, not every one of us seek serene sightseeing, and instead prefer an odd adventure for shaking off the lethargy. For such people, adrenaline sports are among the most thrilling options. But where to search for them?

An innovative meta-search engine, pocketvillage, aggregates a wide range of choices of unusual activities, experiences and tour packages. Its database is fully indexed for the system to present a list of offers that match the chosen criteria. An algorithm will make sure only the most relevant offers are highlighted in top search results.  The German association for online travel distribution last year voted this meta-search engine as the best start-up idea. What are its key features?

• The engine claims to run thorough selection and curation processes to suggest as well as rate thousands of extraordinary unusual activities and exciting tours plus accommodations compiled from thousands of local operators through partnerships with specialist vendors and niche market leaders.  Most of them can conveniently be booked online.
• Third-party data-feed is fully backed with geo-locations, texts, rich images and a rating to assess the tours handpicked and tagged. The data-feed is simple and user friendly in terms of discovery and integration to develop the best possible solution. The user can pick and choose from a variety of themes and categories.
• Its intuitive ‘Inspire Me’ segment makes it fun to get the ideas that best match individual user interests and throws up offers to meet their requirements for adventurous, cultural, and off-the-beaten-track travel experiences. It allows them to browse and filter intuitively through all the offers and find the best ones. They can draw the picturesque landscape of their dreams or fill a virtual suitcase with stuff they are interested in.
• Clicking on ‘where’ option will present a list of options by place in a selected country. Clicking on ‘what’, and a user gets lists including everything from surfing and safari lodges to mountain biking. They can narrow down the search by destination, price and duration.
• On basis of the choice made by users, they get all kinds of activity ideas, including underground tours, cruises, walking tour, kayaking etc – and all this with a quick summary of the proposed trip, along with a web link to the provider.

Explaining the core idea, its Co-founder Jann KleenMore has been quoted as saying that more and more people now are looking for extraordinary experiences, moving away from the prime tourist spots. The problem is that such offers are scattered all across the Web, making it difficult and time-consuming to search for them. The platform is geared for backpackers and families that want to enjoy unique holidays.

Of course, some of the results provided by the ‘inspire me’ tool are not full-fledged and foolproof. Yet, it’s an excellent avenue for planning an offbeat sojourn to any corner of the planet. So why not consider the Macau Tower bungee or the sky dive in the Swiss Alps, New Zealand and neighboring Australia? Paragliding in Turkey and in Switzerland is the answer for a slightly more toned down thrill – all of which is made possible thanks to this meticulous and updated meta-search engine for theme specific activities.