A real ‘amazing race’ for adventurous travelers

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.