Adventure travel: a Hongkonger out of her comfort zone in Indonesia

We're sitting in a beachside restaurant in Legian, on the Indonesian island of Bali, loading up on calories ahead of an all-night hike, backpacks on the floor beside us. It's not until I'm asked what I hope to get out of the adventure we're about to embark on that it dawns on me: I'm not entirely sure why I'm here. I signed up for the inaugural week-long Matt Prior Adventure Academy Indonesia trip - which, among other things, includes climbing a 9,000-foot active volcano, finding a "hidden" mountain village and mastering long-distance motorbike rides - on an impulse after meeting through Twitter the eponymous founder, a Hong Kong-based adventurer, pilot and holder of the world record for the highest altitude reached by taxi (17,143 feet).

"Yup, this is just what I need," I said to myself, halfway through watching an introductory video on his website, confident I'd find out why as I went along. Maybe I needed a break from being a mother and a wife, and it was time I did something for myself. Maybe I just wanted to see what I was made of.

Whatever my reasons, I'm not alone. More and more travellers are eschewing conventional tours in search of something more challenging; tourists now queue to climb Everest while the Arctic Circle is being overrun by wealthy Chinese.

"There are certainly more people looking to find that little something they feel is missing in their lives; the chance to flirt with danger, the opportunity to challenge themselves physically and emotionally," says Adrian Bottomley, owner of local adventure tour company Whistling Arrow. "Most Hongkongers spend their time rushing around dealing with the stress of life's demands - they have very little time to slow down, create more space in their lives and be present."