10 Outrageous Travel Experiences for Adrenaline Junkies
People do wild, outrageous, seemingly irresponsible — but ultimately fun — things in the name of adventure. Humankind has probably always been trying to go faster, get higher, and to test our limits in every way possible. Why? Because there is no greater high on earth than adrenaline.
I distinctly remember the first time I skydived, bungee jumped, white water rafted, went canyoning, zip-lining, mountain hiking, and the list goes on. The feeling after each activity was almost always, “I want to do that again. Right now.” Luckily, the world is filled with unique and exhilarating travel experiences for adrenaline junkies. Ever wanted to swim with sharks, snowboard down a volcano, jump out of a plane, scale a death-defying mountain, or abseil down a waterfall? Check out the list below and let the adventures start.
10 Spots for Adrenaline Junkies
By Sascha Grabow www.saschagrabow.com (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Where: Zambezi River, Zimbabwe/Zambia
Through the Batoka Gorge, the raging Zambezi river stretches 24 kilometers and makes its way over 23 rapids. The river passes below the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls, providing a beautiful backdrop to one of the most thrilling whitewater rafting experiences in the world. Hold on as the class-five rapids suck you in, spit you back out and treat you like clothing inside a washing machine. It’s a tumbling, rumbling journey.
Raki_Man [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Where: Zhangjiajie, China
Standing on a glass walkway hundreds of meters above the ground is one way to instantly get your heart pounding. In Tianmen, China, thrill-seekers can walk along a 100-meter-long glass skywalk that scales around the side of a mountain, 4,700 feet high. The skywalk is five feet wide and is referred to as “The walk of faith.” It’s up to you whether you want to cling to the side or look down the whole way.
Volcano boarding, Cerro Negro, Nicaragua (Photo: Flickr Blue Sonicboy)
Where: Leon, Nicaragua
You may have gone snowboarding or sledding down a hill, which is a rush on its own, but have you tried it on a volcano? Cerro Negro – Black Hill – is an active volcano outside of Leon, Nicaragua, that you can board down. It’s virtually impossible to stand up on the boards (planks of wood) because the volcano is so steep, so enthusiasts must sit down to cruise down the cone, which is covered in small pieces of black volcanic rock. People commonly reach speeds of 80 kilometers per hour, especially if you don’t hit the breaks – AKA: putting your feet into the volcanic rock to try and slow down. Visitor tip: you will get ashy.
By Candida.Performa (Cold Dipping) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Where: throughout Finland
Like me, your ideal swim probably consists of taking a dip in a warm ocean. This is not the case for everyone, though. In Finland, winter swimming is common. In the middle of winter, swimmers can be found taking the plunge in frigid ice-covered waters. Fans of the polar bear dip refer to ice swimming as being spiritual, breathtaking, and invigorating. Being immersed in cold water is a positive shock to on the body, and provides one heck of an adrenaline rush.
By Hermanus Backpackers (Great White Shark Cage Diving) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Where: Gansbaai, South Africa
Gansbaai is known as the great white shark capital of the world. In Gansbaai, you can go diving in the safe confident of a cage in order to get up close and personal with these beautiful, misunderstood prehistoric creatures. Watch as great whites swim directly at you and veer away from the cage at the last moment. Never did it feel so safe being trapped in a cage underwater.
Mike Hudson [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Where: Bethesda, Wales
Advertised as the nearest thing to flying, the one-mile-long Zip World Velocity zipline takes you on one heck of a ride, hurling yu headfirst down a mountain, across a cliff and then over a lake. The second fastest zipline in the world and the longest in Europe, Zip World Velocity reaches speeds of 100mph while being suspended 500 feet high.
By Namastê… ॐ (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Where: Huacachina, Peru
Huacachina is an oasis town in the desert of Peru surrounded by giant sand dunes. The steep slopes – dunes – make for the perfect boarding environment. Huacachina’s tourism economy is almost wholly focused on sand boarding and skiboarding. The tall dunes stretch into the horizon and offer picturesque views of the small oasis of Huacachina. Unlike volcano boarding in Nicaragua, you can actually stand on these boards. You can also lay down and zoom down the sand mammoths headfirst.
Death Road, Bolivia (Photo: Flickr Elias Bizannes)
Where: Connecting La Paz and the Yungas region, Bolivia
Death Road in Bolivia gets its name from long list of drivers that lost their life tackling the route. Despite its haunting history and macabre name, Death Road remains a hugely popular adventure attraction in Bolivia. The road was once considered the most dangerous road in the world, as it’s very narrow, prone to floors, often steep, and not paved. Today, cyclists take 5 hours to tackle the 69-kilometer-long route, starting at an elevation of 15,000 feet. As far as mountain bike routes go, this one isn’t overly challenging. You just need to follow the long and winding road until you reach the bottom. However, there are no barricades, so riders must always be paying attention, which is sometimes difficult due to all the beautiful scenery. You can get going really fast, so it’s not a ride for the faint-hearted.
Where: Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand. The town has practically every adrenaline rush you can think of. The Nevis Swing is one of the most famous swings in the world. Dropping from a 70-meter-long suspension bridge at a height of 134 meters, the swing completes at scream-inducing 300-meter arc over the valley below. Swingers can go solo or tandem, and choose from swinging forwards, backwards or upside-down.
(Photo: Flickr Chico Boomba)
Where: Interlaken, Switzerland
One of the adventure capitals of the world, Interlaken is all things adrenaline. Paragliding is one of the closest ways you can get to feeling like a bird (other than Base jumping or using a wingsuit, which isn’t possible unless you have years of practice and hundreds of skydives under your belt). Soaring through valleys and over villages with the Swiss Alps in the background, as cool fresh air hits your face, is one of the best natural highs there is. Time seems to sit still as you effortless float through the sky.
Written by Evan Ceretti
Evan has been around the world three times, each time developing an ever greater love for food. A vegetarian, Evan spends his time on the road seeking out the best meatless dishes in the world. Having received a diploma in journalism from Holland College, as well as a degree in print journalism from the University of Prince Edward Island, Evan now spends his time writing about gastronomic journeys from all corners of the world, in hopes of satisfying his own desires of seeing and eating and to help others do the same. When not doing any of the above, find him taking photos in his beautiful home city of Charlottetown, P.E.I., Canada. Follow his Insta @evanontheroad.