1. Bungee Jump in Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s Macau Tower has the world’s highest bungee jump
at 233 meters high. Alan John Hackett set a Guinness World Record back in
2007 with his jump, and you can recreate it with an evening jump of your own.
2. Wingsuit Fly in the Swiss Alps
You’ll feel like a bird flying over the mountains in your own
wingsuit. Similar to skydiving but amped up, wingsuits let you glide at up to
250 kilometers per hour. Tandem jumping out of a helicopter in Interlaken,
Switzerland, you’ll soar over mountains, pivot through valleys and eventually
land safely with the help of a parachute.
3. Canyon in Madeira, Portugal
Canyoning is a hybrid sport where you’re climbing and scrambling
over rocks and rappelling down waterfalls, doing whatever it takes to
traverse a canyon. Ribeiro Bonito has stunning views, diverse terrain and lots of water (so prepare to get wet!).
4. Zorbing in Queenstown, New Zealand
Climb inside a transparent
inflatable ball and get ready to roll down a big hill, giggling the whole way.
Zorbing is on the milder side of thrills but Rotorua can’t be beat with stunning
scenery that flies by as you tumble.
5. Dune Bash in Dubai, UAE
Pair up with a skilled local
driver for the ride of your life in Dubai. In a 4x4 vehicle, like a Land
Cruiser, you’ll cut across huge sand dunes, weaving your way up and down
through the desert. It’s bumpy, thrilling and beautiful if you manage to catch a sunset.
6. Swing at the End of the World in Baños, Ecuador
The good news is that this extreme
adventure requires you to sit securely in a giant swing in stunning Casa del Árbol.
The bad news is that you’re 8,530 feet above sea level when you’re pushed out
over the trees by one of the swing’s monitors. It’s possibly relaxing but also
referred to as “the death swing,” so swing at your own risk.
7. White Water Raft on the Zambezi River, Zambia/Zimbabwe
The rapids on the Zambezi River can range anywhere from one to five, with the final gorge exit equal to climbing
a 70-story building. It’s extreme, beautiful and strenuous—not a walk on the
beach, for sure.
8. Zipline in North Wales, UK
There are lots of places to
zip line around the world, but the fastest, reaching speeds of 100 miles per
hour, is at Zip World Penrhyn Quarry in North Wales, UK. The zip line is a mile
long and there’s a deep blue quarry below, mountains to your sides and the wind in
your hair.
9. Volcano Board at Cerro Negro, Nicaragua
Step one in this extreme sport is hiking up Cerro Negro an
active volcano in
Nicaragua. Step two is sliding down the volcano on a wooden board, with
speeds reaching 60 kilometers per hour. The descent actually only takes minutes. It’s a very unique experience with hot rocks,
shrapnel and lots of dust.
10. Glacier Climb in Alaska
A climb up Alaska’s Matanuska Glacier is not for those who’d rather be on a pleasure cruise. You start with a
two mile hike to get to three to four hours of ice climbing, where you’ll be lowered into moulins (deep ice shafts) or glacial canyons and see the clearest
blue water surrounded by snowy peaks of ice. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and
you’ll see things those on the boat would only dream of.
11. SCUBA Dive and Snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
If you like diving or snorkeling, the absolute best place to
do it is around the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. You’ll see some of the 1,500
species of fish, 134 species of sharks and rays, and hard and soft coral.
Divers can descend around 10 to 25 meters, with some sites for the advanced
offering dives up to 40 meters.