Venturing a bit outside of your comfort zone isn’t enough for some travelers. Oh no, they live for risk-taking; the more dangerous the activity, the more palatable it is. While most of us take heed when we are advised not to do X, Y, or Z when we travel, adventure seekers would rather tempt fate.
If you live in the US, there are sites all over for thrilling activities such as bungee jumping and surfing. But there’s plenty more beyond those borders, particularly in the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe. If you want to add a little twist to your adventure “down under,” Australia has it all, from cliff-camping to white water rafting. And snakes. And spiders. And sharks. Like we said, it has it all.
Try these extreme sports and activities–and be sure to do your research on safety first!
1. Bungee Jumping
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On the list of extreme thrills, bungee jumping is somewhere at the top. Just make sure that you do it through a licensed and reputable company.
The Bridge to Nowhere in California is a favorite as is the Redwood Forest Trees Jump. The latter is organized by Bungee Adventures–the only company licensed to do it there.
You can leap off the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa–among the highest bridges for bungee jumping in the world.
Uganda, Kenya and Zimbabwe have sites, as well.
2. Sky Diving
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How about sky diving above the stunning Caribbean landscape?
You can do a tandem parachute jump in St. Martin, which involves falling 10,000 feet over the Caribbean Sea at “over 125 mph,” according to SXM Parachute.
There are sky diving opportunities all over the UK, too.
Perranporth in Cornwall (England) offers fantastic ocean views as you free fall.
Tandem skydivers in Wales might be able to see Ireland on a clear day.
Scotland’s scenery is majestic enough on foot; imagine experiencing it aerially!
3. Surfing
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Compared to the first two on this list, maybe surfing isn’t quite so scary. But it’s thrilling, and that’s what keeps people addicted.
Biarritz in France has great surfing along the Grand Plage and Côte des Basques. The latter offers waves suitable for newbies.
Hawaii offers some of the best surfing in the US. According to Go Hawaii, “it was a sport only reserved for royalty,” before it opened up to others.
You can watch the pros do their thing along Oahu’s North Shore. Lessons are offered on all of the Hawaiian islands.
If you’re interested in supporting surfing opportunities with The Culture in mind, check out Black Girls Surf.
4. Ziplining
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Head to Treetop Adventure Park in St. Lucia, where you’ll go flying through the rain forest. There are 12 ziplines, and some require you to walk across rope bridges to get to them.
Xplor in Mexico touts itself as “the most visited zip-line park in the world.” This is your chance to fly over the tree tops and even glide through the water!
Costa Rica offers some dope ziplining, too.
5. Cliff Camping
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Cliff camping takes “room with a view” to whole new heights.
Literally.
How does it work? You are suspended on a portaledge, a small platform dangling over the side of a cliff. No need to worry about rolling off while sleeping, as you are strapped to a harness and ropes.
Try this spin on traditional camping in places like Germany, Canada, and Australia, among others.
6. Cliff Jumping
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What better way to ward off the oppressive summer heat? But cliff jumping isn’t quite as easy as it looks.
Make sure you put enough distance between yourself and the cliff, and check that the water is deep enough. Also, make sure you can swim!
There are some gorgeous sites in New York, such as Fawn’s Leap in The Catskills and Split Rock Hole. Christine Falls in the Adirondacks is also highly recommended.
If you want to jump with an audience, head to Rick’s Cafe in Jamaica, where there are cliffs of different heights.
If you decide not to jump, grab a Red Stripe and watch others live their best lives.