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Trips Bookmark This: 15 Extreme Adventure Activities To Amp Up Your Adrenaline
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Bookmark This: 15 Extreme Adventure Activities To Amp Up Your Adrenaline

From soaring through the skies to conquering challenging terrains, the world of adventure awaits; delve into these adventure activities.

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By: Shibani Bawa Published: Sep 20, 2023 11:00 AM IST

Bookmark This: 15 Extreme Adventure Activities To Amp Up Your Adrenaline

Mountain biking along Nordic villages or horse surfing in Florida? Brace yourself for an exhilarating ride through our list of high-octane adventure activities from around the world—some familiar, others lesser known.

Adventure Activities Around The World

Take on Via Ferrata Routes in Malaysia for Adventure 

Adventure Activities

Via ferrata is an extreme sport with a pathway across a mountain consisting of a series of rungs, rails, cables, and bridges. The sport boasts more than 300 routes across Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, United States, and Canada. But the world’s highest, and Asia’s first via ferrata is located in Malaysia at the Mt Kinabalu’s Panalaban rock face–Mountain Torq. Starting at 3,200 metres and going up to 3,776 metres above sea level, Mountain Torq offers two routes—Walk the Torq and Low’s Peak Circuit. Both are well suited for beginner and intermediate climbers and even without prior professional mountaineering experience. The former activity is less challenging and the latter is a longer route, ideal for enjoying the lesser explored side of the mountain with breathtaking sights, over an adventure of four to five hours.

Hit the Snowy Slopes of Japan 

Adventure Activities

There’s no dearth of lavish ski resorts in Europe. But did you know that Japan’s remarkable snow conditions make it one of the best places in the world for skiing and snowboarding? Niseko in Hokkaido is a premier ski destination as it receives the world’s best powder snow all through winter. You can pick from four interlinked ski resorts in Niseko—Annupuri, Niseko Village, Grand Hirafu, and Hanazono. Each resort has a number of slopes to choose from and the terrain works well for beginners as well as professionals. The stunning views of Mt Yotei and wide-open powder bowls where skiers can carve and turn to their heart’s content combined with inimitable Japanese hospitality make this a memorable skiing destination.

Bike along the Mountains in Sweden

Adventure Activities

Get your adrenaline rush with mountain biking, but with a side of picture perfect Nordic villages. The scenic Bohuslän coast in Sweden stretches from the city of Gothenburg all the way up to Norway. The 280-kilometre stretch along Sweden’s west side offers a thrilling mountain biking track. When you sign up for this adventure activity, we recommend keeping a few days extra for guided kayaking tours of some of the islands, as well as Kosterhavet National Park, Sweden’s first marine national park. With 8,000 islands off this coast, there’s plenty to do along with mountain biking; think island hopping, swimming a snorkel trail, and fishing in the towns of Grebbestad, Fjällbacka, and Strömstad—from lobster to langoustine and crab, you may even get to taste some of your hauls!

Go Treasure Hunting in Finland

Adventure Activities

Think of orienteering as a highly skilled treasure hunt in an unfamiliar terrain. It is a recreational outdoor sport where participants are tasked with finding a series of control points marked on a map. Armed with a specially prepared orienteering map and a compass, you are required to navigate to each control point that is circled on the map, in numerical order, in the shortest possible time. The locations for orienteering can vary from forests and parks to urban areas. This competitive sport is also a family-friendly activity with a blend of physical challenge, mental stimulation, and outdoor exploration. Finland has also been hosting an annual orienteering relay race— Jukola Relay—since 1949. One of the largest orienteering events in the world, this race takes place at different destinations around Finland on a Saturday between June 13 and June 19.

Walk Through the Jungles of Madhya Pradesh, India

Adventure Activities

As enjoyable as a jeep or elephant safari may be, they cannot match the sheer thrill of walking on foot through the varied terrains of a jungle in Madhya Pradesh. Pugdundee Safaris offer walking safaris at Satpura Tiger Reserve, providing access to untouched areas, where wilderness is experienced at its very best. This forest is home to lush foliage, rugged hills, beautiful streams and rivers, tribal villages, ancient temples, and, of course, tigers. This six-day walking safari is an immersive experience and an adventure activity unlike any other. A moderate level of fitness is required, as you’ll end up walking about five to seven hours daily with two to three breaks in between. Overnight accommodation is in tents, with a shower tent and a dry pit toilet tent, and camp cooks serve fresh, hot meals. A camp core team and a trained naturalist who can help spot even the most elusive animals accompany the group through the entire journey.

Freedive into the Ocean in Thailand

Adventure Activities

Nothing can be more thrilling than exploring the depths of the ocean in one single breath. A deep dive without engaging any breathing apparatus or heavy scuba gear makes freediving as exhilarating an experience as it is serene to be submerged underwater. While scuba diving is available at many destinations across Thailand, a few islands like Koh Tao and Koh Lanta are particularly popular for freediving due to the excellent underwater visibility. Phuket is another great place for this underwater sport as it has a range of dive sites, clear waters, and vibrant marine life. Off the coast of Phuket, Koh Racha Yai has reputable diving centres and instructors who offer freediving training for beginners.

Enjoy Horse Surfing in Florida, USA

Adventure Activities

Horse surfing is an equestrian sport that includes surfing or riding a surfboard, skimboard, wakeboard,
or kiteboard behind a horse. Suitable for beginners and expert riders, the experience can be customised and can even include a one-on-one guide. Currently available at very limited destinations across the world, Florida is one of the few places where you can enjoy horse surfing with Florida Beach Horses. An added attraction for conscious travellers is that most of these horses have been rescued from various destinations. If you find horse surfing too adventurous for your liking, you can opt for the sand and surf ride that starts off along the bay with saddles on and finishes in the water bareback.

Conquer the Rapids in Assam, India

Adventure Activities

Powerful rapids, gorgeous landscapes, and the unique culture of Northeast India make white water rafting down the Brahmaputra River in Assam a bucket list item for an adventure-filled activity ideal for extreme sport enthusiasts all over the world. Known as one of the mightiest rivers in the world, the Brahmaputra offers a range of challenging rapids from Class III to Class V. Aquaterra Adventures offers a 12-day Brahmaputra River Rafting Expedition that takes you through some tough rapids flanked by lofty mountains, remote tribal settlements as well as lush rainforests. While the trip starts at Dibrugarh in Assam and takes you through a few remote villages for the first few days, what follows is a seven-day self-contained river run from Tuting to Pasighat (approximately 180 km) through one of the most inaccessible regions in the world, navigating monster rapids like Class V Ningguing rapid, Rikor and Zebra Rock rapids, and an extreme Class VI rapid known as the Tooth Fairy.

Rappel Down Canyons in Canada

The picturesque rocky landscapes and pristine blue glacier waters in Canada are best enjoyed via canyoning. As you rappel down a 30-metre-high wall canyon, slide on natural rocks and swim through the cool waters, the exhilaration is unparalleled. Even though the canyons where canyoning is conducted are not extreme, you should be able to scramble, swim, and rappel on your own. Finishing the experience with some zip lines ending in the water is the ultimate finale! To make it even more memorable, book the Heli option and add a scenic heli-ride in the Rockies, starting from Abraham Lake and over the glacier that feeds the river where you will be floating down.

Ride a Seakart in the Andamans, India

Adventure Activities

A novel way to enjoy the stunning marine landscape of the Andamans is on a seakart. Port Blair is the third destination in the world, and the only one in India to offer this water sport. This motorised watercraft is a mix between a jet ski and a boat that can fit three people, including one trained instructor, leaving seats for two guests who can enjoy it together. The ride in Port Blair starts from the shore of Corbyn’s Cove Beach, goes to Marina Park, and finally to Ross Island. Although you can enter deeper seas, anybody can drive a seakart and it does not require any prior swimming or driving skills.

Zoom Across Lofty Peaks in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

Adventure Activities

Blessed with varied topography that includes lofty mountains, rolling sand dunes, and natural beaches, Ras Al Khaimah, the northern most Emirate in the UAE, has established itself as a hub for adventure sports. One of the most noteworthy attractions is the longest zipline in the world—Jais Flight. As you zip at a speed of 120-150 kmph for almost three minutes, you’ll be treated with breathtaking views of deep ravines, canyons, and jagged peaks that stand tall at 1,680 metres above sea level. Jais Flight is located atop Jebel Jais mountain peak, where a professionally trained team is committed to providing the most exciting flying experience while ensuring the highest standards of safety. The spectacular nine- ton glass-bottomed platform from where you take off is suspended 80 metres above the ground and resembles a hovering bird.

Glide Over Lakes and Hills in Switzerland

switzerland

Hang gliding over picturesque Swiss lakes brings the hills alive with the sound of uninterrupted wind. All you need to do is fly a lightweight, non-motorised glider from a high point. You will
fly side by side with a qualified pilot, making this sport more pleasurable than an adrenaline- pumping activity. One of the most charming destinations for hang gliding is the quaint village of Lauterbrunnen located in a scenic valley surrounded by Swiss Alps, the roaring Stabbach Falls, and blue glacial waters of Trümmelbach Falls. We assure you that the stunning aerial views of this flight will remain etched in your memory long after the experience is over.

Fly Over a Rainbow in South Africa

Adventure Activities

Paramotoring in the Rainbow Nation– South Africa is every adventure lover’s dream activity come true. A paramotor is a lightweight motorised paraglider with a harness, propeller-driven engine, and parachute-style wing. It is also known as powered paragliding wherein the pilot wears a back-pack motor, which provides enough thrust to take off using a paraglider. The unique advantage it offers is that individuals can take off from the ground and fly in the air. Cape Town and the surrounding areas offer spectacular paramotoring opportunities with the Table Mountain providing a perfect backdrop. Birdmen Paragliding offers paramotoring training, but you need a valid SAPHA Basic Paragliding License to be eligible for it.

Jump From the Highest Peak in the World in Nepal

skydiving

If you want to feel an adrenaline high like never before and jump from the highest peak in the world, sign up for skydiving at Mount Everest. There are only four skydiving trips in a year, usually in October or November, and that too subject to the weather conditions. Bookings usually get sold out at least six months in advance, making it a well-planned excursion. Although it is worth every penny, it is undoubtedly the most expensive skydiving trip in the world. With Everest Skydive you can be assured to freefall past some of the world’s highest mountain peaks and land on one of the highest drop zones on the planet—Ama Dablam

Ascend to the Skies in a Hot Air Balloon in Botswana

Hot air balloon

Enjoy the amazing African landscape while gliding leisurely in a hot air balloon. One of the most exclusive wilderness destinations in the world—the Okavango Delta—is the most preferred spot for this adventure activity. While the Delta is particularly famous as a birdwatcher’s paradise, you will definitely be able to sight the rich wildlife of this region including elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of antelope species. This hot air balloon ride starts with a spectacular sunrise and seeing the bush slowly come to life is truly special. As if nature’s perfect spectacle is not enough, you can choose to end the flight with a lavish champagne breakfast to make this an utterly luxurious experience.

Related : The Only Road Trip Guide You Need For The Ultimate Adventure

Written By

Shibani Bawa

Shibani Bawa

Shibani Bawa is a food and travel writer based in New Delhi. She has been writing on luxury lifestyle for 20 years now for some of the best print and digital magazines published in India, including Travel+Leisure India South Asia, BBC Good Food, BBC Good Homes, Cosmopolitan and India Today, among others. Shibani has her finger on the pulse of all the ..Read More

 
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