Like your holidays extra high-octane? Here are the world’s top five adrenaline activities. Enjoy.
1. Bungee jumping
What: Fondly referred to as “suicide practice”, it takes guts to dive off into the abyss with an elastic cord tied to your ankles. The world’s highest commercial bungee jumping spot is South Africa’s Bloukrans Bridge, while Switzerland’s Verzasca Dam is a hit with movie buffs after James Bond’s famous stunt in film Goldeneye. If you fancy taking the plunge somewhere tropical, check out Costa Rica’s Colorado River.
2. Skydiving
What: There’s no buzz quite like skydiving. After chucking yourself out of a plane at 4000m, you will travel through the air at 200kph. Unless you’ve got a skydiving course under your belt, you will have to do a tandem skydive with an instructor strapped to your back. World skydiving capital Taupo, New Zealand, is a good place to start for an amazing first jump.
3. Sandboarding
What: Similar to snow and skateboarding. Wannabes need steep sand dunes and Peru’s La Huacachina is a gorgeous oasis with sandy slopes that provide the perfect setting for the sport. A surfeit of local operators offer tours to the oasis all year round.
4. Coasteering
What: This trendy sport involves a series of adventurous coastal exploration: navigating sea caves, clambering up natural rock arches and cliff jumping. Learn the ropes by taking a course in Wales with Preseli Venture on the Pembrokeshire coastline.
5. Rock climbing
What: If you fancy giving rock climbing a try, practice indoors first at Manor House’s The Castle Climbing Centre or Westway, in Shepherd’s Bush. When you’re ready to go outdoors, USA’s Yosemite National Park offers climbing lessons for all levels.
– Janine Kelso
