Extreme Adventure Travel: Top 8 Adrenaline Pumping Excursions
Take Your Adventure to the Next Level
The new trend sweeping the industry in the United States and abroad is adventure travel, providing the perfect alternative to those who want a little more excitement in their vacations. However even this isn’t even enough for some people.
Do you yearn for the pump of adrenaline and always want to take everything to the next level? Extreme adventure travel was made for you.
From bungee jumping off skyscrapers to piloting a fighter jet, unique thrill-seeking experiences continue to attract people of all walks of life. Whether you’re an experienced traveler looking to try something new or an extreme sports enthusiast, there’s an excursion out there to fit your personality, skill level and pocketbook.
Polar Diving in the Arctic or Antarctic
For the experienced scuba diver looking for a challenge, try your hand at polar diving in the Arctic or Antarctic Circles. Dive among icebergs and an incredible array of marine life under the icy, sub-zero surface; you may even see leopard seals or penguins as you swim.
All dives carry some risk, but polar dives are particularly dangerous since they’re located in remote locations without decompression chambers. Although not normally a concern during scuba dives in warm locales, polar divers have ice to worry about, which may alter their ability to find a safe exit.
Tandem HALO Jumping
If you’ve grown bored of regular skydiving experiences, you can always try your hand at an even more dangerous version. HALO (high altitude low open) jumping is a military style of tandem parachuting accomplished by jumping out of a plane at around 30,000 feet — the cruising altitude for commercial airplanes.
Because of the high altitude, jumpers must wear oxygen masks to prevent blacking out due to hypoxia — or oxygen deprivation. Free falls last about two minutes, with another few minutes of parachute coasting before landing.
HALO jump schools are found all over the world, with the most well-known located in the Southern United States.
Some of the best hikes in the world will take you through some seriously astonishing landscapes. Lace up your hiking boots at set out on these trails!
Whitewater Rafting on the Zambezi River
Known as the “wildest one-day whitewater run in the world,” Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border delivers maximum thrills for a one-of-a-kind experience. Navigate the Zambezi River amid 18 thrilling rapids with nearly half classified at grade five — the most difficult runs to navigate.
With names like Devil’s Toilet Bowl and Gnashing Jaws of Death, you’re sure to enjoy conquering these rapids and bragging about your extreme vacation when you get home.
