Most people go on holiday to get some peace and quiet after a crazy year at work. All they want is to relax, soak up the sun and eat a LOT of food. There are however, those few people that love adventure, adrenalin and never want to stay within the ‘norm’. You might be one of those people, or maybe you want to find out more about different types of activities that can get your holiday from fun to fantastic. So what do these people do when they go on holiday? They get themselves booked on extreme activities wherever they can.
Does skydiving onto a snow mountain sound appealing to you? What about free climbing mountains? These type of activities are just for the brave hearted. Maybe this list will inspire your next holiday activities, a little change from the usual deck chair.
Sandboarding
If you are not fan of water or hate the fact that snow is cold then sandboarding is the perfect extreme activity to try on your next vacation. This thrilling activity has become more and more popular around the world, but has been known to be done even in Egyptian times.
In the past people would use bits of pottery to slide down the enormous sand dunes, however we have now evolved to actual boards made out of plastic. For most people it’s enough to just jump on the board and slide down to the bottom, whereas the real thrill seekers will set up jumps in the middle of the path to increase their adrenalin.
There are some places that will create the dune effect just for those people who are looking for this extreme activity whilst on holiday. Countries like Brazil and Peru have private parks that have added sand dunes to their landscapes and offer people the right equipment to get their fix.
You can find great places in the Middle East or South Africa that have the natural dunes, though make sure you go with a formal organization, as this type of activity is not to be messed with.
Shark Cage
For some people, seeing the movie Jaws is just not enough. They need to see the real thing for themselves. And not just see, they want to get in the water with the great white. There few places in the world where you can get a really extreme experience, those include in South Africa, Australia and Hawaii.
There are different ways you can satisfy your need to go shark diving. The most conventional, yet still extreme, way is to go into the shark infested water in a metal cage. You are often accompanied by a few divers and will stay in the cage for periods of 1 hour +. The sharks can get as close as 30 centimeters so you have to have a strong heart to go into that cage. More recently, people have been drawn to soft-cage diving in warm water. Here you will be placed in a cage that is more of a silicone based material and can float in the ocean where smaller sharks can be found. The reason why you can go in a soft cage is that these sharks (Tiger and Blacktip) are much less likely to attack you and are more interested on feeding on smaller fish.
It’s possible in this cage to get out and swim with the sharks, depending on what your guide decides.
Space Travel
For those of you that have had enough of all the extreme activities on Earth, there is a new frontier to conquer. Let us introduce – Space travel. This type of extreme vacations are becoming much more popular, and accessible to the wider market.
Though it’s still not easy, you have to have a large pocket to be able to afford this type of vacation. If you have the resources to take yourself into space, you can find yourself doing some extreme accomplishments that you will keep telling your grandchildren in the years to come. One of the most extreme type of space travel a normal (normal being non astronaut) person can do is to orbit the moon.
You will have to be put through extensive training and you will face many dangers, however if you are an extreme person this won’t put you off. If going all the way to the moon is too much, try orbiting Earth for 12 days. You will be able to circle the planet every 90 minutes and see it from all angles. For people with less time there is the option to do a short visit into space, 100kms above Earth, where you can just see the planet from one location.
Probably the most popular and fun activity to do in space is to take part in a zero gravity flight. Here you will be able to experience the feeling of weightlessness and it’s a relatively short activity so if you don’t like it you know you will be able to return fairly quickly.
Zorbing
Zorbing is something that has become a new extreme activity to try out by those interested in rolling down a hill in an inflatable plastic sphere. You can choose to either go alone or with other people, sometimes sharing the danger can be more fun than doing it alone.
For those people that want to take the extreme up a notch, you can take the non harnessed option, where you are rolling down the hill without any support. Crashing around the inflatable ball and propelling yourself forward is all part of the fun. Though it might look dangerous, Zorbing is a pretty safe activity. This doesn’t take away from its extremeness as you can get to speeds of 50km per hour. Don’t be fooled, Zorbing has taken the lives of a few people in its path, however on the whole it can be considered a safe-ish extreme activity to do whilst on vacation.
A famous location to find Zorbing is in New Zealand, though other countries such as the UK and the US have started taking up the activity in areas where there are steep hills.
Hang Gliding
Hang gliding is an activity that can be done literally in any location. All you need is a hill, some wind, the right equipment and a brave soul. In the beginning of this sports history, you could only glide for short distances, however now modern technology makes it possible to travel hundreds of kilometers up in the sky.
This activity will really make you feel like a bird. With no engine or motor, you will really feel at one with nature. The reason why hang gliding is so extreme is that you are just supported by a small metal frame made out of aluminum alloy and you are flying many kilometers about the ground. Though, to make it safer you are given a parachute to help you out should you get into trouble.
Many tourist locations offer this activity to people who are looking for a thrilling ride, though be sure that it is a well-known company, or that you see a lot of people using it, to make sure you are in safe hands.