When you are used to the most thrilling experiences of being alive—skydiving into open fields or hiking through treacherous landscapes—any ordinary vacation can feel like a drag. Some of us may love lazy spa vacations or guided tours, but others prefer the rush of adventure vacations in exotic lands.
We pooled together our knowledge of rough, strange, and outrageous conditions as inspiration for adrenaline junkies worldwide. Consider the 5 best adventure vacations below before you plan your next trip.
Swim the Great Barrier Reef
Northeast of the Australian coast lies this underwater garden with 400 varieties of colorful coral and nearly 6,000 underwater animals, including sea turtles and sharks. Avoid stinging anemones and other aggressive wildlife while taking in the breathtaking beauty of this natural landmark.
Raft the Grand Canyon
For a unique American adventure, explore the maze of red rocks and ferocious waters deep under the Arizona desert. Ride through turquoise pools, rough rivers, and winding creeks with the help of an experienced guide, or do your best to survive the thrashing white water ride on your own.
Navigate the Chinese Cliffs
Only a true daredevil would attempt to traverse the slender, winding path of Chang Kong Cliff Road. This excursion in China’s Shaanxi Province requires that you ascend a sharp mountainside until it reaches straight cliffs. You can stop at this point and enjoy the view or soldier on along a flimsy, one-way wooden path that is only a single foot wide and hundreds of feet above ground as you attempt to reach the top of the cliff, where a legendary temple and tea house await.
Explore Iceland’s Fire and Ice
Iceland may be a politically peaceful country, but it sits atop some of the most ferocious and complex land on earth. A tenuous mix of bubbling lava and frigid ice, Iceland invites travelers to explore these geographical extremes with a series of long hikes up chilly mountain faces, past furious geysers, across thin glacial ice, and along steaming volcanic formations. It is a majestic and gorgeous trip, but one that certainly requires bravery.
Trek up Mount Everest
Everest is synonymous with adventure. It is easy to see why, what with a record-breaking peak over 29,000 feet above sea level. While attempting to reach the top can sometimes mean almost certain death, it is still a thrilling trip to reach Everest Base Camp, a destination midway up the mountain that is 18,000 feet high. Though the trip is cold, grueling, and challenging like almost nothing else, this trek allows for the greatest views on earth: Nepal’s gorgeous mountainsides, crystal-clear skies, remote schoolhouses, ancient monasteries, and so much more.
We feel that any of the above luxury adventure vacations will both challenge and inspire even the most daring adrenaline junkies alive. After all, daring people need daring challenges, each one more adventurous than the next. Just remember to enlist the help of experienced travel agencies so that lodging accommodations, airfare, excursion reservations, ground travel, and other fuss can be taken care of and out of your way. With their help, you will be prepared to face the unexpected.
