10 Best travel destinations for thrill-seekers

Adventure Time: 10 Best travel spots for thrill-seekers

Angela Goh

08 Apr 2016

1/10
Kulusuk, Greenland
What better way to explore Greenland than by being whisked across a frozen fjord by a team of Greenlandic sled dogs? For a unique and chilly holiday, take an overnight dogsledding trip with the true masters of sledding, the Inuit of Kulusuk, to a remote wilderness hut and become one with your wild side.
Photo: greenland.com
2/10
Mount Everest, Nepal
Not keen on the two-month climb to the summit of Mount Everest, not to mention the years of training and preparation beforehand? Why not attack it from above and skydive your way there? With only two groups allowed to jump per year, this jump is the holy grail for skydivers. You’ll surely get your fill of thrills as you freefall past the highest point on earth at a whopping 120 miles per hour.
Photo: Everest Skydive
3/10
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
While most people visit Rio for the beautiful beaches, unique cuisine and the world's biggest carnival, others prefer to strap themselves to a piece of sailcloth and jump off cliffs. Surrounded by beautiful mountains and beaches stretching as far as the eye can see, Rio is quite possibly one of the most beautiful places to hang glide.
Photo: Getty Images
4/10
Huàshān, China
Famous for a gut-wrenching mixture of insanely steep staircases, cramped caves, and sheer precipices lined with nothing but thin wooden boards bolted into the cliff face, the routes to the many peaks of Huáshān in Xi’an are certainly not for the faint of heart. Those brave enough to complete the dangerous climb will be rewarded with a simple Taoist temple-cum-teahouse, likely revered more for its view than its tea.

Photo: Getty Images
5/10
Queenstown, New Zealand
The small resort town of Queenstown certainly lives up to its reputation of the ‘adventure capital of the world’. With everything from white water rafting through abandoned gold mines to paragliding over New Zealand’s third largest lake (with a depth of 380 metres), adrenaline junkies will have no shortage of thrills to chase here. Combine the world's first commercial bungy jump with the dramatic backdrop Southern Alps and you have a perfect spot for anyone.
Photo: Getty Images
6/10
Western Chugach Mountains, Alaska
Check out the Western Chugach Mountains in Alaska for the ultimate heli-skiing experience. With the world's highest levels of snowfall over 750 thousand acres of skiable terrain, there’ll be any number of ramps, steep spines, couloirs, and endless fields of powder at your disposal.
Photo: Getty Images
7/10
Cerro Negro Volcano, Nicaragua
What’s better than racing down a steep slope at nearly 50 km/h on a little piece of wood? Doing it down the side of an active volcano, of course. All you speedsters out there will have a blast carving up the grains of volcanic rock as you surf your way down the slopes of Cerro Negra in Nicaragua. Need more convincing? While you’re zipping down the slopes, you can stash some burritos in a hole at the summit for your very own volcano-cooked burritos.
Photo: Getty Images
8/10
Pamplona, Spain
Each July, the city of Pamplona in Spain transforms itself for the festival of San Fermín. Over a million visitors pack the city for a week of music, fireworks and celebrations. But most importantly, they come to thrust themselves into the path of six frenzied bulls as they charge the cordoned off streets of Pamplona. With dozens of unlucky runners each year gored and trampled by the bulls, the run certainly isn’t for chickens.
Photo: Getty Images
9/10
Interlaken, Switzerland
Switzerland’s answer to Queenstown, Interlaken is known as Europe’s adventure sports capital, and for good reason. With skydiving and glacier landing on offer in the winter, and rafting, canyon diving, and hang gliding in the summer, there’s certainly no dull moment for thrill seekers here.
Photo: Getty Images
10/10
Victoria Falls, Zambia / Zimbabwe
Why bungy jump anywhere, when you can do it across the border of two countries at the world’s largest waterfall? Victoria falls, on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, is certainly a uniquely scenic destination for thrill seeking. With your mind buzzing with adrenaline, make sure you don’t forget your passport, since you’ll need it to jump!
Photo: Getty Images

Want to tackle some of the most hardcore adventure spots in the world?

Sometimes, a vacation does not necessarily need to be relaxing. There are so many beautiful spots in the world and you can definitely make your experiences at these destinations a hundred times better if you engage in more adventurous activities and extreme sports. Interested in skydiving over magnificent Mount Everest, dog sledding across breathtaking Greenland, or braving a precarious climb up sheer cliffs in Xi’an?

We’ve picked 10 of the best travel spots for you adrenaline junkies out there – yes, even more places to add to your bucket list. Go on, we dare you to live a little.