Cypress Valley Canopy Tours
The book Frommer's 500 Best Adrenaline Adventures features high-octane experiences for both passionate travelers and adventure seekers. From daredevil sports to hair-raising haunted houses to wacky and obscure festivals and races, we offer ideas for a wide variety of adventures. Scroll through these 18 picks for insight into adventures that are fit for all kinds of travelers.
If you want to get high, really high, try HALO jumping out of a DHC-3 "super otter" airplane at more than 30,000 ft. (9,000m) above the earth's surface. That's the cruising altitude for most commercial airlines, more than 305m (1,000 ft.) higher than Mt. Everest, and almost six miles from the ground.
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For scuba divers, the best part of Papua New Guinea lies in its surrounding waters, home to an abundance of rare marine life and significant relics from World War II. The many navy ships and various aircraft that remain beneath the sea are a somber reminder of hard-fought battles between the Allied troops and Japanese forces that took place here during the early 1940s. In the years since then, coral reefs have grown over these historic remnants, creating vibrant dive sights that merge old stories with new beginnings.
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The many cenotes (canyons or sinkholes) running along the Maya Riviera have quite a history. Carved out of the Yucatán Peninsula's limestone surface, their pools of water sustained ancient cultures including the Mayans, who revered them as sacred places. It's easy to see why.
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As your pilot glides over grassy meadows and weaves between snow-capped mountain peaks, you're quickly rendered speechless. But this breathtaking journey is just the first of many to come over the next few days as you embark on your "heli-hiking" adventure.
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It started off as a fun, safe way to hit the slopes -- even the kiddies could get into the fun by swooshing down a snowy hillside on an inner tube. Then some adrenaline junkies got into the act, built up a couple of steep moguls, and pretty soon people were catching air for 30 feet (9m) or more.
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Few outdoor destinations can compete with Joshua Tree National Park. Spectacular weather year-round, awe-inspiring scenery, and dozens of activity options make this a prime destination for adventure-seekers from around the world. Perhaps more than any other sport, rock-climbing is what put this park on the map.
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The sun's barely up and you've already groomed and saddled your horse, gathered and sorted a few dozen cattle, and started the fire for branding the calves later in the morning. After lunch, you'll ride out north to check on the fences and make sure there's enough water in the stock tank. And last week, you were just another desk jockey sitting in a cubicle.
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The Amazon has tempted explorers since the 16th century when an intrepid European first encountered it. Today, the world's largest river by volume and second longest (after the Nile) is much easier to navigate, but just as alluring.
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Navigating hairpin turns on the edges of cliffs high above the sea is nothing short of exhilarating. Set between Torquay and Warrnambool, the Great Ocean Road is an awe-inspiring feat of construction, and a tribute to Australia's rugged landscape. Even though the nearly 240km (150 miles) drive takes just 3½, allow at least three days for the journey. You'll want to stop and experience some off-the-road adventures too.
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Flames are whipping around your head and body in a flash of light and heat while the speakers are thumping out a rhythmic bass groove. A disco inferno? Not exactly -- you're at fire dancing boot camp, and you're learning the ancient art of poi, having a blast and getting one of the best workouts of your life.
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He weighs two tons and he's really, really angry that you're sitting on top of him. But you can handle this bull -- you think. After all, you've had a few days of instruction at one of America's top ranked bull-riding clinics, and when that chute opens, you'll be ready for the ride of your life.
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The sight of a man sprinting towards a finishing line with his opponents, a horse and rider, racing beside him may appear like a slightly one-sided contest. Even the most powerful sprinters would find it hard to match a four-legged gallop, especially over a 22-mile course. Yet throw in some steep hills, forest paths, streams, and fences and the apparent mismatch evens out a little.
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A man jets across the choppy waters of Nanaimo harbor in western Canada. His boat slices through the snarly waves, rythmically bucking upwards on the rough tides. His shiney helmet and orange suit make him appear like a NASCAR racer as he leans forward and darts across the waters. Then you notice that despite his speed he is actually riding along in a bath tub.
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No other bridge in the world offers this kind of adult playground. The Sydney Harbour Bridge has been an icon ever since it was completed in 1932. But it didn't become an adventure destination until 1998 when the BridgeClimb was created for folks who couldn't get enough of the structure simply by driving, riding the train, or walking across it.
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Manta rays are huge, magical beasts. Although completely harmless, they can be awfully intimidating at first sight as they propel themselves through the water with wingspans that reach up to 5m (16 ft.), long skinny tails, and up to a ton of weight. Watching these gentle giants glide, pivot, and somersault above your head in the middle of the ocean's dark lair is one of scuba diving's biggest thrills.
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Seeing mountain gorillas in the wild isn't easy, which is exactly what makes it so exciting. Unfortunately, only about 700 of these magnificent creatures still live in their natural environment -- in the Virunga range of volcanic mountains on the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Uganda, and in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. In other words, the chance to see one is slim.
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The rock star struts across the stage, flicking back his long hair and pouting to the cheering audience. A roadie runs up to him and gingerly hands him a guitar. The rock star straps it on and gives a poised stroke of the wrist. As the tempo rises his fingers become a blur on the fret board and his facial expressions vary from fury to exhilaration to complete concentration. This could be any rock concert, except it is not. There is no guitar and this is no rock star.
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