Taking the path less travelled is often easier said than done. However, the most daring of wanderers tend to constantly look for new and exciting ways to experience a destination.
Whether it’s jumping out of a plane to go skydiving and view the gorgeous landmass beneath from a bird’s eye view or it’s simply going off into the most remote villages to live like the locals, every single one of these experiences opens you up to a whole new world. One that you might never have experienced had you stuck to the usual routine of flying in, taking an overland truck to the nearest wildlife reserve and flying back out.
Not that there is anything wrong with that! An authentic African Safari is something of an awe-inspiring experience every time you take one. However, have you ever considered branching off into the wilder side of things? You know?
- Maybe go on a biking safari in Hell’s Gate, Naivasha, Kenya?
- Swim amongst hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos Islands?
If you put your mind to it, you can come up with some unique adventure travel ideas that will simply light up your Instagram feed and earn you the coveted “daredevil” title amongst your friends. While all that is just absolutely wonderful, none of it can compare to the kind of rush you would get from trying something new.
If you have been “so ready” for a new adventure since you can’t even remember when, here are some unusual adventure activities that should get your heart pumping:
Read: 7 Weird Wonders of the World
1. Dive to the Titanic wreck
Back in 1912, getting a ticket on The RMS Titanic was the most luxurious of adventures for sea-loving travellers. More than a century later, turns out the Titanic still is a luxurious adventure. Only this time around, you would have to dive more than 3,800 metres into the Atlantic to experience it. The Titanic wreckage lies about 600 kilometres from the coast of Newfoundland, Canada and for a “rather hefty fee”, you can actually dive the wreck in a submarine.
There are reports that parts of this grand ship are being lost to the sea. Which is to be expected, “The Millionaire’s Special” and once Unsinkable Ship has been lying underneath the Atlantic for over 100 years.
While there are several ways through which you can get yourself a ticket to dive the Titanic, there is a company that doesn’t make you jump through any hoops to do so. You just have to book way in advance and pay a King’s ransom to take part in what promises to be an unforgettable experience on “The Wonder Ship”.
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2. Walk right up to the “Gates of Hell” in Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan
Back in 1971, a group of Soviet scientists discovered what they thought was a substantial oil field near the village of Darvaza, in the Karakum Desert. As they drilled to explore, the site collapsed into a huge crater opening the world up to a large natural gas pocket. To prevent the leakage of methane gas into the atmosphere, the scientists set the place on fire thinking it could only burn for so long before it goes out. That was almost half a century ago and the “Gates to Hell” still burns today.
If you are into boiling mud and bright orange flames being spat out by a hole in the middle of the desert, then this could be an exhilarating trip for you.
3. Find the world beneath our own at Hang Son Doong Cave in Vietnam
Picture this if you can: a cave 8.8 kilometres long (the biggest in the world); so big it could easily fit a 40-storey building inside it. It’s like this cave has its own atmosphere and environment.
Home to a fully-fledged jungle and even a river. Son Doong means “cave of the mountain river”. The strangest thing about such a massive cave is that it remained hidden up until 1991 when it was accidentally discovered by a local logger called Hồ Khanh. The even stranger thing is that it wasn’t really properly explored until 2009.
That essentially means that there is so much that we still don’t know about this cave. If you have always wanted to be like Indiana Jones, then this is your chance to explore a cave that could very well be full of the unknown.
4. Swim with gentle whale sharks in Djibouti
Often the word “shark” strikes fear into the hearts of many. There are, however, some shark species that are quite gentle and majestic. The largest fish in the world is the “Whale Shark” and despite having the term “whale” in its name, this is a species of shark and not a whale. They roam the open seas as they please and as you can imagine, spotting one would be difficult unless you are out in the deep.
From October all the way to February, at the Bay of Ghoubbet in Djibouti, plankton blooms attract these massive creatures by the dozen. During this time, you can snorkel out and experience what it feels like to swim in the company of actual giants.
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5. Go surfing on the Amazon River
Did you know you could surf the Amazon River? Not very many people know this but twice every year (September and March) a phenomenon called Pororoca occurs. This is when the waters of the great Atlantic Ocean surge up the Amazon River thus creating a series of perfectly cresting waves.
If you have the experience (and that is the key operating condition here) you can surf these waves for kilometres through the Amazon River. Imagine riding a 12ft-high wave for kilometres on end? Now that’s an adrenaline rush!!
Do you have a favourite unusual adventure activity that you simply can’t get enough of no matter how many times you experience it? Share that information with us in the comment section below.
