10 Extreme Adventures Still On My Bucket List

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Whitewater Rafting, Maine

When I say that I’ve tried every extreme adventure I can image, it’s not true. There are still several adrenaline-pumping exploits I dream about experiencing. They are on my life bucket list but I haven’t put them on my yearly list… yet. Do you have a lot of nerve? Include a few of these on your list and let’s see what you’ve got. Life is worth living.

1. Be Part of the Voyage Crew During an Antarctica Expedition (Antarctica) 

Bark Europa

As voyage crew on board Bark EUROPA, you will be assigned to the watch system. Especially during the sailing days on the Drake Passage and on the longer voyages in between the various destinations, you will stand on look out, handle the sails, and steer the ship. No prior sailing experience needed! The crew will be there to give instructions and answer all your questions. During the visits to Antarctica and other landing spots, the watch system is down and you will have a day-to-day program to fully enjoy. 

2. Great Barrier Reef Dive (Australia)

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is world renowned for it’s amazing scuba diving locations. Bommies, coral reefs, and an abundance of marine life stretch for the entire 2,300 km length of the reef. An entire new world will be at your fingertips.

3. Death Drop (Zambia/Zimbabwe)

Death Drop, Zambia

For five glorious seconds, you will experience the juxtaposition of petrified joy as you walk off a 53-meter high cliff and free fall at 180 kilometers an hour. You’ll just have time to catch the awesome view of Batoka Gorge before the over-whelming fear sets in and you realize what you’ve just done.

4. Swim with Great White Sharks (South Africa)

Swim with Great White Sharks (South Africa)

There are countless places to swim with sharks, but one of the best is in Cape Town, South Africa. After dropping anchor, they begin attracting Great Whites with a specifically-formulated “Chum” mixture. Once the Great Whites arrive, you get in the cage and swim next to one of the oldest animal species on the planet. 

5. Halo Skydive (USA)

Halo Tandom Skydive

You’re joining a small group of Extreme Adventurist by jumping from an altitude higher than Mt Everest. You and your H.A.L.O Tandem Master will exit the  aircraft at approximately 30,000 feet and enjoy a 2 minute plus freefall. 

 6. Canyon Swing (New Zealand)

Canyon Swing (New Zealand)

Your standing at the edge of a 350-foot cliff and asking yourself if you have the nerve to jump. You freefall over 200 feet at speeds reaching over 90 miles an hour. If you don’t have the nerve to jump on your own, the sadistic staff will have no problem helping you along on your way. After your 3-second drop, they’ll allow you a 2-minute recovery as you swing over the lazy rapids of the river below.

7. Gorilla Safari (Uganda)

Gorilla Safari

For the chance to interact with the one of the world’s most-endangered species, Uganda is one of the best places on the planet to spot one of these gentle herbivores.  No more than 700 mountain gorillas remain.

8. The Cage of Death (Australia) 

Cage of Death, Australia

Swimming with giant saltwater crocodiles for 15 minutes, separated by nothing more than a couple inches of glass. Regular feeding by crocodile handlers when people are inside the cage encourages more movement from the crocodiles and ensures an up close and personal, face-to-face encounter that must be seen to be believed!

9. Zero G (Nevada)

Zero G

Zero G in Las Vegas offers an out-of-this-world extreme adventure: total weightlessness. Wannabe astronauts can climb aboard the modified 727 and take a 90-minute ride on G-Force One. The parabolic flight has been endorsed by none other than former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, so if you’ve got the cash, this is one flight you won’t want to miss.

10. Jet Fighter Pilot for a Day (Europe/U.S.)

MiGFlug

Are you a Maverick or a Goose? “Top Gun” references aside, you really can fly a fighter jet. Switzerland-based MiGFlug is an intermediary between the public and operators of fighter jets such as defense departments and air forces that makes it possible for you to fly in a MiG-29, L-39 Albatross and Hawker Hunter, among other aircraft. MiGFlug operates in Russia, the United States, United Kingdom and other European countries.

What extreme adventures top your list? 

96 thoughts on “10 Extreme Adventures Still On My Bucket List”

  3. Holy Sh@#t Lesley…well uhmm, extreme adventure, I guess mostly I’m just happy when I can say nothing in my realm died today, and something was accomplished 🙂 I sure enjoy watching your fun though. Take much care, A

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  5. My husband almost booked a great white swimming trip for me out of Southern Ca. I would still like to do that, though I would love to go off Guadalupe Island off of Baja Ca. The water is amazingly clear and they have really big sharks there!

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    • I think you have them in the same order as I do. The sailing is at the top of my list. The only reason I haven’t done it yet is because of how long it is. Being away from my toddler daughter for a month adds to how extreme this is.

      I’m thinking about adding the skydiving to my 2015 list. 🙂

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  7. I think you’re in a league of your own, Lesley! These are seriously extreme adventures… most of which I don’t think I could handle anymore. I’d like to try hang gliding; the Zero G looks like a blast; I’d like to go trekking in Mongolia and Patagonia, and I’d definitely go to Rwanda… let me know if you snag that one, I’ll pay my way and join you for Gorillas in the mist! But, for the most part, you blow me away!

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  8. Lesley, how ever do you come up with these amazing adventures? Mine seem bland in comparison. 🙂 I love the Gorilla Safari, and would love to be part of the Voyage Crew During an Antarctica Expedition, and the Coral Reef looks amazing. I would put all of these on my list. I would however, leave off swimming in or around sharks, I grew up on Martha’s Vineyard and we I have a healthy respect for them, but I don’t want to swim with them. Lol! Great job!

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      • An African Safari, hot air ballooning, summer trip across US with my sons, Italy with my sons, swimming with dolphins, writing a book, making short film about the women who’ve impacted my life, live on a houseboat for a summer, traveling. I keep trying to think of my outlandish wishes but this is what surfaced so far. Since you have inspired me to think more creatively, I will have to dig deeper. It’s hard to imagine the where without imagining the How. Is that a problem for you?

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    • Isn’t it beautiful? I don’t know how much I’d be taking in the beauty as I jumped but I would appreciate before and after 😉

      Have you ever done a bungee jump or a swing like this before?

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      • The views are truly stunning.
        I have not done anything like it at all!
        The closest would be indoor skydiving, so obviously no view there.
        I am eager to do a real skydive soon!

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      • No I don’t think I will ever, although I love the thrill, hanging upside down even for a minute makes me feel sick so there would be more lame feelings than great! In Singapore we have the shark feeding experience, doesn’t look so scary cos the glass looks pretty thick!

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  13. Can do gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda. I did Uganda. Was fantastic! Next week went to Rwanda, but not gorillas again. Roads in Rwanda much better. Can get to gorillas and back to Kigali in a day. Roads in Uganda were terrible–about 8 hour drive back to Kampala. This was about 4 years ago. Either country, but do it! You will love it!

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      • Don’t really know. Only did Uganda at Bwindi. We had a great experience. Gorillas moved out of thick rainforest and were in sunnier area for great photo ops. Also had a 4 day old baby. But, of course, no guarantees. Talked to couple that had been there (Bwindi) about a year prior and no baby that time and gorillas in forest area so trouble with photos. Know roads are so much better in Rwanda so can see gorilla and return to Kigali, the capital the same day. Not Uganda. Day each way from Kampala to Bwindi. We stayed in lodge on edge of rainforest. Fantastic lodge with limited electricity supplied by solar panels. Gave us time to explore small village and purchase some local crafts. Of course we don’t need to buy but they need to sell, so you will return with many wooden gorillas of all sizes and gorilla keychains. Great souvenirs. Many types of art also. You cannot approach gorillas but they can approach you. One lady had black tennis shoes and gorilla came to touch her shoes and untied her shoe lace so you never know. With or without good photo opportunities, it is amazing and you will love it wherever you go.

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  14. I snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef since I am not a diver, and I was at the Kawarau Bridge (#6 on your list) but there was no way I was jumping. Didn’t even close enough for staff to push me. :)There sign at the site says it was the world’s first bungy site.

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      • Lesley,
        No, the day I was on the Great Barrier Reef was the first day that it was calm enough to go out after a week of storms. So it was still a little rough and things had been stirred up which I diminished the experience. I hope you get good weather when you go. My top adventure was probably the 5 day trek through the Andes to Machu Picchu. But a few of my whitewater rafting trips rank up there as well as the blackwater rafting in New Zealand.

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  16. I’ve just added Zero G to my list! I did a similar swing, not sure if it’s as terrifying as the one in New Zealand, but it was called Extremo Swing in Monteverde, Costa Rica (I chickened out of the bungee jump and went with that option instead)

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  18. I’ve been wanting to do number 4 for over a year now. Not sure how much it costs to go to South Africa but I’ve heard you can do it in Mexico as well. Still have to go to the Georgia Aquarium and swim with the whale sharks

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  21. I’d Zero-G with you in a sec! How cool… Plus, the mere idea of being weightless (ergo painless) is something I’d go around the world to experience 😉 Do you really not have Mongolia on any list thus far? Maybe it’s not extreme (by your standards!), but you don’t know what you’re missing…

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    • Mongolia is certainly on my life list. It just hasn’t made it on my yearly list yet. There are so many places to see and things to do in each place that my list just keeps growing. I always thought eventually I’d have to run out of things I wanted to do but I don’t think it’ll happen. Life is beautiful 🙂

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  26. I would love to go to Antarctica. I just watched the Globetrekker episode in which they send one of their hosts there and it does look amazing. However, it’s getting there that doesn’t get me really enthused. The Drake Passage is one of the most turbulent areas of the oceans since it’s where the Pacific and Atlantic meet. The Globetrekker host spent most of the way back to Cape Horn in his cabin huddled in a ball of seasickness. The waves were reaching heights of about 20 feet. I know it’s worth it but I’ll watch Globetrekker until I improve my sea legs!

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    • Although I’ve never been sick on any of my extreme adventures, this does worry me. I wonder if I’d spend the entire time in the same situation. I guess there is only one way to be sure.

      What’s something you’d like to do more? What tops your list?

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      • Going to see the wild horse herd in the Pryor Mountains in Montana which I’m leaving to do in 3 days. 🙂 We hired a guide who knows the area, I’ve been following her blog for awhile because her pictures of the horses are amazing. When she announced she did camping tours, I signed myself up right away.

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  28. Antarctica is on mine too- looking to make it become a reality at the end of 2015/beginning 2016! I look forward to hearing about all your adventures getting through your list!!

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    • I’m considering putting Antarctica on this year’s list! It would be unbelievable to do Africa and Antarctica in the same year. I wonder if I can make it happen?

      If you had to choose one place to visit, where would it be?

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      • Oh, cool! I hope you do get to both. I looked up that Bark website- it all looks amazing. Maybe I can get there in February 2015 instead. Thanks for the link! Choosing just one place to visit is really difficult!! I want to do Africa, India, South America, Asia- I want to do everywhere, really! I have always wanted to go to Iceland and I head there tomorrow which I am beyond excited about! I am also looking into getting to Ascension Island next year which looks amazing. Peru, like Iceland, is another place I’ve spoken about going since I was really little- no idea why or where I heard of it, so it will be very special getting there too! Where’s your ‘one place’?

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    • I’m actually thinking about doing it in November! You totally should join me. It would be the best travel experience of our lives. We should get a group of adventure seekers to go together. Image the adventure we’d have! Would you consider it?

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  36. I’m feeling the thrill just reading your list, Lesley! I’d never swim with the sharks, not brave enough, but skydiving would be on the top if I ever had the nerve. I probably won’t, though, so I’ll just enjoy visiting you and reading about your fun! 🙂

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