Extreme Tourism: 6 Adventures You Need to Have Now

Sandals and Club Med might be for some people, but for others a vacation isn’t complete without some level of danger, thrills, and adrenaline. If that sounds like you, then you just might be an extreme tourist. Here’s our list of amazing adventures that you need to have out now.

Auckland Sky Tower

Auckland, New Zealand

Photo: ChameleonsEye

The Auckland Sky Tower is over 1,000 feet tall and is the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere. The Sky Tower sits in the middle of Auckland’s CBD and is part of the massive Sky City complex, which houses two hotels, a casino, and numerous restaurants and clubs. The highlights of the Sky Tower is the opulent restaurant, Orbit 360, located over 50 floors above the ground, and the sky walk and sky jump. That’s right. If you’re feeling brave, you can walk around the rim of the Sky Tower without an barrier between your foot and the ledge. And if you’re really feeling adventurous, you can even jump off!

Storm Chasing

Oklahoma and Colorado, USA

Photo: Todd Shoemake

The movie Twister made storm chasing a global phenomenon, and since then hte public’s demand for that experience has only grown. There’s good news, with Storm Chasing Adventure Tours, you can go on your very own storm chasing adventure, guided by experts. Be forewarned, there’s no 100% guarantee that you’ll see a tornado, however, they use NOAA data that provides an extremely high probability. So, if you have $2,200 and really want to see a tornado, this is your chance.

Devil’s Pool

Victoria Falls, Border of Zambia and Zimbabwe

Photo: Angela N Perryman

Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world. And with all that rushing water, small pools have formed after years of erosion. One of those is Devil’s Pool, which sits right at the very tip of the falls, allowing swimmers to look over the edge and see the falling water below. But be warned, varying water levels can make the pool extremely unsafe. If you plan on visiting, check out the pool’s website which will let you know if the pool is open or not.

Ice Diving

Antarctica

Photo: Dive Dog

You all know this feeling right? Swimming got boring, so you started snorkeling, snorkeling got boring so you started scuba diving, scuba got boring so you decided that you’d cut a small hole into the ice in Antarctica, dive in, and then swim beneath the icebergs. That’s a totally logical progression, right? Well, Waterproof Expeditions thinks so, and you can join them for their Antarctic and Arctic scuba trips.

Masaya Volcano

Nicaragua

Photo: Terra Adentro

Maybe ice isn’t your thing. Maybe you like it hot. Well, I’ve got something really hot for you to do. Head down to Nicaragua and stare into an active volcano! According to the Smithsonian, the volcano’s last eruption was in 2019 (gulp), but that’s good news for visitors. Since it’s an active volcano, Masaya has a lava lake that glows red and orange when the sun goes down. They even offer tours!

Extreme Ironing

Anywhere and Everywhere

What happens when domestic chores get in the way of your extreme adventure? I mean, a wonderful vacation is great, but what about the ironing? Who’s gonna’ do that?

Well, there is one option… You can always take the ironing with you!

That’s right, extreme ironing is the art (or sport) of ironing in extreme conditions. The trend caught on in the early 2000’s as a joke, but has since grown a devout following.

You can do it underwater:

On the side of a cliff:

Or even on the middle of the freeway:

Whatever your extreme desires are, there’s a trip and activity out there waiting for you. So go ahead, book your flight, and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime (and don’t forget your iron!)