Extreme Holidays

Relaxation & no worries vs. Exhilaration & Moderate Dangers. Contrary to popular belief, there are some people who would choose the second word-group if asked to describe their ideal holiday. Instead of self-pampering, these extreme adventurers could face fickle weather, equipment breakdown, dangers from wild animals and possible loss of life from the first step of travel.

Have you ever had a dream of visiting the African continent?

Yet, they wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.

They’ll pass up 400 thread-count beds for a bunk on rickety trains. A sit-down dinner for fireside meals under the stars. But it’s no sacrifice, because they get to see more amazing sights, and bring back fantastic albums from places far, far away.

Cycling or biking - a great way to keep fit while travelling

Bungee jumping and skydiving sessions at beach resorts only take up a few hours. But others prefer extreme activities that last the whole holiday. For instance, you may be a (semi-)extreme traveller if you backpack your way through Greece, or go on two-wheels. With sun, sea, seafood and an abundance of affordable Mediterranean food, it could be considered extreme holiday Lite.

The ceiling of the world at the Himalayas...

Secondly, there are the airheads. For these travellers, simply mention Kilimanjaro, the Himalayas, Mount Fuji or even the grounded Abel Tasman Coastal Trail in New Zealand, and their eyes would probably mist over with desire. A group tour would probably make them mist over with tears.

Say hello to the locals....whichever the species.

There are also those who travel by bus and boat to remote islands, just for the pleasure of diving. They’re not comfortable unless underwater exploring the colourful world of marine corals and life. Always seeking new extremes, they may also enjoy freediving, such as at Phuket which offers AIDA certification courses.

So give your colleague a break if he/she returns from holiday with new scars, or an unblinking shaken face. They’ve not come out of zombie-land, but more probably had the time of their lives! And with three deep breaths and adequate insurance, you too could be on your way to an extreme holiday.