Adventurous couple Gloria & Gavin pose for the camera before having lunch on a river bank – Photo Courtesy: Gloria
Let’s admit it – all those travel brochures and ads that show a lovely couple sailing into sunset with soft music playing in the background, are all too overrated. Honestly, you’re not cut out for this mush fest. You and your better half much rather scream your guts out while falling from 50,000 feet in the air, than sway to slow violins. And we get it; very few things come close to the feeling of adrenaline coursing through your veins.
If you’re vigorously nodding your head as you read this, and simultaneously thinking of where you should take your beloved for the next vacation, we give you five places that are an adventurist’s paradise.
1. Explore Reykjavik, Iceland
The Blue Lagoon, Reykjavíkurborg, Iceland – Photo Courtesy: Michael Nyika
Reykjavik has a warmer and comfier climate even in winter, and of course an exciting nightlife to match. However, that’s not all that there is to it. It is home to narrow fjords, fathomless ravines, vast expanses of glaciers, sleepy volcanoes, powerful waterfalls and gushing geysers. You have the paradisiac Blue Lagoon, the imposing Golden Waterfall and the unbeatable light show of The Northern Lights. Additionally, you get to jeep ride along Lake Pingvallatavatn, along the valleys, through the geysers and mud-pools. You also get a snowmobile tour on top of the Lamgjokull glacier. The landscape alone is the perfect mesh of breathtaking, thrilling and unique.
2. Polar expedition to Arctic
Arctic Trucks – Top Gear Magnetic North Pole Expedition. Photo Courtesy: Wapster
This is your chance to associate the Polar Regions with something more than Global Warming and melting icecaps, even though – yes – that’s a serious issue too. This is the place that tops almost every bucket list that exists. Both these places are considered to be the last wilderness on the planet. The Arctic has stark white ice fields and expansive glaciers, floating icebergs, imposing fjords and unshackled wildlife. The landscape is constantly shifting like a kaleidoscope from shattering white snow, to pristine blue waters, to peaks that pierce the heavens to the Tundra region that’s bathed in the warm sun.
The wildlife is about just as exciting. Arctic has the largest population of Polar Bears (who doesn’t want to see those?), walruses, seals and reindeers – all completely at peace in their natural habitat; something that’s a treat for the perpetual inhabitants of the concrete jungle. The weather is extreme, the terrain is pure thrill, and the air is pure and unpolluted. This is the perfect feast for your body as well as soul.
3. Live in the wilderness in Chile
Magellanic Penguins at Otway Sound, Chile – Photo Courtesy: Liam Quinn
Anything that belongs to the South America holds a certain level of intrigue and adventure. Chile is one such place that lives up to that reputation. Chile offers vineyards, beaches, glaciers, lakes, rainforests, and volcanoes and of course, the deadly Atacama Desert, which is also the driest place on earth, all packed into 240 km at its widest. You also have the intriguing Maoi sculptures at Easter Island. The cities are brimming with energy and chaos, and ancient history is deeply embedded in even the day-to-day lives.
4. Ride down a volcanic mountain in Hawaii
Photo Courtesy: Ken Lund
Probably, the most adventurous thing you’ll associate Hawaii with, is scuba diving. That is until you’re yelling away to glory while racing down a 6,000 feet slope from a volcanic mountain. Luckily, you’ll find a dozen of reputed companies offering holiday packages offering this experience, so you don’t even have to worry too much. Head to Maui. Take the ride of your life. Witness the magnificent Hawaiian sunrise from a good 10,000 feet summit. Scream till your lungs threaten to explode on ascent. Come back for an indulgent body massage. You’re already in heaven!
5. Road trip in Nepal
Nepal is probably the most underrated holiday destinations. If anything, this should be all the more a reason for you to visit this country. You go via the Himalayas – the most formidable yet beautiful mountains in the world. Himalayas also have one of the most to-die for roads for daredevil riders.
A Nepali woman walks along side a road near Kathmandu, Nepal – Photo Courtesy: Master Sgt. Jeffrey Allen
You land in Lhasa, rent a car and take the Friendship Highway to Kathmandu. The trip takes around six to eleven days. You ride alongside a river that cuts through bare mountains and plateaus, and you also get to visit the pristine Yamdrok Lake. The area is dotted with Monasteries, holy lakes, grasslands, and the Everest Base Camp. There’s also the awe-inspiring Ronghuk Monastery situated at 5,000 meters – the world’s highest monastery. The views are dreamlike, the weather is chilled, the terrain is treacherous, the facilities are a bare minimum and the culture is nothing like you’ve seen before.
The most adventurous holidays are what make the best travel stories. It also keeps that spark in your relationship blazing. What are you waiting for? Go gift your soul-mate his/her favorite hit of adrenaline!
Karen Fernandes is a freelance blogger who enjoys sharing insight on topics pertaining to her interests online. You can follow her on Twitter for more information.
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