My Love For Thrilling Adventures: Top 20 of All Time
I've always had a fascination with jumpshots – that fleeting moment of pure joy when you're airborne. Perhaps this is the reason for my love of flying – the sensation of floating in the sky is simply indescribable. So, when the opportunity arose to explore the skies and ride various flying vessels, I couldn't resist. I crave extreme adventures, whether it's flying, trekking mountains or diving deep underwater, pushing myself out of my comfort zone to experience new thrills. Here's a list of my top 20 extreme adventures that have left me feeling ecstatic. Let's go!
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"Don't be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth." - Rumi
I present to you My Ultimate Bucket list of All Time! My cherished moments, and yes dreams do come true!
“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen." -Benjamin Disraeli
This was on April 2018 when I went on a trip with my friends to Ottawa, Canada and booked a biplane ride - a World War II plane that flies you back in time. There were just three of us so I had to fly twice, not that I mind. The first time around was soo exciting; especially when I felt the wind rush, making my stomach turn. On my second ride, I was more relaxed and enjoyed the view more. It's nice to be up there with the wind, the sky, and the clouds. Maybe in my second life, I can be an eagle soaring high and just enjoying my time.
I did my first Helicopter ride in Canada with my partner. We purchased a Groupon voucher for this ride (link in the sidebar/footer for more cheap deals). It was actually a relaxing ride for me, not much adrenaline, but more amazeballs moments.
Flying in a box-like compartment with two blades swirling around on top was something new to me. I wasn't shouting, screaming, or anything that I usually do on my adventures. It was a different feeling and I liked the few minutes of serenity it gave me. We got to fly around a frozen lake, and some snow-covered houses and even saw the sunset on the horizon. It was a beautiful sight as the sky changed its color, and having to see it from up above made it more special.
This is by far the most exhilarating thing I've ever done in my whole existence. Skydiving is an extreme sport of jumping off a plane, free-falling for a few seconds then pulling a parachute to land on safe ground. I didn't intend on doing it in the Philippines; actually, I never really planned when either, but I knew I had to do it. Good thing I had the courage to do it before I ran out of teeth.
It happened on a perfect day on Bantayan Island in Cebu, Philippines. A few weeks before our scheduled booking, I had both of my stupid teeth removed - I mean “wisdom teeth,” sorry about that. The risk of snapping open one (or both!) of the threads and closing the gaping gum holes really worried me. Both sides of my checks were visibly swollen. But I made the decision and I was going for it no matter what. There are decisions in life that you just have to go for it or you'll regret not doing them for the rest of your life.
I totally love the adrenaline rush in skydiving - it's very empowering. I can't imagine how the instructors keep cool under pressure.
My First Hot Air Balloon in Singapore
This happened on a promotional day sponsored by a certain bank in Singapore. It was free! So of course, I went with my travel buddy and we waited for hours for the ride. Since it was a free-ride event, the queue was agonizing. Take note: we were there in the morning and finally had our turn at night! Oh yeah! We were very persistent. The funny thing is the hot air balloon ride didn't even take off. Because it was free, the balloon only rose to a certain height, and then it was roped down. If you fall, you'll die, so I guess that's high enough for me.
My hubby and I are going on a real hot air balloon ride soon in Canada. I'm really excited about it. 365 days later...
Guess what?! The one in Canada got canceled not just once but twice. I figured it wasn't meant to be as my fate was written on the skies of Italy.
I have an intense fascination with flying. Maybe I was a flying creature in my past life. There are things that just can't be explained; they have to be experienced. This is one of those moments. Paragliding is about riding the wind and hoping that the odds are in your favor. You jump off from a high cliff at a specific minimum wind speed while relying on a fabric wing suspended on a harness, the strong wind, and your partners’ passion for flying to survive. The wind humming in the air gives you goosebumps and thus makes you scream like a wild bear. Every time the glider faces a wind bump, my stomach would twist like when I'm on a roller coaster ride at Universal Studios.
I just couldn’t get used to it during the flight. It seemed like passing through rough roads on a Range Rover road trip while making your way through big boulders, and you just can't help but utter the words "woohh,” “waaahh" and "eeehh" in a scream type of way. I believe I lost consciousness for a split second up there. My hands started to feel light, cold, and jelly. Then suddenly, snap! The wind blew in my face again like a big fart explosion and I was back to reality. Crazy as it may sound but I'm definitely fine doing that again.
My first taste of adrenaline and life-threatening adventure happened in Bohol, Philippines. They call it “The Plunge” - a canyon-swing experience where you're suspended from a 200-meter high platform, free-fall for 5 seconds, then swing freely like a pendulum in a 300-meter wide gorge. It was the most addicting feeling I've ever had. I just got hooked and wanted more. They have a board posted before you get to the ride's platform. It says "You're not paying for the ride, you're paying for the experience." Well said, guys. It was totally worth it.
7. Zipline: Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Canada
My first taste of flying and seeing the sky a bit closer than usual. A harness is attached to your waist or to your trunk and you slide down a rope from point A to point B. I've experienced sliding down from many platforms: atop a tower-like structure, a tree, and even on the top floor of a building. I try to experiment with different styles: the usual sitting-up, Superman, backwards, and even upside-down. These experiences added more to my thirst for flying.
It is known as the longest and tallest zip line in the Philippines. It happened a day after my birthday, the crew was lovingly friendly and offered me a free zip line ride as a gift. I accepted the offer graciously. My mum came along with me, it was her first zip line ever and take note she's afraid of heights. She did it anyway, I couldn't be more proud of her. However, it's not my most memorable zipline, the most daring zipline stunt I've ever done was hanging upside down. This guy who assisted me was so confused why on earth would a girl want to be hanged that way, he's a sport about it and just let me get away with it. The world looked totally different as the blood filled up my entire head with too much oxygen. I got a glimpse of what it's like to go for a bungee jumping experience. Let's consider that one as a window for my future adventure.
Another heart-pumping, mind-blowing, crazy adventure I did was in Indonesia. It was supposed to be just a short and relaxing getaway but instead turned into a very exciting trip. I've never been inside a small plane before, especially one that is totally bare naked. There was no glass panel, no small door; it just looked like an unfinished plane in someone's garage. Strangely, this made me even happier, even though it did not make me feel safe. I pondered on the fact that people have done this before. My pilot does this for a living, so I shouldn't be worried as everything should go accordingly. The plan was to fly on a sunny day, yet the weather decided otherwise. It didn’t stop us though. It was a great experience to see an upcoming storm up close. Frightening, yet really exciting. You don't see that every day which makes it much more worthwhile.
Traveling is not just about going to other countries, to explore and experience the food and culture. It's also about doing extreme adventures, to finally tick off that bucket list of yours out in the open air. They said out of your comfort zone is where fantasies come to life and dreams turn into reality. I've done a lot of crazy stuff for the past few years and I'm not only fascinated with the sky but also the mountains and the oceans. I have a thirst for flying in the waters and being on top of a mountain to get a bird's eye view of the world. Here's more list of my memorable adventures of all time.
One of the scariest adventures I've ever had as I conquered my fear of drowning and the underwater silence. It's intimidating not to be in control of things, especially with one's breathing, so when I had the chance to go scuba diving I really had to swallow my fear whole enough that it won't leave any trace of residue on my skin, little did my dive instructor know about the active volcano inside of me. I realized that the underwater world is such a fascinating and magical place to be. It looked like an autumn season with leaves in a variety of colors but in a very unique kind of form.
No wonder people are hooked on this kind of sport because it's dangerously and mysteriously beautiful. I heard people getting lost down there, I believe there's this unknown force that draws you to the unknown. You see the dark side of the water though you know it's not a good idea to go to that side you just want to be there. Maybe that's where we got the phrase "curiosity killed the cat." Even though I have this wild imagination about what could possibly happen I've still managed to go scuba diving. I'll drink to that achievement in my life, Cheers!
My first taste of water sports mixed with air adventure is on the island of Boracay. A two- or three-seater ride with an open parachute towed by a motorboat. My sister and cousin joined me in this fun craze as we glided up in the air. We even asked the skipper to add some more excitement to it by dipping us in the water during the ride. I figured without the water action, it wouldn't be that satisfying. I'm glad everyone was up for the challenge.
Here's another one that really made me wet my pants. Good thing this happened in the water. I've never been a big fan of humongous marine creatures. Yes, they do look magnificently beautiful but I'm not brave enough to hold my breath and see them up close. My mum showed us this movie entitled "Orca" at a very young age that's how my fear started, besides I have all the right to be scared because I'm also not a good swimmer. I don't think I can even save myself in case of a water emergency.
Friendly advice for all parents out there please avoid showing this kind of traumatic movie to kids for goodness sake. But as they say in life you will need to face your fear someday. I faced another fear of mine on that very day. I wanted to scream when I saw for the very first the gentle giants of the sea, however, no words and not even a single sound came out instead of just utter amazement. Out of nowhere the song "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by Frankie Valli started to play in my mind. My eyes just grew bigger and bigger after seeing one whale shark after the other. It was bigger than our boat, even two fishing boats couldn't make up for its enormous size. Just another memorable experience that I'll never forget.
The most awesome water rafting experience I've ever done was in Krabi, Thailand. We did the extreme level for beginners, Grades 2-4 for a 7-kilometer route rafting. It was even more interesting as the stream was stronger that day due to the rain. When everyone took off on the 5-kilometer route, we stayed behind and fought the aggressive waters with our ecstatic faces. The captain kept on telling us to maintain the balance, that was a hard task as everyone except for me and my friend was left on the raft. The raft bounced harder as only four people kept it afloat. I shouted and laughed like a small kid jumping on a tarpaulin with splashes of water on every stride.
When we got to the end part of the stream the guys seriously asked us if they could capsize the raft, I replied breathlessly yes with a question mark. They suddenly acted as if they were doing it, I screamed at the top of my lungs as if I was being chased by a ghost and we all laughed like drunk men when the raft rested on a nearby rock. I really thought they were going to do it but it was all just a joke. I partly knew that but with those playful guys, anything is possible. I love how we ended our water rafting activity the prank really made my day.
The most challenging climb I've ever done so far is conquering Mount Kota Kinabalu. It is considered the highest mountain in Malaysia and the third-highest mountain in Southeast Asia. It may seem easy for others but we're all different. My friend had altitude sickness before we even reached the summit, some climbers were not able to get through the cut-off time and were forced to descend early, so far it's not as easy as people say. It's one of those moments when you have to keep moving or you'll never get what you want.
I wanted to reach the summit and not just that I wanted to be at the peak to see it all. Fighting exhaustion and the cold air is such a great ordeal. A perfect combination of failure. This is where mind motivation comes into the picture, it's not just about physical strength but mental preparedness too.
This was one daring adventure I've done in Hualien, Taiwan. The interesting thing about this one is that we were jumping on cold waters. The adrenaline is over-empowering as I take the last step on top of the cliff. It got even more intense when I had to run to the edge and jump off the cliff. The freedom of letting go, the force of allowing yourself to jump, and the courage it takes to take that leap off from the ground is something I find outrageously fulfilling. I would definitely do it again!
Malapascua Island in Cebu, Philippines gave me the most unforgettable snorkeling experience of all time. The water is crystal clear, and the fishes and the corals are vibrant like canvas colors on a painting. It was like watching a 4D aquarium, everything was clear blue and I bet Nemo and Dory are down there getting lost again.
It was supposed to be a relaxing weekend, but then my friends and I decided to add some twists to it by doing wakeboarding. They said it's like skateboarding on water. I've never done skateboarding before so it was an exciting fun way to try it. Wait! Now that I've thought about it I did it once and I fell hard on the cement floor. The great thing about this is you don't fall hard on something, the water catches you like a baby which makes the impact totally bearable. I was able to stand on my own, did a few fall stunts, and face dive exhibitions. All of my friends including me, of course, went home triumphantly with flying colors, and that made it more memorable. Bonding with old friends is a cherished moment, it's like tasting an old bottle of wine you've been waiting for too long.
My first surfing lesson was in the waters of Sri Lanka. It was awesome! I was pretty scared because it reminded me of a traumatic snorkeling experience I had a long time ago. The thought of it still lingers clearly in my memory bank. It was a perfect, sunny day for a swim in the open waters, the sea was calm and the underwater scenery was spectacular. Then suddenly I was rocking back and forth, waves started to build up and with no life jacket on hand, I struggled to get back to the boat. I'm thankful for surfing it taught me how to ride the waves, not fight them, and just go with the flow. Now every time I see waves I see an opportunity to ride them with a surfboard. I still have the uneasy feeling thou crawling through my veins but I see the experience differently now.
.jpg "Hang gliding in Los Angeles")
This hang gliding experience in California was a special one for 2023. My husband and I were supposed to do hang gliding on my birthday however the weather conditions did not approve our plans. Instead, we did it on my husband's birthday month which made it more memorable as we celebrated our birthdays together.
.jpg "What to do in Singapore")
Bungee jumping in Singapore is by far the most daring bucket list I have of all time. I don't know with you but jumping on a platform high above a building is mind-breaking for me. This is your own will, your decision to jump for it and just lose it all. But guess what?! I did it! Finally, after so long of waiting for this dreadful yet wonderful moment in my life.
20. Airplane Rides all over the World
Just for fun! Ahahaaa. I've flown many times and each time I'm up there with the clouds, I'm still amazed. I'm amazed easily, I guess I haven't lost my childish enthusiasm all these years. I'll end this post with a great song sung by Avicii "The Nights" and it goes like this, "He said, "One day you'll leave this world behind So live a life you will remember."
Read more about all my Travel Destinations and the memorable places I've been to.
Have fun and be safe ^__^
Do you want more adventure?
An adventure is more exciting if you have someone special with and here's Why you should travel with your partner before saying I do
Where am I going next?
Before I reveal my next destination, let me share with you my secrets on How to Travel on a Budget
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