Daredevil Getaways

Do you love adventure? Want to push your adrenaline as high as it will go during your next vacation? Check out these recommendations for some of the best Daredevil Getaways in the world.

Bungy Jumping in New Zealand

As home to the the original daredevil past time, bungy jumping, New Zealand offers thrill seekers

adventures plus pristine terrain at every turn.

Highlights of a daredevil getaway in New Zealand include:

-Bungy jumping began in Queenstown and transformed this sleepy town into its current-day buzzing self. Today, there are plenty of options for bungy jumping, including:

*AJ HackettBungy at the historic Kawarau Bridge

*Nevis Bungy, featuring the highest jump in the southern hemisphere

*Shotover CanyonSwing, the world's highest cliff jump, from a perch more than 350 feet above the Shotover River, just outside Queenstown. With over 70 different jumpstyles, they can expertly manage the scariness for everyone – from knitting grandmas to adrenaline junkies

What else is there to do in New Zealand?

*Spelunkers come caving in New Zealand because it has some of the most challenging and spectacular caving systems in the world, including the spectacular Waitomo Caves

*Caving experiences range from a dreamy drift through a ‘glow-worm grotto’ to ‘blackwater rafting’, where guests crawl, swim and float through caves, and zip-lining through the darkness

*New Zealand's magnificent landscapes take on an extra dimension when you are skydiving from 12,000 feet in the air. The views include snow-capped mountains, jewel-like lakes and volcanic landscapes, depending on which of New Zealand's two islands you jump.

Fire Dancing in Costa Rica

LaEscuela Del Sol provides a warm weather travel adventure for active  adults who want to learn

Spanish, fire dancing (very TV friendly and daredevil-ish!), surfing, obtain scuba certification or practice yoga in a tropical paradise. Offering Fire Dancing workshops every year with world renowned instructors (including from Cirque du Soleil) and you can take a combination of almost any of our courses from 1 to 12 weeks. Programs include a zipline canopy tour as well (also daredevil-ish!).

Located in the beautiful and tranquil Montezuma, Costa Rica, La Escuela Del Sol is founded on the principle of self enhancement of the body, the mind, and the soul. It is a one of a kind vacation that begs to be remembered for the rest of your life.

•           Although we practice with non-flammable practice poi, participants are given the opportunity to perform with fire.

•           We teach you how to fire dance in the safest manner possible yet there is always the chance you can get burned!

◦          Actually, the more you practice, the more you WILL get burned.  99% of the time it's something small and relatively painless, but that danger is ALWAYS present.

•           Your mom always told you "play with fire and you will get burned", but you're a dare-devil so you'll do it anyway.

•           Being in Montezuma, you'll have the chance to jump off 15, 45 and 70 foot consecutive waterfalls, plus world class surfing, zip lining and sea kayaking are at your fingertips.

Aside from fire dancing, La Escuela Del Sol (LEDS) offers: Surfing, Yoga, Spanish classes, Scuba certification.  All participants visit the famous Montezuma Waterfalls.  Included for students of 2 weeks or longer is a choice of: zipline canopy tour and horseback riding.  LEDS sponsors fire shows in the center of Montezuma every Thursday night in which our fire dancing students are able to perform in front of 100 or so people.  Also available: Isla Tortuga snorkeling tour, Sea Kayaking, ATV rental, Hiking through Cabo Blanco National Park and Off shore and deep sea fishing.

ZipLining in NY Catskills

Located at Hunter Mountain in the Catskills of New York (home to 10 highest Catskills Peaks), the New York Zipline Adventure Tour’s Summit SkyRider is a Daredevil Activity:

•   Longest, fastest and highest zipline tour in North America & 2nd largest in the world.

•   Participants soar on ziplines located 600 feet above the ground for almost five miles

•   Challenge your friends to a race on the SkyRider with 5 side-by-side racing ziplines.

•   Participants can reach speeds up to 50 miles per hour, 2x as fast as Olympic Medalist Usain Bolt

•   Cost: $119 for three hours, includes Pilot Training School

Other Things to Do:

•   Hiking the Hudson River School Art Trail – see info attached

•   Zoom Flume Water Park-the Catskills Premier waterpark, season passes available. Day tickets: $26.99 per person, $19.99 kids 7 and under.

•   Bailiwick Ranch and Discovery Zoo in Catskill offers horseback riding in the mountains, a zoological park, and paintball park.

•   Hike to Kaaterskill Falls – the highest cascading waterfall in New York State.

•   Major Music Festivals in June: Taste of Country Music Festival or Mountain Jam

•   Adventure Passport offering BOGO deals to the Catskill’s top summer attractions, including 8 golf courses, the New York Zipline Adventure Tour and the Zoom Flume. Details: http://passport.greatnortherncatskills.com/

Bullfighting in Portugal

Travelers will be looking for new places to enjoy bullfights.  One of the closest and most colorful is

the island of Terceira in the Azores (Portugal) where 230 traditional bullfights are held each year. Terceira is about 2,000 miles off the East Coast of the U.S. And, on Terceira as in all of Portugal, the bull is never killed.

The people of Terceira hold touradas á corda every weekend­ a unique running of the bulls, with the bull on a rope. It is found only in the Azores, and has been popular since 16th Century. The bull is let loose with a very long rope around its neck, usually at the main square in a village, or along the seafront. The bull is guided by several experienced, hefty men, keeping a tight grip at the rope. The idea is, that the courageous people will try to get as close to the bull as they dare. After the run, the bull is taken back to the wooden crate and an outdoor festival begins.

Sometimes, in the larger towns such as Angra de Heroísmo, a Portuguese equestrian bullfight will follow in the arena. The Portuguese bullfight is, at first glance, quite simple. A caveleiro, or rider, dressed in a silk jacket embroidered with gold and lace, tan riding pants and black boots,

takes to the arena atop a Lusitano breed of horse. The goal of man and horse in a Portuguese bullfight is not to kill the bull, but to draw the bull to a charge and then to place a single dart in the bull¹s back muscle. The horse and bull must charge at each other, with the horse suddenly veering off to avoid an impact. Then the rider must place the ‘ferro’ colorful dart exactly and ride off unscathed.

Terceira is part of the Azores, Europe¹s closest point to the United States.  This chain of nine dramatic islands with volcanic mountains, seaside villages, and steaming geysers, is just four hours from New England. Because of its location, Terceira was a very important harbor in centuries past, and the main city of Angra do Heroísmo prospered with international trade.

Today, Terceira and Angra are UNESCO World Heritage Sites with well-preserved streets and monuments. Set on a bay, the city is a wonderful mix of the cosmopolitan and the traditional. Angra is a lively city full of culture and great shopping. The island has everything from a wild interior, to coastal tidal pools to swim in, to excellent wineries. Terceira is also known for its beef stews, seafood, and bread. The islands have a year-round mild climate (between 57-71 F).

SATA has connected New England with the Azores and mainland Portugal for more than 30 years. The airline has air and hotel deals to Terceira for as little as $1,200 for roundtrip air and 6 nights hotel.