Fasten your seatbelts...

Purnima Sharma 

While relaxed vacations spent away from the work desk and smartphone have their own charm in quiet rooms with a view, travellers are also always on the lookout for unusual activities to add zing to their holiday. Fortunately, many major tourist destinations across the globe offer diverse activities for those looking to experience an adrenaline rush. Here’s a list of a few destinations that vacationers must include in their itinerary when out in these parts…

A Touch of Glass (Sanya)

The Yalong Bay Forest Park at the island of Hainan, known as the ‘Hawaii of China’, offers a long wooden bridge that stretches from one mountain-top to the other. After the first few hesitant steps, clutching on to the thick ropes that support the bridge, you will soon start enjoying the bounties of nature as the bridge sways to the diktats of tropical breeze. Another fun-filled experience lies ahead where you slip plastic covers on your shoes (lest your footwear be slippery) and start walking on a 400m long glass. Platform areas let you savour the stunning locales all across, even right under your feet. There’s also a ferry ride that takes you to the Wuzhizhou Island nestled in the Haitang Bay. Here you can either walk or opt for a ride in battery-operated carts that go past huge boulders and the rocky mountainous terrain. The place also offers activities such as parasailing, jet-skiing, snorkelling and banana-boat rides.

Good time to visit: March to May & October to November

Vegetarian food could be difficult to find.

Date with speed (Abu Dhabi)

Yas Island’s Ferrari World is a perfect getaway for racing freaks. A walk past the gleaming Ferraris, one of which was driven by Michael Schumacher, takes you to Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster. The mantra of this 59-second ride over a 2km long track is lightning speed, accelerating from 0 to 240kmph in less than 5 seconds as it traverses tricky corners while zipping past what looks like rugged boulders and tall pylons. You can also experience the Viaggio in Italia, a flying theatre that takes you for an aerial ride over many of Italy’s famous-for-racing landscapes such as Venice, Tuscany, Rome, etc. There is also the Galleria Ferrari that boasts of an interactive display of cars from 1947 to the present day and the fast-and-furious experience with Flying Aces, the 90-second roller-coaster that features not just the world’s tallest inverted loop but also the fastest cable lift.

Good time to visit: April to May and September to October

Not for the faint-hearted (Macau)

Ever since it was inaugurated in 2001, the Macau Tower that stands at a height of 338m (1,109 feet) has become the go-to place for those seeking an adrenaline rush. It’s fun swishing up to the 61st floor for activities like bungee jumping and sky walking. The latter lets people (all securely harnessed) enjoy a walk on the glass-bottomed, no-railing path that encircles the outer edge of the tower. And the former is a free-fall experience in which, within nano seconds, you zip down and when just about 30 metres from the ground, you float mid-air.

Good time to visit: October to December

Slice of Greek mythology (Taiwan)

A must-do experience at E-DA World, located in the scenic Kaohsiung City, is a ride in the transparent cars of the 125-metre high Ferris Wheel. It allows you to savour the picturesque landscape for miles around. The variety of rides offered at this theme park, which takes inspiration from Greek mythology, includes Disneyland-like fun on gravity-defying rides like the Twister that gives you 360 degree twirls at a height of 55m and the high U-shape slide, among others.

One of the highlights here is the ‘Fly Over Taiwan’ show. Complete with 4D effects, this flying-simulator experience offers a bird’s-eye view of all that this small island country has to offer — from its buzzing cities to the rugged landscape, water bodies and sports, etc.

Good time to visit: April to June & September to November

Views & hues of earth (Mauritius)

Mauritius has always been synonymous with aquamarine beaches, white sands and tropical greenery. Now, you can add some interesting adventure sports to the list as well. Zip lining, for one, the third longest in the world at 1.5km, lets you enjoy the gorgeous views of the green-forested valleys and waterfalls as you speed across. Then, don’t forget to try out quad-biking that takes you past muddy banks, rivulets, rocky terrain of the rugged landscape, unveiling the 23 hues of the earth — the result of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago.

Adrenaline junkies must also not miss out on the seakarting experience in which you captain your own seakart. Once familiar with the basics, you can speed it up to 70 kmph. There’s flyboarding, too, in which once you step on to a skate-like board, the force of the waterjet below sends you soaring in the air.

Good time to visit: November to May

Under the Mangrove Trees (Nusa Lambongan)

Among the many islands of Indonesia, Nusa Lambongan, also referred to as Bali’s younger sister, is indeed special. After enjoying a dramatic display of mighty waves at Devil’s Tears, and trying your hand at water activities like snorkelling and cliff jumping in the quieter part of the island, a special experience awaits you — a mangrove tour. Canoe-like boats manoeuvred by the locals take you along the silent canals under the shades of tall, several hundred-year-old mangrove trees. You move past thick roots of the trees where the only sounds you hear are those of crickets and a few birds — an experience that can be counted among the most ‘silent’ ones of your life.

Good time to visit: April to October; Vegetarian food could be difficult to find