Feel the rush in San Diego

SAN DIEGO offers adventure seekers a vacation experience like no other. With varied terrain and an abundance of outdoor activities, #adrenaline junkies can find a variety of ways to feel the rush in #SanDiego.From indoor skydiving and hang gliding above the blue Pacific to four-wheeling in the desert and rock climbing in majestic mountains, here are the top 10 thrilling adventures for a heart-stopping San Diego vacation.

Paragliding - With nearly 100 years of flying history, Torrey Pines Gliderport, located north of the village of La Jolla, is America’s most popular coastal soaring site.

Ziplining - San Diego is home to the longest zip line in California that is guaranteed to thrill adventure seekers of all ages. Set in the La Jolla Indian Campground within the foothills of Palomar Mountain, the La Jolla Zip Zoom provides riders with 6,273 feet of zip line excitement coupled with spectacular views of mountain peaks, lush green canyons and steep, rustic slopes.

Surfing - Opportunities to "hang ten" abound up and down San Diego’s 33 public beaches. Made famous by the Beach Boys’ hit song “Surfin’ USA,” Swami's Beach in Encinitas is one of San Diego’s prime surf spots where big waves break off a narrow, cobblestone-strewn beach and challenge even experienced surfers. 

Sky Sailing - In operation since 1959, Sky Sailing in San Diego’s Inland North County offers instructional, introductory rides for one or two passengers in a sailplane or glider, soaring silently and effortlessly on the region’s warm air currents like a bird in flight. 

Indoor Skydiving - For those wanting aerial adventures closer to land, iFLY San Diego delivers the dream of flight to thrill-seeking guests with San Diego’s first indoor skydiving wind tunnel, located in the heart of Mission Valley.

Rock Climbing & Bouldering - With millions of boulders in San Diego County, bouldering is a local specialty, and rock climbers can free climb, sport climb, multi-pitch climb and trad climb among hundreds of vertical rocky paths. Santee Boulders in San Diego’s rural East County is a popular field offering a full-day of challenging climbs. 

Cave Spelunking - Cave spelunking combines rock climbing, hiking and exploring into one fascinating adventure. The Arroyo Tapiado mud caves in the Anza-Borrego Desert in San Diego’s rural East County are some of the most extensive mud formations worldwide. With 22 different caves to explore, only the most daring venture deep inside this unknown world of hidden canyons and crevices. 

Shark Diving - An experience of a lifetime, shark diving is most likely on the bucket list for many adventure seekers. San Diego Shark Diving offers certified and non-certified divers alike the opportunity to cage-dive amongst massive great white sharks. Only the brave embark on a 5-day live-aboard excursion to the waters surrounding the volcanic island of Isla Guadalupe, located approximately 170 miles west of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

Four-Wheeling - The spacious terrain of the Anza-Borrego Desert is also the perfect location for a different fast-paced activity. Adventure seekers can experience the thrill of off-roading and speed through sand dunes and zip around cacti in large SUVs or individual ATVs in this vast 600,000-acre desert playground. 

Sportfishing - Sportfishing off the San Diego coast and in neighboring Baja California waters allows adventurer seekers to experience the thrill of the catch. Home to the world's largest sportfishing fleet, San Diego has more than 75 state-of-the-art fishing vessels ranging in size from 60-124 feet and outfitted with the latest fish-finding equipment and amenities. 

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Two year waiting list for Vietnam's Son Doong Cave

ONE of the recently discovered wonders of the natural world, but there’s little likelihood of it being wrecked by mass tourism. Access to Vietnam’s Son Doong Cave – believed to be the planet’s largest cave – is possible, but be very aware that tourists need to be fit and intrepid enough to take on a day-and-a-half through dense jungle and a 260ft abseil down to its entrance.

The #SonDoong (which translates as Mountain River Cave) was discovered by a local man in 1990, and was fully explored by British cavers in 2009 with the first organised tour taking place in 2013. Since then interest has grown significantly and there is now a 2 year wait as only 500 people a year are permitted to travel there to protect the fragile eco-system inside the cave.

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Picture Credit: By Doug Knuth from Woodstock, IL - Son Doong-72, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39118149

Adventure activities in Serbia

WHILE #Serbia is developing a reputation as a cycling and hiking destination –offering experiences such as the Danube Bike Trail – these activities represent only a small sample of the adventures an adrenaline junkie can expect to find. 

The country’s wild spaces are calling out to thrill-seeking holidaymakers …   

HIKING – Serbia offers a variety of hiking options for walkers of all aptitudes. Some of the top destinations include the national parks of Fuska Gora, Djerdap, Zlatibor & Tara, and Kopaonik. 

CYCLING – From the sedate to the challenging, Serbia offer this and everything in between. Options for the more sedate cyclists include the Danube Bike Trail, 410 miles of which are to be found in Serbia. Road cycling and mountain biking options include the Beast From The East, or more formerly the Euro Velo 11.

CAVING – Serbia has more than 4,000 caves, including the 3,000ft Lazareva Cave near Zlot, the longest in Serbia, or the 2,542ft Ceremošnja Cave near Kučevo.

FLYING – Serbia has a long tradition of aerial sports. Travellers can choose from gliding, paragliding, microlite flying, ballooning and tandem skydives. Many resorts and spas are now offering paragliding under the guidance of experts from local clubs.

ORIENTEERING – If you like to find yourself in a remote spot with little more than a map and a compass ticking off control points in the right order in the shortest possible time, Serbia will greet you with open arms. This sport is popular in Serbia, with around 180 specialized orienteering maps covering many tourist locations.

SKIING – Serbia's most developed and popular ski resorts are Kopaonik, Tornik on Zlatibor, and Stara Planina.

WHITE WATER RAFTING – Hot spots for rafting include Lim, one of Serbia's most exciting rivers, and the River Drina, which is suitable for dinghy rafting.

CANYONING is new sport for Serbia. Key locations include the Tribe Canyon, the second highest in Serbia. Most canyoning takes place in May to late September. 

WATER SPORTS – The fast-flowing rivers are great for rafting, dinghy sailors, rowers and flat-water kayakers head for the wide waters of the Danube, Lake Sava at Ada Ciganlija, Lake Palić, Bela Crkva lakes, and the Silver Lake.

GETTING THERE –

Tour operators offering activity holidays in Serbia include Ramblers Worlwide Holidays, Travel The Unknown Utracks, and Blue Plum Escapes

Flights to Belgrade are with: Air Serbia from Heathrow, from Manchester via Amsterdam, Wizz Air from Luton, and British Airways from Heathrow via Frankfurt.

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Picture Credit: Image-of-Sumadija by Струјајое - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

Jungle trek to the world’s largest cave

IT’S one of the recently discovered wonders of the natural world, but there’s little likelihood of it being wrecked by mass tourism. Access to Vietnam’s Son Doong Cave – believed to be the planet’s largest cave – is possible, but be very aware that tourists need to be fit and intrepid enough to take on a day-and-a-half through dense jungle and a 260ft abseil down to its entrance.

The Son Doong (which translates as Mountain River Cave) was discovered by a local man in 1991, and was fully explored by British cavers in 2009. The first tourist expedition – six people from the US, Russia, Australia, and Norway – took place in 2013.

Created millions of years ago by river water eroding the limestone underneath a mountain, the cave comprises at least 150 individual chambers, a lake, a fast-flowing river, a jungle, and its own weather system. In total, it’s five miles long, 650ft wide, and 500ft tall … large enough to house an entire New York City block.

Run by Vietnam-based Oxalis Adventure Tours, the 7-day/6-night Son Doong trip costs £1,900/$3,000. It’s led by safety experts and professional guides trained by the company’s technical directors Howard and Deb Limbert, who are members of the British Cave Research Association.

Oxalis says people taking the tour must: be in good physical health; aware they are travelling in a remote area subject to ‘unusual’ climatic conditions and without medical facilities; have comprehensive travel insurance package covering medical treatment, natural disaster, personal accidents, guided-caving tours and medical evacuation; and assume liability for all risks, holding the company ‘blameless’ for accidents and illness.

www.sondoongcave.org

www.oxalis.com.vn

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/94535251@N00/12795505895">Son Doong-72</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)</a>, Peter Carsten hosted sondoongcave.org