Choosing the Right Extreme Sports Vacation

Suggested Tour Operators

South Pacific

Live Adrenalin (www.adrenalin.com.au, Tel. + 61 2 8755 3111)

One of Australia's leading adventure lifestyle companies with over 150 experiences Australia-wide. There's caving, rally drives and zorb rides.

AJ Hackett (www.ajhackett.com)

The original bungee operator with bases in New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Bali, Germany, France and Macau.

North America

Smithers (www.adventuresmithers.com, Tel. + 1 250 847 3499)

Offering adventure activities in Canada's northwest region of British Colombia including Nordic skiing and ice climbing in winter and rafting and hiking in summer.

Thrillseekers Unlimited (www.ThrillseekersUnlimited.com, Tel. + 1 702 699 5550)

A tour company designing extreme team-building corporate events and adventure getaways.

Africa

Cape Xtreme Adventures (www.Cape-Xtreme.com, Tel. +27 21 788 5814)

Adventure Tours in and around Cape Town, South Africa such as quad biking, bungee jumping, jet boating and shark diving.

Extreme 3 Adventures (www.extreme3adventures.co.za, Tel. 084 672 6925)

Extreme sports and adventures in South Africa that focus on land, air and water.

Latin America

Patagonia Adventure Trip (www.patagoniaadventuretrip.com, Tel. + 54 11 4343 2048)

Offering intense ice and glacier trekking and hiking in South America.

Asia

Noasc (www.noasc.com, + 81 0136 231688)

A Japanese company offering summer rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, inflatable kayaking, bridge swinging, bungee jumping and mountain boarding. In winter there are pursuits like powder skiing, snowboarding, snow shoeing and ice climbing.

Worldwide

Extreme Sports Café (www.extremesportscafe.com)

Extreme sports centers in Europe, Asia, South America and North America take amateurs and the experienced through skydiving, surfing, scuba diving, para motoring, kite surfing and more.

Do-it-yourself options

Some extreme sports such as skateboarding and mountain biking can be enjoyed without professional training or much effort or organization. All you need is the equipment (eg. a bike, board and safety gear) and access (skate park, trails etc) and you're set. Other sports such as skydiving and para-gliding require certification or a license before you can take part. They may also require a significantly higher amount of money to participate.

The key thing to remember is that if you plan a do-it-yourself option don't go alone. Ensure you have the adequate training and experience and if you don't, undertake a course to set you on track.