18 Most Adventurous Things I’ve Done

Since the name of my new blog is ‘Jan Adventures’, I thought one of my first posts should be about my real-life adventures which led me to come up with this name! I have always loved adventure since I was young and would ride the scariest rides at the amusement parks. I love to scream so anything that can make me belt out a good blood-curdling scream is MY KIND OF FUN. I guess I never grew up because I still love adventure. Below is a list of some of the craziest, fun things I’ve done so far in life! I hope it inspires you to LIVE THE ADVENTURE too!

Bungy jump in New Zealand

I did my one and only bungy jump many years ago when I was 30 years old. I’ve always said if you’re going to do a bungy jump, do it when you’re young because I’m not so sure I’d ever do it again! It was a great experience though to have my ankles strapped up and scoot out on a tiny ledge 43 meters above a flowing river, hearing the crew count down 3-2-1, and then for no good reason, aimlessly jump into nothing but air. Yep, I did it and survived!

I was doing a 3 week tour around the south island of New Zealand with a girlfriend when we drove towards Queenstown and saw a bridge with lots of people standing around. I immediately said to her, ‘It’s a bungy jump, let’s do it’!

We later found out this was the site of the world’s first commercial bungy jump, the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge created by AJ Hackett, the New Zealand founder and famous for his daring bungy jumps across the globe. Before I risked my life, I told myself I would either close my eyes and not scream or open my eyes and scream… I guess you can imagine what I did!

Skydive in Switzerland

Another bucket list adventure was to jump out of a plane and feel the sensation of flying through the air. I finally did this in 2010 near where I live in Switzerland.

It was such a dose of adrenaline to get trained, suited up, wait for our plane to be ready, fly up over the snow-covered Swiss Alps (note that was more scary than jumping!), to get strapped in with my guide, waddle over to the plane’s open door, and JUMP!!! It was a thrilling experience and one I’ll never forget.

Sleep in an Igloo in Norway

This experience was so cool, no pun intended! It was part of a tour we did all over Norway in early January several years ago. We stayed in the Kirkenes Snow Hotel built entirely out of snow and ice and had 20 separate bedrooms complete with solid ice beds.

They provided us with warm winter gear including socks and sleeping bags, but they said we would be warmer if we slept naked. WHAT? I have to say I actually slept very well in the chilly -5 degrees celsius!

We had other cool adventures in Norway such as seeing the northern lights, dog sledding, and riding snowmobiles across fjords. Check out the details here.

Ziplining in Costa Rica

If you ever go to the Monteverde region of Costa Rica, there are several spots where you can do zip lining in the cloud forest. The day we did it was very cloudy and rainy, so maybe it wasn’t as scary not being able to see how high above the ground we were.

It was a lot of fun though swinging from tower to tower and getting greasy from the metal cables. We did a lot more fun things in Costa Rica, check it out here.

Paragliding in France

I did a tandem ride one summer in a ski resort town called Megeve. I wasn’t scared at all to run off a hill at the take-off or to do the field landing in a seated position with my legs out in front.

It went so smoothly and I really enjoyed feeling free as a bird and admiring the scenery from that vantage point. It was a great sensation and something I’d probably do again.

Sleeping in a Bubble in Iceland

This was a very special experience, and I’m so glad that we were able to book one night in this Bubble Hotel. It’s called the 5 million star hotel, but unfortunately, the weather was rainy that night and we weren’t able to see any stars or northern lights.

It was still very special to sleep in a forest and wake up to the natural outdoor light and birds flying above our bubble. We did this in August when it was pretty warm in Iceland, but it would be fun to do it in winter with snow all around.

Check out this page for more details about our Iceland trip.

Camel ride & overnight sleep in the Sahara desert

During our trip to Morocco, we had an organized excursion for an overnight trip into the desert on camels. We rode the camels for about an hour to a secluded camp area with tents.

They prepared a nice outdoor dinner for us and then we retreated to our tents with mattresses on the ground. We could have opted to sleep outdoors under the stars but I was too afraid that some nasty dessert insects would climb on me while I slept.

I adored the whole experience and would highly recommend it!

Glamping in a suspended tree tent

I had heard about glamping, a fairly new form of camping in luxury style. I came to learn that they have one about an hour away from our house, so I booked it for one night (can you believe one year in advance?).

It was a surprise trip for Mike because I’m not sure he would’ve done it had he known ahead of time. It was a super fun experience to spend the evening, complete with a delicious cheese fondue underneath the tent, and then to wake up to a huge delivered basket full of yummy breakfast food! Link to where we stayed.

Surfing in Lombok (island next to Bali)

My first time ever trying to surf was in 2018 on our Bali-Lombok tour. I guess you’re never too old to try new sports and that’s what I did at 55 years old!

This was a nice spot for beginners on the south coast of Lombok, near Kuta where we were staying.

It was baby surfing in very shallow waters but I did manage to get up on the board a few times and ride the little waves onto the beach. And the best part of all was that I didn’t wipe out and get hurt! Learn more about our Indonesia trip here.

Kayaking caves in Vietnam

Beautiful Halong Bay in the northern part of Vietnam is where we did kayaking, straight from the big boat we slept on for a few nights while touring the islands.

It was an amazing adventure paddling into dark caves with low ceilings wondering if we would hit our heads. We would come out into a bright open area with such lush terrain and waters. It was peaceful but good exercise too! Here’s more on our 3 week Vietnam trip!

Piloting a small airplane in Switzerland

This adventure was actually a birthday present from a friend for my 50th birthday. It took me a while to organize and find a date to do it (when the weather was good), but I finally went with Mike and a girlfriend, and of course the pilot who definitely helped me fly the plane. I did it near where we live by Lake Geneva, Switzerland. The flight lasted about 45 minutes and was thrilling. I wasn’t too scared but just a little anxious. Would you do something like this?!

Hiking a 14,000+ foot mountain in Colorado, USA

In August of 2019, I hiked my first 14er as they call it, with the altitude of 14,278 feet (4,352 meters) at the top of Gray’s Peak. It was a great feeling to make it to the top!

I live at an altitude of only 2100 feet, so I had some concerns about acclimating to the higher altitude. I did the 3.5 hr uphill hike with a girlfriend and we started off at 6 am on a Friday to make sure we got to the top and back down before afternoon storms normally come.

It was a strange feeling to start hiking in the dark but amazing to see the sunrise around us. As we got higher, we needed to slow down the pace to breathe easier the thinner air. All in all, it was a challenging adventure that I’m so proud of! See more of my pics from that Colorado trip here.

Helicopter ride and landing on a Glacier in New Zealand

This was a highlight of my 3-week trip discovering the South Island of New Zealand. I don’t remember which company we booked with but here is one site to give you an idea of the experience.

I also did a helicopter ride on the island of La Reunion, but this one was unique in that it landed on the snow and we were able to walk around and see the deep blue crevasses on the glacier. It was very cool, no pun intended 🙂

Plane ride over the Great Barrier Reef in Australia

This one is my most recent adventures which I did in January 2020! This was my second time in Australia but the first time to the Great Barrier Reef area. We stayed in Airlie Beach in the Whitsunday region and explored the islands by catamaran boat and by plane.

I hesitated to spend the $250 per person on a one hour flight, but I absolutely think it was worth it to see such beauty from the sky. I highly recommend the company GSL who we flew with – very organized and friendly!

Sleeping in a cabin built into the side of a mountain (in Switzerland)

I must have seen this initially on Facebook or Instagram, but once I learned that it was within distance for a weekend driving trip, I booked it right away. We love to hike and the combination of staying in this unique cabin with a weekend of hiking the area was perfect.

There are many cabins (or ‘refuges’ as they call them) in the Swiss Alps, but the way this one looked was extra special. I love sleeping overnight high up in the mountains (although you usually have to sleep in a dorm-type room with other snoring people) and having the communal evening meal and early morning breakfast. You also have to share a primitive bathroom with the other guests. Check out the place (called Berggasthaus Äscher) if you are interested!

Camel ride around the Egyptian Pyramids

Another camel ride adventure but what made it special was the backdrop of the three pyramids in Cairo. I know, I know, it’s a typical tourist thing to do there, but so worth it.

The best part was when they stop for a short break and dress you up in their picnic tablecloth-like headdress for pictures with the camels and pyramids in the background. I got a big laugh when the camel had to stand up and sit down as you really think you are going to fall off! And I do believe I let out a little scream 🙂

Hot air balloon ride over the Swiss Alps

I have only done this once but since flying in a hot air balloon was at the top of my bucket list for a long time, I finally made it happen!

We are fortunate to live next to the beautiful Swiss Alps and this was where we did our balloon ride. It was an early morning to meet up and watch them blow up the balloon.

Our driver (or should I say flyer?) was a petite young woman who did a great job. I wasn’t scared at all but just thrilled to be experiencing the flight and seeing all the mountain views. Oh, and did I mention I love bright colors?…

And here is the video of our experience!

Snorkeling with wild dolphins in Mauritius

I’ve seen a lot of dolphins in my life but mostly from a boat and not while swimming above them in crystal blue water. We chose this excursion from where we were staying in the south part of Mauritius in an area called Le Morne (that is the big rock mountain in the photo).

We were on a small speed boat with only a few other guests. Our captain knew where to go to find the dolphins and would stop the boat suddenly and tell us to jump in. There were at least 50 dolphins swimming below us and even coming near us at the top.

Once the dolphins were too far, we’d get back in the boat and go to where they swam to repeat snorkeling close to them. We did that several times so it was well worth this amazing excursion!

Here is the video of the dolphins.

So after reading all of this, are you ready for more adventure in your life?? I would love to hear about some of your wildest adventures to add to my bucket list. Please leave a comment below to share your fun ideas with others.