Spending your holidays with your parents can be very limiting, especially with tour agencies only highlighting sightseeing and historic sites around the world. Do you ever find yourself restless and dying to do something more exciting besides sitting idly in the tour bus?
For destinations that are closer to Singapore, plane tickets are typically more affordable, so you can try out these activities even if you’re on a budget! Say hello to making your own heart pumping, thrill seeking adventures, with these 10 exhilarating sports in Southeast Asia.
1. Sky Diving In Thailand
There’s no better way to get your heart pounding than with skydiving. Thai Sky Adventures located in Pattaya will offer you a 20-minute ascent up to 13,000 feet. There’s also a five to seven minutes scenic canopy ride, allowing you to have a picturesque view before your free fall.
Of course, tandem dives are available to pair you up with experienced jumpers, if you aren’t game enough to do this on your own.
Thai Sky Adventures: Nong Kho Reservoir, Nong Kham, Sriracha, Chonburi 20110, Thailand | Website | Facebook
2. Scuba Diving With Bullsharks Without A Cage In Thailand
Don’t miss this opportunity at Ko Pha Ngan, an island off the east coast of Thailand. Home to the wildest full moon parties, who would have known there’d be a more tranquil activity here? Look for Sail Rock Divers, a specialised team of divers who organise diving tours at Sail Rock, which is one of the best dives sites in the Gulf of Thailand.
Aside from getting up close to bull sharks, you could spot a whale shark accompanied with a school of fishes too. Muster up your courage and face your fears of sharks here in Thailand!
Sail Rock Divers: 15 Moo 7 Chaloklam Ko Pha-ngan, Surat Thani 84280, Thailand | Tel:+66 77 374 321 | Website | Facebook
3. Cliff Diving In Thailand
The phrase “when push comes to shove” is very apt here at Hang Dong Quarry. Also known as The Chiang Mai Grand Canyon, it was once a quarry that’s now filled with water. I chose Hang Dong Quarry due to many first timer’s fear of jumping into an ocean. Especially with a rough cliff face, it may turn into a dangerous feat if not done correctly!
Costing a mere 50 THB (approx. S$2.09) for the entry fee, you could spend the entire day jumping in, to cool down from the humid tropical weather.
The quarry offers several heights to jump off from, starting from as low as 5m and going as high as 15m!
Hang Dong Quarry: Unnamed Road, Tambon Nam Phrae Amphoe, Hang Dong Chang Wat, Chiang Mai, Thailand 50230
4. Mountain Climbing At Mount Kinabalu Via Ferrata In Malaysia
Once you’ve experienced Via Ferrata, the high elements you find at Outward Bound Singapore will look like child’s play.
Loosely translated in Italian, Via Ferrata means “the iron road”. This means your path up Mount Kinabalu will be made of rungs, rails, cables and bridges along the mountain’s rocky surface. At the moment, the world’s highest Via Ferrata is Mountain Torq, which can be found on Mount Kinabalu’s Panalaban rock face. Bet you didn’t know something this cool is just a stone’s throw away in Malaysia!
You’ll need to sign up for a climbing package before you can scale this beast, though.
Amazing Borneo Tours & Events Sdn. Bhd.: Lot 1-37, Star City North Complex, 1st Floor Jalan Asia City, 88000, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia | Website | Facebook
5. Deep Water Soloing In Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines & Malaysia
Rock climbing without safety harnesses?! Instead of the conventional belaying during a rock climbing session and the cushions from bouldering, deep water soloing takes on a different concept by using the sea as an alternative landing ground.
Currently, there are four hotspots that have caught the attention of rock climbing enthusiasts in South East Asia: Cat Ba Island (Vietnam), Railay Beach (Thailand), El Nino Palawan (Philippines) and Langkawi (Malaysia). They all differ in climbing difficulty, so please do some research. Otherwise, you may not be able to climb high enough for a good free fall!
Asia Outdoors, Deep Water Soloing In Vietnam: No. 229, 1/4 Street, Group 19, Ward 4, Cat Ba Island, Cat Hai District, Hai Phong City, Vietnam | Website | Facebook
6. Mountain Climbing Without A Guide In Indonesia
Mount Bromo has been popularised as a tourist spot. With many locals offering to provide a tour, taking on this mountain with just online guides and tips is a feat worth trying. Not only does it save you some money, but it also gives you an authentic experience.
In addition to Mount Bromo, if you are a fiery daredevil, head down to the Ijen Crater for a magnificent view of electric-blue fire flowing down the slopes in the dark of the night.
One site I would suggest looking towards will be BeMyTravelMuse who suggested using Cafe Lava Hostel who provides lots of information on going on a self-guided tour on site. They would even write out a map for you!
Cafe Lava Hostel: Cemoro Lawang, Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park 67254, Indonesia | Website
7. Cave Diving Through A Sink Hole In South Australia
The sinkhole named The Shaft is located at Mount Gambier. The unique factor of this diving spot is that its entrance is found in the middle of a cow pasture. This tiny hole meant for one provides just enough space to belay down with a device.
Prepare yourselves though, because, after five deaths in the past 40 years, diving here requires a certification by the Cave Divers Association of Australia (CDAA). Described by previous divers as “the closest thing you can get to outer space”, and “a whole different world underground”, this is definitely an experience every cave diver would cave in to!
Do note you have to book a trip down through cavedivers.com.au and fill up their indemnity form before heading down.
The Shaft: Cave View (private property), Mount Gambier, 5290/5291 South Australia | Website
8. Race Car Driving In Thailand
If watching the Formula One night race in Singapore isn’t enough to get your heart pumping, put yourself in the hot seats of the Formula One driver by learning to be one! Taki Racing in Thailand is here to fulfil your dreams of flourishing in motorsports.
Open to anyone over the age of 16, the Taki Racing School Car has an engine with 120 horsepower and brings you easily over 200km/hr. But remember to hone your skills, or you just might take on more than you can handle.
Taki Racing: 333/15 M.8 Soi Ittonfai, Poochaosamingprie Road, Samrongkrang, Praphadeang, Samutprakan 10130, Thailand | Website
9. Free Diving In Indonesia
Diving without the use of gas tanks? Go back to the early beginnings of spearfishing, and use the limited capabilities of your lungs to dive as deep as 25m. You will be surprised; with just a beginner’s course in free diving, you’d be able to hold your breath for up to two minutes!
Bali is the perfect spot for free diving. The different beaches offer a variety of scenic views, ranging from manta rays to World War Two shipwrecks and even ancient relics and statues found on the seabed.
Fusion Freediving And Yoga: Amed, Abang, Karangasem, Bali 80852, Indonesia | Website | Facebook
10. Surfing In Indonesia
Bali is an island with more than five beaches, all with waves that are good for surfing all year round. Amongst the five beaches, Kuta steals the spotlight as Bali’s ‘surfer’s paradise’, due to the many hotels and malls that have set up by the beach.
My personal favourite would be the beach area at Seminyak, which is less crowded and where board rentals can go as low as 180,000 IDR (approx. S$17.33) for the entire day. Do take a few lessons before starting surfing though, I’ve actually had two close shaves to drowning while surfing!
Santai Surf School: Double 6 Beach, Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia | Facebook
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With all these activities a stone’s throw away from Singapore, what’s stopping you thrill seekers? If “You Only Live Once” is your motto, you’ll want to hit up more than a few of these spots!
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