Must-dos for backpackers
mathew sabri
Sky-Diving: If you get back from a trip to Australia or New Zealand and you haven’t thrown yourself out of a plane from at least 10,000ft then you haven’t fully grasped the whole backpacker experience.
Both countries have more than their fare share of places to ‘get extreme’ but one of the most picturesque is Airlie Beach in Queensland, Australia. Although you can only jump from 10,000 ft, which is lower than many other places, this is a small price to pay when you see the views of the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands on your way back to earth.
Bungee Jumping: The ultimate ‘thrill-seeker’ destination is New Zealand, Land of the Long White Cloud It is here that commercial bungee jumping was born and in Queenstown on South Island you can do the highest permanent bungee in the world, the Nevis.
You’ll dive out of a cable car, precariously suspended over a ravine and fall for 8.5 seconds or 138 metres, and get frighteningly close to the riverbed below, before bouncing back up to relative safety.
Shark Dive: Remaining south of the equator, South Africa is where you can get up close and personal with one of the world’s most honed and perfectly adapted killing machines, the Great White Shark. Although this isn’t the most socially conscious adventure you can go on, seeing as they actively bait the sharks, put your conscience to one side for a day to experience the mighty force that is the Great White.
The freezing and murky water only adds to the effect making the shark’s unexpected appearance even more terrifying. You will no doubt replay the Jaws music in your head throughout the whole experience.
Machu Picchu: Latin America has some outstanding remains of long-gone civilizations dispersed throughout its jungles and forests. The best to trek is the ancient Inca trail in Peru. The hike will take around a week and the weather will be hot, humid, wet then cold, but the final destination is just reward. You can explore the breathtaking remains of Machu Picchu and watch a sun rise that will probably never be beaten anywhere else in the world.
Mount Everest Base Camp: More trekking is required to get to Everest Base Camp. The landscape looks like it would be more at home on Mars, and is just as inhospitable but this unearthly place is unbelievable.
Passing through the Nepalese Himalayas, up mountains, through expansive valleys and across vast glaciers, you’ll seeing scenery unlike anywhere else on earth and see Sherpa and local Nepalese villagers making it look like a walk in the park, some park!
Just remember before you even consider doing any of the above, get yourself adequate insurance. Throwing yourself out of a plane and swimming with sharks are obviously pretty dangerous and yet backpackers have no spare money to deal with accidents let alone emergency service sea-rescues and hospital bills. So don’t risk your life, insure it.
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